Problem Solving in 10 Minutes - Amazon S3 · Problem Solving in 10 Minutes Our lives are more complex now than at any other time in human history. Did you know that most people work

Problem Solving in 10 Minutes

Our lives are more complex now than at any other time in human history. Did you know

that most people work more now than the serfs did in medieval times? Some of my history

focused friends might argue that point, but just stop and think about it for a moment. How

often do we feel ourselves bombarded by tasks to do, people who want things from us,

unexpected events and sometimes unwanted surprises? Not to mention actual emergencies,

our own and everyone else's? Our lives are choked and cluttered with errands, emails, phone

calls, texts, social media, and the almost constant assault of advertising messages that tell us

we're not good enough, fit enough, thin enough, young enough... not attractive enough, not

smart enough, not wealthy enough. Not, not, not... the non‐affirming list goes on and on.

By now, you know that you have to adapt. You have a sense of the world you've been

born into. You already know that you have to learn how to work smarter, not just harder, if

you're going to achieve the success you want and enjoy a life you can love.

My name is Tina Dietz and I've spent the last decade or two working with professionals

and business owners, leaders and innovators in their fields. My clients include chiropractors,

sales managers, corporate trainers, financial advisors, massage therapists, retreat leaders,

publishers, university professors, inventors, realtors, published authors, professional speakers,

radio personalities, coaches and consultants. I've worked with individuals in more than 20

industries and in 6 countries to create financial freedom and flexible time for themselves while

living their purpose and passion. Not just hopefully someday, maybe somehow‐ but definitely,

specifically, and starting right away.

Part of my own joy and fulfillment has come from freeing others to live successful lives

of purpose and passion because providing this service has been a long time goal and a passion

for me. (Notice how good it feels to hit those marks and accomplish those goals?) I became

especially well equipped to help people do this because I myself had developed a business

network which freed me to travel the world and explore other cultures with my family, while at

the same continuing to grow and do work that I love. I eventually created my own Lifestyle

Business Oasis, which fuels and nurtures my life's purpose and passion, and it materialized even

©2010‐2016 Tina Dietz/StartSomething Creative Business Solutions Page 2

faster that I'd planned! I am now able to create and develop projects of my own choosing, to

claim and sustain my own joy, and it is very exciting to be able to say that.

On the other hand, life is complex. Like everyone else, I've dealt with uncertainty and

anxiety. Like most of us, I sometimes struggle with despair. I don't often share about this in

public, but I know what it's like to feel trapped by conflicting obligations and a sense of urgency.

I used to wonder how I was going to accomplish all that I had in me to be and do without having

to choose between the things I most loved in my life and those things I felt I HAD to do. Yes, our

lives are indeed complex and the demands can be overwhelming. But I was given a wonderful

gift, and that gift was the significant benefit of coaches and mentors who showed me how to

bring out my own gifts and talents. I was able to create a business that served my lifestyle and

allowed me to make a massive difference in the world while living a life I loved.

I'm forever grateful, and because I can never pay back what I was given, I want to pay it

forward....and that's why I'm gifting you this training today.

Real change, the kind that lasts ‐‐whether it be political, social, economic, or even

personal‐‐ isn't going to come from the top down. The world changes faster and faster, and

much that was gained during the past several centuries is lost already. What can and will be

gained across the globe remains to be seen. Just in the United States, we see the corporate

community on track for transitioning up to 40% of the workforce to independent contractor or

contract employee status in the next 10 years. We may as well get out in front of wave now,

because it's up to us to create our own destinies.

I'm about to walk you through a process that I myself use, the exact same process that I

use with my VIP clients from around the world. Making this process part of your thinking will

change the way you move through challenges and solve problems forever.

First you're going to identify and assess the kinds of problems you're dealing with, and

what they're costing you.

Then, I'm going to share with you some of the inner workings of the human brain. This

will give you a helpful perspective on what's going on with you, and a sense of calm curiosity


about what's going on with the people you interact with. Perhaps most importantly, you'll have

a context for understanding how extraordinary you are, even if you don't know it yet.

