How to Become a 20-percenter.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the concept of the 20-percenters and how your connection with this group could take you to the top in almost any profession.  The 20-percenters philosophy is based on the well known Pareto principle in which Vilfredo Pareto observed that 20 percent of Italy's population controlled 80% of the wealth of the nation.  From there, he came up with the concept of unequal distribution, in which you he saw that throughout many areas of life there was a unequal relationship between input and output.  This basically stated that there are truly only a few things that cause our success and if we are able to do these few things well, it will separate us from the masses.  It also related to the fact that there were a small group of people in the world who had recognized this fact and they were the individuals who were the most successful in our society.  So, you may ask yourself, how can you become a 20-percenter?  There are a number of things that will lead you into this direction, but, for simplicity's sake, I broke it down into three for your review and adoption.

1. Raise your standards beyond the norm
The first step in coming a 20-percenter is to stop measuring your success on the success and abilities of others.  To do this, you must understand that what the average person is able to achieve should not be your barometer for your life.  By the very definition, average is nothing special.  You should not measure your success and what you expect from yourself based on what others would see as reasonable and acceptable.  To do this, you have to consistently ask more of yourself from a day to day dedication standpoint to push yourself beyond the usual realms of expectation to a level that many people would find extreme and "over the top."  These are words that you want to hear others say of you on a day to day basis.  You should strive for others to feel that you are a machine - someone who might "burn out" with your work ethic and dedication to being successful.  By doing this, you are separating yourself from the masses who do what everyone else does and, therefore, gets the same results.

2. Don't be afraid to go against the grain
Often 20-percenters are those who are willing to step outside the box and push the envelope somewhat when it comes to societal norms and acceptances.  They are always looking at various rules and regulations of our world and asking the questions of why or why not.  They challenge the status-quo and understand that this world was created by us and, subsequently, the rules and regulations of this world were created by us.  Therefore, there is a good chance that a rule that was adopted 20 years ago could be unsuited for today's time or incorrectly adopted in the first place.  20-percenters are not afraid to speak up for something they believe in, no matter how unpopular it may be. They are focused on truth and what is dear to their heart, so when something presents itself that may be rejected by the masses, they are not afraid to put their name on it and stand up for what they believe in and what is right.  The originally unpopular are often the ones who change the world.

3. Always Think
The main reason that the 20-percenters stand out from the majority of individuals in society is because they do not allow what others tell them to rule their lives.  They may listen to it and consider it holistically in any decision they may make, but, ultimately, they take the time to truly think through different scenarios before making a decision.  There are so many of us who participate in activities or make decisions for our lives without truly taking any time to think "why" we desire that decision for ourselves. Also we don't think if we truly do want that or if it was something that we subconsciously adopted because our parents/friends/co-workers wanted the same thing and we automatically figured it was for us as well.  20-percenters don't accept what others have decided for their lives as automatically their own, but think through every decision to make sure they are 100 percent bought in and it was something that they desired and not what others desired for them.  They consistently consider everything in relation to their lives and make the decisions that is best for them...not their parents...not their friends...not John and Susie down the street.

The desire to be special dates back to the beginning of time.  While the aforementioned tips will not ensure that you will achieve everything you desire, it will make sure that you are working to be in the small group of people who have so much impact on the world.  By raising your standards, going against the grain, and just thinking, you put yourself in a very distinct class and, one day, may be able to call your a 20-percenter.

Ken Middleton is an Account Executive at TEKsystems that specializes in IT staffing and services. He is a graduate of UNC-Pembroke and current MBA student at Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech.

You can follow his daily quotes of inspiration and motivation on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIN