What is the 80/20 Principle?

The 80/20 principle (aka the Pareto principle) states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes. A few things are important; most are not.

Thinking 80/20

80/20 thinking requires, and with practice enables, us to spot the few really important things that are happening, and ignore the most unimportant things. It teaches us to see the woods for the trees.

80/20 thinking is reflective, unconventional, hedonistic, strategic, and nonlinear; in that it combines extreme ambition (in the sense of wanting to change things for the better) with a relaxed and confident manner.

80/20 thinking is reflective

80/20 thinking is different from the type of thinking that prevails today. The latter is usually rushed, opportunistic, linear, and incrementalist.

Our objective is to leave action behind, do some quiet thinking, mine a few small pieces of precious insights, and then act; selectively, on a few objectives and a narrow front, decisively and impressively, to produce terrific results with as little energy and as