Success means different things to different people. What does success mean to you?

That’s a question I ask all of my new clients and I love the myriad of responses. It would be interesting to add a second question: “On a scale of 1-10 how difficult do you believe it will be to achieve your definition of success?” I don’t think the answers would be quite as diverse. I believe that many, if not most, entrepreneurs would say that becoming successful is very stressful and means working around the clock. But is that true, or is it simply our perception?

A smart business model is designed to be scalable and doesn’t depend solely on the business owner’s contribution. Yet many entrepreneurs hold on to every small task and every big worry as though no one else in this world is capable of following through on a job or turning a worrisome event into a successful outcome. It’s almost as though they believe that running a successful business must be unpleasant and that the heavy burden is theirs alone to bear.

That does not have to be the case. Even solopreneurs don’t have to work on a solo basis. I’ve written about advisory boards, virtual assistants, coaching, and more in past blog posts; there are resources for everyone. No one has to go it alone. One of my favorite Henry Ford quotes is, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” With a solid business model in place, success is attainable and letting go of any negative beliefs around success will get you there more quickly.

My observation is that people who truly believe that achieving success and living in comfort comes from a constant stream of stress, worry, and deprivation often experience just that; an uncomfortable existence including great financial stress and worry. Think about your stress. It’s very real, I know. The question is: are you allowing your stress to hold you down or propel you forward? Another wonderful Henry Ford quote: “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

Take a few moments and think about your definition of success and your feelings about achieving it. Are you prepared for a smooth take off or experiencing mechanical difficulties?

To me, the word “solo” conjures up images of a hang glider enjoying the solitude and beauty of a solo flight; or a gifted musician on stage performing solo before appreciative fans. Both are strong, independent people with a passion for living in the moment and a drive to live their greatest dream - in spite of their deepest fears. If you think about it, doesn’t that describe the spirit of an entrepreneur as well?

Yet, for many solopreneurs the word “solo” translates to loneliness, living with the burden of decision-making, uncertainty, and often sleepless nights. Well, I believe that anyone is capable of changing a negative scenario into a brighter picture. It takes a little self-prodding to get outside of your current comfort zone so make sure to ask for support and maybe some accountability from someone. That may be a spouse, friend, peer, or a coach – there are a lot of resources out there. Here are some ideas that will help!

1. Join networking and social groups. A weekly meeting offers camaraderie, resources, and a boost to your professionalism.
2. Spend some time working outside of your home: a local coffeehouse, library, park, or at the home of another solopreneur.
3. Get help with the kids: Don’t try to be the full time childcare provider AND run a full time business. You are setting yourself up to fail. Either accept that your business is a part time operation (for now) or arrange for child care for some part of the week. You AND your children will be much happier.
4. Create an Advisory Board: It doesn’t matter that your business is small, you will still benefit from the well-rounded expertise of an Advisory Board. Choose 3-7 people who are experts in marketing, sales, product development, etc. and consult with them as a group on a quarterly basis.
5. Build a social network: While it’s almost too easy to get lost on Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and other such sites, they are valuable tools in building your network and creating friendships. Occasionally touching base in the virtual world helps ward off that lonely feeling AND will help you to grow your business.
6. Create balance! If you’re taking care of the kids by day and working by night, there’s no time for relationships and socialization. Get out one night (or day) a week. Call a friend or have a date night with your significant other. Make sure to create conversations around things other than business and kids. When you talk about things like hobbies, vacations, and other interests, it will bring a sense of “togetherness” and ward off that feeling of isolation.
7. Always dress for work: Working in your PJ’s may seem novel at first, but can escalate those feelings of “aloneness.”
8. Take regular breaks and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! I take myself for a power-walk or a nice lunch (even a picnic) at least 3 times a week. You’ll be amazed by the energizing effect of this outing.
9. Find other solopreneurs and brainstorm with them. I have several friends who also own their own business and our conversations raise our energy levels and renew the passion.
10. Get Coached: Of course, I always recommend coaching as well. When I started my first business I hired a business coach. It not only took some of the pressure off, it confirmed my choices, affirmed my purpose, and eventually led to an amazing career!

