TipsForSuccess: October 2006

TipsForSuccess: Tear Apart Complicated Problems

Tear Apart Complicated Problems

You decide to start your own t-shirt business. You get excited about working for yourself and making a lot of money. So you decide to take the plunge.

You then wonder, "What do I do first?" You suddenly feel fearful and confused.

You ask a few friends, "I want to start my own t-shirt business. What do I do first?" and they give you several different answers.

You ask a lawyer who tells you that you need to fill out a lot of forms and pay him $2500. Your accountant says the same thing.

You decide to study up on the subject. You check out Amazon.com bookstore and find over 300 books on starting businesses. You call your local college, but find they don't have a class on starting a business.

The more you research the subject, the more confused you feel. You feel like giving up on the idea.

Why?

"THE DEGREE OF COMPLEXITY IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE DEGREE OF NONCONFRONT." -- L. Ron Hubbard

If you can't face something, it gets complicated. It scares you, confuses you, upsets you. Your inability to confront the problem makes it complex.

Starting a business gives you stress. It makes you nervous. Because you cannot confront every part of it, it seems to complicated.

As another example, Pete wants a girlfriend, but every time he talks to a woman, he looks at his feet, sweats and stammers. He is terrified of women. His nonconfront is a big problem. Simply chatting with a woman seems very confusing to Pete.

So he decides to face his fear of talking to women. He starts talking to any female he can. He talks to his sister, an older woman in a store, the librarian, a few of his female coworkers and his friend's wife.

Sooner or later Pete realizes women are just people and not out to hurt him. He enjoys chatting and laughing with them. As soon as he can confront women, finding a girlfriend seems easy to Pete.

"THE DEGREE OF SIMPLICITY IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE DEGREE OF CONFRONT." -- L. Ron Hubbard

People who can take on complicated subjects are not afraid of them. For example, your roof leaks. To you, it's complicated: Which shingle should I remove? How do you remove shingles? Where do you buy new shingles?

But to a professional roofer, the problem is simple. You watch him fix the roof. By watching the process, you confront it. He pulls a few nails, digs out the bad shingles and installs the new ones. Simple!

How to Take Apart Problems

"To take apart a problem requires only to establish what one could not or would not confront." -- L. Ron Hubbard

All you need to do is figure out exactly what you cannot confront and you slice apart the problem.

For example, you want to start the t-shirt business. But instead of swimming in the confusion, or hiring someone to confront it for you, you ask yourself this question:

"What about this problem is difficult for me to face? What can't I confront about it?" You write down five things you can't confront.

1. Signing a long-term store space lease is scary.
2. T-shirt manufacturers seem like mean people.
3. What if the banker laughs at my loan application?
4. I'm afraid I'll hire bad employees.
5. My advertising ideas might make me look stupid.

Just making the list makes you feel better. Starting a business appears less chaotic. Then, you confront each individual item on your list.

You ask dozens of questions about leasing store space. You use a dictionary to figure out every paragraph of the lease. You change a section so you can cancel the lease, if necessary.

Next, you meet with a few t-shirt manufacturers. You discover they are very nice people.

You meet with a banker. You interview a few potential employees. You find out the kind of advertising you need to attract customers.

After facing all five items on your list, you realize it's not hard to make a t-shirt business succeed!

Solve Any Problem

What are the problems you face on your road to success? What seems too complicated?

Take this solution even further. What is complicated about life? Business? Law? Marriage? Politics? Death? What causes complications in this world? Nonconfront.

Take each problem apart by establishing what you can't confront. Write down everything that makes you afraid, anxious or angry. Everything about the problem that is difficult for you to face.

Then confront each piece. Get in there and deal with it. Persist until you can comfortably face each part of the confusion.

If a piece of the puzzle seems too big or complex, break it down as well.

Eventually, through courage, you solve the complexity.

Success, and life itself, becomes simple!

Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.TipsForSuccessCoaching.org.

For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here.

To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.

TipsForSuccess: Hate

Hate

Have you ever hated someone without knowing why?

Perhaps before you hated the person, you tried to help him or her.

For example, Jill says, "Can you give me a $3000 loan?"

You say, "No, I won't give you a loan, but I can show you how to get a raise."

Jill says, "Forget it! If I wanted your advice, I'd ask for it."

You suddenly feel mad at Jill.

"If you think of somebody you hate, you can probably remember a time when you tried to help him or a man like him. Your hatred, actually, is based on the fact that you flopped." -- L. Ron Hubbard

You tried to help someone and you flopped. Perhaps you gave some bad advice. Maybe the person didn't want the kind of help you offered.

Does someone hate you?

Did that person ever try to help you? Was it useless help? Did you reject his or her help?

It's a rotten feeling to try to help someone and fail.

How to Resolve This Hatred

"Pick a person that you've tried to help and get a discussion going on the subject of help. I'll guarantee that if you had a bad time trying to help that person, you're going to enter into one of the wilder discussions that you have been in for some time." -- L. Ron Hubbard

So instead of ignoring the person or talking about problems, talk about the subject of "help." Discuss giving help, receiving help, problems with help and so on.

Ten Sample Questions to Open the Discussion

1. Do you like getting help?
2. Do you like helping others?
3. How do you feel about me helping you?
4. How do you feel about helping me?
5. Have you ever tried to help me, but couldn't?
6. Is there a time I tried to help you, but I couldn't?
7. Do you wish you could help more people?
8. Do you wish more people could help you?
9. In the future, how can I help you?
10. In the future, do you want to help me? In what ways?

