TipsForSuccess: How to Break Bad Habits

 

How to Break Bad Habits If you can break bad habits, you will be much more successful. For example, bad spending habits block your financial success. Procrastination reduces your income. Acting like a victim makes people avoid you. Bad health is often caused by smoking, drinking, drugs, poor eating habits or a lack of exercise. When you break these bad habits, you feel better and live longer. Bad marriages are often caused by bad habits like dishonesty, disrespect and cheating. When you break these habits, you and your spouse enjoy a happier marriage. Low income is often caused by bad habits like poor concentration, mood swings and laziness. When you break these habits, you get more done in less time which is essential to increasing your pay. From smoking to lying, disorganization to gambling, you can stop any behavior that is bad for you and your success. Taking Control You can control yourself. For example, you are the one who controls your arms and legs. You decide what you say. You are the final decision-maker on where your body goes. In other words, habits are not forced on you by others. Habits are a matter of self-control. "Control may be subdivided into three separate parts. These parts are start, change and stop." "A habit is simply something one cannot stop." "When one loses the ability to stop something, that thing to some degree has become his master." "Franticness, helplessness, incompetence, inefficiency and other undesirable factors in a job are all traceable to inabilities to start, change and stop things." -- L. Ron Hubbard from The Problems of Work. If you cannot control a habit, the habit becomes your master. For example, you decide to stop eating sugar. You think you can start, change and stop the habit without any trouble. So you go for two days without eating sugar. You feel in control. But then the urge takes over and you are no longer in charge. Donuts for breakfast, candy with lunch, cake after dinner and cookies in front of the television at night. You just can't stop eating sugar. The urge to eat sugar is your master. Control a Habit to Break a Habit "Control consists entirely of starting, changing and stopping. There are no other factors in positive control. If one can start something, change its position in space or existence in time and stop it, all at will, he can be said to control it, whatever it may be." -- L. Ron Hubbard So how can you increase your self-control? Improve your ability to start, change or stop yourself. What can you start about the bad habit? For example, you decide to start eating sugar at noon one day, 2:00 PM the next day and 9:00 AM the third day. You decide when to start eating sugar for the day. Next, change some things about the bad habit. You eat more honey and fruit. You eat candy for breakfast or donuts before dinner. You successfully change the habit. Finally, you find ways to stop the habit. For example, stop eating donuts forever. Stop eating cookies at night for one night. Eat only half of a candy bar and then throw it away. You successfully stop the habit in various ways. As you continue to start, change and stop the habit, it gets easier and easier. You notice you have more control of the habit until you realize you have mastered the habit. You then break the habit forever. Recommendation We have assembled a web service you can use to break your habits using start, change and stop. It is free and does not require registration. Go to www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org to learn more about control. Or you can begin taking control of a bad habit right now by going to the "Planning Section." Start!   Copyright © 2008 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. 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: How Drugs and Toxins Hurt Your Success

