21 Mar

Turning Problems And Challenges Into Opportunities And Successes!

Posted by admin, under Problem Solving

An idea is just an idea unless it provides a solution. A creative solution is a bit like an idea with a purpose. It’s the stardust that turns problems and challenges into opportunities and successes.

Creative Solutions are ideas that serve a purpose and add value to create an opportunity.

Ideas are the currency of the new economy, But you can’t cash them unless their worth something to somebody. To make them worth something ideas have to generate a positive result.

A chemical engineer at the 3M Company invented a substance while working on another research project. It was an amazing idea – glue that would adhere, then be easily removed and then successfully be re-applied.

An incredible invention, it sat in the files for 30 years until someone found a use for it. It’s now called the Post-it note!

 Who had the big idea – and who had the creative solution?

 A Creative Solution must have value, clearly solve the stated problem and be the answer to a problem in order to benefit you or your business. It proposes a different outcome as a result of creating an opportunity out of a problem or challenge.

Lateral thinking and problem solving

“When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” Mary Kay Ash

Lateral thinking can be a useful process when creating solutions to help in overcoming and solving problems.

“Sometimes the situation is only a problem because it is looked at in a certain way. Looked at in another way, the right course of action may be so obvious that the problem no longer exists”. Edward  de Bono

De Bono (the “father” of lateral thinking) also points out that the term implies that there is a problem to respond to and that it can be resolved. That eliminates situations where there is no problem or a problem exists that cannot be resolved.

It is logical to think about making a good situation, that has no problems, into a better situation. Sometimes a problem cannot be solved by removing its cause.

“We may need to solve some problems not by removing the cause but by designing the way forward even if the cause remains in place”. Said de Bono

Martin Povey owns buildingyourbusiness.ca and is a business and marketing coach who helps entrepreneurs and small businesses that need focus direction and creative solutions to build their business and achieve their goals. He can be contacted at: martin@buildingyourbusiness.ca or 403-529-9259 or visit http://www.buildingyourbusiness.ca/


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17 Mar

Fix My Broken Marriage – Healing Emotional Scars That Magnified Into Those Self Esteem Issues

Posted by admin, under Self Esteem

Answer this question… has self-esteem issues been ruining your marriage? Does your wife have low self-esteem issues that is causing leading your marriage towards the destructive path of divorce.

At this point she probably feeling indifferently towards you and you are feeling hopeless that the self-esteem issues will never end. Self-esteem issues can arise from a number of different things that’s happened in the past. Maybe unkind words might have shocked her and caused her to act very indifferently.

Can you imagine how horrible she’ll be hurt by those unkind words in the past. And I expect that you are feeling hopeless because of the problems in your marriage has been magnified over 100 times because of this.

I know that you have probably fantasized about how in the world you are going to be able to erase the negative self-esteem issues that has been destroying your marriage. Can you easily imagine being in the relationship with your wife before the self-esteem issues kicked in?

You more than likely fantasize about this every once in a while then boom reality hits you. It’s okay to be optimistic about wishing to have that type of relationship again with your wife. So what have you been trying to do to remove the self-esteem problems that plagues your marriage?

One reason why what you have been trying is not working is because you’re not informed of a better way to go about fixing this problems. You have to follow a proven step-by-step process in order to heal your broken marriage.

By being aware of the correct methods to heal your relationship you can easily fix most of the other problems that might arise in the future.

Are you making any of these 3 classic mistakes which will prevent you from EVER Fixing Your Marriage? I hate to admit it but I made all three of them myself! Find out what they are and how to avoid them by visiting http://save-our-marriage-now.info right now before you lose your wife forever!

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12 Mar

Anger Management: Get in Touch with Your Inner Anger Before It Gets You Into Trouble

Posted by admin, under Anger Management

Most of you have varying levels of comfort with your more powerful negative feelings such as anger. In many families children are discouraged or even punished for expressing anger so it is not surprising that as adults you have the habit of driving your angry feelings underground. In fact you expend a lot of energy denying you have them at all. However, when you do so, it tends to provide only temporary relief. Generally the anger you bury has a way of eventually coming out and often with a vengeance. And yet expressing anger in impulsive unconscious ways usually gets you into considerable trouble with those whom you care for the most. Chances are your most satisfying relationships rely heavily on your ability to monitor your emotions and make healthy choices in expressing anger.

What are angry feelings? They can be imagined as waves that wash over you. You cannot control which feelings may arise moment to moment but you can learn to make conscious choices about how you react to them. At the crest of a wave of anger you most likely feel you will remain in your angry state forever. You are the anger! But this is an illusion and it can be helpful to remind yourself that it will pass. Meanwhile what can you do?

