The 90% Rule in Life, Business, & Golf 5-27-26

Summary

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Becker Business with Scott Becker

Episode: The 90% Rule in Life, Business, & Golf (5-27-26)

Date: May 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Scott Becker discusses what he calls the "90% Rule" and how it applies to life, business, and golf. He explores the pitfalls of pushing oneself and others too hard and explains the benefits of leaving some capacity in your efforts, whether in personal productivity, managing teams, or even playing golf. The episode is a reflection on achieving balance by not always striving for 100% intensity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the 90% Rule

• Scott introduces the core idea: The dangers of always operating at full intensity—striving for 100%—and how it impacts effectiveness, creativity, retention, and overall satisfaction.
  • Timestamp: 00:55

2. The Downside of the “100%” Approach

• Personal Impact:
  • When Scott pushes himself at 100%, he feels burnt out and less creative:
    • "If I push myself at 100% in almost anything I do, I'm constantly fighting this balance of being burnt out...not being nearly as creative as I'd like to be." (Scott Becker, 01:29)
• Team Impact:
  • Pushing team members too hard leads to dissatisfaction and turnover:
    • "If I push people too hard, they of course get sick of me and they quit and it's impossible to retain them." (Scott Becker, 01:17)
• Golf Analogy:
  • Trying to hit a golf ball with full force leads to poor results:
    • "If I try and hit the golf ball 100%, it too often goes in the wrong direction, doesn't do what I want it to do." (Scott Becker, 01:07)

3. Embracing the 90% Rule

• Adopting a Lighter Touch:
  • Scott now aims for 80–90% effort in most things.
  • Accepts "90% from others as great" and focuses on gratitude and grace:
    • "If my people do 90% of what they're supposed to do, great. I'm going to embrace them and be thankful as heck." (Scott Becker, 02:00)
• Leaving Space in the Schedule:
  • He avoids scheduling himself 100% to leave space for spontaneity, creativity, and dealing with life’s unexpected tasks:
    • "I'm going to try myself not to schedule myself 100%, but leave myself some gaps and some opening so I could do some things that have to be done, take care of some business, take care of the people in my life, have some capacity." (Scott Becker, 02:08)

4. An Ongoing Evolution

• Continuous Learning:
  • Scott notes that learning to find this balance is a process—a "constant evolution and revelation." (Scott Becker, 01:13)
• Invitation for Listener Engagement:
  • Scott encourages listeners to share their thoughts via text:
    • "Feel free anytime to text Scott Becker...would love to hear your thoughts in this podcast always." (Scott Becker, 02:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the risk of overexertion:

  • "If I push myself at 100% in almost anything I do, I'm constantly fighting this balance of being burnt out, then having to recover...not being nearly as creative as I'd like to be."
    (Scott Becker, 01:29)

• On leadership and gratitude:

  • "If my people do 90% of what they're supposed to do, great. I'm going to embrace them and be thankful as heck."
    (Scott Becker, 02:00)

• On finding balance:

  • "I'm going to try myself not to schedule myself 100%, but leave myself some gaps and some opening so I could do some things that have to be done, take care of some business, take care of the people in my life, have some capacity."
    (Scott Becker, 02:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:55 – Scott begins discussing the 90% Rule in life, business, and golf.
• 01:07 – Golf analogy and why full effort can backfire.
• 01:17 – The impact of pressing too hard on team members.
• 01:29 – Personal struggles with burnout and creativity.
• 02:00 – Embracing 90% from others and from himself.
• 02:08 – The importance of leaving open time in your schedule.
• 02:34 – Scott invites listener feedback and engagement.

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Summary

Scott Becker’s “90% Rule” encourages listeners to recalibrate their expectations of themselves and others, leaning into a more sustainable and gracious approach to work, relationships, and personal pursuits. Through relatable stories and practical advice, Scott makes a compelling case for why less-than-perfect effort can actually yield better outcomes while reducing burnout and improving satisfaction for all involved.

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For feedback or thoughts, Scott encourages listeners to text him directly.

Transcript

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[D]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Today's discussion is the 90% rule in life, Business and golf. So so here's the deal. Many of us find ourselves often pressing too hard on things. We might press our team member too hard, we might press ourself too hard. We might hit the golf club too fast. And here's what I'm finding. And of course, life is a constant evolution and revelation. If I try and hit the golf ball 100%, it too often goes in the wrong direction, doesn't do what I want it to do. If I push people too hard, they of course get sick of me and they quit and it's impossible to retain them. It's possible to give them the grace that they need. If my I push myself at 100% in almost anything I do. I'm constantly fighting this balance of being burnt out, then having to recover and being burnt out and also not being nearly as creative as I'd like to be. So it's leaving myself some capacity. So, so I I've been to or come to this concept of using the 90 rule in almost everything I do. I'm going to hit the golf ball 80 to 90%. If my people do 90% of what they're supposed to do, great. I'm going to embrace them and be thankful as heck. I'm going to try myself not to schedule myself 100%, but leave myself some gaps and some opening so I could do some things that have to be done, take care of some business, take care of the people in my life, have some capacity. So today's concept, today's discussion is the 90% rule in business, life and golf. We hope people like this. We hope you relate to it. Feel free anytime to text Scott Becker 773-766-5322 and and would love to hear your thoughts in this podcast always. Thank you so much for listening to the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Thank you very, very much.

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