Copy This Proven Entrepreneur Success Method

How Working From Home Can Be Productive And Profitable, 

Because It Needs To Be

In this article, I will outline something I learned years ago from an insurance Guy. And which could make a big difference for you, also?

   

We marvel and are in awe of skyscrapers. See and feel something in art. Take air travel for granted. We learn to read and write by the time we are twelve. But we have yet to honor the marvel within ourselves. You can always find a solution to a problem. But you need to look.

There is probably no doubt you have already read dozens of promising posts like this one promising you success guaranteed 100% by following these easy simple steps. And I haven't bothered to count how many thousands more there are.

Business is business, and it's not all champagne and roses. The following is a snapshot of my stumbled journey on a dodgy path to get to where I am today. Still looking, from the trenches, at the lofty dreams I hope to achieve. 

     
What sets the self-employed entrepreneurs and employee people apart are the distinctions they make, consciously or by habitual default. 

Distinctions of how they see themselves, their attitude to time and work hours. Distinctions in their roles. Goals and maybe a thousand more reasons.

Special Note: 

Not everything We Home Entrepreneurs touch turns to gold. So, don't be hard on yourself. Just hard on your disciplines.

Hey... we're all human. Some more so than others. Some more disciplined than others. Some more responsible than others.

Us freelancers, well... we are a special breed all of our own. So we are entitled to a bit more slack than others, right. B.S. The rent and electricity are still paid the same way. With money.

Distinctions make a difference. Two meanings of distinction from a dictionary are:

"a difference or contrast between similar things or people."
"the separation of things or people into different groups according to their attributes or characteristics.

The Insurance Guy

A man I knew years ago worked as an insurance salesman from home. 

When Andrew told me this, it felt strange and odd. Because when you're at home you're at home. Home, the place to kick back. Right. When you're relying on money coming in. Wrong, BIG WRONG.

He dressed for the occasion, in a suit and tie and conducted himself as a professional "as if" amongst others at the office. Even though he was still at home, Andrew ‘acted as if’. There’s some powerful psychology at play. 

So, if you wore lipstick to the ‘somewhere else office’, blouse and skirt, heels, do so. The same for guys, yes even lipstick if you like.

In Andrew’s mind, he left home and went to the ‘office’.

The Virtual Office

Today more and more people are and able, via the internet and a computer, to do at home, what they would have been doing at an office, somewhere. This saves time and the costs associated with commuting.

This is where and how distinctions are important. Because the time and cost savings can be easily squandered. Without discipline to distinctions.

Let's say you have a desk that you work from. It may be in the living room. As mine is. Or you may have a separate room, a spare bedroom.

To all those in your household, you need to make it clear, a distinction, this is where you work. 'This is your place of work'. And when you are at work, you are 'At Work'.

Work At Home Mom or Dad

You may have young children at home during the day.

With children, make it a game, have fun installing the distinction so that they feel they have an important role. Being valued rather than being shut out and ignored.

To begin with,

- Take them on a tour of your 'office'.
- Show them all the parts that make up your 'office'.
- What you do in your 'office'.
- Why it is important for you to be able to concentrate. And need quiet time to do that.
- That you are earning money for all the good things for them to enjoy.
- Ask them for their help!

You could say something like, "When you see (Mommy or Daddy) at this desk, I am working for us. So, while I'm here at my desk I need your help. Could you let me get on with the work I need to do." Give them a feeling of contributing as partners, not being shut out.

Of course, if something happened, an accident or injury. Ok. It's a priority. 

Just the same as a co-worker knocking over the water fountain next to your desk in the building where you worked.

Desktop Filing Cabinet

I use to worry about when I was trying to get something right. 

Or being pedantic about organizing something. And the question would pop into my mind 'am I anal'. Well... I got over it. I'd rather be anal than forgetting which obscure place I forgot to remember to save something to somewhere if I saved it anyway. 

And couldn't find it anyway, then having to get it again from where if I could remember the place.

That wasted a lot of time. And I did spend time getting organized better, which became a time-saving.

So... be anal, it's okay. Donald Trump is known for "paying attention to detail". 

My laptop and desktop are synced. Laid out exactly the same way. Yeah, I'm hearing ya. Yep, that's anal, but I can find things.

So, paying attention to detail pays.

Time Blocking

Structuring your day is also important and helpful.

- Set time blocks for when you are 'At Work'.
- Draw a timetable for the week and paste it to the fridge door. For everyone to see.

