80% is enough

You will not be right 100% of the time.

80% is enough. You will not be able to do 100% of things. You will not be present 100% of the time. You will not know 100% of everything. While you may want this, it will not happen. It is impossible. It is unreasonable.

We strive as much as possible to be at 100%. To be the one that people go to when they need help and be the one to resolve it. To be the one who knows everything and makes the decisions. To be the one doing things because we know, at least we think, that we should be the one doing things.

Being 100% right all the time will prevent us from making things happen. We will not be able to accomplish anything because we want to be right as we need to know everything before we do things.

Doing 100% of things will just delay everything and by the time it is needed, nothing has been done yet because we wanted to do it ourselves.

Being 100% present all the time is very impossible. Let us just consider about the hours we spend working and use a regular 8 hours a day. We cannot be in 2 meetings at the same time. That is very unproductive.

Knowing 100% of everything is also impossible. Things change every moment of our lives. And waiting to know 100% will also impact on how we deliver and make decisions.

With everything that is happening, we should strive to always keep moving forward with 80% in mind. 80% means that to put our efforts into things that have 80% impact. What we know now would not be 100% but around 80% and we should use that to make things happen and then adjust as we move forward.

I had a discussion with someone about this before. I had asked him how he had made decisions fast and juggled everything that was going on. He said he goes with gut feeling. He will not be right 100% of the time. He is wrong 10-20% of the time. But that is fine. That is how he knows what is missing while keeping the task at hand moving forward.

He also said that to focus on the things that bring 80% impact. The 20% may have problems and issues happening but it will not really hurt us overall.

Waiting and overthinking

Some of us may have read about this before. But we tend to go ashtray with everything that is happening. Left and right concerns and challenges keep piling up. We keep a list and we tend to do first in and first out, put out for later the difficult ones, or even forget about it and hoping things will just magically resolve themselves. That is the reverse of the 80%.

We can only do so much. That is a fact. And knowing that, let us divert our focus, energy, and time to the things that give 80% impact. Give our best? Sure. But I would rather have people not give their best but do what is needed.

Let us revisit everything in our life, both personally and professionally, and assess what are those that impact us 80%. Those are the things we need to put our 100%.

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Accepting Imperfection: It’s a common human desire to aim for perfection in all aspects of life. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that being right 100% of the time is an unattainable goal. The pursuit of perfection can often lead to paralysis, where the fear of making a mistake prevents any action from being taken. This mindset can hinder progress and growth, as it overlooks the value of learning from errors. Embracing imperfection allows for a more dynamic and flexible approach to life, where mistakes are seen as opportunities for improvement rather than failures.

The Myth of Total Control: The idea that one can do everything and be everywhere is a fallacy that can lead to burnout and inefficiency. It’s crucial to recognize our limitations and delegate tasks when necessary. Trying to handle every single task can result in a bottleneck, where progress stalls because too much is dependent on one person’s involvement. By understanding that we cannot—and should not—do everything ourselves, we open up the possibility for teamwork and collaboration, which can lead to better outcomes and shared success.

Presence and Productivity: Being present in every situation is not only impossible but also counterproductive. For instance, attempting to attend multiple meetings simultaneously would not only be impractical but also diminish the quality of engagement in each. It’s important to prioritize our presence and focus on where we can make the most significant impact. Quality often trumps quantity when it comes to attention and involvement.

Knowledge and Decision-Making: The rapid pace of change in today’s world means that waiting to know everything before making a decision is impractical. Instead, it’s more effective to make informed decisions based on the best available information and be prepared to adapt as new information arises. This approach allows for agility and responsiveness, which are critical in navigating an ever-changing environment.

The 80/20 Principle: The Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80/20 rule, suggests that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Applying this principle means focusing efforts on the areas that will have the most significant impact. By concentrating on what truly matters, we can achieve more with less effort and avoid getting bogged down by less consequential details.

Decision-Making in Practice: One effective strategy for decision-making is to rely on intuition or ‘gut feeling’ when time is of the essence. While this may not always lead to perfect outcomes, it keeps things moving forward. Accepting that there will be a margin of error allows for progress without getting stuck in analysis paralysis.

Prioritizing Impact: Focusing on tasks that yield the most significant results helps maintain momentum and effectiveness. It’s better to make progress in critical areas than to stall while trying to perfect every detail. This mindset encourages action over perfectionism and recognizes that some level of imperfection is acceptable if it leads to overall success.

Overcoming Overthinking: In a world filled with distractions and challenges, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Instead of getting overwhelmed by an endless list of tasks, it’s important to prioritize based on impact. This approach helps avoid procrastination and ensures that energy is directed toward activities that contribute most significantly to our goals.

Assessing Life Priorities: Taking stock of personal and professional life allows for a clearer understanding of what truly impacts us. By identifying these key areas, we can dedicate our full attention and resources to them, ensuring that our efforts are aligned with our most important objectives.