Three Simple Ways to Stay Focused

By Jim Capobianco

While I was trying to find a subject to write about this month that would be of interest to my readers, I did many things with my computer.

I stared at a blank computer screen. I played solitaire. I checked my email several times an hour. I played solitaire. I re-worked some of my existing web pages. I played solitaire. I joined online business organizations. I played solitaire. I read ebooks (new ones I just downloaded and some I downloaded a while ago and never got to read). I played...

Do you see a thread emerging here? Besides that I like to play solitaire.

I lost my FOCUS! I was doing what I found to be easier than the task at hand. Which was getting out this month's issue of my newsletter.

This is easy to do when you don't have a BOSS telling you what to do. You must have the DISCIPLINE to be on your own and to take charge of your own situation.

Remember, you sign your own paycheck!

When evaluating whether you have what it takes to start your own business, some questions that always come up are:

"Are you a self starter?"
"Can you work on your own?"
"Are you willing to make sacrifices?"

Even though what I was doing with my computer were constructive (OK, except for the solitaire). I had lost track of my priorities. It was time to publish my monthly newsletter and I was doing other things instead.

It was easy to make excuses for not focusing on this month's issue. Writer's block, other things on my mind, email must be read, and so on.

As a self-employed individual, you have to shake yourself back into reality. It is so easy to get distracted. You have to tell yourself:

"Hey it is time to get back to work. Let's get your priorities in order!"

This is when you need FOCUS and DISCIPLINE.

It is so easy to take the path of least resistance; but doing good work is hard and requires dedication.

Downloading and reading emails or ebooks (and playing solitaire) is a lot easier than putting together a newsletter.

So let's talk a little about FOCUS and DISCIPLINE and how to prioritized your tasks.

I wrote an article recently on "Time Management".

In the article I talk about how difficult it is to manage your time in a home based business and how important good time management can be to the success of your business.

The article ends with the statement of how important "Focus and Discipline" are to someone who is self-employed.

Not only do you have to manage your time; but you have to use that time wisely. All the time in the world is no good to you if you waste it.

Time management, focus and discipline are skills you must develop if you are going to be your own boss. These are skills you have to learn just like marketing, the computer or copy writing.

Once learned, these skills must be practiced and developed.

As a Small Business Coach, I don't always practice what I preach. In my ebook "10 STEPS TO YOUR OWN HOME-BASED BUSINESS", I devote a whole chapter to FOCUS and DISCIPLINE. It is that important.

I have been doing this for over 30 years and I still have problems with FOCUS and DISCIPLINE.

I must constantly remind myself of my priorities and what has to be done and when.

So how do I deal with FOCUS and DISCIPLINE?

I play solitaire... just kidding.

Here are several ways to bring back your FOCUS and DISCIPLINE.

Some or all of them may work for you:

Make Lists

I find tasks easier to "focus" on and more manageable when I organize them in writing. It makes me feel more in control.

You can do this is several ways:

1. Post-it Notes.
2. 3x5 Index cards.
3. Dry-Erase boards.

I am a great one for the "dry-erase" board because of their ease of use and multi-color markers. I have them all over the house and my home office.

Here are just a few uses I find for them:

1. To-Do lists. I get a feeling of accomplishment as I check them off.

2. I jot down ideas for future projects. While surfing the net or reading an ezine or ebook, I may get an idea I don't want to forget.

3. Flow charts for Web page links. Because of the marker colors available, they are great for laying out a web site and can easily be changed.

4. I have one that is a blank calendar month. I keep track of up-coming events and important due dates.

5. They are great for presentations to clients or to map out a course of action for yourself.

I am sure there are 100s of uses you can come up with that I haven't thought of.

They come in all different sizes, are quite inexpensive and are carried by most office supply stores.

I also make extensive use of the Post-it Note and the 3x5 Index card. Here I also make use of the various colors they come in for different purposes.

I love to be "organized". It makes my job so much more enjoyable and doable. But that's a subject for another article.

Take A Break

If I am working on a project and hit a "brick wall", I stop and maybe I'll play a little solitaire. :o)

Whatever?

Sometimes you just need to step away for awhile and regroup. I always have more than one project going at a time so if I need a break, I can switch gears and still be productive.

