How I changed my life with the 80/20 principle, and how YOU can change yours! <3

Hello lovely Steemians!

The topic I would like to talk with you today are the 80/20 principle. This rule have had a great impact on my life and therefore I would feel ashamed if I didn't shared it with you guys!

Some of you might already be familiar with this rule, some of you might never had heard of it before. Regardless previous experience I hope you can gain some new insights. If you have any questions or thoughts, don't be shy to comment them below.

Enjoy the reading! <3

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Everyone gets the same amount of hours each day. Period. Sometimes you might think that more time would open up more opportunities for you to fulfill your dreams. That is false. The truth is that it isn't the amount of time that determines how well you succeed in life, but rather how well you use it.

What is the 80/20 rule?

I first came in contact with the 80/20 principle in one of my economics class. I learned that about 80 % of the result in a company only comes from 20 % of the work. What I didn't learned was that this theory also can be applied to separate individuals. More accurate, the 80/20 rule can be applied to most aspects of your life. The assumption of this pareto-principle is that most of the results in any situation are determined by a small number of causes. In other words, 80 % of your outcomes come from only 20 % of your inputs.

How I use the 80/20 rule in my life

When I learned that my success is dependent on how well I use my time I immediately tried to live my life after the 80/20 rule. The examples here are many but I will give you one concrete that can be applied to almost anyone.

Example - I find that 80 % of my happiness comes from only 20 % of the things I do. If I don't do these 20 % one day, I will immediately feel a bit anxious, sad and just not as happy as I usually am. In other words, if I don't make enough time in a day to do the tings I'm really passionate about (e.g writing blog articles, working out, reading, playing the piano etc.), I will automatically feel a bit stressed.

How to apply it

Firstly, you have to sit down and be honest with yourself. When you start to analyze and breakdown your life into elements it's very easy to see 80/20 ratios all over the place. When you finally find these 20 %, the trick is to do everything you can not to spend time on those 80 % that produces little outcome for you.

I usually like to eliminate ALL distractions that will prevent me from focusing on my 20 %. These kinds of distractions are the ones that doesn't really give me any long-term satisfaction. For example scrolling for hours in my Facebook feed. I mean how much value does it really give me? Absolutely zero.

Also, you need to focus on something you are passionate about. What's the point on focusing on something you don't like? One of these examples are wealth in form of money. Many people are only focusing on the money. This might work for some individuals, but long-term this won't work. After a while you will get tired and bored due to the fact that you never do something that will give you instant satisfaction. On the other hand, if you are passionate about something, you will constantly get instant satisfaction just doing the things you love. The fun part is that if you do something you are passionate about, wealth will come with time.

Finally, don't let fear stop you! Fear are the most common factor that stops most people from chasing their dreams. Stop worrying and start doing the things that are your real passions! Maximize what you are good and start living after the 80/20 rule.

Final thoughts

If you want to read more about the 80/20 rule then I strongly recommend Richard Koch's book The 80/20 principle: The secret to achieving more with less.

Take care!

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Image source: https://greatperformersacademy.com/