All my life I have run businesses from home or worked at home. That sounds boring to many. But let's face it, there have always been people working at home, or run their businesses from home.

My off-line, brick and mortar work (or business) for more than 25 years was run from home, but took me out of my home on a very regular basis. I was lucky, in many respects, on this. Being a tour guide in Israel, my work was outside my home, but I ran the business from home. So I feel I had the best of two worlds.

When I started my on-line business, that was a completely different story. Now I had to adjust to being home more, and when at home I had to be extremely disciplined. Without discipline it becomes very difficult to succeed in a home based business.

This is true even if your business in off-line, and there a plenty of those around.

Just think of it ... all the distractions around you. Even if you have the house to yourself, there are distractions ... the phone, the fridge, things that need to be done at home. If you have family around, it can be even worse.

This is where discipline comes in. If you cannot discipline yourself and your surroundings, there is no way you will truly succeed in a home business, especially one run on-line.

1. Set strict working hours.
It is possible to create pockets of work hours, say from 8-11 am, coffee break and quick chat with family (if needed). Another pocket of 11.30 am - 1.30 pm. Longer break for lunch.
Third pocket, say, 3-5.30 pm.

This is just a suggestion. You should work these pockets around your family needs.

2. Allow no interference                                                                                                              In these working hours, allow no interference from home. Make sure all family members learn to respect those hours.
This becomes easier if you have have a room as your office. If you have to work in a place where there is family activity, set your schedule accordingly.

3. Remove all other distractions, including phone. That is easy, if you have an answering service.
If you don't - get one.
Turn off the ringer. The ringing takes us out of focus, and our brain starts to talk to itself: "shall I or shall I not answer".

If you need to have phone contact with clients, set times where you will answer phone or call back.

4. Create a work schedule

This is different from the work pockets as said above. A work schedule means setting aside specific time for specific tasks.

E-mails: check once a day. If you have alarm every time email comes in, turn it off.
Use same time every day for writing etc.

5. Create a weekly plan
The weekly planner sets up what you want to accomplish for that week. This helps to break down all the tasks into sizes that are easier to accomplish. If something is too big for one day, it can be done over two or more days.
When working with a weekly plan it is easier to complete tasks.

The weekly plan should be created at the end of the working week, or at the end of the weekend.

6. Create a daily plan
The daily planner sets up what you want to accomplish for that day. The best time to create the daily plan is the evening before. During the night our minds will work on the issues that may seem difficult or even unclear.

The daily plan is based on the weekly plan, allowing for time to accomplish all tasks.

7. Take care of yourself
Drink plenty of cold water. Have a bottle of cold water on your desk.
In the breaks have a light snack, such a fruit.
Stay away from coffee fast foods, chips, etc, while working. Coffee can be had during the breaks (brewing coffee is a distraction, as is the eating of chips).

8. Keep a clean working environment
This is both the desk itself, as well as desktop on computer.

You may take some time to clean up your work environment. The less on our desk, the less distraction.

Using this outline will help you create a disciplined work schedule, and will help you towards success, if it is in home based business or work at home, off line or on line.

I know that when I implemented these steps, I move further and faster in my businesses.