The 80/19/1 Principle

A while ago, I came across an interesting concept shared on LinkedIn. The 80/19/1 principle.

80% of people watch what’s happening.

19% of people try to make things happen. They try a bit here and there but obstacles and challenges get the better of them. 

1% of people make things happen. They have a bias for action, fuelled by a big dream and vision and carry belief and optimism that attracts. 

This is one of my go-to reminders when I catch myself thinking about doing something that I know I should be doing. After a while, you have the realisation that thinking about doing something is more painful than doing that thing itself. 

We, humans, have such strange behaviours, we know what the right thing to do is but somehow we manage to think ourselves out of it. Crazy things our mind can do. Of course, by now everyone has heard of meditation and mindfulness being potent tools to tame the monkey mind, but again, it’s not easy to build that practice. It’s just a matter of doing it and Nike knew it all along (Just do it! ).

Few days ago, we wrapped up Walk the Dragon(WTD) program. It was an incredible learning experience. I found out that most successful entrepreneurs follow a mantra. It’s called “bias towards action” and “Fail Fast”. I wish I had learned these ideas sooner. I’ve suffered to a decent extent with “Bias towards overthinking” and failure has never been an option, feels like driving a car with brakes on.

It’s the same thing with finding our purpose, our passion. Throughout my life, I have noticed that a lot of us, including me, are seeking our calling and don’t know what it is and how to find it.

I remember in one of the videos, Swamiji says something along the lines, “You have to try, you try many things and then you discover.” I think if we apply the mantra of “Bias for Action” and “Fail Fast”, we would discover our purpose, our passion a lot sooner, at least, we have better chances, higher probability. And the world will be a better place.

People living with purpose, pursuing their passion, finding meaning in their work are happier and more likely to contribute to others. We can then embody a beautiful spirit of human existence exemplified by our dear Swamiji — Live. Love. Laugh.