In 2006, we made the leap. We burned our ships in the Netherlands and chased the dream in Spain.
We were after the perfect life: endless sunshine, pristine beaches, beautiful nature, laid-back people, and of course, a little bit of work for our own business.
But the truth? We worked. Hard.
We did everything ourselves—every email, every booking, finance, operational tasks, working in the business and working on the business. Every. Single. Thing. 24/7.
Hard work wasn’t the problem; it was the relentless grind.
At some point, we realized: “We can’t live like this forever.”
But how do you break the cycle?
Coming from a Special Forces background, my answer to everything had always been the same:
“If you’re lacking in talent, you make up for it by working even harder.”
Then I discovered a game-changer.
In 2008, I picked up The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. I was drawn in by the title, but the content transformed my life.
There’s a saying, “The difference between where you are now and where you’ll be in five years is the books you read and the people you meet.”
For me, this was one of those pivotal books.
One principle from the book shook me awake—the Pareto Principle.
The 80/20 Rule: Where the Magic Lies
Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist from the 1900s, discovered that 80% of Italy’s land was owned by just 20% of the population.
This led him to investigate a recurring pattern: disproportionate results from a small portion of causes.
The findings are astonishing:
– 20% of roads carry 80% of the traffic.
– 20% of plants produce 80% of the harvest.
– 20% of your clothes are worn 80% of the time.
And it doesn’t stop there:
– 20% of your staff creates 80% of your results.
– 20% of your products generate 80% of your profits.
– 20% of your actions create 80% of your happiness.
This principle applies to everything—even your time.
Let’s break it down: 20% of your daily activities create 80% of your desired results.
The downside?
The other 80% of your time is responsible for only 20% of your results.
Think about that for a moment.
If you’re working 40 hours a week to earn €70,000 a year, do you think doubling your hours will double your income?
Not a chance.
The reality is, not all work is created equal.
Here’s where the 80/20 Rule shines.
If 20% of your tasks create 80% of your results, what happens if you focus on those high-impact tasks?
What if you stopped wasting time on the 80% that barely moves the needle?
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s crunch some numbers. Stick with me.
In a typical 40-hour work week, 20% of that time is just 8 hours.
Those 8 hours generate 80% of your income, or €40,000.
Now, imagine if you only worked those 8 hours each week.
You’d still pull in €40,000, but you’d have a ton of extra time to live your life.
But what if, instead of cutting your hours, you filled your entire 40-hour week with only the high-impact tasks?
You’d earn €200,000—four times your current income without adding a single extra hour.
Think about that. To earn the same amount without focusing on high-value tasks, you’d need to work 160 hours a week (which, unless you plan on giving up sleep entirely, is impossible).
The Power of 80/20 Squared
It gets even better. If you dive deeper, you’ll find that within the 20% of high-impact tasks, there’s another 80/20 ratio.
That means 4% of your time yields 64% of your results.
Let’s go back to our example:
– 4% of a 40-hour week is just 1.6 hours.
– Those 1.6 hours yield €32,000.
Now, if you filled your entire week with just those ultra-high-value tasks, you’d rake in €800,000.
That’s €417 an hour—16 times the current rate.
And here’s the kicker: that’s without working a single extra minute.
Even if you decided to only work 20 hours a week on those 4% tasks, you’d still walk away with €400,000.
So, What’s the Catch?
What about the tasks that aren’t high-value but still need to get done?
That’s where delegation comes in.
There are plenty of people out there willing to take on those lower-value tasks for a fraction of what you’d earn doing the high-impact work.
8020-Thinking has given me time, freedom, and the ability to enjoy my success.
Will it do the same for you?
Your time is precious.
Don’t waste it on the 80% that barely moves the needle.
Start focusing on the few things that truly matter, and reclaim your life.
PS: The picture: “This-can´t-go-on-like this-much-longer-moment.” 😉