How Drugs and Toxins Hurt Your Success Toxin: A poisonous substance. You are bombarded with toxins every day. Air pollution, water pollution and food chemicals get into your body. Toxins are in cleaning products, paint, fertilizers, construction material, bug sprays, even perfume. Prescription drugs are also a major source of toxins that may solve one health problem, but can cause many new problems. Perhaps the worst toxins of all are street drugs: marijuana, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, meth and so on. L. Ron Hubbard discovered three important facts about toxins: 1. Toxins, especially street drugs, have long-term effects on your personality. Even after you stop using drugs, you are never your old self. You may be less alert or less intelligent than before you took drugs. You may not be as patient, friendly or kind. Life might seem less interesting and more stressful. "Drugs can apparently change the attitude of a person from his original personality to one secretly harboring* hostilities and hatreds he does not permit to show on the surface." -- L. Ron Hubbard from "Clear Body, Clear Mind" (*harboring: holding in the mind; maintaining.) Can you remember how you felt before you took drugs? Were you more alert? Was it easier to learn? Were you happier? Maybe you can't remember because drugs and toxins tend to cloud your memory. 2. When you get toxins in your body, bits of these toxins do not leave. Because they are stored in your body, they can enter your blood at any time to hurt your health, change your personality and block your ability to think. "In the 1970s, working with cases of individuals who had been drug users, and in a study of their physical symptoms and behavioral patterns, I made a startling discovery. "People who had been on LSD at some earlier time sometimes had reactions which appeared to act as if they had just taken more LSD!" "LSD apparently stays in the system, lodging in the tissues, and mainly the fatty tissues of the body, and is liable to go into action again--giving the person unpredictable 'trips'--even years after the person has come off LSD." "Thus it seems that residues* of any or all of these hostile biochemical* substances apparently have the potential of remaining in the system, getting caught up in the tissues and remaining there, unsuspected, even after they have supposedly been eliminated from the body years earlier."-- L. Ron Hubbard from "Clear Body, Clear Mind" (*residues: the parts of something that remains) (*biochemical: the chemicals of a living system) Clinical tests and medical autopsies prove that toxins do, in fact, get embedded in body tissues. 3. You can remove the stored toxins from your body through an intense program of daily exercise, sweating and nutrition. The program is called the Purification program. "How does the Purification program work? "Running is done to get the blood circulating deeper into the tissues where toxic residuals are lodged and thus act to loosen and release the accumulated harmful deposits and get them moving. "Very important, then, is that the running is immediately followed by sweating in the sauna to flush out the accumulations which have now been dislodged. "Regular nutrition and supplemental nutrition in the form of megavitamin* and mineral dosages and extra quantities of oil are a vital factor in helping the body to flush out toxins and to repair and rebuild the areas that have been affected by drugs and other toxic residuals. "A proper schedule with enough rest is mandatory, as the body will be undergoing change and repair throughout the program. "These actions, carried out on a very stringently monitored basis, are apparently accomplishing a detoxification of the entire system, to the renewed health and vigor of the individual." -- L. Ron Hubbard from "Clear Body, Clear Mind" (*megavitamin dosages: large amounts of vitamins) Results During the Purification program, most people can tell which toxins are moving out of their bodies. For example, On Day 2 your mouth might feel numb as the drugs, given to you by your dentist, are sweated out. On Days 4, 5 and 6 you might feel high from the marijuana you smoked in college. On Day 7, as they flush out, you might smell the paint chemicals that you inhaled from your days as a painter. While you are doing the Purification program, you eliminate traces of toxins every day. You experience many ups and downs as the drugs and chemicals are rinsed out of your body. And then one day, near the end of your program, you feel cleaner and healthier than you have in years! All of the 250,000 people, who have completed the Purification program, report one or more of the following benefits. Improved physical condition Clearer thinking More positive outlook on life Increased self-confidence Younger feeling More alert Increased energy level Improved smell, taste, hearing, touch and vision Flushing out the drugs and toxins stored in your body significantly increases your chances of success. You can buy "Clear Body, Clear Mind" at Amazon.com by clicking here. Copyright © 2008 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. 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.

 

FW: TipsForSuccess: Take Advantage of Your Opportunities, Step One

Take Advantage of Your Opportunities, Step One Right now, you can make a decision that will make you more successful. Right now, you can take a step that will move you closer to your goals. Right now, you can change something about your life that will make you healthier and happier. However, if you find it hard to make decisions or take action, you miss these opportunities. What opportunities have you missed? How much did your indecision cost you? Indecision costs companies millions when they fail to decide or fail to act. An opportunity comes and goes while management sits on its hands. For example, IBM could have controlled the personal computer market if it had acted on Bill Gates' offer to handle their computer operating software for them. Barnes and Noble was the world's biggest bookseller until Amazon.com took over. By the time Barnes and Noble started selling books on the Internet, Amazon.com had taken the number one spot. When you as an individual fail to make a decision or fail to act, you can also ruin your success or happiness. For example, you could have started a business when you were in your twenties. You could have formed a partnership with a very successful person. You could have made better decisions regarding your ex-spouse. You have probably seen big opportunities, knew they were big opportunities, and failed to act on them. In fact, you probably have one or more opportunities in front of you now. So what makes you hesitate? The Answer Is Simple "Inaction and indecision in the present is because of fear of consequences of the future." -- L. Ron Hubbard Because you are afraid of certain consequences, you do not act or do not decide. You are afraid of what might happen. You can see this principle at work with the following exercise. Five Tips for Conquering Your Fear of Consequences 1. Write down an opportunity that is available to you right now. 2. Write down the decision that is difficult to make or the action that is difficult to take. 3. Write down the consequences you might be afraid of. 4. Of these consequences, identify your biggest fear or fears. 5. Take action to resolve this fear or fears. You can then make the correct decision or take the actions necessary for your success. Example Richard has always wanted to be a business owner. His brother Alan calls one day and says, "How would you like to be partners with me on a Crazy Chicken franchise? It's the best fast-food chicken in the world! It'll be worth millions some day. Just give me that $20,000 you have in savings, quit your job and we'll start!" Richard likes the idea, but feels frozen. "I'll think about it." He then spends 80 stressful hours during the next two weeks trying to decide. Everyone has an opinion for him and he listens to them all. His wife says, "Do what you think is right." His mother says, "Don't be stupid." His father says, "Go for it!" He still can't decide. Finally, a friend at work gives him this article and Richard does the five steps as follows: 1. "I have the opportunity to be a partner with my brother Alan in a Crazy Chicken restaurant." 2. "I can't decide if buying the Crazy Chicken franchise will be successful or not." 3. "The future consequences I might be afraid of are that I'll lose my savings. I'll look like a fool. I'll regret quitting my job. I'll be cleaning a kitchen for the rest of my life." 4. "What's the biggest fear? Well, I can always save more money, so I'm not too afraid of losing my savings. I don't care if I look foolish. I doubt I'll really regret quitting my job. But I can't stand cleaning kitchens! I'm terrified that I'll spend the rest of my life cleaning kitchens. I'd rather beg on the street than clean a kitchen." 5. Richard calls his brother. "Alan, if I do this deal, will you be in charge of kitchen cleaning forever?" Alan says, "Sure!" Richard says, "I want it in writing. I'll serve the food, take the money, sweep the parking lot or anything else. But if I have to clean the kitchen, even one time, you have to agree to buy me out immediately, okay?" Alan says, "No problem. You will never, ever clean a kitchen at Crazy Chicken." Richard laughs, makes the deal and quits his job. Courage = Decision and Action What opportunities lie in front of you? Why aren't you acting on them? After all, they are your options for your success. If you remember this fact, you have the first key to taking advantage of opportunities: "Inaction and indecision in the present is because of fear of consequences of the future." -- L. Ron Hubbard What about the future makes you nervous? What future consequences scare you? Identify and resolve these fears and you become decisive, active and successful. Copyright © 2008 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here.

