The 90 Percent Rule
If it isn't a clear 90 out of 100, it's a zero. Eliminate the merely good.
The 90 Percent Rule is an extreme but liberating decision-making filter. When evaluating any option, you identify the single most important criterion for that decision, then score the option between 0 and 100. If you rate it any lower than 90 percent, you automatically change the rating to 0 and reject it.
This rule prevents you from getting stuck with 60s and 70s that clutter your life and commitments. It forces conscious, logical decision-making rather than impulsive or emotional choices. The approach acknowledges a real trade-off: sometimes you will turn down a seemingly good option and have faith that the right one will come along. But the act of applying selective criteria forces you to choose by design rather than default.
The power of this rule lies in its simplicity and universality. It applies to job offers, projects, invitations, purchases, and relationships alike. By making your criteria both selective and explicit, you create a systematic tool for discerning what is essential and filtering out what is not. Teams that adopt explicit, extreme criteria empower even junior members to push back on nonessential work.
- If an option is not clearly excellent by a single most important criterion, treating it as a zero prevents a slow accumulation of mediocre commitments.
- Making selection criteria explicit before evaluating options removes emotional and impulsive factors from the decision.
- A life cluttered with 60s and 70s leaves no room for the 90s that would actually be worth doing.
- Applying extreme criteria to invitations, projects, and commitments is how you choose by design rather than by default.
- Teams empowered with explicit and demanding selection criteria can push back on nonessential work without requiring authority from above.
- Identify the Single Most Important CriterionFor any decision you face, determine the one criterion that matters most. This forces clarity about what you truly value in this context. For a job, it might be growth opportunity. For a project, it might be strategic alignment. Avoid listing multiple criteria at this stage.
- Score the Option from 0 to 100Evaluate the opportunity against your single most important criterion and assign it a numerical score. Be honest and specific. This converts vague feelings into a concrete assessment and removes emotional ambiguity from the process.
- Apply the Threshold: Below 90 Becomes ZeroIf the option scores below 90, automatically convert it to 0 and reject it. Do not negotiate with yourself or try to rationalize a 75 into acceptability. The discomfort of rejecting a decent option is the price you pay for making room for a truly excellent one.
- Hold for the Right YesAfter rejecting sub-90 options, have the discipline to wait. The purpose is not to say no to everything forever but to create space for the options that make you say an unequivocal yes. Trust the process and resist the urge to lower your standards out of impatience.
McKeown and a colleague had to select 24 people from nearly 100 applicants. They set minimum criteria and ideal attributes, scoring each candidate 1-10. The 9s and 10s were in, those under 7 were out. When evaluating the ambiguous 7s and 8s, McKeown realized that if someone was 'just good enough,' the answer should be no.
TED speaker Derek Sivers realized he had signed up for several conferences around the world that he was not genuinely excited about. Instead of attending them all, he applied his personal version of this rule and stayed home, skipping every one.
The 90 Percent Rule is an extreme but liberating decision-making filter. When evaluating any option, you identify the single most important criterion for that decision, then score the option between 0 and 100. If you rate it any lower than 90 percent, you automatically change the rating to 0 and reject it.
This rule prevents you from getting stuck with 60s and 70s that clutter your life and commitments. It forces conscious, logical decision-making rather than impulsive or emotional choices. The