I don’t know if you caught Robin Roberts on the news recently talking about her new book “From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By”. As you probably know, she’s a breast cancer survivor and is also a co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. She shares eight rules to live by that apply to your life, and surprisingly, I found they were perfect lessons for anyone who has a home business. In this article, I share the eight rules and show you how they apply to working at home.

Rule 1. Position yourself to take the shot. To be successful you have to arm yourself with the right skills, training and tools. Too many people start a home business without investing in the tools and education they need to be successful.

Rule 2. Dream big, but focus small. Dreams keep you motivated and allow you to stretch yourself to new heights. But to make those dreams come true, you need to set tangible and measurable goals so you can move forward one step at a time.

Rule 3. If at first you don't succeed, dive back in. There is going to be a learning curve with your business and you will make mistakes. The important point is to stay committed and to not give in to disappointment. Take each experience as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Rule 4. Never play the race, gender, or any other card. If you make excuses you will never reach your goals. You can blame the economy, timing, where you live, or anything else. It is only when you stop blaming and take responsibility that you can move to a position of power.

Rule 5. Venture outside your comfort zone. If you don’t challenge yourself to learn and grow, you will stay exactly where you are. Identify your strengths and learn to leverage those. At the same time, your business will demand some things of you that you’ve never tried before. When you have your own home business, your personal growth will amaze you.

Rule 6. Focus on the solution, not the problem. If you have your own business then you know that your objective is to provide solutions to meet the needs, wants and desires of your target market. Practice what you preach. In any home business, you will face challenges. Shift your perspective to one of opportunity and you will grow.

Rule 7. Keep faith, family, and friends close to your heart. Working at home can be tough can be tough on not just you, but your family as well. Gaining your family’s support for your home business is critical to your success and your family’s happiness.

Rule 8. Make your mess your message. Someone once told me that if you’re looking for your true mission in life then find the one thing that most challenged you. If you build your business around this mission, you will bring great passion to your business and your life.

Cindy Schulson is a coach for people who work from home or want to have a home business. One of the key areas in which she provides support is helping people take their businesses online, using the principles of attraction marketing. She will show you how you can walk through everything one step at a time, in way that is easy to follow and rewarding. Her goal is to help you bring out the best in you, work smart and move forward in the direction you choose. Visit her at Home Business Wins and get a free copy of her ebook about the 12 key areas for success for any home business owner.