Whoa, Nellie — every other book/blog/guru says “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” And it sounds reasonable: If you can’t do something yourself, maybe you know someone who can. But here is the problem with asking for help: You might get it. Or should I say, you might get “help.” The thing that ostensibly helps you may destroy you. That person can go on record saying he helped you, you will have to acknowledge that yes, he did do that thing — and you will be stranded further away from where you need to go than you were to begin with. Or be put in a difficult, awkward, uncomfortable position as a result of that help. Or maybe he will use that request as an excuse to be an asshole to you forever. Or will do such a shitty job that you would have been better off doing it yourself.
“But don’t successful people say to ask for help?” Yes, but here’s the thing: A successful person’s circle of friends and acquiantances probably consists of mostly other people like themselves, that is, highly capable, competent people with good judgment. So he could get help from them if needed. But if you are broke as hell, you mostly know fuckups and idiots, and they are unreliable as well (“oh, man, I was going to, but I got into a fight with my old lady and [insert lengthy rant about his domestic strife here]”. Or maybe you know someone who is willing to help you but at such a high price that you would have been better off without it. Or else their “help” will actually be to sabotage you (my evil landlord, for example).
But maybe you really do need help. Okay, here’s the thing: make sure you know what you are getting into. Be clear about what you need and what the other person expects from you in return. Also, know who you are dealing with. Most people are, as Dr. Kelso described, bastard coated bastards with bastard filling. Mix in incompetence and laziness and you have a witch’s brew of failure and frustration. Plus they will put your business out there for everyone to talk about, which was bad enough in the Olden Tymes B.T. but these days you may be destroyed before you even get home. So use caution before opening yourself up to all of that.