What Separates Highly Motivated People

??

Have you ever asked yourself what separates highly motivated, highly successful people from everyone else?

No matter what walk of life they come from, people who are motivated to achieve success share certain traits, says Gail Cohen, lecturer and consultant who is the author of Thinking Outside the Lines: Power Thinking for the 21st Century.

“There are 10 things that are common denominators — 10 things that highly successful people do that you can do and I can do,” Cohen says.

As you read through the list, consider which attributes you already possess and which ones you need to improve upon, she advises.

Highly motivated people …

1. Have extraordinary purpose
They set their goals high and are always reaching for the top.

2. Are willing to take risks
They have the confidence to step out of their comfort zone to try new ideas or strategies.

3. Participate fully in life
They take part in their organizations, in their families and in their communities.

4. Are energetic
They’re willing to jump in and take things on — and have the mental energy necessary to get it done.

5. Are humble
They’re not afraid to admit they don’t know it all. They’re eager to keep growing.

6. Are committed to life-long learning
They know their stuff and are always in the process of learning more.

7. Possess an attitude of success
They act as if it were impossible for them to fail, as if their success is a done deal.

8. Are persistent — with options
They never give up until they succeed, but they’re willing to try a variety of options to get what they want rather than to keep hitting their head against the same brick wall.

9. Strive for health in all aspects of their lives
They work hard to take care of themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and socially.

10. Rise above adversity
They rise above the small stuff to achieve greatness in their lives.

Find yourself lacking in some of these areas? Identify others you know who possess these traits and ask them to mentor you or find out how they went about developing these attributes, Cohen recommends. Read about famous people who have the characteristics you’d like to improve in yourself and see what you can learn from their experiences.

Home Businesses Tips

Research the Market.

Before you begin operating any kind of business it is important to define your market. In other words carefully research who would be interested in buying your product or service and what would they be willing to pay for your service or product. You also need to have a good idea of how many people would buy your product and how often.

Have a Detailed Business Plan.

The more detailed the better. Many companies fail because they did not have a realistic start up plan. This plan should include all possible start up costs as well as making sure that you have enough money to survive on until your company is up and running. Most companies will not start to show any profit for at least six months.

Make a Schedule and Stick to it.

Even though you will be working from your home you need to have schedule. Many people who start home based business find that although they working long hours they are not accomplishing very much. Be sure that when you are writing your schedule you allow time not only for the actual work but for any time needed to do the mundane chores that have to be done to keep the company operating. Chores like the daily or weekly accounting, or doing equipment checks and maintenance.

Separate Your Personal Life as From the Business.

Many people who open a home business find it very hard to separate their business life and their personal life. It is essential that you let friends and family know that even tough you are at home you are working. Set your hours and stick to them. I.e. Do not take personal calls, get a separate line installed or get an answering machine if you have to.

You also have to make certain that customers and clients respect the fact that although you are home, you do need time off. You are not available 24 hours a day.

Make Time for Yourself.

A lot of people who go into business for themselves do not understand that you need to take breaks and have time to relax. All people need to get away from the stress of the ”office” and the “pressure of work“. You can not properly function at a high capacity all the time. You will be more productive if you take a fifteen minute break and take a walk and come back to work refreshed than to try to work for 5 or 6 hours strait.

If you start off your business with these things in mind, you will have a much better chance of operating a successful home based business.

Disadvantages of Working From Home

Working from home sounds great. You do not have to get up and get dressed and race out of the house. You do not have to worry about traffic, delays or the weather. You can set your own hours, and you get to be your own boss. But, there are a lot of disadvantages to working from home and owning your own business that many people do not consider. They start their company and realize that it is not what they were expecting.

People who do work from home never get to leave the office. They often have trouble being able to separate the two. Depending on the business that you plan on having you may discover that you are getting calls at strange hours or that you end up working twice as much as you would with a nine to five job, or working for someone else. Clients and customers who realise that you do work from home often think that you are available any time day or night.

There is also a lot of pressure in owning your business that people seem to forget. In many cases you can not count on getting a regular pay check. And, there is no guarantee as to how much or how often that check will come. Will you be able to adjust to this type of financial arrangement?

Owning your own company often means that there is often nothing to fall back on if you run into problems. If you buy a new piece of equipment, or software it is up to you to work out problems and solutions. There is no one else to ask for help.

A person who works from home also has to have a lot of self discipline. It is very easy when working from home to get interrupted or distracted. There is no separation between the two and it is all to easy to stop for coffee with a friend who just stops by or to get distracted by something in the house that may require attention. It is very important to be the type of person who can sit down and ignore what is going on elsewhere.

