The Man Behind the Concept
Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto was born in Italy in 1848. He would go on to become an important philosopher and economist. Legend has it that one day he noticed that 20 percent of the pea plants in his garden generated 80 percent of the healthy pea pods. This observation caused him to think about uneven distribution. He thought about wealth and discovered that 80 percent of the land in Italy was owned by just 20 percent of the population. He investigated different industries and found that 80 percent of production typically came from just 20 percent of the companies. The generalisation became: 80 percent of results will come from just 20 percent of the action. (Source: Forbes Magazine)
I am a big fan of efficiency. I like to ask my clients the question: “What are the 20 percent of things you can do that will be responsible for 80 percent of your results?”
For Karen, it was eating her meals between midday and 8 pm (this is the type of intermittent fasting I explained in an earlier chapter) and exercising five times per week. The morning fasting was the ultimate compensation strategy for any time she didn’t eat perfectly, and she found the exercise easier than the nutrition plan, as most people do. Karen lost 12 kilograms in six months and looked great for her wedding. Then she stopped personal training and gained six kilograms.
I coach a woman called Jayne, who achieved excellent results over a period of four months. I asked her for the top three things that were responsible for her outstanding progress. She said morning fasting and reducing her sugar intake. She added there wasn’t even a third thing although she did also reduce her alcohol intake.
For most people I work with, the two most important things for delivering 80 percent of their results are:
- Eating all meals between 12 pm and 8 pm (intermittent fasting, as given in an earlier chapter)
- Exercising consistently (specifically with resistance training as part of the exercise plan, as given in an earlier chapter)
Other things that make a massive impact on helping you achieve peak health could be:
- Reducing sugar
- Reducing or eliminating alcohol
- Not snacking
- Removing milky coffees from your diet
- Exercising four times per week
- Having your measurements taken each week by someone
Everyone has two or three things they can focus on (their 20 percent) that will unlock the door to massive results (their 80 percent).