This Week's "Change That Up" Tip...The 80/20 Principle

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 principle, also known as the Pareto principle? It’s considered a foundational concept for life, business, time, and wealth management, and it essentially states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects (i.e., outcomes) come from 20% of the causes (i.e., inputs). In other words, 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results.

When it comes to nutrition, however, the 80/20 rule takes on a slightly different meaning. More specifically, for most people, it means that 80% of the time you should stick with a completely clean, nutrient-dense diet that’s founded on whole foods consumed in appropriate amounts, combinations, and times for you and your goals. The other 20% of the time, you can relax around these guidelines.

Of course, the ratio is neither exact nor universal. For some, it may be more like 90/10 or even 95/5. And in addition to interindividual variety, there’s also intraindividual variation. In other words, you may go through seasons where 80/20 is good enough and others when 90/10 is necessary to fuel your goals.

The first point is that most of us will benefit from some flexibility built into how we approach food and our overall relationship with food. No one is perfect—no one—and you don’t need to be to enjoy great health and wellness.

The second point, which is not to be lost, is that while perfection is not the goal, consistency is key. We need to look no further than John C. Maxwell’s Law of Consistency, which states that if you want to make significant, lasting change, consistency has to be one of the main ingredients. Or, consider the following quote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

80% may not be a perfect, but it still reflects darn good consistency, and that’s what matters when it comes to changing your body and your health for the better. If you’re struggling with achieving your health goals, take an honest look at your nutrition and see if you’re hitting your stated goals at least 80% of the time. If not, it’s time to focus on consistency; if you are, then maybe it’s time to shift seasons and aim for 90%.