80/20 or 'The Pareto Princilpe'

Is this funny to you? Why?

I feel like we've all been there! Maybe you're there right now! The simple act of getting a calendar will improve scheduling everything else! Yes...maybe he should spend a week at a seminar. But really, he should spend 5 minutes and go to Staples! THAT is the time management strategy he needs to do most right now! We think big changes need big action. But usually, it's little changes that impact us the most!

This is not a math lesson- but... there are two numbers that you need to remember when studying TOEFL (or IELTS)... 80 and 20.  In fact, they will change your life.

Have you ever worked really had at something, but didn't get the reward you thought you should? Maybe you didn't succeed at a test you studied all night for. Maybe you didn't get a 'thank you' after sacrificing yourself to help a friend or family member with a difficult time. Maybe your boss didn't appreciate how hard you worked on a project.

When we give 100% of our effort, we EXPECT 100% back! The bad news is, it life doesn't work like that. We have all had our disappointments like I mentioned above. Sometimes we feel like we give 100% (or 90%, or 80%) and get only 20% in return for our efforts. The GOOD news is, life doesn't work like that! But if we are smart about what we do, recognize why we are doing it, and are careful about deciding how to do something... we only need to put in 20% of our effort to get 80% of the results!!

I know, I know... this is probably the opposite of what your language teachers told you. They may have said something like 'You aren't working hard enough'. 'You didn't study enough'. Perhaps you've told yourself things like 'I don't have any talent for this'. 'Even though I'm studying the best material, something is wrong'. 'I'm working really hard but not advancing'. 'I don't have time'. 'I hate having to do this'. Well, FORGET THESE THINGS! Listen carefully, because I'm about to tell you something crazy...You can absolutely reach your goals in TOEFL (or IELTS) by doing LESS work than you think!

It's called the 'Pareto Principle'. If you want more explanation, you can read it here. If you want to practice reading more academically, you can check out this simple or advanced entry. Some people call it 'Pareto Efficiency', which is more applicable when we are talking about studying for TOEFL (or IELTS). We want to be efficient with our time! Who wants to waste time studying for this test? NOT YOU! I know you only want to pass this test as a way of getting into your program. That's what this test is- an obstacle in your way! I know it's not your dream, just a stop on the way to your dreams! So lets see how we can apply this to make your life right now more efficient...

I don't know about you, but I'm a really VISUAL learner- here are some visuals:

Some visual examples of the principle at work:

My first exposure to the '80/20 rule' comes from a number of sources, especially Tim Ferris and Benny the Irish Polyglot. Many of you probably know that I've been studying Arabic. We all want to work less at something and get greater rewards. A light turned on in my head. That's how it started. Since I've been teaching ESL (especially TOEFL and IELTS strategies) for years, I was inspired to see how this principle can be applied by MY students to reach their goals for the test.

First, somewhere in our subconscious, we know the 80/20 rule is true! Let's look at some things we share in our cultures- idioms, proverbs, quotes... I believe these things show us what is in our deepest thoughts, those things that are hardest to explain and that we 'take for granted' (idiom).

What's more important to you- Quality or Quantity?
What's more important- HOW hard you work, or HOW you are working (the process)?
What's more important- Working hard or working smart?
What's more important- hard work or luck?
                                                  I think this is the answer:

“I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” 
― Thomas Jefferson

In English, we say 'spinning your wheels' (idiom). Think of a car being stuck in the mud- it doesn't matter how much you step on the gas, you won't go anywhere.' Here are some more idioms about ambition and determination.

'Less is more, as long as the LESS is MORE' (proverb)

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” 
― Dale Carnegie

And my personal favorite, since it's from the founder of our lovely city-

By the way, remember the title of this post? Here's a great opportunity to review the difference between principle and principal! Also, see the difference between efficient and effective. Which would you rather be?

You know I have to sneak in some teaching into these posts!

My next post will be about some things I mentioned at the top. I'll show you how to start applying the 80/20 rule to studying TOEFL (or IELTS) by thinking about the what, why and how of being effective and efficient when you study for your test!