My Excel Time Spy

This I open when booting up the beast in the morning. To see last nights left-overs and today's tasks. Adding to it during the day. 

Accountability, time, is a big factor working and being alone at home. Because I'm an unsupervised Angel when alone, but when my wife gets home and asks how my day was. I could say great, really busy, but if she saw lots of blanks... hmmm B.S.

The NUMBER ONE QUESTION that should be on your mind when 'At Work' is, "Is this an income-producing activity?"

I use timers. 

Two in fact, and they are free.

• 
• 

Handy when working to a timeline. They can be set at different intervals. Say you have one set for 30 minutes. You know how long you've been working on a project and can decide to give the project another 30 minutes. Or log your time to that project, if enough, and go onto something else.

Very handy when you need to be on social media and get caught up following threads. Enough of that! 

Good advice from others is to set time blocks for social media. And micro blocks for each platform you use. Noted on your timeline or daily schedule for accountability or research.

And of course when writing, how easy it is to lose yourself in your own little world.

Are you aware, that you can reset your day at any time and start afresh? Let's say things have turned sour. Get up, watch the grass grow, or smell the roses. And just say. Okay... I am starting my day again as of now. 

Distinctions are invisible, intangible creatures. They can play havoc in your mind. Or, are firmly in place with discipline.

Our Doubts and Fears are Traitors

As Shakespeare reminds us. Reset and change course when necessary. Then reset and start again. What have you learned, and what can you use from this.

I've read so many posts and sales pitches stating 'this is so easy to do, anyone can do it'. I was just about to write B.S. again.

Boundaries And Discipline 

I still struggle with this. So easy to... 'I'll just put a load in the washing machine'. 

Years ago when I had a brick and mortar business, distinctions were easier, I was there for a specific reason.

A garden fence is a physical boundary, to keep, say the dog from digging up the plants, and a nice safe place for his bone. The vegetable garden has a purpose and is differentiated by the fence. It has a distinct area and purpose. The 'boundary' can be seen, self- explanatory.

Whereas those other prickly 'intangible creatures', Distinctions, need to be staked in the ground using Man's other best friend, Discipline. And a not so well house-trained Discipline can wreak havoc, as would the other dog if let into the garden patch.

You need to exercise the discipline that when you are at work, You Are 'AT WORK'. Basically clock-on and clock-off. 

A guy I read about, a time efficiency expert, had a clock strapped to his chair. And when he stopped work he clocked off, recorded the time. And when he got back to his chair he clocked on and recorded the time. More psychology at play.

Brian Tracey disciplined himself with his mantra, “Back To Work”.

The battle is not out there. The battlefield is between our ears. Everything is, as it is, out there. The crap goes on in our head. Yep, psychology.

Hey, there’s an idea for you. Invent and make a Personal Mind-Sweeper. You’ll make millions of bucks, after my cut of the pie.

Because if you were to let things slide too much, just as being an employee, you'll find yourself out of a job. And no monthly income. Except maybe welfare payments.

I'm writing this article with a purpose, to get clear about my own disciplines and distinctions. The original grandiose idea I had was that I'll get 50 million views and worldwide recognition as the go-to Guru because of writing such an invaluable and much-needed article by all.

Okay, enough of the B.S., let's get back to work.

I’m feeling humble. The title says, COPY THIS PROVEN HOME ENTREPRENEUR SUCCESS METHOD. I hope you get something out of this post that you can use. And do a lot better with your own initiative as a result.

The Icing on the Cake

 Pat yourself on the back for being a Home Entrepreneur.

 You are in the minority of those daring to venture out and dare to live life differently.

 Plenty of others have made it big and doing well. Soooo can you, and me.

Takeaway. No Home Cooking Here

Whether you realize it, you are learning something new every day.

So, if you were to look for something to learn or need to learn, you will be educating and bettering yourself more. More power to you.

You, as an individual, Home Entrepreneur, have your own toolkit. Keep those good and useful tools well-oiled and sparkling. And trash the rest. 

     Everything is hard at first before it comes easy.

     When you are at work, ‘You Are At Work’
                                           
     AND 

     "Is this an income-producing activity?" 

Now, “Back To Work” “Back To Work” “Back To Work” “Back To Work”

Life is like a game of Russian Roulette. 

You don't know if a bullet is in today's chamber and, 

at what time the trigger will be pulled.
Maybe you'll never know,
Because you were sleeping at the time. 

P.S. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and benefited from it. What are your thoughts about this? Did it help you in some way? Did you get an idea? Perhaps share with others. Please leave a comment.

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