Take Control, Part One

Like money or nuclear power, control can be used for good or evil. You can use it to harm, suppress or destroy lives. Or you can use it to help people, increase your income and improve the world around you.

Negative, destructive control gives control a bad name. Yet positive, constructive control is essential to successful living. No control over your job, family or life leads to failure.

When you are not in control of your sphere of operation, you feel stress, fear and frustration.

When you are in control, you make progress, enjoy your work and achieve success.

Taking better control of yourself, your time, career, business, equipment, computers, marriage, family, personal property, bad habits and so on, is much easier when you understand and apply these five facts about control.

1. Control is the biggest difference between success and failure.

2. Control consists of three parts: Start, Change and Stop.

3. Your control problems are based on your weaknesses with starting or changing or stopping.

4. If you try to control people or things outside your sphere of operation, you fail.

5. To succeed, you must let others control you.

Control Is the Difference Between Success and Failure

Certain symptoms show how well you control your job.

10 Signs You Are Not in Control of Your Work

*Easily fatigued or exhausted

*Work area is messy and disorganized

*Job is not interesting

*Easily stressed

*Need constant help

*See no way to improve performance

*Easily confused by others while on the job

*Frequently think of quitting

*Frantically react to emergencies

*You cannot conceive of greater productivity

10 Signs You Are in Control of Your Work

*Energized, motivated

*Work area is neat and organized

*Work is interesting and enjoyable

*Feel challenged, not stressed

*Effectively supervise self

*Constantly looking for ways to improve

*Rarely confused while on the job

*Frequently thinking of more responsibility

*Rationally respond to emergencies

*You have good ideas for increasing productivity

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being in full control, how well do you control of your job? Your home life? Your possessions? Your personal habits? Your success?

Recommendations

1. Make a list of all your duties, responsibilities and areas of your life.

2. Rate your control of each on a scale of 1 to 10.

3. Work out a plan to take a little more control of each.