Lastly, I'll share the actual process for solving any problem in 10 minutes with you, and

help you work through it step by step. I'll give you a template to keep afterwards so that you

can make this powerful process part of your everyday life.

Let's get started...

GETTING UNSTUCK: ASSESSMENT

Would you love to never feel stuck again? When someone says to you, “Hey, just let it

go,” wouldn't you just love to be able to know HOW to let it go? You know, rather than stuffing

it down or working around your aggravation? Successful people have the knack of recovering

quickly from upset or failure, and now you’re going to build that very same muscle. This process

is designed to solve any problem quickly so that you can use your precious time and energy to

focus on what's most important to you, especially those actions that are going to get you faster

results and help you reach your goals in record time. Let's begin our assessment by taking a

look at what kinds of problems you're dealing with and how much that's costing you.

Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself

1. What percentage of your day do you spend trying to put out fires? ____ %

2. ....waffling between decisions? ____ %

3. ...trying to figure out your next steps? ____ %

4. ...dealing with other people's problems? ____ %

5. ...trying to get your energy levels up because you're tired? ____ %

6. ...worrying about something? ____ %

TOTAL ____ %


7. Do you take time to plan and create effective strategies so that you can

reach your next goals? YES NO

7a. If YES, how much time per day, week, or month?

(fill in the blank) ______ hours per _________

8. What are the majority of your problems related to? (circle as many as apply)

Spouse/Partner Children/Parenting Your Boss Your co‐workers

Your Business Clients Health Having enough time

Sleeplessness Anxiety/Depression Money Employees

Other ___________________________ Other ___________________________

9. On a scale of 1‐10 with 1 being "not at all," and 10 being "completely," how

SATISFIED are you with the following aspects of your life?

(question continues on next page)

Health & Well Being _____ Career/Business _____ Family Life _____ Money/Finances _____ Romantic relationships _____ Sex _____ Time Management _____ Vacation/Leisure _____ Stress Levels _____ Physical Fitness _____ Friends _____ Colleagues/co-workers _____ Appearance _____ Retirement Plans _____


10. If you had to pick one problem or area of life that you would like to shift to

create more results, freedom, and/or peace of mind, what would it be?

Area of Life ___________________________________________________

11. What are your top 3 primary goals and aspirations?

a. ____________________________________________________________

b. ____________________________________________________________

c. ____________________________________________________________

12. What kind of support would make the most difference for you in reaching

your goals? (check all that apply)

Help getting more done in less time _____

Help being able to make the right choices _____

Help figuring out what to say/when to say it _____

Help creating more income _____

Help creating better communication _____

Help with stress management/reduction _____

Help learning how to say "no" _____

Why You Get Stuck, & Why It's Not Your Fault

Let’s start with an experience we’ve probably all had. You’re in your car and anticipating

a conversation with your spouse, perhaps, or your business partner, your kids, or maybe even

your boss. You think about how you’re going to start the conversation and before you know it,

your mind has played the entire conversation with whomever you’re going to talk with and

you’ve pretty much already decided upon the outcome. You have already felt all of the


emotions you would have felt if you had actually had the conversation with that person. Now

why am I bringing this up? Well, something you may not know is that, as amazing as it is, the

human brain can’t really tell the difference between fantasy and reality.

I know that might seem improbable, but consider when you’re in your car and you’re

having that mental conversation with someone, even though they’re not there, can’t you

imagine everything that you think they’re going to say? Every action you think they’re going to

take? Every feeling you think you’re going to feel and everything you’re going to say? AND, as

you're thinking about that conversation, the emotions and physical reactions that you would

experience if you were really having that conversation still happen, even though it's not real.

Your heart rate may go up, palms get sweaty, your head may get hot, and so on.

When scientists hook athletes up to biofeedback machines, they find that the athletes

have the same neural impulses and physiological reactions when they visualize playing their

sport as they do when they are actually playing their sport. The good news is, this makes

visualization a powerful tool. The bad news is, we get caught up in our own heads, creating

stress and worry that stops us from being productive and effective. Instead of moving forward,

you feel as though you have to get out of the "rabbit hole" of reactions and emotions and that

creates the sense of going "one step forward, two steps back."

