From the Notes of Yester years- 6 - Key tips for Effective Living

I delved into my notes from the past in order to share some interesting and useful  tips for effectiveness at work and in our personal lives. Unfortunately I had not noted down the source of the information - could be a book or a talk I attended.

• Zero in on 20% of important activities and work on them. Let go of the less important (80%) activities or reduce time spent on them.
• Give your focus on finding solutions- spend an hour instead of one whole day to solve a problem. If the problem is more complex, spend only one day on its solution instead of a whole week.
• Practice 'Batching' of boring routine tasks.
• Give respect, love, kindness, opportunities and be open to receiving them.
• Be the first to take practical action and get the ball rolling.
• Mistakes are okay and sometimes good when it provides learning so don't dwell on them. People have their own challenges and lives to worry about, instead of dwelling on yours.
• Don't beat yourself up-It is a waste of time that can be better utilized constructively.
• Assume rapport- when you meet people pretend you are meeting one of your best friends, and start interacting. 
• Focus on what you want, not on what you don't want and keep that focus steady. Set goals and review them frequently to keep your focus on what is important. Use external props to remind you of this in the form of a slips stuck to the fridge or bathroom mirror. 
• Your attitude changes your reality- when you change your attitude, you change what you focus on.
• Gratitude is a simple way to make you feel happy. spend a few minutes feeling grateful for the things you already have. It turns negative mood to happy one and these emotions are contagious.
• Don't compare yourself to others. It is better to compare where you were and where you are now to understand your growth and improvement. 
• 80-90% of what you fear will happen, never come into reality.
• Don't take things too seriously. It only results in unnecessary suffering.So do not take seriously either yourself, your thoughts or your emotions. 
• Write everything down- Many good/great ideas get lost if not written down. It also helps to keep focus.
• Be always in awareness- There are opportunities in just about every experience.