Copyright 2006 Sandra P. Martini

Youre doing it. For years youve wanted to work from home and you are finally doing it. You are no longer an employee who has a J O B; you are now a business owner, self-employed, ruler of your own destiny AND you have inherited all the responsibilities that come with owning a business:

* You are the manager * You are the marketer * You are the service provider/widget maker * You are the bookkeeper

And the list goes on. We often get so busy running our businesses that we forget why we started them in the first place.

So what does a small business owner do to stay motivated while working from home?

1. Remember the why.

Take a step back to remember the reason you went into business in the first place. What was your inspiration? It helps to focus intently on how you felt when you first realized you wanted to be successfully self-employed. For me, it was the sense of freedom and independence that I knew would come with success as an entrepreneur.

2. Give yourself a deadline.

If youre procrastinating about a project, you may be motivated by the self-imposed pressure of a deadline. Try giving yourself a deadline that you wont want to back down on: send an email to friends announcing a new product launch, email your client with a due date for that big project youre working on, take reservations for your first teleclass, you get the idea.

3. Maintain a support system.

One of the hardest parts of being a solopreneur can be the sense of isolation. When things go right (or wrong), we no longer have the water cooler to go to. Be sure there is someone who you can share with, someone who is available for a quick motivational chat when you need one.

4. Keep the goal in sight.

A simple, yet effective motivational tool is to keep your goals in sight literally. Ive taken a picture of my dream house and made it the background wallpaper on my computer. One glance at it is a megadose of motivation for me!

5. Take a nap.

As counterintuitive as it sounds, taking a powernap is one of the best ways to rejuvenate your body AND mind. So the next time youre feeling overwhelmed or low, slowly and intently read each of your goals and then go take a powernap. Let your subconscious work on ways to manifest those goals while you rest.

When you wake, youll be raring to go!

6. Reward yourself.

When faced with a large project, unpleasant task or anything that overwhelms you, plan a reward for once its done. The reward can be as simple as a quiet bath with candles or as exciting as a professional sporting event. Just be sure to plan a reward that YOU want and will enjoy!

7. Take a break.

Youve most likely never worked harder than when you are first starting your own business. In addition to actually doing all the work, you need to work on marketing, invoicing and other overhead or non-billable tasks.

Dont get caught in the trap of all work and no play. Be sure you take days off and breaks throughout the day to rejuvenate and gain some perspective. Whenever Im stuck on a project, I grab one of the dogs and go for a walkby the time I return to the office, things have usually sorted themselves out in my head.

It doesn't matter how successful your home business is or how much you love to work from home; both new and established entrepreneurs face the motivational dilemma at some point and while some of the above motivational strategies may seem conflicting on their face giving yourself a deadline versus taking a break for example they all have their place in the life of a successful entrepreneur.