1. The 25/5 Rule

Billionaire Warren Buffett shared with his private pilot a simple lesson in career priorities.

Accordingly, Buffett's method is to first make a list of 25 things you want to achieve in your career; mark the 5 most important goals. These are urgent and priority goals; cross out the remaining 20 things on the list.

This method helps you clearly define your goals and focus on achieving them. At the same time, it also requires iron discipline, strong will and self-control.

When you have to complete countless tasks, deadlines... try applying this 25/5 rule to improve work productivity, take a piece of paper and write down 25 tasks that need to be completed.

Next, ask yourself, "What 20 things do I need to say "no" to so I can focus on completing the 5 things I've marked as priorities?"

While the 25/5 rule wasn't created by Warren Buffet, it works. By following the rule, you maximize your productivity by only spending time on things that will propel you toward success.

2. The "blue dolphin" rule to control positive thinking

In psychology, the term "white bear" refers to the idea that the more you try to suppress certain thoughts, the more often they appear in your mind.

The concept is taken from a work by Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. "Try this: No matter how hard you try not to imagine a polar bear, it appears more and more every minute and every second."

Everyone has their own "white bear". Here, "white bear" can be understood as the feeling of anxiety before a meeting. Or when you want to buy something expensive but the more you ignore it, the more you want to own it.

So how do you deal with that “white bear”? The answer is you need a “blue dolphin.” The “blue dolphin” is an alternative thought that helps you shift your focus when the “white bear” pops into your mind.

If the “white bear” is the anxiety you have before a presentation or public speaking, you can replace it with a “blue dolphin” and tell yourself: I am excited to do this. This will help you turn the potential negative into a positive.

3. Reverse writing rule

You can apply this rule when writing emails or reports. You need to reverse your role from writer to reader.

This is helpful, as it prevents you from writing too long or writing content that doesn't help the recipient's goals.

Practicing the habit of writing backwards is a way to help you develop your emotional intelligence and practice empathy with the people around you.

4. The rule of silence when falling into awkward situations

When faced with challenging questions, instead of answering immediately, you pause for a few seconds and think deeply about what you want to say.

You can take 5, 10, or even 15 seconds (or longer) before you respond. If you’re not used to doing this, it can feel awkward at first. But this rule is a great tool for critical thinking.

When faced with a challenging question, it's easy to lose control of your emotions and say things you don't really mean. Pausing before you answer will help you stay in control.

You give yourself time to think things through. At the same time, you increase your confidence and make sure of what you want to say.

5. Golden Question

When you need to make a decision but are overwhelmed by emotions, ask yourself: "How will I feel about this choice in a day, a week, a month, a year?"

This question will force you to ''see the future''. When the brain thinks and controls, emotions will not be able to dominate you in this decision.

6. Scope Rules

Everyone wants to do great things, but few understand what it takes to do them. That's why good ideas are few and far between and the people and companies that can execute them are few.

The term "scope" is used to describe in detail what is involved in the time, effort, and effort required to complete the work.

As you can imagine whether working on a complex or simple project, defining the scope is important. It will help you reduce stress and make your work go smoothly.

7. The 5-minute rule

Have you ever had a big task ahead of you but instead of getting started, you sat watching Youtube videos all morning?

The reason we do this is because our brains get overwhelmed thinking about how long it will take to complete the task.

In this case, you can use the 5-minute rule: Make a deal with yourself to complete the task in just 5 minutes.

In fact, when you apply this rule, you are "tricking" your brain into seeing a big task as a small task. Of course, once you start working, you will sit and work longer than 5 minutes.

8. The Diamond Rule

No one likes criticism, but we all need it. Because it's the best way to learn and grow. In Justin Bariso's book, EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence, he compares negative feedback to a newly mined diamond in the rough.

On the surface, it may seem like a rough, uneven stone. But if it is polished, that ugly stone will become priceless.

Criticism is like an unpolished diamond: It's ugly. But just as a master diamond cutter can transform a rough, unpolished stone into something beautiful, you can learn to extract the benefit from harsh criticism.

For most of us, any criticism is often automatically labeled as a personal attack.

We react by withdrawing into ourselves, or trying to put down the critic. This leads to closing our minds and ignoring what the other person is saying.

But here's the thing you rarely admit: Criticism often comes from a place of truth. Just because you're smart and hard-working doesn't mean you never make mistakes.

You might feel bad if someone notices your shoelaces are untied or your shirt buttons are crooked. But wouldn’t that honest feedback help you take a good look at yourself before you head into a meeting or an important meeting with a client?

Of course, there are some people around us who will be blunt and insensitive in their criticism. But even in these cases, criticism is still valuable - because it helps you see your actions through a different, more objective lens. From there, you can adjust your behavior to match the general standard.

9. Timing rules

You are a person who always considers work as the top priority. However, you still need to balance work with other factors, even more important, such as family or health. So what is the method?

You can balance everything by using the timer method: Set a suitable working time rule for each day, after that time is the time for family or health care... You need to consider taking care of your health and family matters as an important appointment that cannot be missed.

Many companies and office workers adopt this timekeeping rule to achieve balance and build a rewarding work culture.

10. Refresh Rules

This involves taking time to reaffirm the goals, values, and principles you need to work toward—even writing them down. Then making them central to help focus your thoughts and emotions.

This is necessary because we are surrounded by so much work. By taking the time needed to reaffirm your goals, write down what is important, you will bring your thoughts back to center.

And psychology teaches us that controlling our thoughts allows us to control our emotions.