How the 60-30-10 Rule Is The Solution To Your Stressful Work Experience

In my last administrative position, my daily schedule was often derailed by 9 a.m. Unexpected meetings, urgent emails, missed calls, and messages – everything piled on top of what I had already planned. To make matters worse, it was almost impossible to finish anything because of constant interruptions – someone knocking at the door, getting paged, or the phone ringing. It was frustrating and stressful, but not an unusual situation.

Managing the daily workload within regular business hours leads to stress and burnout for some professionals, but there is a way to regain control. The 60-30-10 rule is a simple but powerful approach to time management that helps prioritize and organize your day. By striking the right balance between high, medium, and low-priority tasks, you can increase focus and productivity while reducing stress.

The concept of multitasking – working on two or more tasks simultaneously – is nothing new. Most of us have probably tried it a few times or used it as our go-to strategy when we’re stretched for time. It’s what 72% of working professionals do regularly. But is it effective? 

Research reveals that our brains are unable to multitask successfully. What happens is we switch our focus between tasks, which comes at a cost – reduced speed and accuracy. While task switching doesn’t take much time, often just a few seconds, the impact on our focus and concentration is much greater. The brief mental block caused by task switching can reduce productivity by 40%! It’s a slippery slope that can quickly lead to high stress and burnout.

Since time is one of our most precious commodities, it makes sense that we should do everything we can to maximize it. Enter the 60-30-10 rule. As time management methods go, this one is easy to understand and flexible enough to adapt to any profession or work situation. The key to this method is prioritization. It breaks down like this:

60% = High-Value Tasks: These are urgent tasks with hard deadlines or ones that can’t be delegated to someone else. They are important and are directly related to your professional goals and responsibilities. 

30% = Medium to Low-Value Tasks: These are most often related to administrative tasks, such as responding to emails, attending meetings, and other administrative work that is necessary to get your work done. While these are necessary tasks, they shouldn’t be prioritized over high-value tasks. 

10% = Planning and Organization Tasks: This is your “me” time. You should dedicate this time to wrapping up your to-do list, organizing your work, and preparing for tomorrow. You can also use this time for personal development or reflection.

Getting started with the 60-30-10 rule is a simple process. These four steps provide a basic framework for structuring your time so it works for you.

Evaluate: Take time to reflect on your professional responsibilities. What are your daily or weekly tasks? Make a list (don’t leave anything out!) and sort your tasks into three categories: high-value/urgent, medium to low-value but necessary, and planning/organization.

Allocate and Implement: Use your completed list to map out your schedule. You can plan daily, weekly, or monthly, but use the 60-30-10 breakdown when allocating time to various tasks. Do your best to stick to the time allotments but remember that everything takes practice. Be patient with yourself as you develop your time awareness.

Review: Set aside time to regularly reflect on and review your schedule and productivity levels. This can be part of your 10% and you can do it as often as you need – daily, weekly, or monthly.

Adjust: As your time management improves and your work priorities change, make adjustments to your schedule and how much time you are dedicating to different tasks.