How do you feel today? How are your thoughts about what lies ahead and your ability to enjoy the day, solve problems, interact with people and feel good about all of it? Are you able to feel good about YOU?

As you ask yourself these questions pay attention to your breathing. Is it deep and full, or shallow and unsatisfying? What about any physical sensations that your body may be experiencing. Are your shoulders tense, stomach or chest tight? Really pay attention to how you feel. Now a simple question: Do you feel good, or do you feel bad? If you feel good and your body is relaxed, breathing full, and your thoughts positive, you’re likely have a good day and live a longer, happier life. If you feel bad, and that’s your normal “default” setting, you may be doing harm to yourself, never mind missing out on enjoying life. The affects of negative thinking are astonishing and the stress associated with your negative thought patterns can make you sick.

"An estimated 75% to 90% of visits to primary-care physicians are for stress-related problems." —American Institute of Stress

Repeat these words three times in a row: “I’m so depressed.” (You may replace the words with a phrase that matches your feelings.)

Now, how do you feel? Check in with your body. Are you tense? Sad? Feeling down or anxious? You see, words (and thoughts) are more powerful than we sometimes give them credit for. We cannot say a word without internalizing it. We feel our thoughts and words even if we’re not always conscious of doing so.

Now say this phrase three times in a row: “Anything is possible!”

Better? Take a nice, deep breath and check in with your body again. Now notice that we did not go from “I’m so depressed” to “I feel great!” It’s important that we take realistic, bite-sized steps toward improving our thoughts and self-talk. We can’t trick our brain into feeling great if we don’t really feel great. But we can embrace a more positive outlook.

As you go through your day be conscious of your thought patterns and emotions. When you find yourself moving into negative thoughts about yourself and/or others, STOP and create an intentional shift in thinking. Choose thoughts or words that sound and feel more positive. Remember that you’re not striving to create the opposite thoughts and feelings, but something one or two steps better. Be aware of how this process changes your energy and tension levels. Be patient with yourself and practice taking nice, deep breaths throughout your day. Stay true to this process and enjoy its many benefits!

While driving to my “office” here at the local coffee shop this morning, I couldn’t help but notice that we are in our final week of fall color, as the trees are losing the last of their beautiful leaves. I took in the beauty with a tinge of sadness, but then realized that soon the barren trees will glitter, appearing crystallized as the overnight frosts grow stronger and deeper. The thought of yet another beautiful season before us took away any feelings of sadness, replacing them with a deep gratitude for what lies ahead.

We can learn so much about change from nature – especially trees. While we seem to resist change, standing firmly rooted in our comfort zone, trees embrace each season of change with such beauty and grace. As they grow older, trees become more grounded and deeply rooted in their community. They grow taller and stronger and absorb everything that goes on around them without allowing it to effect their health or their purpose. They take on a silent wisdom in all that they’ve witnessed and share that wisdom only with those who look deeply enough in their own curiosity. I think the most amazing thing about trees is that they contribute so much to our well-being, even after their time is past and they take on another form to support our needs. I only wish that all trees were allowed to live a full life before contributing to our society in a different form, but there’s much to learn there as well. Trees never resist change.

Change. How do you adapt to it? How do you support others through change? Many people resist change, even if there is a promise of growth and opportunity within it. Here are a few tips on handling change. Do you have anything to add?

- If the change you are facing includes a true loss, make sure to take time to grieve. Acknowledge the loss and think about how the current situation has helped you to grow. Accept that you must grieve and that grieving is a process with much hope on the other side of it.

- If the change feels threatening in some way, take your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper. If you stay in your head you may create chaos and fear because your right brained fight or flight instinct kicks in. Organize your thoughts on paper so that your logical left brain can take over and minimize the fear. You might try journaling your thoughts, then making a list of the positive pieces of the situation. Take it from someone who’s experienced much change, both tragic and wonderful; there is hope and beauty in all change if we allow it.

- For smaller change (like the last of the color on the trees) move your mind to the hopeful side of what’s next. Just as I did this morning as I thought about the crystallized branches, you can find a touch of the positive in just about anything.

