First of all, the 80/20 rule is not about economics or maths (even though it may sound like it), so let's get that straight from the start! However, this rule does apply to your life (and everyone else's life) so it's very important that you are aware of it and can start manipulating it for your own benefit (in the way you study or in any other field you choose).
The 80/20 rule says that 80% of what we achieve is a direct result of 20% of the actions we take. In this context, what it is telling us is that a small portion of the things we do each day create the majority of our outcomes. Now, the ratio may not really be 80/20 - it could even be 99/1 - but the point remains that there are a small number of certain activities you engage in each an every day which are creating most of your happiness (or unhappiness) and most of your results (whether they are good or bad).
Examples of how this applies in your life are everywhere but let's look at a simple example to demonstrate how this works. If you think about everybody you know (friends, family, acquaintances etc) the 80/20 rule tells us that you will spend 80% or more of your time with 20% or less of all of the people you know. Now does that sound about right to you? I bet it does.
So, can we agree that 80% of what anyone achieves in life is a direct result of 20% or less of the actions they take? Good I'm glad we agree! But what's really important about this rule is how to use it to your advantage. You want to be able to exploit the rule and make it work for you don't you? So, the first tip is to focus only on the 20% areas that are impacting 80% of your results and then ignore everything else. Seems pretty obvious doesn't it? But only when you're aware of the rule.
Quite clearly, there is no reason to focus any time or energy on anything other than the 20% that is creating 80% of your results. If you want to get the biggest bang for your buck, you need to focus on any areas that create maximum outcomes (you wouldn't do the opposite because that would be crazy!) However, I can still hear you asking - "but what are my 20% areas? What small things do I need to change that will create the biggest results for me?"
So which small areas are having the biggest impact on your results? Unfortunately it could be many things. For example, time management and a lack of organization are often cited as key problems. But for the point of this article let's focus on three areas that are most often cited as problematic (and are definitely 20% areas!)
Your habits are a key 20% area. Your habits dictate your thoughts and your actions. Bad habits lead to bad results. Good habits lead to good results. It really is that simple! If you have gotten yourself into poor habits then unfortunately you will get poor results. The good news is that by identifying the bad habits and then changing them you can completely transform your outcomes. Small area, massive impact!
The next 20% area is motivation - an often misunderstood action driver. If you don't "feel" motivated then there is a very good chance that you will take very little action (or take no action at all!) But how do you "get motivated"? The key here is that you must have something that calls you into action. You must have something that you want to work towards (notice that it's about what you want - not anyone else). If you have no motivation you will do nothing. If you do nothing you will get some pretty poor outcomes. Again, this is just one small area that has a huge impact.
Your memory recall ability has a huge impact on your results. Many tests and exams don't only test knowledge; they also strongly test your memory recall. Unfortunately, not many students are taught how to recall information. Nonetheless, if your memory recall ability is legendary then you will transform your results! I'm sure we can agree on that. SO again, we see that one area (your 20%) is having a significant impact on your level of achievement (your 80%).
There is no doubt that there are many areas that impact your results. But you will definitely have a few items (say 2-3) that are causing the most impact. Have you been able to identify your 20% areas? Identify those things that are having the biggest impact on you and get to work on them. If you work hard on those things that have maximum result and your grades will absolutely skyrocket. Good luck!
The 80/20 rule says that 80% of what we achieve is a direct result of 20% of the actions we take. In this context, what it is telling us is that a small portion of the things we do each day create the majority of our outcomes. Now, the ratio may not really be 80/20 - it could even be 99/1 - but the point remains that there are a small number of certain activities you engage in each an every day which are creating most of your happiness (or unhappiness) and most of your results (whether they are good or bad).
Examples of how this applies in your life are everywhere but let's look at a simple example to demonstrate how this works. If you think about everybody you know (friends, family, acquaintances etc) the 80/20 rule tells us that you will spend 80% or more of your time with 20% or less of all of the people you know. Now does that sound about right to you? I bet it does.
So, can we agree that 80% of what anyone achieves in life is a direct result of 20% or less of the actions they take? Good I'm glad we agree! But what's really important about this rule is how to use it to your advantage. You want to be able to exploit the rule and make it work for you don't you? So, the first tip is to focus only on the 20% areas that are impacting 80% of your results and then ignore everything else. Seems pretty obvious doesn't it? But only when you're aware of the rule.
Quite clearly, there is no reason to focus any time or energy on anything other than the 20% that is creating 80% of your results. If you want to get the biggest bang for your buck, you need to focus on any areas that create maximum outcomes (you wouldn't do the opposite because that would be crazy!) However, I can still hear you asking - "but what are my 20% areas? What small things do I need to change that will create the biggest results for me?"
So which small areas are having the biggest impact on your results? Unfortunately it could be many things. For example, time management and a lack of organization are often cited as key problems. But for the point of this article let's focus on three areas that are most often cited as problematic (and are definitely 20% areas!)
Your habits are a key 20% area. Your habits dictate your thoughts and your actions. Bad habits lead to bad results. Good habits lead to good results. It really is that simple! If you have gotten yourself into poor habits then unfortunately you will get poor results. The good news is that by identifying the bad habits and then changing them you can completely transform your outcomes. Small area, massive impact!
The next 20% area is motivation - an often misunderstood action driver. If you don't "feel" motivated then there is a very good chance that you will take very little action (or take no action at all!) But how do you "get motivated"? The key here is that you must have something that calls you into action. You must have something that you want to work towards (notice that it's about what you want - not anyone else). If you have no motivation you will do nothing. If you do nothing you will get some pretty poor outcomes. Again, this is just one small area that has a huge impact.
Your memory recall ability has a huge impact on your results. Many tests and exams don't only test knowledge; they also strongly test your memory recall. Unfortunately, not many students are taught how to recall information. Nonetheless, if your memory recall ability is legendary then you will transform your results! I'm sure we can agree on that. SO again, we see that one area (your 20%) is having a significant impact on your level of achievement (your 80%).
There is no doubt that there are many areas that impact your results. But you will definitely have a few items (say 2-3) that are causing the most impact. Have you been able to identify your 20% areas? Identify those things that are having the biggest impact on you and get to work on them. If you work hard on those things that have maximum result and your grades will absolutely skyrocket. Good luck!
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