What is the 95/5 Principle? Well, I made it up. It is something I observe in life. I briefly explained the 95/5 principle in my previous blog post (it is below). As a quick reminder, that is when we make a decision based on how we live in or use that item or space 5% of the time. It is when we choose to do something because it is only inconvenient 5% of the time. Or maybe we buy it because we love it despite the narrowness of the actual use. Let me give you a simple example. How many of you give 2 ft. of pantry space to a turkey roasting pan, and how often do you roast a turkey? That is the 95/5 principle, (I know that is a 99/1 item but I am big picture thinker.).
I saw this in my own life recently. My husband and I have traditionally entertained quite a bit and traveled several times a year. As a result of that, we never had a dog. We like dogs well enough, but I wear black too often to want to frequently play with other’s dogs who can’t look at me without shedding. So, though I manage and enjoy dogs, they were never much part of my life.
As a speaker, I travel a lot, and my husband deals with some pain issues related to his back. Being in pain alone is a challenging combination. So after much consideration, we got a goldendoodle puppy (they don’t shed ?). Now that we have had him for 8 months, we have observed a few things – we travel together less – we expected this, and when it comes to company, I have learned that some people like dogs less than I ever did. I value those people. So taking care of the dog with company requires a bit more work on our side. And a bit of inconvenience and crate time on his part.
I realized that the 95/5 principle was intact here. We got the dog for the 95% of the time it is just the one or two of us at home. And we work through the adaptations we have made for the 5% of the time he is a challenge. Cats are the same. Some people are allergic to them. So we made the decision for the majority of our life even though there is some inconvenience as well. The benefits began to overrule the challenges.
How does this apply to your life? Is it the right decision for the right dreams? Are you putting off a good decision because of a small inconvenience? Are you letting the 5% rule your life? And is that okay with you? Sometimes it will be and sometimes we should reconsider. I wish you peace as you make decisions in your life.