Finding the Main Thing

I read this on Herbert Cooper's website and decided to pass it on.  He borrowed it from Tommy Sparger.   Very good info.  Herbert Cooper is the pastor of People's Church.tv in Oklahoma City.  Tommy Sparger is the pastor of North Point Church in Springfield , Mo.


Finding the Main Thing

 Do you ever feel like you are putting in long hours, but seeing very little positive results? If your answer is yes, I can relate. Let me share with you something called the 80/20 principle.

80 percent of traffic jams occur on 20 percent of the roads.

80 percent of beer is consumed by 20 percent of drinkers.

80 percent of classroom participation comes from 20 percent of students.


80 percent of the time you wear 20 percent of your clothes.

80 percent of the profits come from only 20 percent of the customers.

80 percent of problems are generated by 20 percent of the employees.

80 percent of sales are generated by 20 percent of the salespeople.

80 percent of all decisions can be made on 20 percent of the information.

What this means is that the best 20 percent of your activities are sixteen times more productive than the remaining 80 percent. If you want to decrease the complexity of your life and increase your productivity, you need to focus on your top 20 percent. There is a good chance that you are (1) doing too many things, and (2) the things you are doing are often the wrong things. And this, my friend, is a recipe for an ineffective life! Find the main thing and invest your time there and watch your effectiveness increase. It is not enough to work hard! You have to work smart.