The 90/10 Principle ☆~

Came across this interesting article few days back.. it's really meaningful, and makes you think back on your actions~

Stephen Covey discovers the 90/10 principle.

10% of life is made up of what happens to you, but 90% is decided by how you react.

We really have no control over the 10% that happens to us. Lets say, car breaking down, plane arriving late, throwing our schedule off. But the other 90% is different. You determine the 90%. How?... By your reaction ~

Example ~

You're eating breakfast with your family, and your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control of what has happened.

What happens next will be determined by how you react.

You curse.

You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for putting the cup too near the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you see your daughter too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you're late, you speed.

After a 15-min delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs off without bidding goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 mins late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to come home.

When you arrive home, you find a small wedge in your relationship with your family. Why?... because of how you reacted this morning.

Why did you have a bad day? Did the coffee cause it? your daughter? the policeman? or YOU?

Answer is YOU. You had no control over what happened to the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 secs is what caused your bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your daughter getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 mins early and cheerfully greet the staffs. Your boss comments on how good the day you're having.


Notice the difference?

2 different scenarios. Both started the same, but ended differently~

Here're some ways to apply this principle. If someone says something bad about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you!

React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed etc etc...

You are told you lost your job...

Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding new jobs!

Try to understand and apply this 90/10 principle, and it'll change your life!


~~lol.. personally, I don't think there's anything special about this principle.. it doenst have to be a principle to begin with.. its in your wisdom~ you should know how to react to things wisely~ But true, most people might not know how to deal with things wisely.. so probably this Mr. Covey came out with this principle and article, to share with others.. lol

Ganbatte minna~ =3

(lol random emoticon to end this post~)


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