An alternative to NY resolutions

The 80/20 principle reveals how 80% of positive or negative experiences result from 20% of events.  Exact ratios vary (90/10, 70/30) but the principle shows how fundamentally unbalanced the world is as it applies to wealth distribution, product sales, and even friends.

A very small number of people own most of the world’s wealth.  A small number of products from any company make up most of its sales.  A small number/percentage of all your friends contribute a huge amount to your well-being.

One alternative to New Year’s resolutions is to review the year, analyzing the people you surround yourself with, your time spent, and uses of attention and energy thru an 80/20 lens.  Which few things in each category contributed to the biggest positive or negative states of mind?  Deciding to make a few very small changes for a disproportionately positive outcome is a terrific investment.

Creating the environment

My earliest martial arts teacher had a mic-drop line that I never forgot: “Great teachers create an environment where the learning reveals itself.”  Great teachers are facilitators.  So is everyone else who can influence not just learning but collaboration.

A business owner can cultivate an environment that fosters respect among coworkers,  or an environment of diverse perspectives where people can disagree without fear of consequences.

Cultures emerge no matter what – in your office, your family, in sports teams, and in relationships.  It’s hard to overstate the value of creating one deliberately.

A better way to ask for advice

It’s wise to ask the advice of those whose wisdom we respect.  But there are better and worse ways to do that.

Asking “what would you do if you were me?” is not so useful, as everyone has different fears, perceptions, and experiences that influence their answer.  Also, the advice-giver will not have to live with the consequences of the advice or decisions.  You will.

Therefore, I find it best to ask: “How would you encourage me to think about this?”  What we really need from smart people with sound judgment – even more than what their conclusions are – is how they arrived there.