You see, we have these predictable patterns in our conversations and we have these

predictable ways of thinking and being. But we don’t know they’re habits because, as the old

saying goes, it’s like water to the fish for us. All of these disruptive moments and thoughts tend

to build up throughout your day and throughout your life. Whenever you start to do something

new in your life, to create something that is wonderful and a dream fulfilled, what happens is

that in your mind all of these built up thoughts get in your way. They block you from being fresh

and clear to create– it’s like having to dig through muck and mud to get to the diamonds. Today

I’m going to introduce you to a very simple practice to help you reduce the amount of muck and

mud that you carry around with you on a daily basis, to help keep you clear and help you solve

ANY problem quickly!


This little practice is so simple and so elegant, and yet it is one of the most important

transformational tools you will ever learn. It’s almost too simple for our complicated minds.

Problem Solving in 10 Minutes

When I’m working with my VIP clients business to business, or in group coaching

programs like my Conquer Your Calendar Program, this problem solving process is a practice

that we do during every session. It's called Ranting Your Way to Success. I love teaching people

how to do this! Why? Because it gives you permission to say exactly what you’ve been wanting

to say, move through problems quickly, get to your solutions right away and leap into

empowered action so you can create the life of your dreams.

So what exactly is Ranting? When you want to be creative and productive, you’re often

holding a lot of stuff from your day that prevents you from being able to take in your coaching,

to absorb your training, or to get into action and get results. It’s like trying to learn while

listening to white noise. Ranting is a quick way to deal with it, with whatever might be in your

way, just so you can move forward. What makes Ranting such a powerful tool is that the

process allows you to get really expressed. Whether you’re angry or sad or irritated or bitchy‐‐

whatever it is that you’re dealing with, you get to express it authentically. There’s a flip side to

it as well. You get three minutes to Rant, no more. This isn’t a complaining session. It’s a

specifically designed activity that you use so that you can get yourself out of your own way.

Ranting is a powerful cathartic tool for clearing up any irritation which under other

circumstances would continue causing a low level of background stress.

Let’s say you might want to deliver a communication or to have a conversation with an

employee or a boss, but you’ve got all of this emotional charge around it. If you can discharge

the emotion around your communication, you can get to the real communication ‐‐to the

underlying intention‐‐ and deliver it powerfully without all of the flotsam and jetsam of emotion

around it. But just having me talk about all this doesn’t really do the trick and doesn’t really do

the tool justice. You need to practice. When you start to use Ranting on a regular basis, when

you start to use it in a coaching situation or with a buddy, you can create an extremely clear

mental space for yourself in less than 5 minutes. This is also going to help you clarify what your


irritation or stress is. Some of your irritation on a daily basis is just kind of like having a cramp or

maybe even a charley horse. It’s like “Oh, that’s over with.. okay. Next?” But some things that

get under your skin, especially things that come up for you over and over again, will serve to

give you an insight into what really needs to be addressed and dealt with.

You downloaded this special report because you are a leader, because you see

something possible for yourself and your life, and because you want to know how to get from

here to there. Well, if there’s a whole bunch of complaints, problems, and irritations happening

in your life, how much do you think that’s going to drag you back from fulfilling on your

dreams? You need a way to be effective‐– or, in this case, Rant.

Earlier I used an example of talking to yourself in the car, but these irritations happen on

a daily basis with other people in the real world, not just in our own heads. It’s very easy to get

stuck in traffic, to burn your toast, to have an argument with your child, your boss, your spouse,

to have something rub you the wrong way or even get a bad bit of news on the television. All of

those things, depending on what’s important to you, can get in the way of your being effective,

of you being creative and following through on what’s important to you. Ranting is used to clear

mental build‐up in a very brief way. Three minutes. It is always done with intention, and the

intention is that once your three minutes is over, you let that piece go. We give a lot of lip

service to letting things go, but one of the main tricks to letting something go is to do it with

intention. If you have this practice in your arsenal, you know that whatever comes out of your

mouth, you’re can be done with it at the end of three minutes. In utilizing this tool, you set

yourself up powerfully to have that happen.

