Seven Tips For Work-At-Home Motivation

By Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

Considering a work-from-home business? Clients often say their biggest fear is loss of momentum. Here are ten 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.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

(4) 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.

(5) 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

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: mailto:cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cathy_Goodwin,_Ph.D.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Seven-Tips-For-Work-At-Home-Motivation&id=11419

Work at Home-Retired? Unemployed? Laid-Off, or Insufficient Income? Start your own Internet business from home. Build residual and leveraged income to create real wealth. World Wide Income System that REALLY WORKS! All it needs is you. FREE Training and support, websites and products all provided! - ZERO RISK! Start today!

Earn-Save Money-Introducing Vertical Acceleration. World Wide Income System that REALLY WORKS with a product that everybody wants, needs, and can afford! All it needs is you. FREE Training and support. Helping average people create extraordinary income. Take the FREE Tour Now! Take the Free Tour!

Affiliate Power Group-Are you tired of online scams? Would you like REAL answers from REAL people who have had REAL success? Learn how to work online from home and be successful doing it. We Are One Of The Most Active, Helpful, Honest, and Fastest Growing Private Mastermind Groups for Affiliate Marketers Online Today. Get Started for a $1.00!

Earn Income-There are lots of ways to work online from home - but most of them require a big investment of either time and/or money... and that just doesn't work so well for most people. That's why we were really excited when we learned more about Project Payday. It doesn't have any of these problems, unlike all of the ridiculous "Make $1,000 a day" ads you see. Get More Info!

My Affiliate Power Site-Ever wish you could get the pro's to create a money site with all the best products on it? Ever wish you could skip the hype, and just use a PROVEN sales system? Well...today is your lucky day!The Affiliate Power Site-Beginner Friendly, Easy To Use-All The Hard Work Done For You. Completely Ready To Go In 48 Hours-Built With 6 Streams of Income For You. Learn More Now!

Top Data Entry-Many types of work from home data entry jobs to choose from, including Outsource Data Operator, Worldwide Data-Entry Processor, Marketing Typist, Data-Collection Research Assistant, Data Proofreader, Home Secretarial Work, Article Typing and Response Typist. Start earning by working at home online. Find Out How!

Internet Income-We have guided thousands of team members to success using our new type of data-entry job called Global Data Entry. Some members are currently making $300 - $2000 and more per day, using our program and guidance. We have been dealing with online data entry for over 7 years. Do you have a few minutes? I will explain.. More Info..

Earn from Home-Fill Out Simple Web Forms at Home. This is perfect for stay at home moms, students, retired, or anyone interested in honest legitimate part time work online from home. Work for 1 - 3 hours daily - you set your own hours! All you need is a PC and internet connection. No experience needed. Simple training instructions provided. Start work today! Act Now!

Clerical Work -Are you looking for a new career or a way to make extra cash part-time? Ignotius offers telephone answering and general office services to thousands of clients and corporations. We have hundreds of clients that need data entry, telephone answering services, general writing, virtual assistants and clerical work done. Apply now! Complete Details!

Work From Home Data-Over 10,000 members strong! Earning the money many have only dreamed of for doing simple work-from-home data entry. Typing 60 minutes a day to earn $1,000, $3,000, even $10,000 or more EVERY MONTH! This is No Get-Rich-Quick Scheme! It is REAL and PROVEN as we will show you. WHO'S NEXT? Don't Delay!

Get Paid for Surveys-Got opinions? Make cash. Did you know you can make good money filling out online surveys ? STOP Commuting. START earning money and Work Online From Home.... work when YOU want from the comfort of your home. This is an excellent Part-time or Full-time online earning Opportunity. No experience needed. Start Today! Find Out How!

Cash Crate-Do you know that companies are paying top-dollar to have users like you try their products and services for free? At CashCrate, we pass that money on to you. Simply complete free offers and get paid without spending a dime! Get started today for free! Click Here

Maximum Surveys-Could you use an extra $500 to $1,500 a month? Make up to $150/hr with online surveys and shopping jobs. Get paid just for giving your opinion. You just need to fill out online surveys from the comfort of your home or to complete consumer questionnaires after you shop in your favorite shops. It's easier than you think! Click Here

Entrepreneurial Moms-Join an elite group of moms that have discovered new found freedom and wealth with an honest, ethical home business. No Experience Necessary! If you have the drive to better you and your families life, we will train you to become successful. Get Started Now ! Start Today!

Moms Home Business-Ready to make full-time money in your spare time, at home? Free tools for financial independence for women! With Women's Wealth and Wellness, you can make full-time money in your spare time, and work online from home. Best of all, our solution requires no large investment, selling, parties or money collecting. Why wait? There's no risk! Get the Details!

Four Point Moms-We are a giant volunteer support organization that is BBB accredited. We care about you and your family and our mentoring and training is personalized for you. We will train you and mentor you at no charge. Gain confidence, lose stress and find peace as you gain the skill sets you need to take control and change the course of your financial future. Find Out How!