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3-Minute Mastery: The 40/70 Rule
Issue No. 72 | May 13th, 2024
I’m a perfectionist.
And I don’t say that proudly.
I have to finish every book I start.
I have to learn everything there is to know about a particular topic.
I have to get 100% completion in every video game I play.
Being a perfectionist is a time-consuming way to live. And don’t get me wrong, it has its perks, but I’d much rather live without it.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if most of you reading this are also perfectionists.
A corporate program called The Hardin Group conducted a study in partnership with the Social Research Lab at the University of Northern Colorado to learn about the effects of perfectionism at work.
Eventually, they determined that 92% of people are affected by some form of perfectionism.
This can be perfectionism in your work, in your relationship, in your family, and even in your habits.
But recently I’ve come across a method—a rule—so to say that can help mitigate it.
It came from the late Secretary of State Colin Powell.
For those of you who don’t know, Colin Powell was an American General under the United States Army and went on to serve as the 65th U.S. Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005.
And as someone who commanded various operations and political agendas, he found himself in many situations that required him to make quick decisions.
In other words, he didn’t have time to be a perfectionist.
So he came up with a strategy to help with his decision-making called the 40/70 Rule.
This rule meant that he would make a decision with more than 40% of the information needed, but would make sure that the decision was made with less than 70% of the information available.
So instead of making others wait on his call, he would only strive to get the required amount of information needed, then decide.
The 40/70 Rule is all about taking action and not succumbing to perfection and gathering every little detail before making a choice.
Because frankly, perfectionism is the killer of dreams. The destroyer of progress. The obliterator of success.
Sorry for the corny synonyms.
So at least in my own life, I’ve been trying to live by this rule more often when it comes to making simple decisions like choosing my next book or figuring out what brand of cereal to buy.
Now he might not have been struggling to decide which cereal to buy, but Marcus Aurelius had to make dozens of decisions every day that could determine the fate of his empire.
As he said in his book Meditations, “Don’t go expecting Plato’s Republic; be satisfied with even the smallest progress.”
To clarify, Plato’s Republic was a written work that spoke on a type of utopia where everyone pursued honor and worked together with the sole purpose of joint prosperity.
So what Marcus is saying is that don’t wake up every day expecting a perfect life. Make whatever progress you can and be happy with it.
Don’t waste your life being hung up on step one. Take the leap of faith and make corrections along the way.
And who knows, maybe you’ll even choose the best brand of cereal on your first try.
Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor
Dive Deeper
What I’m Currently Reading - I’m currently reading Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 cult-classic Treasure Island. I figured it was about time to read a fiction book.
Quote Of The Week - "When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." — John Lennon