Depending on the type of business that you are considering there may not be a lot of social contact. If you are operating an on-line business for example, you may find that you do not actually see other people for days, or until you leave the house. Many people discover that thy actually miss not having direct communication with others even if it is just around the water cooler.

Before you go jumping into a home business look at what type or person you are. Can you handle the pressure of not having a regular pay check? Can you solve problems on your own? Will you miss the people? Before jumping into your own business consider these things carefully.

The Importance of Having a Business Plan

The concept of owning and operating a home based business has a great number of appealing qualities. You do not have to rush out every day to get to work, you can select when and how much you want to work and you are your own boss. However, before you do decide to open one of these ventures it is extremely important to set up a good business plan.

People who start these often companies do not plan for many of the unexpected costs that do come up and they find themselves in financial difficulties very quickly. When setting up your business plan it is essential that you carefully outline in as much detail as possible everything that your business is going to require.

Take a careful look at all the equipment you will need. You will want to include all the big items that you are going to require i.e. a computer, fax machine printer etc. but, do not for forget to take into account that you are going to have to purchase all your own small business supplies as well. Pen, pencils staplers, all add up quickly are often forgotten or are over looked when people are doing their planning. You may have to install a second phone line so there might be hook-up charges or other expenses involved.

You should also take a look at which aspects of the business you are going to do yourself and which of any services you are going to have to contract out. Who will handle the accounting? Are you going to do it yourself or are you planning on hiring it out? If you are doing it yourself will you need to purchase additional software or books?

What about advertising costs. Are you able to do your own? What kind of advertising do you intend to do? Will you be putting ads in the local paper, posting flyers, using the yellow pages or doing it on-line. Even if you are simply putting up local flyers what are the costs of printing, paper etc.?

You are also going to want to make sure that you put money aside for unexpected emergencies. What if the computer breaks down? Or you get a virus? Will you be able to fix the situation or will you find yourself with a large unexpected repair bill?

The more details that you are able to put into your plan the better. Write things down and keep careful records. Many people who start their own companies go under simply because they did not do enough planning at the beginning of their operation.

Setting up the Home Office

Once you have decided to go ahead and open your own home based business you are going to have to look at where you are actually going to work. This area is going to be your office so it is essential that you take into account a variety of things. You want to be both comfortable and productive so you need to set things up accordingly.

What do you need for your business? How much space and equipment are you going to require? Do you need an internet connection, extra phone lines? What kind of furniture if any will you require? Write up a detailed list of all the things that you are going to require and plan the space that you have available to you.

Ideally, you will be able to have a separate area or room away from the rest of the family where you can set up and leave your things. You want to be in an area that will provide you with the least amount of distractions and noise. It is important that the rest of the family know that this is your work area and that they are not to disturb things.

If a separate room is not an option consider getting a portable partition. This will help to separate your office space from the rest of the house. It is also a good way of letting the family know that you are working and do not want to be disturbed.

If there are children in the home you may want to get a second line put in that is just for the business. At the very least you will probably want to have an answering machine or call display.

You also want to make sure that you will be comfortable working in that space. The furniture that you choose should not only reflect the business but be comfortable. The space where you intend to work should be a well ventilated area and has enough light. Do not just pick a remote corner of the house.

By properly setting up your own personal “office” space you will be more productive. This is especially true if you are able to provide yourself with a room or an area that is fixed and stable rather than trying to work at the kitchen table. Also by having your own area, even though you are at home, it will help you to mentally separate “work” home.

Advantages to Having a Home Business

In today’s modern world most families require two incomes. Because of this more and more couples are looking into the possibility of operating and owning their own home business. If you have never considered this you should look at all the advantages that can come from having a business that is operated from your own home.

Home based businesses are especially appealing to parents who require a second income but do not want to have their children shipped off to daycare. By operating a home based business you can have the freedom to choose your own hours and to plan your own working schedule around your children rather than trying to plan your children around your work.

You can also take advantage of using your home as a tax deduction. Tax deductions and benefits will very depending on which country, state or province you live in but with a bit of research or a good accountant many people are surprised at the amount of things that they are allowed to claim. Some people are able to claim to everything form heat to actual square footage of their house on their income tax forms.

A lot of people also find the thought of not having to commute to work very attractive. You do not have to get up and rush out of the house. Nor do you have to worry about construction, weather or traffic jams while you are trying to get to your job.

People who are operating their own home based businesses are also able to save money because they are not concerned with ensuring that they have proper work wear. There is no need to go out and get expensive suits or ties, nor do you have to worry about safety clothes or equipment.

