The 90/10 rule for happiness says that we have no 
control over about 10% of what happens to us each day. 

We cannot stop the computer from breaking down. A driver 
may cut us off in traffic. Someone may be rude to us. 

We have no control over many things like these each day. 

The other 90% is different. 

We determine the other 90%! 

How? By our reaction to what happens. 

Imagine that are having breakfast with your family. As you walk 
to the table you trip over your dog and spill coffee all over your 
work clothes. You snap at your dog and tell it off for getting in 
your way. You get angry and upset because you will now be 
late for work. 

So you rush around and change your clothes. Breakfast is now 
very uncomfortable for the rest of your family because of your 
temper. You drive to work still angry, and have a generally 
miserable day where nothing seems to go well. 

Let’s rewind the clock and look at this experience again 
using the 90/10 rule. 

Here is what you might have done: 

Coffee splashes over you. You are about to get angry. Instead 
you say “Oops, I better watch where I walk and be more 
careful next time”. Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After 
grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down 
to finish your breakfast. 

You make a quick phone call to work and let them know you 
will be a few minutes late today. You laugh and joke with your 
family at breakfast and leave for work. You arrive at work about 
ten minutes late and cheerfully greet your workmates. Your day 
seems to go well. 

Notice the difference. Both days started the same, but ended 
differently.  

Why?  

Because of how you reacted. 

Action Exercise: 

Remember the 90/10 rule. Keep in mind, that the 
one thing you and I do have control over is how we react 
to anything that happens to us. 

Choose how you will react today when things happen that are 
outside your control. 

At Resilient Minds we help our clients to develop high resilience
so they can perform at high levels on the really important
things in both their work and personal lives. 

Have a great week. 

Jamie Ford
Kim Tay
Thought Leaders in Productivity and Wellbeing

Sign up to our newsletter to get these delivered straight to you.