We’ve all been there: the client who takes 80% of your time and gives back maybe 20% of the results. You chase, you explain, you defend, you over deliver, and still it’s never enough. The hard truth is that it’s not them stealing your time it’s you giving it away.
The Pareto Principle the 80/20 rule shows up everywhere. 20% of your work creates 80% of your results. 20% of your habits shape 80% of your outcomes. And yes, 20% of your clients are responsible for 80% of your business. The rest? They drain you.
The discipline isn’t in managing them better. The discipline is in letting them go.
If you’ve worked in New York real estate, you know these people. The buyer who insists on seeing every new listing downtown because they would never live above 14th Street, but then yells at you for not taking them to The Dakota on the Upper West Side. (True story: they ended up buying in the building.) The seller who ignores the market, insists on overpricing by millions, and then blames you when it doesn't sell. The renter who drags you across the city in August heat, because they hate their apartment, only to “renew their lease” at the last minute because they actually love their apartment after all. Or the client who demands daily calls and detailed reporting, only to disappear the moment it’s time to sign.
You don’t need me to name them you already know exactly who they are.
We think it’s about clients. We think it’s about time. But it’s bigger than that. It’s about the energy you allow into your life. The people you give access to your focus, your creativity, your peace of mind. Some multiply it. Others drain it.
And here’s the part most of us don’t talk about: you become like the people you surround yourself with. Spend enough time with a toxic client, and their habits, their attitudes, their shortcuts start to rub off. Undoing the damage can take a long time to fix. That doesn’t mean every client relationship is a morality test. This is New York City if you only worked with saints, you might starve. But it does mean you have to stay conscious that every interaction leaves a mark. Who you give your time to changes you.
When you choose which 20% you’re giving your best to, you’re not just protecting your calendar. You’re protecting your energy, your values, and the kind of person you want to be. That’s not just time management. That’s life management.
Here’s the shift: tomorrow, make two lists. On one, write down the 20% who respect your time and trust your judgment. On the other, the 20% who drain your energy, distract your focus, and keep you spinning in circles. Then ask yourself honestly: what would happen if you doubled down on the first set and let the others go?
So the real question isn’t only “Who are my best clients?" It’s: Which clients get my best energy today?
Let’s do this!
Shaun