1. “Whatever the mind of man can conceive & believe it can achieve” – Napoleon Hill
Personal effectiveness is a branch of the self help movement dealing with success, goals,
and related concepts.
A primary differentiating factor is that Personal Effectiveness proponents generally take a more
systematic approach including a number of factors besides simple positive thinking. Some
proponents take an approach with similarities to business process management techniques.
Others may take a holistic spiritual and physical wellness approach.
Many of the ideas behind the personal effectiveness movement derive from the field of business
and management. Luminaries like Peter Drucker, W. Edwards Deming, and Genichi
Taguchi revolutionized business and industry in the mid-20th century by focusing on such
concepts as quality, efficiency, and optimization. In particular, Drucker‟s ideas of “Management
by Objectives” as explained in his 1954 book 'The Practice of Management' emphasized the
importance of clarity of roles, responsibilities, and expectations. They also outlined the
framework of SMART goal setting.
Common traits of Personally Effective People
Take responsibility for their own learning and development
Make effective plans and decisions in relation to life and work
Increase their effectiveness in life and work through enhanced interpersonal skills
Acquire the necessary skills to analyze and evaluate key issues
Develop an understanding of personal responsibility in relation to health, hygiene and safety
Recognize learning as a lifelong activity.
DECIDE
What you
want
TAKE
KNOW
Focused & Specified
action
Why you want it

2. Effectiveness V/S Efficiency
Effective: Adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result.
Efficient: Performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and
effort.
Foundation for success
“Begin With the End in Mind” – Steven Covey
Define your Professional Objectives
Your Values
Your Vision
Your Passion
Your Skills
Your Aptitudes
Your Preferences
You‟re Style
Being clear about values makes a significant difference in behavior at work
Plan
Learn how to sell yourself & Create a plan for doing so.

3. Execute, Monitor & Refine
Get your message out – Network
Focus on Success
“Clarity about personal and organizational values is directly proportional to
organizational commitment” -- Kouzes & Posner (First Law of Leadership)
Failure
Danger Goals
Values
Opportunity Survaval
Visualization
Fear Negative thoughts
Beliefs Decisions
Action Plan Affirmations Self sabotage
“Whether You Think You Can or Can’t You’re Right” – Henry Ford
Personal Effectiveness in Today’s Modern Work Life
Modern work life is a stimulating environment full of impressions, encounters, experiences and
inspirations, challenging our skills to change and adapt.
However many individuals may find themselves in a situation of physical and mental stress
resulting in anxiety and fatigue and various other problems.
We need to look at the Dangers of Being under Stress
Stress can be due to various reasons; the most common are distortions between real or
perceived expectations and availability of resources like time, money, knowledge.
Common Side effects of Stress

4. Sleeping disorders and dizziness.
Short-term memory and concentration disorders.
Worries, anxiety and depression and allergies
Loss of appetite
Tiredness & fatigue
Stomachache, headache, backache, muscular pain. , chest pain and ulcers.
Tools for Personal Effectiveness
“Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right” – Henry Ford
1. Values Identification
Know what is important to you.
2. Behavior Analysis
Know yourself
Control yourself
Know others
Meet their needs
3. Goal Setting
Short Term Goals
Long Term Goals
SMART Goals
4. Affirmation
Recognize your strengths
Accept your strengths
5. Visualization
BE-DO-HAVE (ASK-BELIEVE-RECEIVE)
6. Action Plan
General Listing
Daily – What Matters Most
7. Accountability and Structure
Your Friends and Peers
Your Accountability Partner
Set Smart Goals
Tell Others
Get an Accountability partner

5. S – Specific
M- Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T- Time Defined
Affirmation
1. Acknowledge them
2. Read them aloud
3. Memorize them
4. Say them to yourself with conviction through the day.
Visualization
1. Write down affirmations of what you hope to achieve as if you have already achieved it.
2. See it, Feel it, experience it. The more vivid, the more powerful it will be.
Action Plan
Use your Conscious and Sub-conscious mind to geo all the ideas of what you need.
Write them down
Classify and prioritize them
Accountability and structure
Take full responsibility for all your action and your present circumstances
Get a coach or an accountability partner
Join a master mind group ( a group of people who work at a similar frequency)
Coping Strategies
Urgency vs. Importance
Quadrant 1 Quadrant 2
Urgent & Important Not Urgent But Important