- To help others through change you might ask them leading questions like, “what’s the potential for something good to come out of this?” and “What’s the upside of the situation?” It’s best to ask questions rather than make your own suggestions because it forces the person out of their negative space and allows them to own the more positive viewpoint as they come up with the answers.

- Take it one step at a time. Remember that most often the moment you’re in is the same as the last. With most change, nothing occurs until you’ve taken action, which means that nothing has happened yet and there’s no need to panic or feel upset about the change. Live in the moment, taking one step at a time. The first step is to logically process the perceived change.

- Lastly, recognize that change forces us out of our comfort zone – and that’s usually a very good thing. If you wish for growth to occur it’s typically not going to happen within your current space. Something has to change. So, if you want your company to make more money for instance, but things remain at a standstill, what can you do to promote change within yourself and try something new? Sometimes change forces us, but remember that we can also force change – and that’s very empowering!

As I continue to visualize, build and tweak my own business model I think about processes and tools that may be useful to my clients as they do the same. Today I'm looking at the process I use to examine new ideas, determine the next steps, and take action on them.

Once we are past the initial love affair with our businesses, bringing ideas to fruition is difficult (at best) for most entrepreneurs. There are many reasons for this including the fact that we can get very excited about any number of ideas and we want to make them all happen. Some business owners have a difficult time setting the emotion aside and looking at their ideas logically. Let's talk about emotion versus logic – better said, right brain versus left brain.

Entrepreneurs like to emote. That’s who we are; emotional, creative, passionate, driven human beings. Some of us are idea machines; one idea after another. Sometimes it's even difficult to turn off the idea machine when you want it to stop. Why stop? Because an idea is truly valuable only when you make it happen and when it adds to a) your bottom line and b) how you feel about yourself and your business. When the mind is reeling with ideas and there isn’t a process in place to evaluate them and take them to the next level, we often become very overwhelmed and confused - it can drive the creative brain toward insanity!

Here’s my process for evaluating, enjoying, and implementing new ideas (or not). Feel free to make it your own. Play with it, adapt it to your needs and style. And let me know how it works for you!

It begins with an idea that most often comes to me in conversations with peers and friends, during my walks in nature, or just as I’m awaking in the morning. My natural tendency is to jump right in, head first, emotions only! So, I allow that to happen for a few minutes or hours – because it’s fun – but I refrain from taking action too quickly. Why? Because many of the ideas are fun, exciting and unique but simply don’t make sense. So after indulging myself for a short while, I take a little “calming down” period and then initiate the next step: I move it over to my left brain hemisphere and process logically. I ask myself (in writing) questions like:

What will this idea do for my business?

Will it help me to serve clients at a higher level?

Can I incorporate it into existing passive revenue streams – or easily add another?
I look at the ease of use once the idea comes to fruition, and, of course, the overall bottom line.

Does this idea solve a problem or cause a problem? Am I simply jumping off the pier because the water looks fun and refreshing or am I bringing home some delicious red snapper for dinner? How will this idea add value to my business?

Will this idea open the pathway to new opportunities and/or relationships? Oftentimes an idea won’t directly add to the bottom line, but it shows the promise of opening doors. What doors might this concept open for me?

How costly will this process become? Could it snowball out of control? Do I have the finances and resources in place to support it all the way? Sometimes we close our eyes to the damage that a new undertaking can do to our business (and our sanity) because we are SO passionate about the idea. Yes, entrepreneurs are risk takers, but make sure you accurately assess the risk.

After I do my “logic” thing I move back into my creative place. I use a whiteboard, my touchscreen computer, or a pad of paper to draw a mindmap of my concept. How will I connect the dots? How does it relate to the core business model? What websites will promote it, what tools will support it? I draw out the who, what, why when, and where questions and answers. I have a lot of fun here and it often sparks new creative thoughts to make the idea even more creative, functional, and practical.

Back to the left brain: I formulate my “to do” list and timeline. I schedule in chunks of time to work on each piece of the process and before long, voila! An idea has gone from conception to maturity.

