How to Achieve Your Goals—The 10/10 Rule

In this episode of Personal Mastery,  Jerry Henderson explores why only 8% of people achieve their goals. He also introduces the "10-10 Rule," a principle that involves dedicating level 10 effort to tasks that have the potential to yield level 10 results. 

Jerry shares how high achievers like Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Ferriss, and Serena Williams exemplify this rule by focusing intensely on high-impact activities and eliminating low-return tasks. 

He also provides a step-by-step guide to applying the 10-10 Rule in your own life to enhance productivity and achieve meaningful goals.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or like you’re working hard without getting ahead, this episode will show you the one mindset shift and strategy that the top 8% of achievers use to build sustainable success.

Key Takeaways

• The 10-10 Rule: Allocate maximum effort only to tasks that promise maximum returns.

• Focus Over Busyness: High achievers prioritize impactful activities over being merely busy.

• Cognitive Load Theory: Our brains have limited capacity; overloading with low-impact tasks leads to burnout .

• Goal Dilution Effect: Pursuing too many goals simultaneously can weaken the effectiveness of each .

• Strategic No: Saying no to low-return tasks creates space for high-impact work. 

Chapters

00:00 Intro – Why 92% of people fail to achieve their goals
01:02 The one habit that shows up in the top 8%
02:36 Buffett, Jobs, and the power of ruthless focus
03:32 The dopamine trap and the illusion of busyness
05:07 Cognitive Load Theory and why your brain is overwhelmed
06:33 Giving level 10 effort to level 3 returns
07:35 Burnout, misaligned effort, and the cost of doing too much
08:08 The Pareto Principle and how to use it with the 10-10 Rule
09:06 Learning to say no: Buffett, Jobs, Oprah, and the mindset shift
13:05 How Tim Ferriss, Serena Williams, and top performers guard their energy
13:57 What all top achievers understand about focus and results
15:28 The 4-step framework for applying the 10-10 Rule
21:54 Bonus Tip: Using the 10-10 Rule to evaluate your relationships

Resources:

• The new Overcoming Shame group coaching program: LEARN MORE

• 1:1 Coaching Free strategy call: jerryhenderson.org

• Access the course "Learning How to Love Yourself" here: Access Course

• Book a free strategy call with me: Schedule Call

• Follow me on IG: @jerryahenderson

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I am grateful you are here,
Jerry

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