The 90/10 Principle
Author: Stephen Covey, Management Guru
Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to
situations). What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?
We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop
the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%.
The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light, but you can control your reaction.
Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.
Let's use an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over
what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying
goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your
briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is “D".
You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.
Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.
Notice the difference?
Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED.
You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.
Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle:
If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the
attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.
How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? (A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off)
Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?
Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.
You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.
The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.
The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.
We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.
It CAN change your life!!!
The 90/10 Principle
Nice words but they're hard to be applied. Specially in Yemen where most of people are bad-tempered and moody.
I have lived with most of what the article said. And I believe that my behaviour (or reaction as the article named) was the main reason of having a hard day.
Allah knows that it is not easy thing to control your temper . thats why Allah relates them with AlMuttakeen
Imam Ali also adviced us how to learn Patience or even to pretend that you are patient.
Regards,
I have lived with most of what the article said. And I believe that my behaviour (or reaction as the article named) was the main reason of having a hard day.
Allah knows that it is not easy thing to control your temper . thats why Allah relates them with AlMuttakeen
كود: تحديد الكل
وَسَارِعُواْ إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ [color=darkred]لِلْمُتَّقِينَ[/color])133( الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاء وَالضَّرَّاء [color=red]وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ [/color]وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ)134كود: تحديد الكل
(إن لم تكن حليماً فتحلّم فإنه قلّ من تشبه بقوم إلا أوشك أن يكون منهم).
Also nice words brother Nader, but we should try our best to behave like what our prophet & Imam Ali adviced us, & like what this aurthor had discovered as a scientific theory "without knowing a thing about what Islam said.
Sub7an Allah, everything is in our hands, but we should wait the arriving of the west theories
Sub7an Allah, everything is in our hands, but we should wait the arriving of the west theories
Lots of social theories are supporting Islam massage
An incident had happened in the firm I work for. the executive officer has instruct everyone in the company not to pass anything they hear from their colleagues regarding this incident before they make sure about it, otherwise they should shut the hell up.
His reason was based on the fact that words may change from mouth to mouth, at the end, you may have received a totally different story.
The Executive Officer is British-American, he doesn't know anything about Islam and I think he's not interested at all.
But his theory was based on strong experience in working in environment which had lots of people working as a team.
And I think, that is Islam
An incident had happened in the firm I work for. the executive officer has instruct everyone in the company not to pass anything they hear from their colleagues regarding this incident before they make sure about it, otherwise they should shut the hell up.
His reason was based on the fact that words may change from mouth to mouth, at the end, you may have received a totally different story.
The Executive Officer is British-American, he doesn't know anything about Islam and I think he's not interested at all.
But his theory was based on strong experience in working in environment which had lots of people working as a team.
And I think, that is Islam