I once silently vowed that my speed of earning money would outpace the speed of my parents’ aging, so that I could take them around the world and let them enjoy their retirement
I once silently vowed that my speed of earning money would outpace the speed of rising house prices, so that I could buy a school district house and give my child a bright future
I once silently vowed that my speed of earning money……
Finally, I discovered a fact: my speed of earning money is far behind the speed of printing money
It turns out the game isn’t played like this
Everyone knows the 20/80 rule,
20% of people own 80% of the assets
20% of people earn money with their brains, 80% earn money with their bodies
20% of people think positively, 80% think negatively,
20% of people are excellent, 80% are mediocre
I have worked hard to become part of this 20%, yet I am still so far from my goal. Why?
Have you heard of the 1% versus 99% distinction?
In modern society, the gap between rich and poor is becoming increasingly severe. The middle-class, the olive-shaped majority, is rapidly disappearing. The rich have shrunk from 20% to the extremely wealthy 1%, while the poor have grown from 80% to the less poor 99%
This 1% controls political, economic, and educational power, constantly using various legal and administrative means to solidify their class status and prevent the 99% from rising to the 1% of the ultra-rich
So rather than 20/80, society is actually moving toward 1/99
What is the difference between these 1% of exceptional people and the 20% of excellent people we mentioned earlier? If I understand this, won’t I have a chance to move up from the 20% to the 1%?
The 20% people wake up early and go to bed early, with a well-organised lifestyle. They finish today’s tasks today, never procrastinate, and sometimes even complete tomorrow’s tasks today, staying ahead of time
The 1% people, once immersed in something they love, completely lose track of time. If inspiration strikes in the middle of the night, they jump up immediately and follow their intuition
The 20% people learn many skills to improve themselves, from using office software to writing 100,000+ word articles, subscribe to many learning programs, and are busy every day, feeling their lives are fulfilling
The 1% people often spend time thinking and daydreaming, focusing more on philosophy, history, psychology, and other subjects, rather than skill-based learning. They look for the essence in reality and can find connections between different things, predicting possible future trends
You might think these 1% people are lazy and not ambitious, but once they start doing something, their efficiency is extremely high
With effort, most people can become part of the 20%. They are positive, proactive, responsible, praised by their superiors, respected by their subordinates, a source of pride for their families, and a role model for their children
But becoming part of the 1% is not just about effort. They are often stubborn and even seen as rule-breakers and immature by many. But they know who they are and what they can do
The 20% are managers, while the 1% are leaders
We have seen many such cases: energetic, positive, and after a few years of work, they quickly rise from the grassroots to the middle management level through their own efforts. Originally, they thought that by continuing to work hard in the same way, they would soon be promoted to senior management. Instead, they hit a wall and couldn’t progress further
They then constantly look for reasons within themselves, continuously improve their learning and self-development, learn more of the latest and strongest skills, work even longer hours, yet still aren’t promoted
Eventually, they become resentful, complaining about the poor company environment, the lack of transparency in promotion systems, others using underhanded tactics to get ahead, and how they were born at the wrong time, with no one recognising their talents……
In fact, they don’t know that moving up from the 20% to the 1% is exactly a shift in mindset between two completely different types of thinking
Unfortunately, the more you work hard and perfect the 20%, the further away you actually are from the 1%
So what is the difference between the 1% and the 20%?
Let’s take a simple example: the difference between the “Art of War” and “Cao Cao’s New Book of Tactics”
Everyone knows the “Art of War” has been passed down for centuries and is still studied by many countries, businesses, and military academies today. But how many people know about Cao Cao’s book of tactics?
The “Art of War” discusses strategy, while “Cao Cao’s New Book of Tactics” focuses on tactics
In warfare, both tactics and strategy are equally important
The transition from the 20% to the 1% is the shift from tactics to strategy
Of course, you might say, I don’t need to become part of the 1%, it’s too hard! Actually, it’s the opposite. The 20% people feel more pressure as they get older
Nowadays, everyone talks about platforms. Riding a bicycle no matter how hard you pedal can’t catch up with someone in a car. Even if you don’t want to become part of the 1%, you still need to know whether your boss is part of the 1% or the 20%. Only then can you leverage their power
You might not want to become part of the 1%, but as the social divide becomes more severe, don’t you at least hope your child becomes part of the 1%? What kind of values and thoughts should you teach them?
Vision and perspective are the core differences between the two