Another great factor about having a home based business is that families often find they can manage with only one car. If the parent working outside the home is able to take advantage of the public transportation system or by car pooling then the other parent is free to have the vehicle all day. Alternatively if the parent at home does not need the car they can do the household errands after their spouses working hours.

A home based business is one of the best ways of allowing a family to be a family and still have the benefits of a two family income.

Time Management Considerations

One of the most difficult parts about owning your own company is trying to mange your time. People who do start up their own businesses often fail to take a realistic look at the time that will be involved. They plan the actual time to do their “work” but fail to realize the other factors that they are going to have to do to keep their business operating.

Who will take care of the accounting? If you are going to have someone else take care of the books, you will still have to spend time keeping track of the day to day operations. And if you are planning on doing it yourself have you allotted yourself time each day or week to get it all done?

Depending on the type of business that you plan on having you may be required to do your own advertising. Even if you are simply planning to post flyers around the neighbour hood , you have to look at time involved in printing, in getting them posted and replaced when necessary.

Another thing that people who are trying to work from home discover is that they are constantly being interrupted. You are not at ”the office” or “at work” so quite often friends and family do not realise that you are busy. It is important to let these people know that you are in fact working. You have to be very clear that this is your work time and it is not a good time for personal calls or coffee.

You also have to remember that you are going to need time for yourself. People who work from home often have difficulties separating the business from their down time. It is important to remember that you do need breaks and time for a social life.

When you are planning your work week or month, these types of activities all need to be accounted for. If you do not consider all these things carefully beforehand , you may find yourself spending hours and hours working but actually getting very little done.

Avoiding Home Business Scams

There are hundreds of jobs that are advertised on-line. Unfortunately may of them are scams. Not only will they waste your time, they will cost you money. It is very important that if you are considering working for one of these companies that you do your research and ask questions.

Search on-line and try to find out as much information about the company as you can. Check to find any sites that may have negative feedback. Find out what other people are saying about both the company and their product or service. If at all possible try to contact someone who has already had direct experience with the company, or is already employed by them.

Find out who actually owns the company. If there is some kind of problem you want to know exactly who you are dealing with and where they are located. Laws between states are different and trying to pursue any kind of follow up should it become necessary may be virtually impossible if they are in another state or country.

Watch and see how long it takes the company to respond back to you. Chances are that if you do not receive a quick response to your questions, they will not be quick in responding if you run into any difficulties. Find out what kind of support system they have in place and how much help they will be able to provide you with.

Find out exactly how you will be paid by the company. Are you working on commission, by the piece or by the hour? How will you get your money from the company? Will it be direct deposit, Pay-Pal or some other method. How often will you get paid?

Beware of the companies that want you to put money out for starter packs or supplies. In many cases you may never receive the pack and company is no longer around to get a refund. Or when you do get your pack it is certainly not what you were expecting and you have overpaid.

There are a lot of companies on-line that are legitimate but there many more that are not. It is up to you to carefully choose which one you are going to work for. Be thorough and research carefully. A company that does not want to respond to all your questions and concerns is not one that you want to get involved with.

Things to Consider Before Starting a Home Business

More and more people today are looking at the possibility of working from home and operating their own business. Working from home has a lot of advantages. You do not have to commute, you can pick your own hours and you get to be your own boss. But before you decide that you are going to start up your own home business there are a few things that you should consider.

Do you have enough space in your home? Depending on the type of business that you decide to open will your home be able to accommodate it? Will you be able to have your own office? Will you have to renovate?

Are you going to have to keep your present job? If you do have to keep working at your job when are you going to be able to work at home? Can you work on the weekends, before or after your regular job? Take a good look at how many hours you can really put in each week. Will it be enough? And what will you have to sacrifice in order to make it happen?

Have you looked into local regulations regarding home businesses? Many communities have strict zoning laws about what kind of business can be operated and where. Will you be seeing clients at home? Will you go to theirs? Or is your venture going to be strictly on the internet? Are you going to need to get a business licence? Will your business disturb neighbours?

What are the start up costs going to be? Before beginning any kind of home operation You have to sit down and draw up a very detailed list and try to consider all the things that that your business is going to need. Do you have enough money? Will you have to get a loan? Remember most businesses are going to take time before you start to see actual profit. Do you have enough reserves to keep going until the business is showing a profit?

How will the business affect you personal life? If you do have children, can work around them? Do you really want to work two jobs? How much of a sacrifice are you willing to make? Often people do not realise that working a home job means putting in more hours than they do at a nine to five job.

As appealing as the home job sounds, it is very important to look at all of these things and a lot more before jumping in and quitting your present job. Working at home does have its advantages but be careful to consider all the factors before you begin.