The 80/20 Principle and how it applies to You

There's a book you should check out: The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less. This goes into detail on how in life we only use 20% of what we have 80% of the time.Well, it's not exactly 20% and 80%. Sometime it's more extreme: 90% of the world's wealth is held by 1% of the population and some people only use 1% of the English language (consisting of four letter words every other syllable) 90%   of the time to name a few.

To relate this to the home (keep in mind that the percentages will vary):

• You probably use only 20% of your wardrobe, 80% of the time
• You use 20% of your kitchen Gadgets 80% of the time
• You use most likely 20% of your software 80% of the time

Chances are, only 20% of your time benefits you. If you are trying to start a business, it's likely only 20% of what you do is actually useful. The rest is busy work or, what I like to call "stalling work". Something I have a nasty habit of doing. I'm still trying to break that habit.

If you are looking to streamline your life, the best place to start is reading this book, then applying the principles accordingly. If you can remember to do so, ask if what you are doing really does help you. Go through your stuff, and try to remember the last time you used it. It's likely you only used it a few times soon after you bought it, then stuff it into a drawer/closet to be forgotten about.

It might be an opportunity to make some extra cash. Check out Ebay or Craigslist to sell those unused items.

Related articles

• Lent it Go: How to Make Space for More Important Stuff (allisonclappfuentes.wordpress.com)
• Spring cleaning challenge: 3 steps for decluttering your space (bellacor.com)
• How the Pareto Principle Can Help You Organize Your Bedroom (platformbedsonline.com)
• How to Build the Perfect Wardrobe: 10 Basic Principles (into-mind.com)