Every January, I’m reminded how deeply people want to feel better.

They want more energy… fewer aches… better labs.

And they want a body that works for them, not against them.

That desire to change almost always shows up in a list of goals. Things like eating better, exercising more, losing weight, sleeping consistently, and managing stress more effectively.

Those goals are not misguided. In fact, if you’ve followed my writing on Health As It Ought To Be, you know I’ve long emphasized that diet and movement are two of the most powerful, evidence-backed tools we have for long-term health.

They influence metabolic health, inflammation, hormone balance, brain function, and cardiovascular risk–nearly every system we care about.

But here’s what years of clinical practice have taught me:

Most people don’t fail because their goals are misguided.

They fail because their expectations are.

Somewhere along the way, health goals became tangled up with perfection.

Miss a workout? Start over on Monday.

Eat one off-plan meal? The whole week is ruined.

This all-or-nothing mindset doesn’t just stall progress; it actively works against human biology.

That’s why I keep wanting to discuss a principle that quietly outperforms almost every rigid plan I see: the 80/20 rule.

Why Consistency Beats Perfection (Biology, Not Willpower)

The 80/20 rule is simple in concept but powerful in practice.

Roughly 80% of the time, your behaviors align with your health goals, like eating nourishing food, achieving regular movement, and getting adequate recovery…the remaining 20% accounts for real life: travel, holidays, stress, missed workouts, and social meals.

This isn’t “lowering the bar.” It’s working with the nervous system instead of fighting it.

From a habit-formation standpoint, the research is clear.

A landmark study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology followed people as they formed new habits and found that habits became automatic through repetition over time, not perfection.

It shows that missed days didn’t undo progress unless people stopped altogether.

In other words, the brain learns through frequency, not flawlessness.

We see the same pattern in exercise research. Large-scale studies consistently show that people who engage in regular physical activity, even below idealized recommendations, experience significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality compared to sedentary individuals.

You don’t have to be perfect or extreme for the physiology to respond.

Why?

Because adaptation happens at the systems level. 

Muscles respond to repeated loading. Mitochondria respond to repeated energy demand. Insulin sensitivity responds to repeated signals of use. One workout doesn’t make you fit, but one missed workout doesn’t make you unhealthy either.

The real danger isn’t imperfection. It’s inconsistency driven by guilt.

There’s also strong evidence that rigid, perfectionistic approaches to eating and exercise backfire over time. Research shows that flexible dietary restraint, which allows room for imperfection, is associated with better long-term adherence, lower psychological stress, and healthier relationships with food compared to rigid restraint.

From a functional medicine lens, this matters because chronic stress is not neutral.

Elevated cortisol interferes with glucose regulation, sleep quality, immune resilience, and fat metabolism. When people approach health with constant self-criticism, they’re unknowingly applying the brakes just as they’re trying to move forward.

I often explain it to patients this way:

The body is less like a light switch and more like a dimmer.

It responds to trends. Patterns. Direction.

One “off” meal doesn’t undo metabolic health. One missed workout doesn’t erase muscle adaptation. But abandoning the pattern entirely does.

This is why consistency… not intensity… is the true driver of change.

Clinically, I see far better outcomes in patients who aim for “most days” rather than “every day.” They stay engaged longer. They recover faster from setbacks. And they build trust with their own bodies instead of constantly feeling at odds with them.

Quiet…Boring, but Powerful

If there’s one thing I’d want people to take into a new year of health goals, it’s this:

Progress is just being consistent, and you don’t need to be perfect.

The 80/20 rule works because it respects how human biology actually adapts. It lowers stress, supports nervous system balance, and maintains motivation. It allows room for life without turning every deviation into a failure.

Think of health as like steering a large ship.

You don’t make sharp, dramatic turns. Because you can’t.

You make steady, repeated adjustments. Over time, the course changes completely.

So if you’re setting or resetting your goals this year, aim for alignment, not absolutes.

• Eat well most of the time.

• Move your body most days.

• Sleep as consistently as life allows.

  And when things don’t go perfectly, don’t quit… just return.

That’s not lowering standards, it’s practicing medicine in harmony with biology.

And that’s how health goals actually stick.

Talk soon,