It’s always refreshing sometimes to look back and reminisce of the past. For me, i wrote back a similar title – Personal Effectiveness ; Joker’s Guide back in 2011. You can read it here. From where i started writing about it, i have been practicing and sharing with more people on this thoughts and what i call RULES. The more i talk about it to more people, the more profound the rules become. I get more evidence that the rules work the way it is supposed to work and it validated what i always believe.

For example, Rule 10 is “Learn to Write”. I started writing in 2007 and now i am reaping the benefits of it. My language command is a lot better and my thinking process is more orderly than it was. I learned how to do creative writing and it helps my proposal writing to be more personalized and convincing.

Another is Rule 11 – “Run Your Own Race”. Sometimes i can be easily caught up with other people’s race. Especially when things dont work out the way i want it, i got trapped in the losers mentality. It is hard to live when you feel trapped and in the state of hopelessness. When i practice this Rule 11, i make a point to remind myself that my time will come and i should persevere. It also help me not to be a procrastinator for a long time (short term procrastinate is fine i guess!). With this Rule 11, i also learn about people around me have their own race. Therefore i learn how to communicate better with them. Just because i am their supervisor, i can ask them whatever i want or wherever i want it. On the other hand, it is also applicable to business where it takes time to see any initiative to take shape and let alone to bear fruits of success.

One of my favorite rules is Rule 8 – “Self Leadership, Self Management”. It is easy to ask others to lead, but it is a lot easier to be a bystander in a leadership position. Many leaders do that and they gain credits for things that they dont deserve. While it is without a doubt they earned that leadership position, they should also live up to it for as long as they in that position. For example, leaders should lead from the front – which i call show up leadership. Show up means your face is always around in good and bad times. Leaders make decision and take ownership of that decisions. Some leaders hide behind the veil of “developing the young through delegation” – these are leaders that hide instead of becoming the first line of defense in times of crisis. As leaders, they are responsible to manage themselves professionally. Some leaders misbehave professionally by accusing their organizations and products too openly. They do it in the name of “open communication”. I like to tend to this issue by asking them back openly on their contribution to the problems. Most of them felt embarrassed because they know they just talk about it – but they hardly do anything about it; and they have been “there” for years.

Well, there are 15 Rules to Personal Effectiveness – Joker’s Guide altogether. Some of the rules are things that you are already practicing. Therefore it is good to acknowledge that you are doing the right thing. On the other hand, for rules that are new to you, please consider practicing them slowly and put yourself a challenge to acquire it. One thing you must know, these rules are universal and have been the guiding light for ancient people as well as successful modern citizens in today’s world.

The differentiation this time is about how i deliver these 15 Rules today, it is in a video format – 15 Rules to Personal Effectiveness – Joker’s Guide. Something that i do by chance with some friends. The result was awesome and i want to share it with you. Hope you will enjoy this video and hopefully later you will start considering some of these 15 Rules! 🙂

Brickbats please send to [email protected]