Home Office Distractions – From Failure To Success

When you work from a home office it’s easy to get distracted by trivial things, and ultimately the things that matter most pay for it. Not only are you losing the time you’ve wasted but you lose momentum. Momentum is that thing which makes work flow smoother, richer and more creative. You’ll also soon realize that for many of us our internet business grows exponentially; that is, it takes time for the fruits of our labor to show results. But given time your hard work pays off very nicely and you find success. While some people may find working from home to be initially frustrating, there are many who went from financial failure to success by applying themselves and treating their job like a real business.

Of course it’s important to understand what drives us, and what drives success. In the early 1960’s Leon Festinger, perhaps one of the greatest contributors to social psychology, reached the astonishing conclusion that it’s not attitude which changes behavior, but that it’s behavior which changes attitude. So if you want to be successful then act successful; it will help drive your belief in yourself and your business success. Think about it like this, how many of us say one thing but do another? You know, the ‘eat right and exercise’ crowd. They know what’s right and have the right attitude, but that doesn’t parlay into doing it. In contrast, you won’t find many people who work out regularly who also eat junk food regularly. It really is a matter of behavior driving attitude and perception.

Keep your head in the game. If you wouldn’t sit at a regular job talking on the phone to your sister or best friend for an hour, don’t do it at your home office during business hours. There’s a reason businesses don’t allow you to do it, and a reason why you shouldn’t either. If you’re running a home-based internet business then your time is just as valuable to you as it is to your former boss. Ideally your business is one which allows you an opportunity to plant seeds for a future harvest. If so, wouldn’t you really want to get every single seed in the ground, now, while you can? It’s ultimately your call, but if you’re really looking to maximize your investment and your time then you have to treat your work time accordingly.

Remember the old saying, ‘Dress for the job you want, not the one you have?’ One of the first things I recommend is to dress for success. Yes, even in a home office. It has an absolute effect on your attitude and motivation to work if you sit around wearing pajamas in your home office. I know what some of you are thinking angrily to yourselves right now; it’s something like ‘Hey! That’s one of the reasons I chose to work from home!’ If you’re adamant about it, fine, wear the pajamas. But for those who aren’t it can make a difference in how you feel about your work, your self-confidence doing it and your attitude towards success. And yes, one of the perks of working from home is the ability to wear pajamas, so make it a treat once a week instead of your home-business attire. And I’m not advocating wearing a suit or dress at home, but you should feel comfortable answering the door in what you’re wearing. Personally I shower and dress in the morning just like I would if going off to a “real” job, and wear nice casual pants (or jeans) and shirt.

If you work hard to avoid clutter in your workspace you’ll find that the organization and clarity it provides will improve your ability to do your best work. I’m always fighting clutter because it makes organization almost impossible. The thing about this list of distractions is that it affects us all, right? As I sit here and type this I have 8 browser windows open, with a total of 37 tabs! That’s not good and I know it, so I need to try and stay more organized (we all lose focus sometimes). I’m like a lot of you and find myself chasing some bit of information like a hungry ally cat. Instead, I should try harder to finish one task, close it out or bookmark it, and then move on. The reason is simple- if not I can easily lose my way and lose any creative momentum that I had in the first place. File this one under the ‘easier said than done’ category! Find Success Tip: keep a spiraled notepad handy for daily tasks to keep you on the path you intended. Don’t use a computer Notepad; I’m talking about an old fashioned notebook and pen. Then for the next day I flip the page but can easily refer back to something I wanted to do yesterday. It also serves as a log of my work activities.

No one works harder than successful people. They may play a lot, but when they’re working, they’re working. Despite the myth to the contrary, most millionaires work more than 45 hours a week; they roll their sleeves up and get it done. The same people who propagate the myth that successful people have it made and don’t work are the one’s who say ‘It takes money to make money.’ Even though Forbes Magazine said “Almost two-thirds of the world's billionaires made their fortunes from scratch, relying on grit and determination.” I’m going with that one, that hard work and determination are the keys to success, not family money. Nothing can prevent failure just like nothing can guarantee success; but I’ve never seen a quitter on the podium accepting their gold medal. Work hard and diligently towards your goal, and you’ll find success.

Great business practices and work habits make great people. In order to wrap these suggestions up nicely into a success building package let’s put it into perspective. Many of you reading this are already successful or well on your way; but there are many reading this who aren’t and who need to build a solid, successful home-business platform now. Success is more than luck or even the right idea. Finding success is about your frame of mind and your determination to succeed, and perhaps most importantly about how you act and work. But make no mistake; success can be an elusive thing even for those with the right idea and money. Even the brightest among us struggle on their climb to the top. Knowing that, if you truly want the reward of success and of living your dream, then give yourself every opportunity to succeed. Like Henry Ford, who was a failure with his first two businesses and lost everything 5 times before finally founding Ford Motor Company, if you stay with it and believe in yourself, you can go from failure to success.

Affiliate marketing is a very popular and successful way to build a home business, but always keep your eye on YOU so that you stay motivated and on the right path. Finally, keep working and if your goals include monetizing your writing efforts then write often. For example I just published two new articles at Squidoo this week, both involving hobbies I enjoy and which I believe I can draw traffic for. The first is "How To Make A Paper Airplane" and the other one teaches people how to make a paracord bracelet and other projects. Writing about things you enjoy makes doing it so much easier.

If you keep pushing and working you'll see positive results virtually every time.