I was recently asked to write a post on how I maintain “personal effectiveness.” The phrase itself intrigued me, as it can apply to all areas of life—whether at work, at home with family, or when spending time with friends. How can we maximize our usefulness as human beings on a daily basis?

Start Your Day Slowly

It's no secret that I prefer to ease into my day whenever possible, and I’ve written about this practice before. Why? Because we all know people who jump out of bed, rush through the day, come home exhausted, stay up late watching TV or scrolling through their phones, and repeat the same routine the next day. That kind of lifestyle isn’t balanced or peaceful, in my opinion.

I take a slower approach by reading inspirational quotes and reflecting on the day ahead. Instead of rushing to check off tasks, I’m intentional about how I’ll approach each goal. This allows me to prioritize my time and think creatively without the stress of rushing. I can face challenges with more energy and focus on the important things—like collaborating with my team and spending time with my family. At night, I take a moment to reflect on the day and look forward to the new day ahead.

Set Clear Goals for Yourself

Clear goals are the foundation of both personal and professional effectiveness. In The One Minute Manager®, Spencer Johnson and I introduced the First Secret of the One Minute Manager: "One Minute Goals."

Each goal should be written in 250 words or less, so that anyone can read it in one minute. This way, you can review your goals whenever you want and assess your progress. After identifying your top four or five goals, rank them in order of importance. Then, under each goal, list the tasks necessary to accomplish it, along with the time needed for each task.

This process helps clarify what needs to be done and when, allowing us to manage our goals effectively instead of keeping everything in our heads.

Become a Lifelong Learner

In today’s world, change is inevitable. Whether at work or at home, we need to remain adaptable to effectively navigate daily shifts and challenges.

One way to stay adaptable is by embracing lifelong learning. Regardless of your age, education, or leadership role, continuing to learn keeps your mind and skills sharp. Reaching the top of your field as a leader feels great for a while, but without ongoing learning, both personal satisfaction and effectiveness can diminish.

My friend, Meena, is a great example of a lifelong learner. She constantly seeks new knowledge by taking classes and reading a variety of books—both fiction and nonfiction. As a lifelong teacher, she also teaches career planning courses for younger generations in our company.

The best leaders I know are all lifelong learners. They recognize that continuous improvement is essential for effective leadership, and staying open to learning makes adapting to change much easier.

Maintain a Positive Outlook—Count Your Blessings

While I’m generally an optimist, I’ll admit that not every day goes perfectly. My mother taught me long ago that life won’t always go as planned, but maintaining a positive mindset helps us navigate the ups and downs. She was right!

When I find myself feeling down, I take a deep breath and ask myself, How can I move forward without letting this setback keep me focused on the past? I learned a valuable lesson from Spencer Johnson’s The Precious Present:

“It’s okay to learn from the past, but don’t live there. And it’s okay to plan for the future, but don’t live there, either. If you really want to be happy as you go through life, don’t lose what is precious to you. Live in the present.”

I remind myself of this whenever I catch myself dwelling on things that have already happened or worrying about what might come.

Lastly, no matter where you are in life, don’t forget to count your blessings. Now that I’m in my eighties, I understand how easy it is to fall into the habit of complaining about aches and pains or other challenges. But there’s so much to be thankful for. One of Meena’s and my favorite Christmas movies is White Christmas, and there’s a song in it called “Count Your Blessings.” The chorus goes:

“If you're worried and you can't sleep,
Just count your blessings instead of sheep,
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.”

How would you rate yourself on personal effectiveness? Are you performing at your best in all areas of your life, or is there room for improvement? I hope this reflection has given you something to think about!