The Expat Life: How Do You Apply The 80/20 Rule?

Posted on 18. Apr, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Tools & Resources
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While browsing the web earlier today, I stumbled upon this article on AlmerimarLife.com: The 80/20 Rule to Successful Expat Living.

I am always interested in tips to make life abroad more successful. In this case, I was also intrigued by the reference to the 80/20 rule – I studied business management when I was younger, and you can bet that I had this rule beaten into me in my marketing classes: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients, you make 80% of your sales with 20% of your products, and so on and so forth.

So how does this rule apply to expat living?

The article advocates spending 80% of your time in your host country living the local way, and 20% living the way you used to in your home country.

“Access to the lifestyle that we grew up with and left behind is vital to make life as an expat successful. Without it the temptation to keep going back home for a ‘fix’ would be too tempting, and if not an option could easily lead to depression and dissatisfaction. On the other hand to effectively live exactly the way that you did at home but with the added benefit of the sun I think is just a waste of the opportunity living abroad provides.“

It is an interesting approach – not necessarily the 80/20 split per se, because I do not think that is meant to be taken literally, but I can see using it as a note to self, a conscious reminder to keep things balanced.

You can use this tool in many areas of your life. It works particularly well when you find yourself going from one extreme to the other, such as being extremely social one month, then hardly seeing anyone the next.

I do a similar exercise with my clients when they are dealing with an apparent contradiction. Let’s say that they need to relax, but they also need to work hard to meet a deadline. Sounds impossible, right? Well, yes, if you see things in terms of either/or.

Here is a little trick, though, to help you balance both:
In terms of percentage, how relaxed do you want to be and how driven do you want to be? If the deadline is really looming, maybe it will be 10% relaxed and 90% driven and that is fine – you are the one who decides what works for you, based on your priorities. That is the whole point. However, now you have an easy formula, 10/90, to remind you that no matter how hard you are working, relaxation still has its place. It does not have to be black or white, all work or all play.

In my case, I have just gone through several months of thinking, researching and planning. Now it is time for more action. There is no point in fighting my nature, which is to spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas and mulling over things, so my formula is going to look like 30% planning and 70% doing. From now on, if I catch myself doing research 50% of the time instead of implementing my ideas, I can remind myself (gently but firmly!) that this is not what I am aiming for. It is a good way for me to be more mindful and intentional in how I spend my time.

What areas of your life need more balance at the moment? What percentages do you want to set for yourself as a reminder? Most importantly, what can you start doing to make it happen?

Emmanuelle