Sometimes though, I just take a walk and come back later or another day and I find that the obstacle is no longer there and I am able to complete my task.

For some reason, frustration just makes the "brick wall" thicker and a little break brings things back into focus.

Scrap The Whole Idea

I know this may sound funny; but sometimes, as you work on a project, you come to realize it wasn't such a good idea in the first place and rather than "beating a dead horse" your best course of action is to cut your losses and move on to something else.

Don't let this plan of action or lack of action discourage you. Many of the most prolific inventors, including Thomas Alva Edison, abandoned many attempts in favor of a new direction before they found the solution to their problem.

Sometimes trial and error, although at times costly, can be the best teacher.

These are just some simple things you can do when you lose your FOCUS and DISCIPLINE.

Remember, if you don't love what you do, your going to be frustrated and miserable...

...and not very successful!

About the Author ---- Jim Capobianco, the author of "10 Steps to Your Own Home-Based Business", has been self-employed for over 25 years, both on and off line. At his web site, Cap-Tech.com and in his newsletter, The Cap-Tech Times, he shares his experience and expertise when it comes to owning your own business. Come pay a visit at: http://www.cap-tech.com

Discover How to Stay Motivated and Be Successful

By Emily Clark

If you surveyed 50 people asking each their definition of success, chances are you would receive fifty different answers. Even so, there are certain steps everyone must follow in order to be successful. One of the most important is - staying motivated.

Do you have a new job? Have you started your own business? Are you in the process of earning a degree? Do you have the desire to lose weight? If one of these scenarios are a recent event in your life, you are probably still excited about the opportunity. That also probably means you are motivated, as well. Excitement and motivation, often, work hand in hand.

But, how do you stay motivated after several weeks or months have gone by? How do you maintain the same level of excitement that you had when you began your new adventure?

There are many things you can do to stay motivated. It is important to set aside a few minutes or more, each day, in an effort to keep your motivation level at its highest. There will be days that you may feel less motivated then usual. Let's face it; we all have a bad day now and then. So, by doing all that you can to maintain a positive attitude, your "down days" will probably be few and far between.

Read a book. There are hundreds of books that have been written on the topic of motivation. Visit your local bookstore or library and browse the shelves. Ask the clerk or librarian for author and title recommendations. Both will be happy to help you.

If you have a busy schedule, don't despair. Set aside 15 or 20 minutes each day. Even if you only read a few pages, during that time, it WILL help to keep you motivated. I do it and can attest to the fact that it really DOES work!

If you are in the process of achieving a goal such as weight loss or top salesperson, make a "dream board". A dream board is a poster, of sorts. If a trimmer figure is your goal, cut out pictures of the new wardrobe you will someday buy.

If you dream of out-selling your peers, find pictures of your dream home or vacation destination... of the new car you would LOVE to drive. Make a collage with these pictures and hand it somewhere where you will see it each day.

There are many other things you can do to stay motivated. Believe in yourself. Stay healthy. Maintain a positive attitude.

You will be amazed at what you can achieve!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

Be Action-Oriented

By Edmund Loh

Are you a melancholic online business owner by nature? I have something to tell you.

In case you do not know what melancholy is, a melancholic person is someone who has a very detailed attitude. He or she is very aware of his or her surroundings, usually is good with words, and often good planners and strategists. Seeking details is probably their second nature.

I like everything about melancholic people except for one thing – they usually lack the initiative to take action. Very often, they are phlegmatic by nature and this, my friend, can be their greatest weakness.

How often have you met people who have told you a lot of their plans – about what they wanted to do in life and in the near future – but never happened? Are you one of them?

You probably had friends who told you about their great plans and being a great melancholy, their plans are usually very detailed. Ironically, when time passes, their plan never materialized. More often that not, the excuse lies behind their lack of will to take action.

This happens almost everyday. You will also find that this is a very great challenge to all who are looking to start their own Online Business where putting in sweat equity is concerned.

So, plan a little. We all still need to plan to succeed. You do not have to be very detailed, though. You might cringe at this fact but the logic is, very detailed plans make it sound as if it is “too much work”. Now, are you no longer surprise why most people lack the will to take action?

