Chapter 5: How To Eliminate 50 Percent Of Your Business Worries
In the starting page of Chapter 5 in his book, “How To Stop Worrying And Start Living,” Dale admits that the title he has given this little segment promises an awful lot. Even he knows that he personally will be powerless to guarantee that what is offered in this part of his book, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,” will actually help you.
However, the good news is that the information he has about this subject is based on how other people have successfully dealt with their business worries. Yup! They are now living happier fuller lives all because they’ve taken the time to use it. So whether or not you want to follow the formulas offered here in this book and how well they work for you… Well…. That’s pretty much all up to you now, isn’t it?
Mr. Carnegie rounds all of this off by stating that even if the formula he suggests only eliminates ten percent of someone’s business worries it’s still worth it. This is because it’s a reduction in stress levels. Who doesn’t want to reduce their stress in life? What? You lead a stress free life already? Hoom…. You’re reading this book for what reason exactly now? Anyhow, “moving right along!”
If you hold a position in business where people are constantly bringing you problems that need to be solved, resulting in long drawn out discussions that lead nowhere, there are four simple questions you could ask folks to write down the answers to before seeking a consult with you. Chances are that you will notice that a lot of folks suddenly won’t need to talk to you, should you choose to enforce this requirement. Also, at those times when someone does need to talk their problem over with you after having fulfilled your requirement of writing down the answers to the following four questions, you will notice that the conversations you have are far more productive and effective.
On the other side of that coin; these four questions will also help you get down to the bottom of your own business problems. These could be matters like, “Why am I not getting enough sales with all the calls I’m making,” or, “Why is my goal of expanding the client base of my web hosting business by fifteen thousand not panning out?” There are probably other applications in problem solving and worry elimination that these four questions could be used for as well. But, if it’s ok with you, we’re just going to stick with the above mentioned possibilities for now. Does that sound like a plan to you? You said, “Yes,” right? “Awesome!”
I guess you’d like to know the magic four questions to ask or be asked in the context of the above mentioned, ha? Well… Here they are!
1. What is the problem? It’s kind of hard to solve a problem if it isn’t clearly defined and is only discussed in general terms.
2. What is the source of the problem? Every situation usually has a trigger or starting point that helped to bring it into being. By the way, “I don’t know,” just wouldn’t be a helpful answer here. If someone is unsure of what started a problem they need to work to find out what it is before answering the next question.
3. What solutions could possibly resolve the problem? I’d be willing to bet that there are plenty of solutions that could resolve any negative situation, “How about you?”
4. Which is the best solution or recommended remedy for the situation? Whether asking yourself or somebody else this last question does something very important. It makes an individual decide how to make the problem go away and commit to act upon that course of action.
Problems cause stress and worry. Eliminate the problem and you don’t have any. Well… Ok…. You don’t have any stress and worry about the problem that has been rendered none existent by the effective course of action chosen and acted upon by
a single person
or group. How many problems you have versus the number of them you are able to solve via this method will determine the percentage of worry reduction you experience. In short; the effectiveness of the four step formula just given is really up to you!