The Awesome Power Of The 80% Rule In Peace Corps
Most Peace Corps volunteers come to their service right out of college. And Peace Corps is a great place to put their drive and passion. But it is no surprise that they try to do everything at full throttle, often overcommitting themselves. Add burnout along with the other mental health challenges of service, and it is understandable why some decide to go home and quit.
But one skill that most college students don't have a great handle on but could prevent burnout is productivity. And I found a great article in Inc. Magazine that said the secret to being the best you can be is the "80 Percent Rule":
• Constantly overcommitting leads to lower productivity, poorer quality work, and fewer chances for deeper thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
I've done it more times than I can count. I want to do so much to help my students. So, for example, I taught 12 hours every week but also had 11 hours of English Clubs after school. But by the end of my first school year, I was feeling burned out the last couple of months of the semester.
• The "80% Rule" recommends filling only 80% of your schedule to leave 20% time open. This allows you to handle unexpected events or activities, maintain focus on priorities, and have room to relax.
What does this mean for PCVs? Especially when you first come to your permanent site, you might get flooded with requests for your time. They see these items as vital to themselves and maybe even the community. Give an inch and they'll take a mile is exactly what happens.
• Leaving some free space in your schedule prevents you from being frantic. And it gives your mind room to think about challenges and come up with innovative solutions.
So, right off the bat, schedule time for yourself. For example, cut an hour out every day for language study. Give yourself time for a movie night. Leave space so that you can decompress and/or even interact more with your host family and community. As you become more integrated and comfortable with your work, then you can decide if you want to use more of your time.
Key takeaway!
For PCVs overextending themselves, using the 80% Rule can lead to higher quality work, better service to the community, reduced burnout, and more creative problem-solving.
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