Considering a work-from-home business? Clients often say their biggest fear is loss of momentum. Here are some tips to keep yourself motivated and productive.
 
(1) Build structure into your day.

Create a schedule and To Do list every evening for the next day, before you sign off for the day. (And yes – it is important to sign off, even if you return later to complete a project.) Include breaks and email reading time.
 
(2) Define goals by numbers (“write 1000 words”) instead of time (“2 hours on Mega account”). One of the joys of working at home is you get to quit when you’re finished ahead of schedule.

(3) Train friends and neighbors to respect your working hours.

Clients tell me about neighbors who say things like, “I told the UPS truck to leave the package at your house since you’re always home.” Discourage phone calls with a prepared response, like “I will call you after four o’clock today.” You will be tested. Prepare to hang tough.

(4) Get the family on board.

Deal with their concerns before you start and be prepared to show how you are creating a win-win situation. Clarify what counts as an emergency – a valid reason to interrupt while you are working – and what can wait till dinnertime.

(5) Build breaks into your schedule.

When I started my own business, I was warned, “Plan to get out of the house! Otherwise you’ll never leave your desk.”

Frankly, I didn’t get it.

Why wouldn’t I take breaks? Now as I find myself answering just one more email, or adding two more paragraphs to an article, I see the clock move and realize I must stop if I want to get to the gym or the store before closing time.

Bonus Tip: A dog will force you to get moving, no matter what else is going on in your life.

(6) Make promises you will be motivated to keep.
 
My weekly ezine motivates me to write at least one article a week. You may be energized by company and client deadlines.
 
As your responsibilities grow, you will tend to accumulate more and more “real” deadlines and it’s easier to stay motivated. But in the early stages, you’re isolated, you’re working hard and results don’t appear immediately. That’s why some people hire coaches and consultants to create accountability.

(7) Give yourself time to test your commitment.

Not everyone enjoys the work-at-home option. My clients tell me they need six to twelve months to decide how they are responding to this arrangement. You may decide to return to a workplace where you can see real people everyday. Or you may get hooked on having a dog-friendly, gossip-free workplace where you can open the windows all year round.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com

The Beauty Of Working At Home

Working at Home is growing at a phenomenal pace around the world. The beauty of it is that your time is your own and you can dig in anytime you want. Even Large multinationals are now seeing the benefits of employing people in the home workplace.

Because of the vast improvement of communications in the last 10-15 years, the home is now becoming its own office or company in its own right. All of the machines and instruments that were once only located in the work office can now be located and used just as efficiently in the home office. Powerful computers, fax machines and internet connections can now be easily installed in the home.
 
Discipline and honesty are huge traits that have to be addressed when working from home. Procrastinating your work is not a problem as long as the work gets completed. When working from home, the important matter is not when the work is done, it is that the actual work is being done.
 
Many entrepreneurs that work from home will tell you that if they have missed work by running some errands during the day, they will complete the work later on that evening or they will do extra the following day. Until you reach a point in your life where you can pick and choose when and where you work, disipline is the foundation on which your work at home business will thrive.

If you have a full time job and are insecure about trying a work at home job, I would first suggest doing it part time. By doing it part time you will start to understand if this life is for you or not.

There is definately people (of which I am not) that love the great out-doors and want to be constantly out of the house 9-5 Monday to Friday. No matter how good an opportunity came along, these people still would not like to do it. On the other hand I believe there is the majority crying out for change. These are the people that would love to try something new if it only would increase the quality of their lives.

These people are the new leaders in internet and network marketing. These people are the people that provide the real determination to succeed in their home based businesses. By reading this article, if you think you are one of these people, then you are in the right place. Give your home based business a try, you have nothing to lose only a regret that you didn’t start it sooner!

About The Author

Author Jack Foley
For more articles and information about Jack’s home business, visit Jack’s website:
http://residual-income-home-based-business.com/