When revising an essay, it can be helpful to:
let someone else read the essay and give notes
read the essay out loud once or twice
"make a list of your favorite parts, and do not change those parts under anycircumstances" - Sometimes your favourite parts are not good for the peice overall, and must be changed ore removed.
"rewrite based on your initial outline instead of the content of the first draft" - Starting again from the outline would be more akin to writing a second first draft, rather than a second draft, if that makes sense. It is extremely helpful to refer to the initial outline, however.