Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

7 Simple Steps To Discipline For The Home-Based Business Owner

7 Simple Steps To Discipline For The Home-Based Business Owner

You need more than skill, knowledge and passion to build a profitable home-based business. You also need discipline to make every minute count.

In a job, you have supervisors and managers making sure quotas are met, tasks are completed and your time has been spent as efficiently and effectively as possible.

But, at home, you're the supervisor and your responsibility is to make sure every action you take has the best interests of your business at heart.

Here are seven simple steps to help you make the most of every day in your home-based business.

1. Have a clear vision. Sit down and write out your ideal vision for five to ten years from now so you have a target to aim for. Once you've determined your long-term vision, break it down into smaller chunks. For example, in order to be where you want to be in five years, where do you need to be in two years?

And in order to be where you need to be in two years, where do you need to be in one year?

Now, every time you're faced with a decision ask yourself, "Would this bring me closer to my vision for this year or take me further away from it?"

When you know where you need to be in order to realize your vision, it's easier for you to maintain discipline because you know what the right thing is to do. It gives you strength when you need to push through uncomfortable situations and to say no to something that might feel good in the moment but doesn't serve your end goal.

2. Create structure. Without it you are susceptible to every distraction that crosses your path.

In order to build discipline, set specific work hours and create routines. Your hours don't have to be as rigid as when you had a job, but they do need to exist. Once your hours are set, tell others that you are not to be disturbed during these times. You will not accept phone calls or drop-ins because you are working.

Creating routines allows you to gain control over how you spend your time. If you begin your day with no set goals or tasks, you lose a great deal of time wandering from activity to activity. Spend the last 15 minutes of each day mapping out your tasks for the next day and don't end your day until each task is complete.

3. Out of sight, out of mind. You've probably heard the saying, "Energy flows where attention goes", and when you're thinking about the laundry piled in the corner, the dishes in the sink and that chocolate mousse cake in the fridge, you're not focusing on your business.

This is one of the biggest challenges for home-based entrepreneurs because at your job you didn't have to worry about who's going to vacuum the floor or clean the lunchroom. You also didn't have a fridge chock full of food a few feet away.

Designate specific days and hours of the week for household chores and stick to them. You may need someone to help out instead of doing it all alone. You will never see the CEO of a company washing windows or emptying trashcans. It's not the best use of her time. She might do it at home, but not at the office and the same goes for you.

If the refrigerator or television are calling your name, use the tough love approach. Don't allow your favorite desserts or snacks in the home. Instead, reward yourself at the end of the week (or day) for being disciplined by going out to celebrate.

It's easy to get caught up in regular visits to the fridge or to watch TV, and this is where you might need to bring someone into the mix to hold you accountable until you've established the discipline you need.

Make it hard to gain easy access to certain things. Have someone hide the remote, the chips, and anything else you have trouble saying no to. Stick notes on the TV and fridge asking you what you're thinking.

4. Create a business environment. Make your office look like an office and you'll be more inclined to take your business seriously. If your office also serves as a spare bedroom and you're surrounded by stuffed animals, knitting needles and magazines, it's hard feel like a real entrepreneur and your actions will reflect this.

5. Create accountability. Maintaining self-discipline isn't easy, but when you have to account to someone for your efforts, you bring your game up a notch and aren't as inclined to slide into complacency or bad habits. If you tell someone you're going to make seven calls and close one deal today, you don't want to report in the next day and tell them you decided to drive to the beach to collect shells instead.

We are much more likely to disappoint ourselves than we are to disappoint someone else.

6. Learn to say no. And if this is tough, it's time to learn assertiveness. You are captain of your ship and must keep it on course. You cannot allow others to chart it for you by dropping in unexpectedly or asking for favors that interrupt your day.

Your sister wouldn't stop by your employer's office to drop off her kids and the same applies to your home business. Create pockets of social time so you're not tempted to pick up the phone to call friends. Isolation is a big challenge for home-based business owners, but when you create quality time to be with them outside of your business hours, you're more focused when you're working.

7. Toughen up your mental muscle. Discipline requires will power and conscious awareness about the thoughts you have. When you're faced with a decision and you choose the option that is not in the best interests of your business, catch yourself in this moment and ask yourself why you are making this choice.

This simple exercise may uncover some underlying beliefs that are causing you to sabotage your efforts such as, "I won't make it. It's too hard. I'm not good at this."

Once you identify these underlying beliefs, you can then examine them and take the necessary steps to replace them with more empowering thoughts.

2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source





7 Simple Steps To Discipline For The HomeBased Business Owner - To learn more about this author, visit Laurie Hayes's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
Cheryl Matthynssens

Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

- Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website

Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Jay Kubassek
(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek)  In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.

 

As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)

 

Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. 

 

Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper.  Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website

David Barr
David Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website

Casey Gollan
Casey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website

Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

Jeff Foster
WebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas.  We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing
- Visit Jeff Foster's Website

David Acheson
David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Laurie Hayes
(Visit Laurie's Website) Laurie Hayes, certified Life & Business Coach and founder of The HBB Source, helps home-based entrepreneurs build successful businesses smarter and easier. Get her free ezine packed with helpful resources at http://www.thehbbsource.com

Laurie Hayes is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Laurie Hayes's

Complete
List Of
Home-Based-Business
Articles

Name
Email
Author's Free Downloads
Special Report Icon Special Report
Customer Retention / Attraction Icon Customer Retention / Attraction
Business Wisdom Icon Business Wisdom
100 Success Tips Icon 100 Success Tips

More Laurie Hayes
10 Ways to Build a ReferralOnly Business In Less Than Ten Minutes a Day
How To Set Your Business Goals for the Year Ahead
The Price Winners Pay
Is Perfection Hurting Your HomeBased Business
Whos The Star of Your HomeBased Business
Keep Your Eyes On The Horizon But Leave The Back Door Open
Boost Your Business Revenue Through Network Marketing
Build A Cash Pool For Your HomeBased Business By Following 7 Simple Rules
When Technology and SelfHelp Hurt Business
How The Power of Belief Determines Your Business Success
Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
Cheryl Matthynssens  
Jeff Foster  
Dave Kurlan  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Different QuickBooks Versions Icon Different QuickBooks Versions
Sample Credit Application Icon Sample Credit Application
ACES Research Report Icon ACES Research Report
Business and Income Icon Business and Income
Ezine Choices Icon Ezine Choices
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 SEO Posts of the Year
Top 50 SEO Posts - 2007
Top SEO Posts of the Year
 
Email The Reporters
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Sabine Diatta Thiékène; Thiès, Senegal,
Sabine Diatta
Thiékène; Thiès, Senegal
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Julie Mitchell, $470k to $1.1 Mil in 2 years
Julie Mitchell
$470k to $1.1 Mil in 2 years
Adam and Matthew Toren , $200k to $3.4 Mil in 3 Years
Adam and Matthew Toren
$200k to $3.4 Mil in 3 Years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Richard Branson, Virgin Group
Richard Branson
Virgin Group
Anita Roddick, The Body Shop
Anita Roddick
The Body Shop
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Donald J. Trump, Trump University
Donald J. Trump
Trump University
Brad Feld, Venture Capitalist
Brad Feld
Venture Capitalist
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     How Social Network Marketing Can Increase Traffic to Your Small Business Website
By Janis Pettit
     What You Need to Know Before You Spend Money on a Logo or Business Cards.
By Janis Pettit
     Where to Find the Money to Finance Your Small Business.
By Janis Pettit

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More popular articles
- Franchise Help
More Information