How to Break a Bad Habit
If you can break bad habits, you can be more successful, feel healthier and live longer.

Bad health is usually caused by smoking, drinking, drugs, poor eating habits or a lack of exercise.

Bad marriages are often caused by bad habits like cheating, laziness and disrespect.

Bad jobs are often caused by bad habits like procrastination, tardiness, mood swings and so on.

Bad habits ruin your chances of success. From drinking to lying, promiscuity to gambling, you can stop any behavior that is bad for you or that you are not proud of. You simply take control.

Taking Control

You can control yourself. You can make yourself more energetic, more ethical and more successful. Better self-control means a healthier, happier life.

"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 finally 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

All of your bad habits are a problem with control.

For example, if you have a bad habit eating junk food you probably felt early on that you could start, change and stop the habit without any trouble. You could go for days without eating junk food. You were in control.

After you started to eat lots of junk food routinely, you probably felt you could easily change the habit. You could change how much junk food you ate, the kind of junk food and how often you ate junk food.

But then you could not longer change. You were eating junk food routinely. Junk food with most meals, junk food in front of the television every night and so on. You still felt you could stop eating junk food, but you were fixed in a routine.

Finally, you found you could not stop eating junk food. You had to arrange parts of your life around junk food. It became your master.

How to Take Better Control

"Control consists entirely of starting, changing and stopping. There are no other factors in positive control. If one can start something, change it's 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? One approach is to improve your ability to start, change or stop what you do.

Find things you can start about the bad habit. For example, maybe with smoking you can start smoking each day at a different time. You decide when to start or when not to start for the day. You take more control of the "start" aspect of control.

Find something you can change about the bad habit. If you want to quit smoking, make changes to the habit. Switch brands. Smoke two cigarettes at the same time. Smoke with your other hand. Simply work on changing the habit.

Find things you can stop about the habit. For example with smoking, stop smoking when you are driving. Stop smoking for an hour. Stop smoking half-way through a cigarette. Just get better at stopping.

As you gain the ability to start, change and stop the habit, you will notice you now have control of the habit.
For more information about taking control of your job or life, buy The Problems of Work by
L. Ron Hubbard. Order your copy by clicking here or going to
www.tipsforsuccess.org/problems-of-work.htm.
Flowing Power
To succeed you need power.

What do we mean by power? It can include the amount of money and property you control. The number of people who you influence. The groups or businesses you control. The number of people in positions of power who listen to you. The size of your game.

So how do you get more power? In most cases, you have to get your power from others. And how you treat them determines the amount of power you get.

For example, Mr. Green is the CEO of successful book publishing company in New York City. He is retiring and needs to recommend a new CEO to the Board of Directors. Mr. Green's two best managers are Steve, who runs the printing division, and Melissa, who runs the editing division.

Steve has wanted to run the company for years. He tells his staff, "Someday, I'll be running things and we'll come out of the dark ages. Mr. Green's a nice guy and all that, but he's old."

Melissa is also interested in the CEO job. She tells her staff, "Mr. Green is an outstanding leader. He's taught me a great deal. If I run things, I'll try to be like Mr. Green."

Steve likes to disagree with Mr. Green. "You don't want me to be a yes-man do you Mr. Green? We can't always do things your way. I have better ideas."

Melissa prefers to support Mr. Green. "Tell me what you want done and I'll take care of it for you."

Steve is shocked when Mr. Green recommends Melissa for the CEO position.

Your Powers

Who are your "powers"? Who do you depend on for your success? Certainly your boss, but also your customers, colleagues, advisors, leaders of other groups you belong to, influential friends or others.

Everyone depends on others for their power. Bosses depend on their staff. Fathers and children depend on mothers. Young politicians depend on senior politicians as well as voters and financial contributors.

Make a list of those who you depend on for your success. People who can help you or hurt you. These are your "powers."

Now examine how you treat these powers. Do you build them up or drag them down? Do you make them more powerful or less powerful. Do you give them ease or give them stress?

How you treat people on whose power you depend may have more to do with your success than you realize.

Pushing Power

"Always push power in the direction of anyone on whose power you depend. It may be more money for the power or more ease or a snarling defense of the power to a critic."

"If you work like that and the power you are near or depend upon is a power that has at least some inkling* about how to be one and if you make others work like that, then the power-factor expands and expands and expands and you too acquire a sphere of power bigger than you would have if you worked alone." -- L. Ron Hubbard (*inkling: a slight idea)

Some movie actors find it hard to share the spotlight. They think they will get ahead if they criticize others. When talking about a movie director, they say things like, "He was the toughest director I've ever worked for" or "She and I had artistic differences." These actors are often out of work.

When John Travolta was promoting his movie Pulp Fiction, he spent most of his time complimenting and thanking writer/director, Quentin Tarantino. John praised Quentin during hundreds of interviews. Who was John flowing power to? What happened to John's career? It exploded! He became one of the busiest, best-paid actors in history.

Have you heard about assistants, secretaries and clerks who become millionaires? These workers flowed power to their bosses. These powers hit it big. Since most bosses have an "inkling" of how to be a power, they share their success with those who help them succeed.

Employees who bite the hand that feeds them are soon looking for work. Staff who do not defend their bosses when their bosses are attacked often see their workplace become stressful and unpleasant. Managers who do nothing while their company's owners have financial problems can forget their bonuses and job security.

On the other hand, if you flow power to your powers, you make them happier and more successful. These powers then have the means and desire to help you. They can give you promotions, raises, freedom, responsibilities and opportunities you would not otherwise receive. They can help you succeed in more ways than anyone else you know.

