In the 1940’s Dr. Joseph M. Juran, a Quality Management pioneer adapted Pareto’s 80-20 rule which is also known as the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity.

Juran turned Pareto’s Principle into a more universal application making it one of the most simple and useful concepts in modern-day management.

It’s real simple; “roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes” and in any set of things (workers, customers, etc.) a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are considered trivial.

For example, in the very early 1900’s, this Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula describing the unequal distribution of wealth he observed and measured in his country: Pareto observed that roughly twenty percent of the people controlled or owned eighty percent of the wealth.

“… it’s likely that 80 percent of your revenues will be the result of sales made by 20 percent of your sales staff. And 20 percent of your workers will cause 80 percent of your problems, while another 20 percent of your personnel will deliver 80 percent of your entire production. The formula appears to work in both directions.”

You too can apply the 80/20 Rule to almost anything, from the science of management to the sciences of the physical world around us including your life and your own happiness… The value of the Pareto Principle in management and in life is to stay focused on the “20 percent that matters”.

So when it comes to our own happiness, we need to ask ourselves which 20% of the causes gives me 80% of my unhappiness? Which 20% of the causes give me 80% of my happiness? And, we must make a decision and take positive action…

I would like to humbly offer you seven tips to help make your life in Costa Rica – or anywhere else – happier:

1. Relationships: We all have responsibilities to our families but we can try to spend 80 percent of our time with the 20 percent of the people we know who really matter to us.
2. Quality Information: Whittle down your information sources so that you are reading and studying 20 percent of the information you gather and ignoring the other 80%.
3. Entertainment: Be honest with yourselves about that intellectual cancer box you have in your home called ‘television’ and cut out 80% of the “entertainment” you watch and pick up a good book, go to a concert, cook a romantic meal, play a game or make love to your spouse. And have you made sure your children are not playing those horrendously violent and bloody videogames?
4. Your Home: Get rid of the 80% of the clutter you have in your home – in your kitchen, your garage and closets – which you always tell yourself you might use again “one day” and make more room for the 20% of things which are important to you.
5. Work: It’s not always possible if you are working for others while dreaming of living in Costa Rica but spend your time doing things you love to do and try to delegate 80% of the tasks you don’t enjoy doing. And, if you are indeed spending 80% of your time doing something you don’t want to do, find another job for goodness sake!
6. Passions: Ever caught yourself saying: “This is great! I wish I had more time to do …. ” Make the time to do the things you love to do … Please! You will be happier and so will the people around you.
7. Your Health: Your health probably also depends on 20% of the food you eat and avoiding 80% of what you normally eat… So cut out all the junk food, eat healthier and exercise at least three times per week.

One definition of insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again expecting different results so if you’re happy right now? Great! Ignore this! But if you feel that you could perhaps make some changes in your life – and moving to Costa Rica is a pretty big bloody change for most people – then why not start afresh!

Make a decision today to do everything you can to build a new, positive, exciting, passionate and healthier life for yourself and your family.

PS. And make sure that you ignore 80% of this article and focus only on the 20% which is really matters to you… Ha!

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.