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Most of you have heard of the 80/20 rule, otherwise known as the Pareto Principle. For those who haven't, the principle states that in many situations, 20% of your effort typically can yield 80% of the value. Lots of students apply this every day. 20% of time invested in an assignment can get you a B, but it would take much more effort to achieve an A or A+.

This theory is a powerful one. It allows anyone to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their efforts. The theory can apply not just to school assignments, but everything in life. Responding to email, washing dishes, writing posts like these, and launching new startups. It's perfect, right?

I think the 80/20 rule is wrong...well not wrong, but not entirely correct. I agree with the theory at "low" levels of investment... that at 20% of effort, one can achieve 80% of the value. But I think the Pareto Principle can mislead us. It guides us to spend little time on many things, without over investing in any one thing. But I believe that sometimes over-investment in a single effort is exactly what's required to reach extra-ordinary results. I believe that sometimes, with 100% effort you can unleash significantly more value than you ever thought existed in the first place.

Let's take a closer look at a typical school assignment. As the Pareto Principle states, at 20% of the effort, you may achieve a B on a class assignment. And at 80% of the effort, you may achieve an A. But what happens at 100% effort? I'm not talking 99%....I'm talking about devoting every mental cycle, perfecting every detail, and going all out on the assignment? What if you go beyond your instructor's expectations, and exceed even your own understanding of your limits? Great things happen....you can use this assigment as a stellar example of your work for job interviews...perhaps your instructor will hire you as a TA...you'll be sent to a conference to present your findings... or be published in a reputable academic journal. Perhaps you'll earn the respect of your instructor and collegeues, and receive the benefit of the doubt when you hand in your next assignment late. Word will spread of your stellar work, and you'll probably increase your grades on future assignments because you'll be auto-classified as a rockstar.

Choose wisely. Obviously, you don't have the time to devote 100% effort to everything you do. But try this on a small subset of all your efforts, and see what it untaps. And avoid the mediocrity trap. Don't spend 80% effort to earn a B+. Stick with B's on most, and aim for an A++ on one or two assignments every once and a while.

Evidence of this Theory of Extraordinary Results is all around us. Apple's Macbook line, Google's obsession with Ad quality, and even the incredible effort that it took to write, film and edit I'm On a Boat SNL skit (which garnered over 35million views on YouTube alone). But perhaps the best example is the Statue of Liberty in NY Harbor. If France had applied the 80/20 rule and made the Statue 30ft tall, it would have been a kind gesture for sure. Instead they decided to deliver one of the biggest bronze statues in existence at the time...Standing at 151ft, the statue of liberty was a HUGE gesture. Because of it's magnificent size and incredible craftsmanship, it was quickly recognized as a world symbol of American freedom. It was glorious, memorizing and noteworthy. A 30ft statue just wouldn't have had the same effect. To build the statue of this size took 100% effort. France went above and beyond, and achieved more than a Statue.

I think the 80/20 rule is a powerful one, and should be applied in many situations to maximize efficiency. But let's not forget that incredible things are achieved at 100%.