6. Quadrant 3 Quadrant 4
Urgent But Not Important Not Urgent Not Important
31 Golden Rules on How to Prioritize Your Task (Brian Tracy)
1. Work On Your Most Important Task
Identify and work on your most important task – one which will have maximum positive
impact on you / your life first thing in the morning. Make this a habit.
2. Learn from Experts
Find out what experts are doing and do the same thing till you get the same results.
People who do things better than you aren‟t necessarily better than you. They just do
things better/differently.
3. Be Selective
Don‟t work on whatever comes up. Choose what you are going to work on.
4. Don’t Think; Just Do
Don‟t spend too much time thinking about important tasks you don‟t like. Letting the task
be or ignoring it or staring it is not going to make the task any easier. Just get going.
Begin the task and complete it without thinking much about it.
5. Get Addicted in a Positive Way
Whenever you finish your most important/difficult tasks, endorphins get released in your
brain – they make you feel good about yourself. Get addicted to these endorphins. Get
addicted to the rush and satisfaction of completing important tasks.
6. Get Clear
Lack of clarity leads to procrastination. When you know clearly what you are supposed
to do and why, it motivates you and pushes you forward to take the next step towards
your goals.
7. Plan In Advance – The 10/90 Rule of Personal Effectiveness
10% of time you spend in planning and organizing your work before you begin will save
90% of time in getting the job done once you get started. Take some time to plan your
work before beginning your day (preferably plan the night before).
Think on Paper.
8. Work From A List
Always work from a list. You increase your productivity and output by 25% once you start
doing everything from your list. Create a master list, monthly list, weekly list and daily list.

7. 9. Follow The 80-20 Rule
As per the 80-20 Rule, 20% of tasks you do give you 80% of results. If you have 10
items to do, 2 items from that will be worth way more than the rest 8 items put together.
What are those 2 items for you?
All 10 items from your list can take same amount of time. However, each item gives
different results. The average person procrastinates on the 2 items – on the 20% which
gives you most results. What activities are you focusing on?
Refuse to work on tasks which fall under the 80% until you are done working on the 20%
10. Obey The Law of Forced Efficiency
The law of forced efficiency says that “There is never enough time to do everything,
but always enough time to do the most important thing.” Work on things that matter since
no matter how much you do, you will always leave some tasks pending.
11. Ask Yourself These Three Questions for Maximum Productivity
o 1. What are my highest value activities?
o 2. What can I and only I do that if done well will make a real difference?
o 3. What is the most valuable use of my time right now?
12. Procrastinate Creatively … Procrastinate On Purpose
There is never going to be enough time for you to do everything on your list. Most people
procrastinate unconsciously – by choosing to do certain things, theyprocrastinate the
rest of things. Because of procrastinating without thinking, they procrastinate on their
most important tasks – ones which could have a greater positive impact on their lives
and careers. Instead, procrastinate knowingly, procrastinate deliberately on activities
which produce low or negligible results.
13. Say No
No is the most powerful word in time management, the most important word in your
vocabulary – need I say more?
14. Use The ABCDE Method Continually
Assign a A, B, C, D or E to each task based on it‟s importance. Prioritize tasks under
each letter by setting a numerical sequence. Follow the Letter – Number combination.
Never pick a B activity when A is yet undone. Never pick a C activity when B is yet to be
done … so on and so forth.
o A consists of all your frogs
o B consists of all „should do‟ activities
o C consists of „nice to get done‟ activities
o D consists of tasks which should be delegated
o E consists of tasks which should be eliminated

