life in 80/20
Lately, I’ve been pondering a phenomenon that has intrigued me more and more as I navigate through life: the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. It’s simple, yet its applications are profound and everywhere. The rule states that roughly 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of the causes. And as I reflect on it, I realize how much this pattern plays out in my life.
at work
Being a software developer, I see the 80/20 rule come to life in code. The first 20% of my effort often results in 80% of the progress on a project. The rest of it—the debugging, edge cases, refinements—slows progress to a crawl. It’s like the work is pushing back, challenging my skills and perseverance.
in life
Those few—probably less than 20% of all the people I’ve known—are responsible for 80% of the meaningful memories I carry with me. They are the ones whose presence leaves a mark, even when life pulls us in different directions.
in habbits
my attempts at self-improvement—reading more books, exercising, eating healthier. I make an initial burst of progress, feeling motivated and driven, only to find myself struggling to keep it going. That first 20% of effort gets me far, but sustaining it feels like an uphill battle.
in creativity
even this moment of writing, follows the same curve. The initial idea flowed easily. Words came pouring out as if the thoughts had been waiting for their moment. I am soon going to struggle to wrap it all up, wondering if I’ll ever reach that satisfying conclusion. The 20% that remains is where I linger the longest, doubting, revising, wondering if this makes sense at all.
the melancholy
we spend 80% of our time caught in routines, responsibilities, and worries, but it’s that precious 20%—the moments of laughter, the unexpected breakthroughs, the times when we feel truly alive—that make all the difference.
Maybe that’s why, on this bright Sunday morning, I feel a sense of longing for those moments where the 20% of life becomes everything, where joy and purpose feel effortless, and the burdens of the remaining 80% don’t weigh quite so heavily on my heart.
So, here I am, writing this, knowing that I’ve already said what I needed to say. The rest is just trying to get it right, trying to make sense of these thoughts that never seem to quite fit together. But perhaps that’s okay. Maybe, just maybe, the magic lies in that elusive 20%—the part that stays with us long after the rest fades away. And for today, maybe that’s enough.