If you do not believe me, here is an analogy I would like you to compare.

[1] I plan to go to town. I will take buses No. 6 and 24 to reach there. I will probably reach town in an hour.

[2] I plan to go to town. I will walk out of the house, turn left, turn right, go straight, wait at the bus stop, climb up Bus No. 6, pay the fare, take a seat, stop at the bus terminal, walk down the platform, climb up Bus No. 24, pay the fare, take a seat, wait, and stop at the City Square.

Of the two plans, which one sounds like “too much work”? The two plans still lead to the same destination. If a friend in your neighborhood asks you for direction to town, which of the above two plans will you tell him?

I believe you get my point by now. On the same token, plan on what you need to do. Be precise and concise. Some extra details in your plan can be included but make sure they are useful. Your plans do not need spare parts just as your DIY tools do not need any. More “spare parts” in your plan is going to weigh a lot on your desire to take action.

Sometimes to succeed in Online Business, you have to be a little bit choleric. You have to take control of your Online Business especially during its infancy stages. Your lack of control is a very good weapon to kill it so beware. Take control.

I know that there are people who are afraid of making mistakes but let us be realistic – we are all human. We make mistakes – whether we like it or not.

The best thing we can do is learn from our mistakes as much as possible and avoid making major mistakes. If you take control and make mistakes, at least you are in control and you can change it, not something or somebody else.

I also believe that we are all smart people in one way or another. Most of us just lack the will to take action. This simple formula summarizes it all:

[Intelligence / Work = Results]

Most of us are very intelligent people but without work, there will be no results. Now it is a small wonder why the people whom we call half-wits still get ahead of us.

Be action-oriented. Produce results!

Copyright © Edmund Loh

About the Author:
Edmund Loh is the author of the E-Biz Wiz Blog and Starting An Internet Business Special Report. Visit E-Biz Wiz Blog for proven ideas, tips and information on starting your own Internet Business and subscribe to the 12 Day Internet Marketing Success Course. http://ebizmodelsyoucancopy.blogspot.com

You are the Master of Your Destiny

By Krishnan Chinnasamy

Every thought of a human being is transformed as picture in everybody's mind.

The picture transformed into your mind will be depending upon your thought. If your thought is about success, the picture transformed into your mind, will be as if you are getting success.

If your thought is failure, then the picture transformed into your mind will be as if you are getting failure.

Never think or doubt, when you begin with something that it will end in failure. If you think so, then that thought or doubt will be transformed as a 'failure' picture in your mind and your sub-conscious mind will direct your action according to that 'failure picture', which naturally your action will end in failure.

On the other hand, if you think on the other side, the thing will end in success, your thought will be transformed into the picture of success, and automatically your subconscious mind will direct the result to end in success. It is the secret of nature.

Because you can yield only what you plant.

Planting of paddy yield only paddy and not wheat.

Planting of success in your mind only yield success and not failure.

Thoughts, picture, and action all have close interaction with each other. They cannot differ and distract at anytime.

For example, if you want to have your own house, think deeply about your dream house as if you have purchased a beautiful house.

Naturally your dream house will be transformed into as a picture in your mind. Your sub-conscious mind will direct you to convert that dream house into a real house. It will create circumstances and opportunities for you to convert that dream house into a real house out of your own resources.

One single thought leads to many thoughts. If you want to be rich you should constantly think of having huge money. That one thought leads to many thoughts like huge bank balance, having beautiful house, variety of cars, beautiful ornaments, all modern amenities, huge play ground, beautiful swimming pool in your house, and still many more thoughts.

Such a positive single thought is having a power to create so many positive thoughts.

Similarly it is not wonder that one single negative thought will also create so many negative thoughts.

So negative thoughts are also having equal power like positive thoughts power.

You cannot underestimate the power of negative thoughts.

Always think good, think positively.

Never let your mind to think negatively and practice to think positively, then every thing will happen in favor of you.

C.Krishnan Author

C.Krishnan, was formerly a Government official in a state government corporation in India.

He has written many articles on motivation, children, parenting, etc.,

Please view more articles in his homepage http://www.tncity.biz/article.html