Vilfredo Pareto was a sociologist, economist, and philosopher. He didn't really name the 80/20 rule, he just used it to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country. His mathematical formula had a huge influence in the development of fascism in Italy. His theory was that only 20% of the population owned 80% of the wealth.
In later years, this 80/20 rule has been applied in business management, and in particular, time management. Examples include the following:
1) 20% of your employees are responsible for 80% of your output
2) 20% of your customers are responsible for 80% of your revenue
3) 20% of your activities create 80% of your success
4) 20% percent of your employees will cause 80% of your problems
5) 20% of a trainer's time in the classroom is responsible for 80% of the learning
The 80/20 rule has been referred to as the "vital few" and "trivial many". In other words, whatever you are doing, only a few are important and most are unimportant. I find it very interesting that this rule applies to so very many things in our life. So, why is this? And, can we change it? Can we overcome this rule by focusing on activities that will produce the best that we can have in this life? Or maybe it is inevitable and we just need to pay attention to that very important 20% because it is so vital. Here are some of my thoughts on how to improve the "vital few" instead of focusing on the "trivial many" in our personal lives.
1) When you are with your loved ones focus on making the time special. Only a small portion of your time together will be memorable, so think about making memories every time you are together.
2) Let your loved ones know that the time you spend together is very important to you and talk to them about things that matter, and always let them know how much you love them.
3) Don't spend so much time with people you don't care that much about just because you feel obligated to do so.
4) Avoid spending your time watching television and instead do something that encourages conversation and allows time for sharing meaningful feelings with those you care about.
5) Spend more of your time doing something you enjoy instead of working. Or if you are working at a job you hate, try to find something you enjoy more that provides you with enough money to get by. And, if you can't do either of those, really appreciate every single minute that you can spend doing more enjoyable activities.
6) If you are a reader, don't waste your time on reading books or magazines that are trivial, and instead read something that either teaches you something or has a special meaning to you.
7) Start everyday thinking about how you are going to spend your day. What if it were your last day on earth -- would you really spend it wandering around the mall mindlessly?
8) If you have thoughts that you feel are important to you or perhaps to your family in the future, write them down.
9) Spend a small part of every day exercising your body and your mind. Only 30 min. to an hour of exercise can make a huge difference in how long your live and the quality of your life.
10) Be grateful for the beautiful things in your life and the beautiful people in your life.
I guess what I want to do, and hope that you will do, is not waste those "vital few" minutes in our life that are the most meaningful. And, become committed to not only having a better life, but appreciating the things we do have.
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