Invert the 80/20 Rule to Identify the Causes of Your Biggest Problems

We've all heard of the 80/20 rule (or Pareto Principle) that says 80% of your success will come from 20% of your effort. The inverse, however, is often true as well: 80% of your problems will come from 20% of your circumstances.

Many of us don't actually have the energy to be stressed by 100% of the things that could bother us. We pick the few biggest problems we have and focus on those. The most serious problems often come from single or a few sources. If you're overly stressed, rather than trying to solve all of your problems at once, identify the 20% that's causing 80% of your stress:

One of the principles I live by is that any true equation has to be true from either side of the equal sign. In simple terms, if nine plus three equals six times two, then six times two must equal nine plus three. Which means that if 20 percent of your efforts produce 80 percent of your positive results, then it stands to reason that 20 percent of your efforts also produce 80 percent of your problems.

In any business 20 percent of your employees cause 80 percent of your employee-related headaches. And 20 percent of your customers are the "problem people" who cost you 80 percent of wasted time and money. In your personal life 20 percent of your friends and family will prompt 80 percent of your fears, doubts, and insecurities.

You may not be able to fire employees, but there's often something that can be changed that will have an impact. Rather than overhaul your entire life to get rid of every single issue you have, focus on the small amount you can change that will have the biggest impact and start there.

The 80/20 Rule Is True for What's Holding You Back, Too | Entrepreneur

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