But not every idea gets this far. In fact, I would say that about 1 out of 30 of my exciting ideas reach this point. What about the ideas that are solid, but not practical at this time? Or the concepts that feel good and could work, but still have something missing? Well, those go in my “new ideas” folder (on my computer). It’s important to get these little gems out of the brain and onto paper; otherwise they feel overwhelming. I make sure to visit that treasured list during my brainstorming sessions. It’s there that I find the little ideas that support the big picture.

The successful home-based business models series continues with yet another amazing solopreneur. Who do you want to nominate as our next featured solopreneur? Contact me with your ideas!

When Rebekah Rotstein graduated college she intended to attend physical therapy school. It probably surprised her as much as anyone when she ended up instead as a corporate marketing manager! But her interest in sports medicine, combined with an impressive recovery
from ballet injuries as a young adult, prompted Rebekah to make a career change into teaching Pilates. Soon after, Rebekah founded Incorporating Movement, a unique business that offers Pilates instruction, post-rehabilitation, and movement education.

“I have combined my love for movement and injury treatment with my enjoyment of marketing, which has been very useful in running my own business,” says this savvy entrepreneur. But Rebekah didn’t stop there. When this young entrepreneur was diagnosed with osteoporosis, she began a new path of extensively researching and studying bone health so she could leverage this knowledge and experience to educate others. With her new-found expertise in bone health Rebekah designed the Pilates for Buff Bones™ workout to fill the void of safe bone strengthening that she sites as “typically absent” within the traditional Pilates mat class framework.

Rebekah’s unique and thriving business, answers to many of her passions. For her, the satisfaction of helping people feel better and overcome or avoid pain and injury is especially important. But there is also her love of higher level, conceptual teaching and Incorporating Movement allows her to teach workshops and speak at corporations and events around the world. This fulfills not just her educational calling, but her love of travel as well.

When I asked Rebekah if there a specific mission or passion that drives her business, she said, “My desire is to help people to feel better and to prevent injury and disease through informed movement. I want people to connect deeper with their bodies and increase awareness and sensation of movement.” I enjoyed Rebekah’s simple reminder when she added, “Our western culture is inundated with sensory overload leading us to shut out internal experiences. We don’t take the time to actually feel things like the exhilarating sensation of a full deep inhalation, or the proper motion of the hip joint which can alleviate back discomfort. Such movement experiences can be simultaneously joyous and calming and let us feel alive.”

It took Rebekah about one year to reach her initial financial goals and when asked what she loves most about running her own business she immediately replied, “The Freedom!” Rebekah loves the opportunity to create her own schedule and to promote something that she believes in.

Currently Rebekah cites her web site, networking, referrals, and her newsletter as her top marketing resources. However, Pilates for Buff Bones™ is beginning to receive quite a bit of media attention - so I suspect that her marketing resources may soon take on a new shape - just like many of her clients!

In this series of successful home-based business models, I will continue to feature a number of brilliant solopreneurs who have chosen to step into their passion as a means to make a good living. I have some wonderful examples to share with you but I would love to hear your stories too. Do you know a small business owner who is helping others, living their dream, and making a nice profit? Tell me their story. While not every, single one can be featured; I would love to know about them!

Our next featured guest is Deb Villarese of Bella Well LifeStyles. Please notice how Deb has centered her business around her passion for natural health and wellness while minimizing the negative impact on our environment. This is Deb’s global concern, along with showing others how they can empower themselves to earn a great living and live the way they most want to live.

Deb chose this business model as an answer to a number of problems: She wanted to be at home with her children and, as a seamstress; her income level was limited to how many items she could sew. Deb was savvy enough to seek a company that would provide a residual income with no limit to her earning potential. But what really intrigued Deb was the element of support that she could offer to others. “When I saw how I could change the life and health of those open to what I had to share with them, I realized that this business satisfied my desire to help people in so many dimensions. It has now been 28 years and I still love what I do,” says Deb.

Deb believes that in order to be successful it is most important to help others become successful. “I like to think of my business as both product and service. If asked what my best product would be, I would have to say the "service" aspect of the business. It allows me to teach, train, coach, support, encourage, and empower others to own and operate their own business. The more people I help, the better I feel. It is the American Free Enterprise system at it's finest. I can offer a person, who is interested in earning a career income an opportunity to be their own boss, make their own hours, earn as much as they want with an investment as low as $300.”

