Stephen Covey's 90/10 Principle

90 PRINCIPLE

10

STEPHEN COVEY’S

WHAT IS THE

90/10

PRINCIPLE

10% of life is made up of what happens to you

90% of life is determined by your reaction to what has

happened to you

10% of life is made up of what happens to you

IN SIMPLER WORDS

You have no control over incidents that take place in life

The plane will

arrive late,

throwing your

schedule off

You have no control over incidents that take place in life

The plane will

arrive late,

throwing your

schedule off

You can not stop

a driver from

cutting you off in

traffic

You have no control over incidents that take place in life

You can not

stop the car

from breaking

down

The plane will

arrive late,

throwing your

schedule off

You can not stop

a driver from

cutting you off in

traffic

But you have control over your reaction to

these incidents

You have no control over incidents that take place in life

LET US USE AN EXAMPLE

You are having breakfast with your family

Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee on to your

business shirt

You are having breakfast with your family

Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee on to your

business shirt

10%

What happens next is determined by

how you react.

You CURSE You SCOLD your daughter for knocking the cup over

Your daughter BREAKS DOWN in tears

You CRITICIZE your spouse for keeping the cup too close to

the edge of the table

You STORM upstairs and change your shirt

Your daughter has been too busy CRYING to finish breakfast and get ready for

school and misses the bus Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You RUSH to the

car and drive your daughter to school

A short VERBAL BATTLE follows

After a 15 minute DELAY and a $60 TRAFFIC FINE you arrive at school

Your daughter runs inside the building

WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE

Arriving 20 minutes LATE at work, you realize you FORGOT your briefcase at home

AND THE DAY KEEPS GETTING WORSE.

You look forward

to going home…

You look forward

to going home…

Only to find a small in your

relationship with your spouse and daughter

WHY DID YOU HAVE A BAD DAY?

Was it the coffee?

Was it your daughter?

Was it the policeman?

Was it you?

WHY DID YOU HAVE A BAD DAY?

Was it the coffee?

Was it your daughter?

Was it the policeman?

Was it you?

IT WAS YOU.

You had

no control over the coffee

BUT

Your

reaction in those 5 seconds is

what caused your bad day

THEREFORE

Coffee = 10%

Rest of the day = 90%

Here’s what

&

happened

could have should have

Coffee spills on you. Your daughter is about to cry.

You gently say, “It’s okay 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 see your

child get on the bus. She turns and waves. You

arrive 5 minutes early to work and cheerfully greet

the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day

you are having.

NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE?

2 different scenarios

Both started the same

But ended different

2 different scenarios

Both started the same

But ended different

BECAUSE OF HOW YOU

REACTED

REACT PROPERLY

AND IT WILL NOT

RUIN YOUR DAY

Being fired

A wrong reaction could result in

Being fired

A wrong reaction could result in

and more.

Don’t be a

SPONGE to negative criticism.

Don’t be a

SPONGE to negative criticism.

Let the attack roll off like water on a glass.

WHO CARES if you’re 10 seconds

late to work?

DON’T let the cars ruin

your drive!

DON’T LET

PEOPLE FOOL

YOU YOU

CONTROL HOW

YOU REACT

THIS IS THE

90/10

PRINCIPLE

TRY IT.

TRY IT.

YOU HAVE

NOTHING TO LOSE.

Asma Ansari

Twitter: @asmaansari7