*What is the 80/20 Principle?
The 80/20 rule is a principle created by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. This is a mathematical formula he used to describe the unequal distribution of wealth. Pareto observed that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. Now, don’t worry- I’m not going to get political here, but I do have strong feelings about what I feel is an an all too common approach to fat loss – and one that keeps people immobilized- and that is that ALL OR NOTHING kind of thinking.
You know, thinking that if you mess up on your day with a bad food choice, the day is blown so you might as well go off the deep end and eat every thing is sight? Or, because you missed your Pilates workout once or twice, you’ve failed and derailed, and give up on ever making it to class again.
I know this may sound silly, but I hear it again and again from folks who come to the studio and it really can keep a person deflated and afraid of making lasting changes in their lives. My partner Scott often reminds our clients that even to get an “A” on your report card, you generally just need to get 90%. You do not have to make perfect choices 100% of the time to get incredible results! In fact, you can get amazing results with much, much less!
Think about it. Pareto’s 80/20 principle was used in economics, but it’s now been shown to be true in a number of other areas—including personal development.
For instance, it’s commonly known that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your efforts. In other words, you only spend a small amount of time on the actions which bring you the best results in life.
How Can the 80/20 Rule Apply to You?
Why is the 80/20 rule important? You can use it to simplify your life and help you move towards your personal best. First off, when thinking 80/20 in regards to your fat loss program, I recommend that you follow your nutrition plan strictly for 80% of the time and “cheat” 20% of the time. This gives you plenty of room for real life (that glass of wine or occasional indulgence), BUT it also holds you accountable for 80% of the time.
Based on simple math, this GUARANTEES your success in losing the fat you want while still enjoying your life! The other way to use the 80/20 rule is to use it to examine other areas of your life. Take a good look at what actions/relationships are creating the most success, and which actions/relationships are holding you back. Once the two are separated, you can begin to eliminate the bad and duplicate the good.
80/20 in your daily activities
Perhaps you’ll come to realize that you have a number of small habits that are complete wastes of time. When I applied the 80/20 rule, I was really shocked at how much time I wasted doing things which did nothing to help me grow as a person. Taking a hard look at how you’re spending your time each day and assessing how it supports your stated goals can be a powerful tool in finally achieving those goals.
How Do YOU Use the 80/20 Principle?
The benefit of applying the Pareto’s Principle is you can identify the activities which bring you the most success and fulfillment. You can also identify things and ways of thinking that are preventing you from fulfilling your goals. Here are a few questions you might use to help you examine your own world:
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What tasks in your job bring the best results?
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Which personal relationships provide the most fulfillment?
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What activities and hobbies make you the happiest?
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Do you have mundane activities that can be delegated, outsourced or deleted?
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How might your thoughts be limiting you from achieving your goals and being happy?
Applying the 80/20 principle can have an incredible impact on your health and your life. Once you start using it, you’ll discover just how much easier it is to get more out of each and every day.
Your thoughts? How do you plan to incorporate the 80/20 principle in your world? Or what results have you already achieved by doing so? Post below or share with us on www.facebook.com/pilates1901
* The source for this post was: Stevescottsite.com
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