Everything you choose in life comes with a price. Everything is negotiable and it all boils down to what you're willing to pay for what you want.
You have certain values and those values determine what you're willing to give in exchange to honor them. For example, if spending time with your children is one of your top values, you will say yes to certain things and no to certain things, always keeping in mind the impact your decisions will have on your ability to be with your children.
The same goes for running a home-based business. If you are truly committed to building a business that will allow you to honor your values and live the life you envision for yourself, you must be willing to pay a price, and the price for home-based business success is discipline.
Whether you choose to pay it or not is entirely up to you, however, it is important to realize that whether you do or don't pay this particular price, you will pay a price nonetheless.
When you choose a life or goal that asks a certain price and you decide not to pay what is required, you are still making a decision that has a corresponding price. Even when you are not taking action, you are making a decision and the price associated to not following through on your dream is much heavier … you pay the price of regret.
Freedom, happiness and financial security are the byproducts of running a successful home business you love, yet in order to succeed as a home-based business owner, you will be required to live your life in a way that requires strict discipline and continuous action.
You will be required to:
· structure your days and be guarded of your time – this means not letting time stealing people interrupt your day with phone calls or by dropping in at your home
· create specific "business hours" and commit to them – it's so easy to say yes to invitations from friends or family when asked to join them for lunch or to run a few errands in town
· get up and get going – when you don't have a clock to punch or a boss to answer to, you can easily become lenient in your approach to getting your day started
· be mindful of overdoing things – if you already have a tendency to be a workaholic, the scales can easily be tipped to a great imbalance between your work and home/personal/social life
· do things that are uncomfortable – entrepreneurship is about learning and growing which means going out of your comfort zone and being willing to make mistakes
· create new habits and new ways of thinking – you will be required to shift from an employee to entrepreneur mindset and this requires an open mind and a willingness and commitment to learn from mentors and experts on an ongoing basis
· change the books you read, programs you watch and people you spend your time with – your financial status is the average of those you spend most of your time with
The greatest rewards in life come with a price that is corresponding in nature.
Work is required as well as a willingness to become a different person. The good news is when you choose a home business that is in alignment with your values and passion, it doesn't seem like work, but an adventure – and you learn to recognize discipline as your ally instead of your opponent.
Take some time to review your current activities and answer honestly whether or not you are as disciplined as you need to be or can be. Can you improve on your behaviors, implement new structures, modify activities?
Sure, you may like the fact you can sleep in an hour longer and take a two-hour lunch, but realistically, what impact does that have on your productivity and potential for business success?
If you're willing to pay the price of discipline particularly during the early stages of building your business, you efforts will be rewarded a hundredfold.
In the final analysis, remember – discipline weighs ounces. Regret weighs tons.
Laurie Hayes, founder and Director of The HBB Source, helps freedom seekers transition from employee to home-based entrepreneur. Subscribe to her FREE e-zine for valuable tips and resources designed to create business success, at www.thehbbsource.com
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