Personal Perspective #4: Commit to the 80/20 Principle
Gary Keller curated a list of The 6 Personal Perspectives needed to excel in any area of life. Dive into the meaning & significance of each, and how they can transform your personal & professional pursuits from the inside out.
As someone who has coached for many years, I’ve seen a lot of wildly different production outcomes and work schedules. I might talk to someone who’s closing two units a month, and they say, "I'm pulling my hair out. I'm going crazy. I'm working 60 hours a week. My family is upset with me. I'm missing ball games and I’m not present for dinner." It’s puzzling what they are doing with their time. They’re spending 240 hours to accomplish what realistically is 16 hours worth of work.
Conversely, I might have a client closing 30 units a month while working only 20 hours a week. This is possible because they’ve built systems and teams around their work to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
There’s always a roadmap in life to help figure out how to be more efficient and effective, yet many get caught up wasting time on ineffective activities that produce poor results.
It’s interesting that, as humans, we often don’t focus on the few things that matter most to get the best outcomes. If we examine our lives, especially areas that need improvement, we often find that we’re avoiding a handful of critical tasks and spinning our wheels on things that don’t matter.
This is where the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, comes into play.
It stems from economist Vilfredo Pareto, and maintains that 80% of the output from a given situation or system is determined by 20% of the input.
When you look at your week, how much of your time is truly invested in the handful of activities that drive results?
Take nighttime and morning routines for example. These are typically significant areas of coaching because they are areas of life where a little effort can go a long way. It is imperative to pay attention to what happens during these times and how it impacts the rest of your life.
Say someone is in the habit of drinking several alcoholic beverages each night, to a point that crosses their personal line of excess. After a hard day’s work, having a few drinks to unwind might seem normal… but it has consequences.
Alcohol is empty calories that your body processes before burning other consumed calories. This can lead to fat storage- impacting your weight, health, and body composition. Additionally, alcohol disrupts your sleep architecture- reducing the amount of REM sleep you get… and I think we all know the ripple effect that a good night vs a bad night of sleep can have.
Sleep is a perfect example of the 80/20 rule in action.
Proper sleep hygiene, including an extra 15 to 20 minutes of REM sleep, can dramatically improve your health. If you don’t get enough sleep, even with a rigorous exercise routine, your body won’t repair itself properly. This leads to increased cortisol levels and additional stress, further breaking down rather than building up your body. Studies have shown that people sleeping six hours a night have less memory recall compared to those sleeping eight hours. Those two extra hours of REM sleep make a statistical difference. Getting enough sleep literally sets you up with fresh blood, oxygen, and essential chemicals for proper functioning. This improves your sharpness and connection in daily conversations, leading to better appointment quality and economic outcomes.
A person who protects their sleep and invests those extra two hours will have significantly better success in their goals across the board. A person trying to succeed in their career but missing out on quality sleep will feel the effects everywhere- professionally, physically, and mentally. Protecting that extra sleep time, even by 15-20 minutes can lead to significant success.
Now, you might be thinking about your own habits. What’s a small change, a lever you can pull, that would have a big impact on your quality of life? Maybe it’s cutting back on alcohol, sugar, or blue light exposure before bed. For some, it’s about optimizing a morning routine. I had a client who transformed his health by dedicating just 15-20 minutes each morning to exercise.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. One small, consistent habit can create massive changes over time.
For those of you considering what that 80/20 change might be in your life, think small but impactful. Whether it’s sleep, nutrition, exercise, or screen time- these little changes compound over time and lead to great results.
- Joe
Joe Arroyo is the expert on recruiting, selecting, training, and retaining world-class talent. As CEO of Vision Architect and Convert, him & his team have been "building business by building people” since 2001.
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