Writing Your Own Romantic Lines is Better

Originality is still very much preferable to imitation. Everybody is aware of that, and that actually goes beyond anything that is practical or simple. When you talk about the things that you really want, the things that you really prefer, then it is clear that being original is close to the top of your list. To provide a good enough example, whenever we want to purchase products or engage some service, our first priority is to get that of the original. That is so innate within each of us, and it seems so natural for us to feel that way.

That is also the way I feel when it comes to romance. In order for you to win the love and affection of that person that you have been pursuing persistently, you got to show some originality. That way, she would be able to appreciate your words and actions much better. All the effort that you would be putting behind every word and every gesture would be received in a better way. So in my case, I always come up with my very own romantic pick up lines, rather than use any old and popular ones. Making use of a line of your own creation will at least seen like a pleasant surprise to you e loved one.

As far as I see it, it would make love seem more fresh and exciting. Despite some people experiencing the contrary, love would be romantic and have a fairy tale like air about it, if you infuse some originality with your lines. That’s because you know the effort that you’ve put behind it, and you want to be rewarded accordingly. The experience of a friend is quite contrary to that, and is now even looking to join up a pregnant women dating site, just to forget the romantic mishap that she has experienced.

Spending Too Much? Fix Your Habit with an Exercise in 5-Why

My friend called his wife from the truck dealer and informed her of his latest purchase:  a beautiful new crew-cab pickup truck.  This was his third vehicle purchase in 11 months, and with each purchase he had traded in his current vehicle and carried the “negative equity” into his new loan.  The conversation with his wife did not go so well.

5-Why:  A Lesson from the Japanese Auto Industry

What does the Japanese auto industry have to do with solving our spending problems?   It’s all about a simple tool known as 5-Why, that the Japanese developed over fifty years ago.  5-Why is just starting to find its way into many aspects of life outside of manufacturing (here is an example of 5-why used in industrial settings), where it used for finding and addressing root causes of recurring problems.  The concept itself simple, but very powerful if applied correctly:  Ask “Why?” five times to arrive at the true root cause of a problem.

Back to My Friend

One night over some beer my friend was finally loosened up enough to work through a 5-Why exercise with me, related to his latest vehicle purchase.  We took  time to discuss each “Why?,” and ended up with a quality result.  Here is a summary of our discussion –

First Why: Why did you buy the truck, only three months after buying the sedan?   Answer:  “The sedan really wasn’t the right car for me.”

Second Why: Why wasn’t the sedan the right car for you?  Answer:  “Well, I needed a lot more storage room than my sedan provided.”

Third Why: Why did you suddenly need a vehicle with so much storage room?  Answer:  “I like the idea of being able to pack my whole life up into a vehicle and go anywhere I want to.”

Fourth Why: Why you to want to break out of your present situation?  Answer:  “I don’t like my job.  It consumes most of my life, and I want to get off the ‘treadmill’ ”.

Fifth Why: Why don’t you like your job?  Answer:  “I work in a chaotic business that is failing, and it consumes every ounce of my energy.  All I do is work my tail off to pay my bills.”

The Root Cause

The 5-Why exercise had brought us to the root cause:  My friend bought the truck because it represented freedom from his current life, which was miserable because he was in a lousy job situation.  The ironic thing was that buying the truck only added to my friend’s monthly bills, perpetuating the need for a job he did not enjoy.

The good news, however, is that my friend is now addressing the root-cause and is looking for a better job.  He only wishes that he had completed the 5-Why exercise when he was sill thinking about buying the truck!

Try a 5-Why For Yourself

5-Why exercises are sometimes more productive when done with a friend, but they can also be done with some honest self-reflection.   If your 5-Why will be about excessive spending, you might first start by creating a Pareto chart (click here for an example) of your “unnecessary” spending categories, and then conducing the 5-Why analysis on your biggest category, (i.e., “Eating Out”).  There are two requirements for a successful 5-Why:  (1) put it in writing, and (2) be completely honest with yourself.

One Last Note

Remember that excessive spending does not make you a failure as a person.  As for my friend, his truck purchase was the result of a legitimate, underlying problem that he is now addressing.  Understanding the root-cause of your excess spending will raise your self-awareness, allow you to forgive yourself, and become a stronger person.

Give 5-Why a try!