Building some perspective on your angry feelings is the first step in gaining control over how to express them in healthy appropriate ways. You are probably unaware of how you get from feeling relatively okay to shouting or suddenly fleeing the room. It is only after the damage is done that you realize something bad happened. One of the keys is beginning to learn your unique set of signals indicating your wave of anger is mounting. Some common signs are flushed/hot face, increased heartbeat, sweating, stomach sensations, increase in voice volume, facial grimaces, specific spoken phrases often involving words like “always” and “never” and swearing. Get some feedback from a family member or close friend about the signals they notice that indicate your anger wave is rolling in. After you have identified some signs, begin to watch for them. When they occur, work to keep a part of yourself observing what is happening. This takes practice and is easier at first with mild states of irritation rather than full-blown rage. Consider putting yourself in situations that you know tend to trigger mild anger and then set out to watch for your signals. Ask a trusted close friend or family member to give you a nonverbal cue when they recognize your anger increasing. Building awareness of your individual pattern is crucial to establishing more control over how you react to your anger in the moment. If you fail to recognize your anger until you are shouting or find your head pounding with a headache, you have missed an opportunity to make a healthier choice for riding out that wave.

For additional information about how to manage your anger effectively and handle other life challenges, please go to:
http://www.headforhealth.net
Susan Wilner, cWC, LMHC is a licensed psychotherapist who treats children, teens and adults with psychological trauma, depression and anxiety. She also offers life/wellness coaching for clients facing life transitions and physical health challenges.


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11 Mar

Solve That Problem-Tap Into Your Creative Mind

Posted by admin, under Problem Solving

How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem and that problem leads to a dead end? How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laying before you is one you cannot solve. No leads. No options. No solutions.


Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain, large, unconquerable, and impregnable? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you’re hammering against a steel mountain. The pressure of having to solve such a problem may be overwhelming.


But rejoice! There might be some hope yet!


With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. And that light might just be the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.


First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.


Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.


Number one; maybe the reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Here, trying to understanding the problem and having a concrete understanding of its workings is integral solving the problem. If you know how it works, what the problem is, then you have a better foundation towards solving the problem.


Not trying to make the simple statement of what problem is. Try to identify the participating entities and what their relationships with one another are. Take note of the things you stand to gain any stand to lose from the current problem. Now you have a simple statement of what the problem is.


Number two; try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have the words of problem. Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions. You have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.


Number three; try to solve the problem by parts. Solve it going from general view towards the more detailed parts of the problem. This is called the top-down approach. Write down the question, and then come up with a one-sentence solution to that from them. The solution should be a general statement of what will solve the problem. From here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity little by little.


Number four; although it helps to have critical thinking aboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, tried to think how you could make that solution work. Try to be creative. At the same time, look for chinks in the armor of that solution.


Number five; it pays to remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions and their developments. Remember, there may be more than just one solution to the problem.


Number six; remember that old adage,” two heads are better than one.” That one is truer than it sounds. Always be open to new ideas. You can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has. This is especially true when the person you’re talking to has had experience solving problems similar to yours.


You don’t have to be a gung-ho, solo hero to solve the problem. If you can organize collective thought on the subject, it would be much better.


Number seven; be patient. As long as you persevere, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one was able to create an invention the first time around.


Creative thinking exercises can also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver.


Here is one example.


Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind at the center. Now look at that word then write the first two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build analogical skills, and fortify your creative processes.


So, next time you see a problem you think you can not solve, think again. The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of work.

We’re a resource site for those looking for personal development advice or need self improvement tips. Visit us or check out our personal development articles.

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09 Mar

Turning Daily Activities Into Self-esteem Exercises

Posted by admin, under Self Esteem

Turning Daily Activities into Self-esteem Exercises

When I woke up yesterday morning I was first thinking “Today is going to be a very busy day. I will not have time to do any self-esteem exercises.” Then I realized what a stupid thought that was! Of course I can do self-esteem exercises no matter what other tasks I have to do at the same time!

This is what I did:

I needed to go shopping. I decided to go shopping as a person with super-high self-esteem would do it. I thought to myself: “A person with super-high self-esteem probably feels very relaxed, confident and happy. She walks with her back straight and her head lifted up. She cheerfully says hello to everyone that she meets…” Without losing any time, I went shopping in this manner. (Acting as if you have super-high self-esteem makes your brain believe that it is true and you get into the habit of being such a person. Read my book “The Self-esteem Toolbox” for more details.) While I was cooking, I listened to my self-esteem playlist on my ipod. That really cheered me up. It was a good brainwash as well! (Read “The Self-Esteem Toolbox” if you want to know more about self-esteem playlists.) Every time I passed a mirror during the day, I told myself a compliment or I simply gave myself a smile. (You can read about mirror exercises in my book too!) As I was preparing to go to sleep I listened to my recording of myself reading some self-esteem affirmations. Good brainwashing! (Again, read more in the book if you are interested!)

In total I guess I spent about two hours working on my self-esteem that day. AND I didn’t lose any time on it. I simply turned my other daily activities into self-esteem exercises. I suggest you do the same whenever you have a busy day!

Take care of yourself – you are all that you have!

Liv Miyagawa – The Self-Esteem Coach

www.livmiyagawa.com

Email: coach@livmiyagawa.com

Liv Miyagawa, The Self-Esteem Coach, helps people all over the world to raise their self-esteem and to reach their personal goals. She opens people?s eyes to their own strengths and helps them to figure out what it really is that they want to get out of life. Liv helps people to find out exactly what steps they need to take to reach their goals, and she supports them and motivates them on their journey towards a more fulfilling future.
www.livmiyagawa.com

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