"Help is the most acceptable subject you ever discussed with anybody." -- L. Ron Hubbard

Give it a try!

Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.TipsForSuccessCoaching.org.

For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here.

To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.

TipsForSuccess: Two Simple Steps Anyone Can Take to Earn More Money

Two Simple Steps Anyone Can Take to Earn More Money

"Money flows toward points which attract prosurvival attention. You make as much money as you get attention." -- L. Ron Hubbard (prosurvival: something that aids or assists you or others)

Step One

First of all, your work, your service or product, needs to be prosurvival or beneficial to as many people as possible. What is the most beneficial thing you can do or create or produce?

You can attract attention by committing a horrible crime, but instead of getting rich, you go to prison. You attracted contra-survival attention. By contra-survival, we mean you are hurting people, not helping them.

You attract prosurvival attention when you help people live a better life.

If you show how you can help people with their survival, happiness and success, you make money. For example, not long ago, computers began helping people and businesses in many incredible ways. As a result, thousands of people in the computer industry became millionaires.

Advertising proves this point about attracting prosurvival attention. For example, "Buy this gizmo because we're a big, successful company" doesn't work. "Buy this gizmo! It will clean your bathtub for you" does work because it's helping people survive a little better in life.

On an individual level, you need to show how you are prosurvival. How you help people. How you help your company, your co-workers, your clients or customers. How you help the world!

Step Two

Now you attract attention every way you can.

Businesses that attract attention succeed. For example, McDonald's and Wal-Mart dominate their industries, but they continue to spend millions in advertising.

You, as an individual, can also attract attention. You simply tell people about your prosurvival product or service. You brag it up!

For example, a friendly, helpful car salesman always wore a green hat. Like many salesmen, he truly helped people. All his customers remembered and recommended him, not by his name, but as the "guy in the green hat." The hat got him attention and he wore it every day for decades. According to car sales legend, he sold more vehicles than anyone in history.

Unfortunately, when you start to attract attention, you might get kicked in the teeth. Certain people will go out of their way to make you shut up. They hate the idea of you succeeding.

So what?

If you respond to criticism by getting quiet, the bad guys win.

If you respond by attracting even more attention than before, you win!

Ten Tips For Attracting Prosurvival Attention

While the best ideas for attracting prosurvival attention will come from your own imagination and successes, the following ideas can help you get started.

1. Spread the news about your good work to everyone at your job, especially your boss.

2. Strike up conversations with strangers whenever possible.

3. Show something unique about yourself, like the man in the green hat. Stand out from the crowd.

4. Go to social events and meet as many new people as you can.

5. Share stories about your happy customers with other customers.

6. Get your family and friends to talk about the many ways you help people.

7. Learn how to speak in public and give speeches at every opportunity.

8. Post your prosurvival ideas on the web (blogs, bulletin boards, forums, your own website).

9. Look and act like a professional at all times.

10. Do things that are so beneficial that others are compelled to spread the news.

You'll soon see more money flowing your way.

Start!

Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.TipsForSuccessCoaching.org.

For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here.

To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.

TipsForSuccess: The Root of a Successful Marriage

The Root of a Successful Marriage

"You want to know why somebody is failing consistently in his marriage. It's because he's unwilling to take responsibility for others than himself." -- L. Ron Hubbard

People who do not take responsibility for others have failed marriages as well as failed jobs, failed businesses and failed friendships.

Because they are unwilling to take responsibility for their mates or spouses, they say things like:

"I was so stupid to marry you!"
"He's your kid, not mine."
"That's the dumbest career choice you've ever made."
"You're really getting fat."
"I'm reporting you to the authorities."
"If you had checked the car's oil like I said, it wouldn't need all these repairs."
"You can't communicate."
"My husband didn't show up for work? Not my problem."
"My wife maxed out the credit cards, so she can pay them, I won't."

A marriage is miserable when the husband and wife are unwilling to be responsible for each other. They argue, fight, blame, criticize, scream and cry. The marriage ends in divorce.

The Responsible Marriage

"The willingness to take responsibility for somebody other than yourself is at the root of every successful marriage." -- L. Ron Hubbard

When you take responsibility for someone else, you accept their actions as your own. You care for the person, guard the person, help the person and are interested in the person. You accept the person as he or she is.

When you are willing to take responsibility for your mate, you say things like:

"We made a good decision to get married. I think we'll make it better and better."
"He's your kid and I love him."
"If that's the career choice you want to make, I'll support you on it."
"Should we work on losing weight together? How about if we both start exercising and eating better."
"We'd better fix this problem before someone reports you to the authorities."
"Oops! We forgot to watch the car's oil. I'll get it fixed tomorrow."
"We need to fix our communication. Is it okay with you if we turn off the TV and listen to each other."
"My husband didn't show up for work? I'll find him and one of us will call you right back."
"We maxed out the credit cards and we'll pay them off."

A marriage is joyful when the husband and wife take responsibility for each other. They create a happy home for themselves and their children. They stay in love.

Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.TipsForSuccessCoaching.org.

For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here.

To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.

TipsForSuccess: Tear Apart Complicated Problems

TipsForSuccess: Hate

TipsForSuccess: Two Simple Steps Anyone Can Take to Earn More Money

TipsForSuccess: The Root of a Successful Marriage

Blog Archive