Have you heard of the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule? No? Well then, allow me to share a little bit with you about this rule and how it pertains to organizing. You see, there was this Italian scientist , Vilfredo Pareto who through observation discovered that 80% of Italian land was owned by only 20% of the population. He also observed that 20% of his pea pods contained 80% of the peas in his garden. Well, he along with other scientists and thinkers started to apply this idea to other areas of study, like mathematics and science and soon discovered that this idea of “roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes” was actually pretty darn common (sources: wikipedia, 4 Hour Workweek).
Naturally, more studies ensued and sure enough…the Pareto Principle also pertains to the world of organizing. For example, did you know:
We wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time.
We use 20% of what we own 80% of the time.
We reference/retrieve 20% of our paper files 80% of the time.
So, turning that around…basically 80% of your items are only being used 20% of the time. And I would venture to guess that there are items, clothing, and paper files that are never seen or used again! Can you imagine how much more space you’d have if you edited your possessions down to just those that are your favorites and that you actually use? Wow! We’d all be living in homes half the size!
Now, is it realistic for you to downsize that drastically? Probably not. But if you are faced with space issues in your closet, kitchen or office, consider ole Pareto and his principle…it just might help you let go of that 80% of stuff you rarely use.
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