Look back over your assessment questions now and ask yourself what your complaints

and problems are costing you in time, vitality, peace of mind, and even money! If you were

clear, peaceful, and focused for more hours every day, how much more income could you

make? What decisions might you make differently in a state of being grounded, peaceful, and

powerful rather than upset, rushed, and worried?

Ranting works for one time problems as well as for recurring problems. Ranting

increases your awareness. If you find yourself complaining or getting upset about the same


issues over and over again, it's a wonderful time to look for a breakthrough. Usually there’s

something underlying the complaint that’s getting to you. Use this process as an opportunity to

be done with those recurring problems once and for all, and you can really have a powerful

experience.

So how do you Rant? Yes, there is a best way to Rant. First of all, you need a

three‐minute timer. And I recommend that you do this with a partner. Have a friend or close

colleague download this book and be Rant buddies. Make sure they've read this book.

Otherwise they’re not going to have a context for what you’re trying to accomplish and if they

don't understand, they may just assume you're complaining. Without the book, they won’t

know how to support you properly. Ranting is a matter of one person Ranting, and the other

person listening. It’s not a conversation. You take turns. Three minutes each, getting out

whatever is in your space. Whoever is Ranting, Rants. And whoever is listening, listens and gets

the communication. There’s no need to respond to somebody’s Rant, it’s simply a way of

getting something out of your space. For example, I would sit down with my Rant buddy and he

would set a timer for me so that I would take three minutes. Then in that three minutes I would

get out of my space whatever had happened that day or over the previous week. I encourage

you say it how you feel it. For example, “That jerk on the phone really just pushed my buttons

in a major way and I can’t believe he said that! How could he treat people that way? That is just

disgusting!” Go ahead and get on your high horse. Go ahead and be completely and totally

superior. Get it out of your system, okay? You don't need to scream and yell, but do be

authentic. Instead of trying to suppress and edit yourself, Rant with intention to find a solution.

At the end of your three minutes, the Rant is done and what’s predictable is that you

will have one of three reactions. The first reaction is that you feel clear and nothing else is

required. The second reaction is that you may want to do something. If after you Rant you see

an opportunity to take action, then it’s a good time to create that action. Whatever action you

choose to take, make sure it is an action that is positive and empowering both for you and for

whomever you’re dealing with. I will show you more about creating empowered actions

shortly.


Ranting is not the same as dumping. Sometimes when there is something we want to

Rant about there might be an undelivered communication. For example, I might be angry at my

husband about something. Something he did really bothered me. So after I Rant about it, I can

get to the heart of what’s going on and get clear on the real communication I want to deliver. If

I got upset that the dishes weren’t done the night before and I Rant about it, what I can

consider is this: was it that he didn’t do the dishes, or was it that his doing the dishes represents

my feelings of being supported by him? Once I realize that, I can take a step back and say,

“Well, does my husband support me? Of course he does.” At that point, what’s the

communication I want to deliver to him? Maybe I need to let him know that I’m up against a

deadline and I could really use the extra support.. and what that support could look like is me

making a request of him. Something like, “Honey, could you do the dishes tonight and make

sure the kitchen is cleaned up? That would really make a big difference for me in terms of

keeping my anxiety down so I can meet my deadline.” So, I can now go and have that positive,

direct and empowering communication with my husband.

There’s a third reaction you might have after doing your Rant. You may really want to

Rant more. If that’s the case, I’ll ask you just to notice your urge to want to complain. Ask

yourself: “What will I get out of Ranting more?” Do you feel righteous and justified? That’s the

most common motivation for wanting to keep hold of whatever your upset is. It feels good to

be right, but for everything there is a price. What is your complaint costing you? Is it taking up

your time, your energy, your vitality? All of those things are precious when you’re seeking to

fulfill a bigger dream. You have a choice to take back whatever your complaint is costing you

simply by choosing to let it go, or to get in action to resolve the situation. So now you have an

opportunity to choose – What is more important to you? Getting the results you want, or

having the complaint? You might have to choose to let something go more than once. It takes

practice to keep your eyes on the prize and remember that what you’re creating is more

powerful and more important than a complaint.

