I once read some advice that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dad gave him: “Be useful to others.” I think it is one of the best ways to find “success” in your life, and to contribute value to the rest of humankind.

In today’s world there are thousands of distractions, and thousands of things people are telling you what to do.

But the secret of adding value to others in the most efficient and productive way? Focus on the 1 biggest contribution you can make others, and eliminate all your other distractions.

For me, the most value I can add is by blogging, sharing information, and making YouTube videos. It is by sharing information that I hope to be empowering, useful, and helpful.

Some things which I think add a lot of value, but actually distract me most of the time:

• Blogs
• Social media
• Emails
• Business

In the west, there is so much “productivity porn.” We are always told to do more — but never told what to do more of.

My suggestion: do more of what your “core competency” is — and how you add the most value. For everyone that is something different. You know what that is for yourself.

Furthermore, try to do one less thing a day. If you want to save time and get stronger in the gym, avoid doing superfluous accessory exercises that just waste time. When it comes to entrepreneurship, focus on the clients who earn you the most money. With photography, focus on the type of photography that you feel you are the most skilled at, and brings you the most joy.

In economics they call this the 80/20 “law” (or Pareto’s principle). The idea is that 80% of your profits usually come from 20% of your customers. the idea that 80% of the value you create comes from 20% of the work that you do. That 80% of the stress comes from 20% of the sources in your life.

It doesn’t always need to be an 80/20 split (this is just an estimate). It can be 60/40, 99/1, 90/10. The basic concept is that you want to focus your energy where you can be the most effective.

When it comes to going to the gym, just stick to the main 3 exercises where you get the most “bang for the buck” (deadlifts, squats, benchpress). When it comes to your social media marketing strategy, just focus on the few social media platforms which you have the most engagement on. When it comes to working with clients, focus on your profitable customers— rather than customers who waste your time and would never give you a penny.

Straying from your core competency

One of the big mistakes that a lot of businesses and companies partake in is that they stray from what they’re good at. When companies try to do everything well— they end up doing nothing well.

Take for example Apple— when Steve Jobs left, they tried to invest in too many products, and started to lose their appeal. When Jobs came back, he axed 95% of the existing products, and decided to focus on their 4 main products.

Nike focuses on athletic wear. In-n-out burger has only 4 items on their menu. The best coffee shops are the ones that focus on making quality espresso drinks (not diversifying into food, muffins, frappucinos, etc).

Treat each day if it were your last

Today may be your last day. Why waste your potential focusing on things that won’t bring value to others? Instead of trying to do more — seek to do less. Do less of superfluous things that waste your time. However seek to do more of what brings you joy in life, and what brings value to others.

So when it comes to your work, photography, and life— what 80% can you cut out, and still create massive value for others?