8. 15. Focus On Your Key Result Areas
Identify and determine those results that you absolutely, positively have to get to do your
job well, and work on them all day long.
16. Strengthen Your Weakest Link
Each job will have 5-7 key result areas. Your weakest key result area is the limit at which
you can use all your skills and abilities (similar to the strength of a chain is in it‟s weakest
link). To get better results, strengthen your weak areas.
17. Apply The Law Of Three
Write down your three most important goals in life right now in 30 seconds. Whether you
are given 30 seconds or 30 minutes, the answer is usually the same. This is because
when you are given only 30 seconds, your subconscious kicks in and gives you the
answer you need quickly.
The Law of Three can be applied anywhere in your life. Follow this exercise – write down
answers to each of these questions in 30 seconds … be quick
o 1. What are your three most important business or career goals right now?
o 2. What are your three most important family or relationship goals right now?
o 3. What are your three most important financial goals right now?
o 4. What are your three most important health goals right now?
o 5. What are your three most important personal and professional development
goals right now?
o 6. What are your three most important social and community goals right now?
o 7. What are your three biggest problems or concerns in life right now?
18. Create A Work Friendly Environment
Prepare thoroughly before you begin: Have everything you need at hand before you
start. Assemble all the papers, information, tools, work materials, and numbers you might
require so that you can get started and keep going.
19. How Do You Eat A Elephant? – One bite at a time.
How do you finish a huge project? One step at a time. You can complete any kind of
project – no matter how overwhelming if you focus on completing just one step at a time.
20. Become A Life Long Student
Feeling of inadequacy, lack of confidence leads to procrastination. Work on mastering
your field, your core competencies to increase productivity. Lead your field.
Three Steps to Mastery
o 1. Read at least one hour
o 2. Upgrade your skills. Learn from experts, take seminars/courses/ workshops etc
… anything which can keep you updated. Dedicate yourself to become one of the
most knowledgeable and competent person in your field

9. o 3. Make most of your driving time. Listen to audio programs in your car.
21. Eliminate Your Key Constraints
What is holding you back? Identify a single major constraint which is slowing you down
or is the reason you procrastinate. Put all your energy into eliminating that constraint.
Apply the 80-20 rule to constraints. 80% of constraints usually are internal – which
means they are workable. Identify the top 20% of constraints amongst these and get set
to remove them.
22. Set deadlines
Deadlines beat procrastination and get you going. Set imaginary deadlines if you must.
And see how fast you eat your frogs.
23. Maximize Your Personal Power
Figure out when are you physically and mentally most productive. Schedule your
important and tough tasks at this time.
Sleep well, eat well and work out well. How rested and physically fit you are directly
impacts the quantity and quality of your work.
24. Motivate Yourself – Be Your Personal Cheerleader
Psychologist Nathaniel Branden defines self esteem as “the reputation you have with
yourself”. How you feel about yourself plays a central role in how you perform. Control
your inner dialogue. Use positive affirmations. Don‟t say/think things which make you
doubt yourself or make you fearful.
25. Become A Optimist
Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism states that optimism is the most important
quality you can develop for personal and professional success. Optimism can be learned
through practice and repetition. Here are four special behaviors all optimists have -
o 1. Look for good in all situations
o 2. Seek valuable lesson in every set back or difficulty
o 3. Look for solution to every problem
o 4. Think and talk continually about your goals
26. Be Master Of Technology & Not Slave
Technology if used unwisely can be a huge time waster. Don‟t get addicted to
technology. Detaching from technology from time to time can help you center and focus
on things that matter.
Apply 80-20 Rule To Technology. Only 20% of all emails you get are important. Out of
those 20%, only 20% need immediate response. The rest can be put aside for batch
processing.
27. Create A Zone Of Silence
Create zones of silence during your day to day activities. Schedule for technology free

10. hour in morning and noon. It will help you to center and relax your mind. It will help you
to recharge your batteries.
You can take this further and schedule for technology free days as well.
28. Use The Slice And Dice Approach
There are two ways to use the slice and dice approach to work on huge projects -
o 1. Work on one slice of project per day and then carry on with other activities.
o 2. Work for one slice of time (15 min, 30 mins, 1 hour … whatever time you
decide) and then carry on with other activities.
Over a period of time, you will be able to complete the project without experiencing a lot
of resistance from your side.
29. Create Large Chunks Of Time
Identify when do you have large chunks of free time and assign it to important tasks.
Plan the rest of tasks around this time. Schedule activities to ensure they get done.
30. Make Most of Gifts of Time
Flight time, waiting time etc are what author refers to as gifts of time. You get free,
undisturbed time while flying or waiting. Plan in advance what work you can accomplish
at times like this.
31. Complete What You Start
Once you start a task, don‟t stop till you are 100% done. Work with single focus. When
you have identified and are working on your most important task, doing anything else in
between is a waste of time. Discipline yourself to work without distraction on the task in
hand till it is 100% completed.
Resources
Napoleon Hill
Tony Robins
Steven Covey
Brain Tracy
Jack Canfield
Dr. Wayne Dyre