Now let's talk about those problems or areas where, even after Ranting, the next action

or solution isn't clear. This brings us to our next tool, and now I’m going to give you an entire


procedure on how to use Ranting to problem solve‐‐and this ENTIRE PROCESS from the

beginning of your Rant to the end of the problem solving process takes 10 minutes or less.

First of all‐‐ have your Rant. Go through the 3 minute procedure, either by yourself or

with your buddy. Remember your Rant is no more than three minutes. Work through the

problem solving procedure right after you have the Rant. Now here comes the problem solving

process. Refer to the template on the last page (I recommend that you print it out) to go

through the process.

1. Choose the specific problem you want to solve. I’ll use an example from my own life,

from an event in the past where I used this procedure myself.

Example: I need uninterrupted quiet time to write. I keep getting interrupted and I'm so

frustrated! (That’s the problem I wanted to solve.)

Refer to your worksheet below and write down the problem YOU want solved.

2. Write down what you think is in the way of solving the problem.

Example: I’ve got too much to get done, I get interrupted, and I need at least

an hour of dedicated time every time I do a writing session.

Now your turn‐what do you say is in your way? Write that down on your worksheet.

3. Now write down what your ideal result would be. That is, what would it look like if

the problem were solved?

Example: I said my problem would be solved if I would have ninety minutes of

uninterrupted quiet time, three times a week. That was my ideal result. Now you can

write down yours.

4. Okay, now it’s time to brainstorm some empowering actions that you could

take. Go ahead and brainstorm the empowering actions that you could take to bring

your ideal result into reality.

Example: I said that I could hire a babysitter every week. I could borrow a friend’s office.


I could ask my husband for some more support. I could get up ninety minutes earlier

each morning. I could stay up ninety minutes later each night. I could make a list of tasks

and delegate more to my team, etc. etc. etc.

**When you brainstorm something, don’t censor yourself. Just write down a whole

bunch of ideas and eventually, if you let your brain get really creative, you’ll hit upon a

couple of things that you could move forward and say “Hey, those are the actions I want

to take.” So go ahead now and do your empowering action brainstorm and write down a

whole bunch of possibilities.

5. Finally, it’s time to choose your action. Choose just one to start. It’s very tempting to

choose more than one action. However, start with one action, complete it in the next

24 hours, and then move to the next action because you may find that your second

action isn’t necessary or that the results of the first action change the whole ball game,

so stick with just one action to start.

Did you hear what I said about 24 hours? Here’s the really important part of this

problem solving process‐TAKE THE EMPOWERING ACTION YOU’RE CHOOSING IN THE

NEXT 24 HOURS.

Ranting Your Way to Success is a way of very quickly and simply getting from a

complaint to an empowering action to solve the problem. This is something that you can

do on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, or any time you need to problem solve. After

you’ve done this a couple of times, you’ll find you can get this down into a five to ten

minute process. That’s how powerful Ranting is. Use this problem solving procedure a

couple of times over the next week and soon it will become second nature.

PRINT OUT THE 10 MINUTE PROBLEM SOLVING TEMPLATE BELOW


Problem Solving in 10 Minutes Template How Do You Rant?

1. You get 3 minutes—no more

2. Say whatever is there for you—however it REALLY wants to be said.

3. Rant with an intention to have the complaint/rant/bitch go away.

Ranting Your Way to Success

1. The Problem I Want to Solve is: ____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

2. What I Say is In My Way: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

3. My Ideal Result Is: ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

4. Empowering Action Brainstorm: _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

MY EMPOWERING ACTION IS:_______________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________


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Problem Solving in 10 Minutes - Amazon S3 · Problem Solving in 10 Minutes Our lives are more complex now than at any other time in human history. Did you know that most people work