Writing your own ticket

Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who coined the 80/20 rule. The Pareto principle theorizes that 80% of the income in Italy went to 20% of the population. While I'm neither Italian nor an economist, I nonetheless posit the 95/5 rule. This rule states that 95% of the human race isn't living their ideal life, while 5% of humankind has managed to write their own ticket.

Writing your own ticket means different things to different people. The problem is, many members of the human race haven't yet defined their vision of success. Many find it difficult to verbalize their ideal life, although I've seen many of them use hand puppets very effectively to illustrate their hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

Only five percent of people on this planet have financial, emotional, and spiritual independence. The rest of the population is the support cast of someone else's dream, playing a minor role, or acting as an extra, in someone else's movie. (See here)

So how does one enter the elite 5%? How can we work together to increase this minority to a higher percentage? How can we get a degree in economics over the internet?

The first step in joining the 5% is to create a detailed vision of what constitutes success, be it financial, emotional, or gastrointestinal.

To some people, success is firing your boss and becoming self-employed. To others, success is the ability to be spontaneous and get on a plane on a moment's notice. Success for you might be understanding the fine print on your insurance policy.

While companies and organizations have mission statements, five year plans, and quarterly reviews, not that many individuals do. Many human beings just float around through life waiting for opportunities to fall in their laps and feel no sense of accountability. Each year resembles the next year and the end result is a series of Groundhog years ( See here)

After you have defined the vision, the next step is to write up an action plan and then execute it.

Once this is done, go to an Italian restaurant and celebrate your success. You have taken the fist step to join the growing 5% of humankind. When you are done with the meal, send the bill to your ex-boss.

Ben Goldfarb was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He moved to Israel in 1988. He is the founder and director of Paradigm Shift Communications. He has given seminars and training sessions at Israel Aircraft Industry and Philips Medical Systems. His book, "Double Feature: A Nostalgic Peek into the Future" will be published in the summer. He lives with his wife and children in Jerusalem. For more information about his coaching practice, visit the Paradigm Shift Communications website, or send an email to ben@pdshiftcoaching.com

© Copyright 2008 by Ben Goldfarb