The key is to work out the few things that are really important, and the few methods that will give us what we really want.

Strive for excellence in few things, rather than good performance in many.

If we did realize the difference between the vital few and the trivial many in all aspects of our lives, and if we did something about it, we could multiply anything that we valued.

80% of the results come from 20% of the causes. A few things are important; most are not.

The few things that work fantastically well should be identified, cultivated, nurtured, and multiplied.

Hard work leads to low returns. Insight and doing what we want lead to high returns.

To get useful new ideas, we must go beyond our immediate circle and make contact with distant parts of the social system.

The 80/20 principle - that 80 percent of result flow from just 20 per cent of the causes - is the one true principle of highly effective people.

What could you achieve that would make you proud, that no one else could do with the same ease?

It is not shortage of time that should worry us, but the tendency for the majority of time to be spent in low-quality ways.

Celebrate exceptional productivity, rather than raise average efforts.

I am attracted to certain types of people: the outrageous, outstanding and the one's pegged as odd. The 3 O's remind me not to be ordinary.

A man really writes for an audience of about ten persons. Of course if others like it that is clear gain. But if those ten are satisfied he is content.

We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge.

An expert is someone who tells you why you can't do something.

Here's the dilemma, Itself the solution. I have always been at the same time woman enough to be moved to tears and man enough to drive my car in any direction.

I'm not saying I'm God. But as far as lyrics, I'm God MC.

The Republicans, they are in the danger of rooting for the country to fail. They look bad that way, I mean, and I want to say to them, cheer up, Republicans. Eventually, things will get worse.

My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before.

Being impeccable with your word is not using the word against yourself.

I was from the bush, watching Greg Norman on TV, but it was a world away.