How I Schedule My Life to Get the Most Out of It (and Why You Should Too)

The Science Museum Epiphany

I still remember the first time I saw the bell curve at the Los Angeles Museum of Science and Natural History.

I was just a kid, wandering through the exhibits, fascinated by everything around me.

But one display caught my attention more than any other.

It was a giant metal board filled with pegs, and at the top, a small hole where thousands of ball bearings would drop, bouncing randomly off the pegs before landing in collection bins at the bottom.

At first, it looked like chaos.

The balls ricocheted left and right, completely unpredictable. But then, as more and more fell, a pattern emerged—a curve.

The shape never changed. No matter how many times they reset the machine, the balls always filled out the same curve, over and over again. Most of them ended up in the middle, a few scattered to the left, and a few scattered to the right.

It was my first encounter with something that would shape my entire life: the power law distribution, the 80/20 Rule, and how a simple understanding of these concepts can unlock unlimited success and happiness.

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The 80/20 Rule and the Three Groups of People

Most people have heard of the 80/20 Rule (also called the Pareto Principle).

The idea is simple:

• 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
• 80% of your problems come from 20% of the people in your life.
• 80% of your success is determined by 20% of the actions you take.

But even among the people who “know” this rule, most don’t use it properly.

So let me show you exactly how I apply it to my time, energy, and focus, and how you can do the same.

The Bell Curve of Life

That bell curve I saw in the museum all those years ago? It’s not just for science exhibits. It applies to people too.

The Bottom 20% – “The Losers”

Let’s start with the bottom 20%.

I call them the losers.

These are the people who make life harder for others.

They complain, they take without giving, they play the victim, they drag others down.

Some are bullies, some are manipulators, and some are just lazy, waiting for a handout instead of putting in the work.

In Adam Grant’s book Give and Take, he calls them “the Takers”—people who drain energy, resources, and time without ever giving anything back.

I have a simple rule when it comes to these people: I cut them out of my life completely.

No arguments. No debates. No second chances.

Life is too short to waste time with losers.

The Middle 60% – “The Lost”

The vast majority of people—about 60%—fall into the middle of the curve. I call them “the lost.”

Not because they’re bad, but because they’re stuck.

They’re good people.

They have potential.

They might even have ambition.

But something keeps them from living their best lives:

• Fear.
• Lack of guidance.
• Inconsistent discipline.
• Getting knocked down by life and not knowing how to get back up.

These are the people who need help—but only if they’re open to receiving it.

My rule for them is simple: I help, but only to the level they’re willing to help themselves.

If someone is actively working to improve?

I’ll teach them everything I know.

But if they’re just looking for a free ride, endless encouragement, or someone to do the work for them? I move on.

The Top 20% – “The Leaders”

Then there’s the top 20%.

These are the people who are making it happen.

They have purpose.

They take action.

They create value in the world.

These are the people I seek out.

I spend as much of my time, energy, and focus around them as possible.

I learn from them. I surround myself with them.

I make them my friends, my mentors, my training partners, my business partners.

Being around the right people is the ultimate cheat code in life.

And it doesn’t stop there…

The 80/20 Rule Within the 80/20 Rule

Most people stop here.

They say, “Okay, I’ll eliminate the losers, help the lost when I can, and surround myself with the top 20%.”

Good start. But here’s where things get interesting.

The 80/20 Rule applies within itself.

That means:

• Within the top 20%, the 80/20 Rule applies again.
• The top 4% (20% of 20%) are the elite—the people who truly dominate their fields.
• And within that top 4%, there’s another 80/20 split, meaning the top 0.8%—the best of the best.

So here’s what I do:

1. I learn from the top 20%. (They are ahead of me, so I absorb everything I can.)
2. I associate with the top 4%. (These are the ones I build relationships with.)
3. I partner, if possible, with the top 0.8%. (The truly elite—if I can work alongside them, I do.)

This one shift makes all the difference in the world.

How This Applies to Scheduling and Time Management

Understanding this completely changed how I schedule my life.

Here’s how I use it:

1. Ruthless Elimination of Low-Value Time

• I cut out the bottom 20% of activities and people. No time spent with toxic complainers, distractions, or useless obligations.
• No social media doom-scrolling.
• No arguing with idiots online.
• No wasting time on things that don’t move the needle.

2. Prioritizing High-Impact Activities

• 80% of my results come from 20% of my actions.
• So I identify those key actions and double down on them.
• I focus on learning, training, writing, coaching, and building relationships with the right people.

3. Daily, Weekly, and Monthly 80/20 Reviews

• Every Sunday, I ask myself: What’s working? What’s wasting time?
• Every morning, I write down my top 3 priorities for the day—the 20% of tasks that will create 80% of my success.
• Every quarter, I audit my relationships, business projects, and habits to ensure I’m staying in the top 20%.

Putting It On the Mat

I remember rolling with a new white belt once, and after a tough round, he looked at me and said, “Man, I feel like I’m working so hard but getting nowhere.”

I smiled. “That’s because you’re using 80% effort on things that don’t matter.”

I told him to focus on one thing at a time—grips, posture, base. Instead of reacting to everything, he started seeing patterns.

A few weeks later, he came up to me and said, “I finally get it. Less effort, better results.”

And that’s the power of the 80/20 Rule applied correctly.

So here’s my challenge to you:

1. Cut out the bottom 20% of your time-wasters, energy-drainers, and distractions.
2. Double down on the top 20% of activities that bring the biggest results.
3. Surround yourself with winners—the top 20% of people who are making things happen.

Once you do this, everything changes.

Now, go put it on the mat.

P.S. I put everything I know about how to use the 80/20 Rule to improve my life in my ebook, Control Your Time, Control Your Life.​

If you're looking to stop struggling and start succeeding, get it here:​