Pareto’s Principle

Pareto’s Principle establishes that 80% of your outcomes are a result of 20% of your inputs. How does this apply to your health and aging well? It doesn’t matter what numbers you apply but what does matter in your life is that there are 20 percent of the activities that you do that account for 80 percent of the happiness and outcomes you produce. This principle applies across all aspects of life but for our purposes I want to examine your long term health and wellness in a general way. What do you do everyday that you are looking to reap long term benefits from. Working obviously is one big time related activity but how about doing the one thing that will help protect you from long term chronic illness, and associated health care expenses. Exercise my friend will give you huge returns for the time you invest. Start doing some type of physical activity, anything will work as long as you are moving. Finding something that you like to do that incorporates movement will be helpful with ensuring long term commitment but initially it really doesn’t matter as long as you do something you will see results. Those results will stimulate more interest in doing more or learning what else you could do but small doses of success will stimulate the desire for more. Incorporate the 80/20 rule in your diet as well. Make sure to eliminate or reduce the largest contributors to poor health or the risk to long term health problems. Smoking, processed foods, alcohol  or sugar are all contributors to poor health risks. Try reducing or eliminating 20% of the worst offenders of your  of these substances and see health improvements. Do the things that will reap the most benefits and you will be much healthier and happier. Exercise is a perfect example of Pareto’s Principle.