"In 1906 there was an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto. One day Pareto noticed that every year, 20% of the pea pods in his garden produced approximately 80% of the peas.
This got him thinking about economic output on a larger scale. Sure enough, he began to find that in various industries, societies and even companies, 80% of the production often came from the 20% most productive faction.
This became known as the Pareto Principle, or what is now often referred to as the 80/20 Principle.
The 80/20 Principle states that 80% of the output or results will come from 20% of the input or action."
The Pareto Principle can be applied to our life choices as well. I have started to give similar advice to my patients by encouraging them to make 20% of their very best food choices 80% of the time leaving some wiggle room for the 20% of the time when they make less than desirable food and beverage selections. A patient I visited last week was ecstatic that barbecued ribs fit into his wiggle room 20% as long as he boosted his recipe for baked salmon to his frequently eaten 80%. Whew, it can get a bit difficult to wrap your head around!
Food choices aside--we can use 80/20 as a tool to identify how we can get the most efficiency and the most enjoyment out of our lives. There are several questions we can ask ourselves. What do I spend 80% of my time doing that I only see a positive result from 20% of the time (ex. working long hours just to enjoy one or two vacations per year)? Or who do I spend 80% of my time with, yet only get 20% of my social satisfaction from? What can I do to spend more time with the 20% of people that I get 80% of my laughs and meaningful discussions from? How can I prioritize my day to spend more time doing the things that I enjoy?
Lots of questions! It can be daunting to ask ourselves these questions and be truly honest about the answers (at least it is for me!) because we may not like what we see. Some of us may we spend 80% of our time with coworkers, not our families and friends who we get 80% of our enjoyment from. Others of us may spend 80% of our time refreshing social media feeds or watching television, yet we are really not reaping real pleasure from these activities. And if you are like me, you frequently tend to wear the same 20% of clothes 80% of the time (time to clean out the closet!).
Maybe some of us may have already done an 80/20 assessment and actually are spending 80% of their time with the people, places and passions they love!
Maybe some of us may have already done an 80/20 assessment and actually are spending 80% of their time with the people, places and passions they love!
The comments in this article got me thinking about what I do daily and reinforces intentions and goals that I have set for myself and my family. I wanted to share what I read not because I am an expert on the principle or am convinced examining your life through the 80/20 lens is for everyone, but because I hope a few of you may ask yourself these questions and identify something beautiful!
Read the full article here: http://markmanson.net/80-20-your-life
“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.”
* Rumi
* Rumi
No comments:
Post a Comment