 

TipsForSuccess: ARC Part 6: The Ultimate Marriage Tool

The Ultimate Marriage Tool Affinity, Reality and Communication (ARC) "The ARC Triangle is the keystone of living associations." -- L. Ron Hubbard Affinity: how well you like or love a person Reality: how much agreement you have with a person; what you agree to be real Communication: your exchange of information and ideas Understanding: The result of combining affinity, reality and communication Part 6: How ARC Can Save or Improve Your Marriage As with all of your relationships, your marriage succeeds or fails based on ARC. The more you communicate, the more you agree on things, and the greater your affinity for your spouse, the better your marriage. If you do not communicate, do not agree and do not like each other, the marriage is doomed. "Marriages fall apart simply because of a failure of communication, because of a failure of reality and affinity." -- L. Ron Hubbard Young lovers believe, "Our love is so strong, it will make our marriage last forever." Of course, if affinity is all they have, sooner or later, the lack of agreement or poor communication ruins the relationship. For example, Julie and Jeff meet at a coffee shop one night, fall madly in love and get married. When apart, they can't think of anything but each other. When together, they can't keep their hands off each other. Neither have experienced so much affinity, so they get married. But their reality point suffers. Julie doesn't agree with Jeff's decision to start a plumbing shop. She would rather he became an accountant. Jeff doesn't agree with Julie's urge to socialize. He'd rather she stayed at home. To compensate, they decide to not communicate, "Let's not talk about those things right now. All that matters is that we will love each other forever." Of course, by not communicating about their disagreements, their love/affinity begins to dwindle. Julie and Jeff stop holding hands as often. Sometimes they ignore each other at home. They keep secrets from each other. They argue about little things, like where to eat dinner, who should clean the house and which type of cat food is best. The little things become bigger things: choices of friends, money, sex and so on. The arguments become fights. Jeff storms out and stays away for a few nights. Julie moves back with her parents. The marriage dies. As another example, Bill and Diana know how to use the ARC Triangle. When they first meet at work, they feel the same incredible feeling of affinity toward each other. Love songs, sunsets and hugs become amazing experiences for both of them. But as they begin to plan their life together, Bill and Diana take the time to bring their communication and reality up to the same level as their affinity point. They say things like: "Instead of going to a movie tonight, why don't we talk about our goals. Maybe we can agree on a future together." "If we were to stay together, we'd have to agree on how we would spend our time together. I like to spend time with my old friends. What do you think?" "I need to tell you something I did wrong and really regret, but we agreed to not have secrets. Can I tell you now?" While they might experience some glitches in their relationship, the strength of their affinity AND reality AND communication is stronger than any problems they encounter. Bill and Diana get married and stay married for decades, based on all three points of the ARC Triangle. Recommendations You can improve your marriage, or even save a bad marriage, by improving your ARC. 1. Write down how you can improve your communication with your spouse. 2. Write down how you can reach more agreements with your spouse. 3. Write down how you can increase your affinity for your spouse. 4. Take the easiest task and do it today. 5. Do the rest of the tasks and continue these steps until your ARC with your spouse is higher and your marriage is better than ever! To read Parts 1 through 5, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/arc1.htm Copyright © 2008 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here.