Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook. —William James

EIGHTY percent of things don’t matter; twenty percent do. So why agonize when we can cut to the chase? Oftentimes, the reason is that we still don’t have the analytical ability, perception or maturity to know which is fluff and which is meat.

Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian sociologist in the late nineteenth century, introduced the concept of the 80/20 rule which states that in any given group, only 20 percent will constitute what is important and the remaining 80 percent will be trivial. This rule is referred to as the "vital few" and the "trivial many". While this concept was originally meant to be applied to the principles of economics and sociology, the 80/20 rule can be applied to just about anything that involves a list or a group of elements in daily life. Using the Pareto principle will clear your life of overwhelming junk.

In a list of goals for instance, using the Pareto principle will force someone to prioritize the top two or three goals that are significant to him. Use this principle when dealing with a list of things to do for the day. Recognizing the few important ones and doing them ahead of the trivial ones will keep you from being sidetracked. Our to-do lists become shorter, more realistic and more manageable.

A mountain of tasks can overwhelm. But those who slice and dice can get things done. Many try to get around by nibbling at the small, easy things around the edges, putting off the more important ones for later until time is up and the important ones are left undone. By making it a habit to spot the important ones first and "slay these dragons" ahead of anything else, there is a certain sense of calm that one acquires even if not everything in the list has been done.

The nature of modern life screams for many things to be done all at the same time. With time saving devices purportedly meant to squeeze as much as can be done in our waking hours, expectations can become unrealistic. The stress of trying to do too much too soon only builds up stress that can make anyone ill. Using the Pareto principle cuts through the muck. Weighing things according to importance may even be more valuable than learning how to multitask. This acquired skill of gauging the value of tasks can add so much to the quality of one’s life freeing up more time to simply sit back and enjoy life.

The wonderful thing about adopting a "Pareto frame of mind" is that you begin to develop the habit of clear thinking that not only gives you more time, it can also provide you with more space—clutter free. If you want to simplify your life, you can look at your possessions and decide which things are important for you to keep and which ones should be sold or given away, thus reclaiming the space for you to enjoy. You can also apply this to the clutter of too many unrelated hopes and dreams that are in that future state of being called the "Someday Isle". You can narrow these down to only the important goals and be free of the downright preposterous. The brain also benefits from using the 80/20 rule. In lengthy, circuitous discussions of problems and solutions, having a sharp, incisive mind helps one to get down to the root of the problem quickly, shorten the angst and pain of indecision and come up with the right solution in less time it normally takes to mull over a problem.

Einstein must have subscribed to this principle. In his admonition to find simplicity out of clutter, he advises to try not to remember anything that can be looked up in a book, or for these tech-savvy times, in the internet. He who was noted for having a poor memory when he was young probably refused to burden his brain with the unimportant thus optimizing its functions and allowing him to plumb the depths of the secrets of the universe. Reserving the full capacity of his towering genius for unraveling the mysteries of time and space and for writing down his profound thoughts about the universe and its Creator, life and living, he exemplifies a life that made a difference at the highest rungs. But even for most of us who lead largely mundane lives, applying the 80/20 rule in the way we spend our time, and consequently our lives, can help transform us into far happier creatures.

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( Published on January 14, 2008 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B2 )