The 80/20% Rule can be used for a wide range of areas in your life
Why use this rule? Because it’s user friendly. It allows us to give good guidance (80%) for keeping on top of a program and just enough allowance (20%) to not feel so restrictive.
Let’s use the liver as an example. Without going into great detail, there no other organ in our body that does as much or as many different jobs.
The liver is responsible for seeing, filtering, and deciding what stays and what goes for everything we eat, drink, put on our skin or smell. Consider the liver as the front door to your home where nothing comes in before passing that front door.
If what you’ve consumed, rubbed on your body or inhaled is beneficial to you…it can stay and be utilized. On the other hand, if it is or has the potential of doing harm, it gets eliminated by the body, usually as quickly as possible.
Our livers are so important that they are one of the only organs that can regenerate itself when only functioning at 20% given there’s no serious injury or damage. Once it removes the offending agent/s i.e. alcohol and drugs, which include certain medications, it will clean itself up and heal.
Now let’s apply this simple equation to your health. When food shopping, 80% of your cart should be filled with food from the outside perimeter of the store. Meaning; bulk items such as meats, fish, frozen foods (not too much ice cream!) frozen vegetables, healthy low sugar yogurts, eggs, and the icing on the cart – fresh fruits and veggies. There are dozens of choices regarding the options of veggies, you don’t have to get bored.
Apply 80/20 to exercise: working out, bike riding, water or snow sports. If you exerted approx. 80% max effort, you would not only reap all the health benefits but also have an attainable target goal and quite possibly have some fun doing it. Always remember “Success breeds Success”.
The 80/20% Rule can be used for a wide range of areas in your life. Get creative with this principle while remembering life is all about a balance.