The Real 80/20 Rule
The Pareto principle (known as the 80/20 rule) states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. How many times have you heard the 80/20 rule in conjunction with business, health, wealth, etc.? The implication associated with this is that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of the results.
Interestingly, if you read the history of how this renowned 80/20 rule came to be, you might be less than impressed. You might even say it is something close to poppycock for the way it’s so nonchalantly thrown around today in the areas we just mentioned.
I want to propose two new 80/20 rules that work in tandem. Last night while scrolling, I found this:
Health: 80% eating, 20% exercising
Wealth: 80% habits, 20% math
Talking: 80% listening, 20% speaking
Learning: 80% understanding, 20% reading
Achieving: 80% doing, 20% dreaming
Happiness: 80% purpose, 20% fun
Relationships: 80% giving, 20% receiving
Improving: 80% persistence, 20% ideas
Now that’s an AWESOME 80/20 rule—
If you want happiness, live life on purpose, not by default!
If you want wealth, create and maintain good habits!
If you want to be a better father, sister, friend; give!
If you want to improve, never ever give up!
But let’s stop and admit something...It’s not easy changing your diet, habits, or really anything on that list overnight. It sounds great. It’s motivating and energizing, but it’s hard to stay hooked. Defeat WILL happen and it usually tends to happen early on when we make changes. We decide to eat right and exercise then blow it (or so we think) when our grandkid wants ice cream.
Why is it that if we don’t achieve perfection, we sometimes give up?
It’s really about obtaining progress…not perfection.
Hence, the second 80/20 rule. It works like this:
What if you took one of the latter rules to heart and set some goals? Suppose you don’t achieve perfection and meet 100% of your goals. After all, we just established that this is more realistic. Let’s say you get 80% there.
Society tells you that you failed. But you didn’t! Your next step is to reset your goal and repeat your 80% success rate.
Think about it…You achieved 80% of your goal the first time. Then, if you achieve 80% of the 20% left on your goal; you are 96% there!
If you aren’t satisfied with 96%, do it again. 80% of the 4% that’s left will land you at 99.2%!
Since 1989 we have been on a mission to help people live Life on purpose! ™ Our mission has never been to help people live a life of perfection. For one thing, it doesn’t exist. Second, I don’t know too many people that wouldn’t be happy with obtaining 96% or 99.2% of the life goals they set out to hit.
The key is that you have to “set out.” What 80/20 rule do you need to work on? Maybe there is more than one. Prioritize, get help, let us help. Just don’t sit and do nothing. 80% of 0 is ALWAYS 0!