Ten Ways to Flow Power to Your Powers

1. Do a better job for your power than he or she expects. Surprise him or her with fast completions, incredible production and amazing results.

2. Support the power's ideas and requests as much as possible.

3. When the power offers you more responsibility, grab it. Do not hesitate or worry about the pay.

4. Give your powers the information they need. Hide bad news you are sure they don't need to know. If you need to tell the power about a problem, include a solution as well. Better yet, solve the problem so you can relay the problem and the fact that it is now solved.

5. If you see your power is making a mistake, help him or her. Give him or her the key information along with suggestions and solutions.

6. Never miss a chance to make a gesture of support. For example, insist on paying for the meal you share with a power, even if he or she is wealthier than you. Never forget the power's birthday. Be generous with your time and favors.

7. If you hear criticism about one of your powers, jump in and defend him or her. Change negative attitudes and encourage others to support your power.

8. If your power is under stress, do what you can to reduce that stress. Help him or her become cheerful and optimistic.

9. If one of your powers is being attacked, take some of the heat. Get in front of your power and fight back.

10. If one of your powers does not have an inkling of how to be a power, find another power to support.

Follow these recommendations and sooner or later, you will find you are a bigger power than ever before.
Indecision and Inaction
Right now, you can make a decision or take an action that will make you prosperous and proud. However, if you find it hard to make decisions or take action, you will miss the current opportunity.

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. 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.

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.

Five Tips for Conquering the Fear of Consequences

1. Write down an opportunity that is available to you right now.

2. Write down the action or decision that is giving you problems.

3. Write down the consequences you are afraid might happen.

4. Identify the toughest fears, as specifically as possible.

5. Take action to resolve the fear.

See if you can now make the decision or take the action needed for your success.

Example

John 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!"

John 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 John does the five steps.

1. "I have the opportunity to be a partner with my brother Alan in a Crazy Chicken restaurant."

2. "I can't decide about buying the Crazy Chicken franchise."

3. "My fears of future consequences: 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. "The toughest fears: I can always save more money, I don't care if I look foolish, I don't like this job anyway, but I can't stand cleaning kitchens! I'd rather beg on the street than clean a kitchen."

5. John calls his brother. "Alan, if I do this deal, will you be in charge of kitchen cleaning forever?" Alan says, "Sure!" John says, "I'll 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 agrees.

John laughs, makes the deal and quits his job.
How to Improve Your Standard of Living
Your standard of living is the quality of your home, food, clothing, working conditions, possessions and so on.

Quiz: Which of these factors determines your standard of living?

      Your employer
      The government
      Computers or machinery
      Your parents
      Big business
      Your luck or destiny
      Your beliefs
      Chanting or meditation
      Your productivity

If you chose the last factor, you can control the quality of your life style. You can improve your standard of living.

"Products are the basis of a standard of living. They don't appear from midair. They come from work truly done." -- L. Ron Hubbard

Everyone needs a product to produce. If you build houses, your product is a house. If you write books, your product is a book. If you cook food, your product is a meal.

If you produce a service, such as a hotel clerk, your product is happy hotel guests. If you are a doctor, your product is a healthy patient. If you give technical advice, you product is an advised client.

The work must be truly done. Employees who exaggerate or lie about their productivity do not stay on the job long. "Don't worry about it. I made those calls for you. No one was home." Businesses who lie about their products are also on the road to failure. "We'll install your new roof on Tuesday. I just need a check for $10,000 right now."

"Factually one normally has to work fast and expertly and in high volume to bring about any acceptable standard of living for himself and his group." -- L. Ron Hubbard

Working fast is important. A restaurant whose customers wait for 30 minutes before ordering makes far less money than a restaurant that takes meal orders within two minutes. An auto mechanic who can replace an engine in six hours should enjoy a better standard of living than a mechanic who needs 20 hours to do the same job.

Your expertise determines the quality of your product. If a computer program you write makes computers crash, your standard of living will crash. A horse trainer who produces a calm, friendly obedient horse earns a higher standard of living than a horse trainer whose horses bite or kick their riders.

And of course, the more you produce, the better your standard of living. An accountant who produces 300 tax returns per year has a higher standard of living than an accountant who produces 100 tax returns per year.

"At a personal level one must produce in excess of his standard of living just to retain and maintain it." -- L. Ron Hubbard

For example, you add it all up and decide you want a $1000-per-week standard of living. However, you need to earn more than $1000 per week to do this. You need to buy work clothes, pay for your gas to get to work as well as pay for child care. You also lose a chunk of your pay to taxes. So you probably need $1800 per week to enjoy a $1000-per-week standard of living.

So to earn $1800 per week, you probably need to produce $10,000 of work.

If you own a business, the extra costs are even higher. Business taxes, insurance, equipment, rent, supplies and so on means you need to produce many times more than your standard of living cost.

Five Tips for Increasing Your Standard of Living

1. Never expect an outside force to improve your standard of living for you. Increase your standard of living through personal production.

2. Identify your product. If you work for someone and are not sure what your product is, ask your boss what the most important thing you do or can get done on a weekly basis.

3. Find three ways to increase your production speed. Use your ideas until your speed has increased.

4. Find three ways to increase your production quality. Use these ideas until your quality improves.

5. Find three ways to increase the amount of production you get done per week. Use these ideas until your production volume increases.

Even though you know your pay will improve, do not borrow money to improve your standard of living. Work on your production until you have more than enough money to do so.

Once you have earned the money for your improved standard of living, go for it! Buy that new car. Move to that new house. Eat at nicer restaurants.

Enjoy your new standard of living!
Copyright © 2003 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. Programmed in the United States.