THE 80-20 rule now means something to couples seeking happiness in their relationships.
The rule is about setting expectations for your love life and giving each other some slack.
What is the 80-20 rule in dating?
The 80-20 rule essentially comes down to the idea that you should only expect to get around 80 percent of your personal sense of happiness from a healthy relationship.
The other 20 percent needs to be something you can provide for yourself.
The idea here is that healthy relationships are based on quality time spent together while each partner simultaneously maintains their own sense of identity outside of the relationship.
It sets the expectation that you will not always be available in a relationship, and neither will your partner.
Further, it keeps you from becoming codependent on one another by ensuring you both have personal time built in to chase your own dreams and passions.
Why does the 80-20 rule work?
As the saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Even if your absence is only you going to dinner and drinks with your friends one night a week.
The space you give indicates a level of trust in each other, which is always one of the most important foundations of a relationship.
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Where else can you apply the 80-20 rules in your life?
You can apply the 80-20 rule in all sorts of situations.
For example, some people use the 80-20 rule with their jobs, maintaining that they save 20 percent of their energy for their off-time.
This idea promotes a good work-life balance and ensures you have energy when it’s time to shut your laptop down for the weekend.
Another way that people use the 80-20 rule is in their diets.
In Japan, there is the idea of eating until you are 80 percent full.
This idea allows you not to have to unbutton your pants on the way home and also promotes good habits of moderation.