Joy Journal
Every Friday, you can receive the Joy Journal, which will give you information, inspiration and tips that you can use in your pursuit for joy.
The 80/20 Rule
Leverage the Pareto Rule for More Joy
The Pareto Principle originated in 1906 by Vilfredo Pareto. He was an Italian engineer and economist who famously observed that 20% of his pea plants generated 80% of the peas in his garden. He went on to discover that 20% of Italians owned 80% of the property in Italy, and the principle continued on from there.
Many people since Pareto have examined this phenomenon, and the theory continues to hold true in business, in the world, and in life.
- 20% of customers account for 80% of sales
- 20% of drivers cause 80% of all traffic accidents
- 20% of all factories create 80% of the world’s pollution
- 20% of a company’s products represent 80% of sales
- 20% of employees are responsible for 80% of the results
- 20% of students have grades 80% or higher
In essence, 20% of effort drives 80% of your outcomes.
What if you applied this concept to joy and examined it from two perspectives:
- What 20% causes 80% of my unhappiness?
- What 20% influences 80% of my happiness?
What are the one or two things, tasks, habits, people, etc. that are the primary drivers of your unhappiness and can you eliminate them? Conversely, can you focus on the few drivers that promote your happiness and do more of those? It is fascinating to explore the big impact that a few changes could make.
I have some thinking to do!
Past Journals
Performance management reimagined
Building a culture of continuous improvement
Why Knowing the Big Picture Matters
A more effective way to delegate
Empower Decision Making
Harness the 90/10 Framework