Often the obstacle blocking a clear path to the successful completion of a goal is our own knowledge. The trouble is, we just don't know what we don't know.

One weekend, I set myself a project of downloading and installing some fairly complicated weblog publishing software. Getting started was easy, but soon it became apparent to me that my lack of knowledge in that area was causing me problems. I had neither knowledge or experience with running cgi-scripts. Twelve hours later I was still no closer to completing this arduous task - all I had accomplished was discovering a few ways that didn't work. Finally, with assistance froim my friends, I got it up and running. Total time? 22 hours. Not bad for something that I thought would take me an hour or so.

So the question is, if we don't know what we don't know, how can we plan for it?

The truth is, we can't.

But we can do some other things. We can either:

• learn how to fix the problem ourselves (which will probably result in much wasted time)
• ask for help (from people with more experience and/or more knowledge)
• delegate it to someone else who has more experience and/or knowledge
How To Keep Your Baseball-Mad Hubby Happy
My husband is a huge Yankees fan. He grew up in New York City and then moved out of the state. We currently live about 4 hours from the Yankees Stadium. He used to go to a baseball game several times a year until we had a child. Suddenly, the funds for fun outings like that came to an
we just don't know what we don't know.

One weekend, I set myself a project of downloading and installing some fairly complicated weblog publishing software. Getting started was easy, but soon it became apparent to me that my lack of knowledge in that area was causing me problems. I had neither knowledge or experience with running cgi-scripts. Twelve hours later I was still no closer to completing this arduous task - all I had accomplished was discovering a few ways that didn't work. Finally, with assistance froim my friends, I got it up and running. Total time? 22 hours. Not bad for something that I thought would take me an hour or so.

So the question is, if we don't know what we don't know, how can we plan for it?

The truth is, we can't.

But we can do some other things. We can either:

• learn how to fix the problem ourselves (which will probably result in much wasted time)
• ask for help (from people with more experience and/or more knowledge)
• delegate it to someone else who has more experience and/or knowledge
How to Spot a Natural and Alternative Medical Quack
Why are so many alternative health sites more "alternative" than "health"? I don't know either, but typing "natural health" or "alternative medicine" into a search engine will show you just how many natural health sites there are these days. And the topics range from do-it-yourself the
ausing me problems. I had neither knowledge or experience with running cgi-scripts. Twelve hours later I was still no closer to completing this arduous task - all I had accomplished was discovering a few ways that didn't work. Finally, with assistance froim my friends, I got it up and running. Total time? 22 hours. Not bad for something that I thought would take me an hour or so.

So the question is, if we don't know what we don't know, how can we plan for it?

The truth is, we can't.

But we can do some other things. We can either:

• learn how to fix the problem ourselves (which will probably result in much wasted time)
• ask for help (from people with more experience and/or more knowledge)
• delegate it to someone else who has more experience and/or knowledge
An Introduction to Affiliate Marketing
Probably the most easy and effective way to make a good living online is through affiliate marketing. Many people are quietly making a substantial income using this method, and their reasoning is simple. They do not need to develop a product, build a website, or handle payment proces
ds, I got it up and running. Total time? 22 hours. Not bad for something that I thought would take me an hour or so.

So the question is, if we don't know what we don't know, how can we plan for it?

The truth is, we can't.

But we can do some other things. We can either:

• learn how to fix the problem ourselves (which will probably result in much wasted time)
• ask for help (from people with more experience and/or more knowledge)
• delegate it to someone else who has more experience and/or knowledge
3 Simple Ways To Find Everything You Need
Does this sound familiar to you: “Where did I put it?” “I know I put it somewhere!” “Where is my left shoe?” Are those sentences a continuous part of your vocabulary when you need to put your hands on an item? Usually you find yourself in this situation when you don’t have time to s
We can either:
• learn how to fix the problem ourselves (which will probably result in much wasted time)
• ask for help (from people with more experience and/or more knowledge)
• delegate it to someone else who has more experience and/or knowledge

That all sounds obvious. Yet I know people, who after ten years of working on a project, are still struggling with exactly the same obstacles because they are too stubborn to ask for help. It has chewed away at their self-esteem and stopped them from achieving success in other areas.

I could have paid to get the software working for around $40. So working for 22 hours gave me less than $2 an hour output.

The moral of the story? If you are about to do something new, decide beforehand how much time you are willing to put into it if an obstacle arises. If you value your time, and it is not an essential skill to learn, swallow your pride and ask someone else to do it.

You can waste a lot of time trying to master something you are not very good at. Learn to delegate properly, to the right person with the right skills.

(C) Copyright Petra Rankin 2005