80/20

I was in class the other day when Mr Funny-Guy pointed out something about the 80/20 principle.  I thought it sounded familiar, I focused on him instead of my friends (isn't it so obvious that I wasn't pay much attention in class? haha).  Then he mentioned one name. Covey.  No wonder it sounded so familiar, it's Uncle Steve hahah!!  So back to the 80/20 principle, it is well-known as the Pareto's Principle or the 80/20 Principle.  According to Uncle Pareto (wah, I don’t know I have so many uncles!!), 80% of the world's wealth belongs to 20% of the population.  This principle is so universal that it can be applied in any area of our life.  For example, as a Project Manager, you know that 20% of the project (the first and last 10%) consumes 80% of the project duration and resources.  The 80/20 principle means 20% are vital and 80% are trivial.  In simple English, it simply means 20 percent of something always is responsible for 80 percent of the results.

Since the lecture was on behaviour, Mr Funny-Guy related it to the 80/20 principles as 80% of things happen to us are totally in our control, and the other 20% are those we unable to control like the weather, economy etc.  He said, even though the uncontrollable events are only 20%, however, for most people, the way we react to the 80% depends on how we react to the 20%.  This is so true.  For example, a father was having problem at work because of the gloomy economy condition (something that he can’t control), would came home to his curious 4-year daughter only to scold her (something he can control).  Another example, a lady behaves coldly to everyone (controllable event) because she’s having menses (uncontrollable event).  Isn’t it funny to realize how something that we totally have no control over takes charge of something that we have control over?  Doesn’t that make us having no control over anything at all?  Letting other things except ourselves to control our lives? Sounds scary, isn’t it?  How could someone lives his life when he has no control over it?  It’s better for him to be a zombie instead, at least a zombie can still control himself from getting out under the sun during the day.

There’s a story about this topic that I would like to share.  One busy morning, a man was seen at a newsstand.  He bought a newspaper with a big note.  Irritated, the seller was half-throwing the change money to him.  In spite the seller’s rude actions, the man thanked him and said “Have a nice day!”  A lady watched this incident and approached the man and asked “Why do you still thank the seller when he has been so rude to you?”  He replied “I cannot control how the seller behaved towards me but I can definitely control my own behaviour.”

So friends, let it be the person who push you in the morning train, or the rain, or your alarm didn’t went off this morning or simply the aunty selling nasi lemak decided to have a holiday today, don’t let it spoil your mood for the whole day yea!!  Life is to short for us to worry too much, so better start enjoying it!!!