We do so many things we don’t enjoy for the sake of the few things we love. I hear it so often: We endure 80% of things just to enjoy the remaining 20% that we like. Could the famous Pareto principle—the 80:20 rule—apply to our lives? Or is it just another paradigm, sometimes helping us accept things and sometimes excusing us from action? And if it doesn’t have to be this way, can we flip the ratio? Could it even be 100% good?

I think this 80:20 rule is just another fixation. Sure, go ahead and accept it if you want, but I won’t. I think it’s yet another way to condition us to:

Endure.

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80:20 rule, is named after Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist who observed in the late 19th century that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population (a rather neat ratio… how does it look today?). The theory suggests that for most phenomena, 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes. This principle has since been widely adopted in economics and management because it helps identify the key areas worth focusing on to achieve maximum efficiency.

80:20 as a Tool for Focus

In our daily lives, the Pareto principle can be applied in many areas. For example, at work, where supposedly 20% of tasks produce 80% of success—if only we can identify which 20%! Or in our leisure time, where 20% of activities bring us 80% of our joy. This approach can help us focus on what really matters and avoid wasting time and energy on less important things. Applying this principle can also reduce stress by helping us prioritize tasks, making it easier to decide what to focus on. Through this lens, we can better filter and organize our responsibilities.

Focusing on the most important activities allows us to manage our time and energy more effectively, reducing tension, stress, and the risk of burnout. I experienced this firsthand during the first three years of Games for Business, when I was managing a small team while being responsible for finances, sales, marketing, creative concepts, and key clients. It’s impossible to do everything—you have to decide what matters, accepting that there will be skeletons in the closet.

80:20 as an Excuse

Running a business is hard—always. You take risks, take out loans, work 12-14 hours a day, deal with slacking team members, and watch them leave for better offers—even though you taught them the ropes. It’s just how it is. 80% of it is a grind, but there’s that remaining 20% that makes it worthwhile. Maybe. Everyone goes through it, right? It’s in our culture too. Our religion taught us this: endure suffering, insults, and lies, because abundance will be your reward in the afterlife… One day, it will be better.

But I don’t want to endure a life of drudgery just to hope it gets better in heaven. I refuse to accept that 80% of life must be misery just so that the remaining 20% can be good.

I accept that life has hardships.

Not everything is how I’d like it to be. But! Why can’t the ratio be flipped? Or better yet, why not strive for that? I have this idea—and maybe it’s just a romantic notion—that 80% of life could be that awesome part where you wake up and say: YES! This is great! And if it’s good, that’s pretty great.

Should it be 100%?

Not necessarily. Maybe because it’s not worth it. This reminds me of developing software products—we worked on this for years before Games for Business. It’s doable to create a product that’s 80% great. A 90% product? Tougher, but possible. Refining beyond 90%? Well… Every additional percentage point becomes a bloody uphill battle. Achieving a 100% perfect product isn’t impossible, but the effort for those last few points might not be worth the return.

So why bother?

Maybe the secret to a happy life is finding that balance where the pursuit of perfection stops being worth it. It’s about recognizing the point where the energy required to improve something outweighs the benefits. And at that point, you can let go of the need for “better.” Because what you have isn’t just good enough—it’s the best good for you. Even if it’s not 100%.

There’s something exhilarating about walking that fine line, about balancing on that tightrope and still moving forward in life.

And maybe it doesn’t matter if your ratio is 20%, 60%, 80%, or 90% good. What matters is that the balance feels right for you—not as compromise or endurance, but as a life that’s genuinely good enough.

This article originally appeared on the vendler.hu blog.