August 6, 2015
When Bird Brains Get it Right
A sure fire way to bore the hell out of your audience is to start any article with dates, or statistics. Everyone says it should never be done.
In 1896 there lived a talented Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto. (Oops)
Well, despite the fact his name sounds like the way I might attempt to say “parrot” to an Italian zoo keeper, (No, Pareto does not mean parrot in Italian. Yes, I checked.) Pareto was not- how do you say “Satisfied with copying the ideas of those around him?” Instead he would create, and make famous a principle that forces its users to actively re-think the way most of us carry out our lives, and ambitions.
The Pareto Principle states simply that 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes.
That is, in many facets of life that 80% of the results we get come from 20% of the work we do, ideas we embody, and/or activities we engage in. Whether the results are our particular accomplishments, our happiness, or something else, most of what we get out of life comes from a remarkably few key inputs.
Simple to say. Simple to interpret. Not so simple to enact.
The general idea is this: (Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.) A dog, a robin, a finch, a wren, and bluebird walk into a bar in springtime. They listen to music, snack on some berries, drink some beer, hit on some penguins, and play some pool. They all get tipsy, and walk home.
The lesson is, of everything thing they were doing, 1 cause (or 20%) brought about the resulted tipsiness of 4 out of 5 (or 80%) friends. What you may be forgetting is that birds don’t drink lots of beer (they just like to wet their beaks,) but they are more prone to accidentally get tipsy off naturally fermented berries in the spring time (Yes, I also looked that up!)
Here are the two key points to remember:
- The outcomes we get are not the evenly distributed results of the various ways we try to obtain those outcomes.
- The most influential causes of our outcomes are not always intuitive, or what we expect them to be.
Using Pareto’s Principle to Save Dreams from Reality
So why is this important? Some of the biggest concerns people express to me about their ability to go after the dreams, and lifestyles they want are time, and money. Applying these concepts to our lives is how we are able to properly maximize the time, and money we have available. It’s just one more way we break these excuses down, and live how we want.
Think differently
The first step to using Pareto’s Principle is to recognize that most people are not acting this way. Read that back a few times, because it is very important to commit to.
And I know the knee jerk idea that comes to mind. “Yes! If I have a trick no one else knows, that no one else is doing, I will have the upper hand. I will have the advantage. I can be King! I will rule the world!!”
Slow your roll ‘World Leader,’ and think for a second, because the more important concept this implies is that you are going to have to start doing things differently than the people around you. “Oh yeeaah.” Yep, and unfortunately for most people this causes a very uncomfortable feeling. Just thinking about it make you feel more isolated, and awkward. Our instincts seem to tell us that if we are acting differently than the herd we must be doing something wrong. Doing things differently takes a certain sense of courage, and adventure that most of us killed off years ago.
Now is the time for you to get it back!
Act Strategically
Secondly, you need to learn what gets the results you want. What are the results you want? What is the lifestyle you dream about living? “Having more,” and “being rich” are not Dreams. Be specific. What do you want?
What makes you happy? When do you feel relaxed, and at peace? What activities help you feel purpose? Learn what the key causes are that really give you these results.
A lot of what most of us do, we do because that’s what everyone does. Everyone else does it for the same reason. It’s the lazy man’s path to fulfillment. Sure it will work sometimes, but not always because it is flawed. It is flawed, because we are all different. What I enjoy, may bore you to tears. What gives you purpose may make me feel unappreciated. We all have unique passions, and dreams. Doing what everyone else is will only waste your time. Learn the few causes that make you feel alive inside.
30 is the New 20
Then turn 20% into 30%. Take the activities, and ideas that give you satisfaction, and do more of them. Focus in again, and discover what it is about them that is so special to you. Then expand out to more that are similar. Repeat. Do more of what is You. Find more of what is You. Focus, expand, and repeat.
This is how you find your passion. This is how you get to know yourself!
However, you have to remember: You are you. You are not everyone else, and you will never get to be who you are if you choose to act, and think like them instead of yourself.
A Bird-Dogs Life
This morning, I sat down to write. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing. When it’s good, my whole brains seems in sync, like the whole world is alined. When it’s bad I feel a grinding challenge, like molding thoughts, and words together like clay. I stopped to stare out the window every half hour, or so, at the breeze, and the 3 foot tall blue heron standing above the water. I enjoy seeing nature, and can almost hear the songs of the purple martins that swoop outside. All the while sipping my warm bitterly black coffee out of my favorite mug. It is a great morning. My morning.
Find your morning. Focus on your 20%. Life life the way YOU think it should be lived.
-Michael
What is something you like to do differently than the people around you? How does it make you feel?
5 Comments
- Creating Success: Do Less - Venture to Dream - […] In fact the Pareto Principle ventures to say that 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes.…
Yvelise
August 16, 2015
This was really thought provoking and inspirational. Certainly made me think of things differently.
Michael Speck
August 17, 2015
Thanks Yvelise! For me, doing things differently has always started with thinking about them differently. I’m glad you found this helpful!
sacha
August 17, 2015
This was so refreshing and inspiring thank you.
Michael Speck
August 18, 2015
I’m glad you liked it Sacha! Thanks!