But Deb knows that the service aspect of her wellness business isn't anything without the product. Her company markets an elite line of unique, natural safe, effective, products for both home and health with a track record of over 53 years. “Our founder created one of the first multi-vitamin/multi minerals in 1915 and we have continued to pioneer products that are naturally safe and proven effective,” says Deb. When Deb discovered the Shaklee organization she knew it was a fit. “We have several different targeted audiences. People who are interested in the environment, and more specifically safe, green cleaners, as well as health and wellness advocates, baby boomers who are retired but not ready to stop contributing to society and interested in supplementing their fixed income, and people interested in adding years to their life and life to their years.” This far-reaching marketing direction addresses nearly every passion, concern, and interest that strikes a passion in Deb.

I asked Deb about the most personally satisfying part of her business and she lit up in response: “The most fun part of my business is watching the transformation and personal growth of the people who allow me to guide, teach and train. There is just something about seeing a person's self-worth, determination and self confidence come out.”

It took Deb only 15 months to meet her initial monetary goals: “The first 9 months, I made more part time that I did working full time as a seamstress/tailor,” she exclaimed. “The next 6 months brought me up to the level that I always wanted to make and most likely wouldn't have ever made in my current trade.”

But her business doesn’t seem to keep her busy enough. In her “spare” time Deb runs a Leads Group which she started almost 12 years ago and it’s still going strong. She contributes time to local charities, and maintains a networking database that people would pay dearly for! Deb also sites the Internet, email campaigns, webinars, blogs, and of course, word of mouth referrals as her most widely-used marketing tools.

Wow! A definite success story here! Send me your success story!

Since the Million-Dollar-Mindset for Solopreneurs is about inspiring, empowering, and educating the owners of small business AND those who wish to have their own business someday, I thought I would devote the next 5 or 6 articles to some brilliant solopreneurs who have chosen to step into their passion as a means to make a good living. I have some wonderful examples to share with you but I would love to hear your stories too. Do you know a small business owner who is helping others, living their dream, and making a nice profit? Tell me their story. While not every, single one can be featured; I would love to know about them!

Our first featured guest is Wendy Pease of Rapport International, LLC. Please notice how Wendy has combined her interests and needs while addressing global concerns and helping others, all through her business.

When Wendy was laid off during maternity leave 5 years ago, she was sad about looking for the next corporate job since it meant so much time away from her kids. She realized that she had given up on exercising and taking care of herself because of the demands of her corporate career.

Prior to her layoff, Wendy attended a conference and mentioned to someone that she couldn't think of an idea, but that she would like her own business someday. He suggested buying one, why start from scratch? Encouraged by that idea, Wendy began “day dreaming” on-line until she found Rapport International: a foreign language translation agency that targets exporters, global companies and entities that communicate with US immigrants. With a long-standing fascination for foreign languages, Wendy loved the fact that this business was about connecting people anywhere in the world by translating their words into any language.

Certainly, with hundreds of translators in place who have advanced degrees and training in a large number of commercial, industrial and technical fields in place, Rapport International spans the globe! Amazingly, this was the only business opportunity that Wendy pursued and it look less than 3 months for the transaction to become complete. It took only 6 months for Wendy to meet her initial financial goals and today what she most enjoys about her business, outside of her passion for the industry of course, is the flexibility, freedom, variety, and opportunity to make her own decisions.

With her love for connecting people, Wendy finds networking an enjoyable way to grow her business. She also sites client referrals as being greatly responsible for her growing profits and her coach for keeping her focused on the best opportunities for marketing and business growth.

Wendy says, “My position is awesome, I live my passion for connecting people and improving global communications and I get to hire highly qualified women as project managers and linguists who can also work from home in order to balance family life, self care and a fascinating job.”

Wendy Pease provides such a wonderful example of someone who has answered her own inner-calling, as well as the needs of others, both clients and contractors alike, to build a thriving business and a life she loves.

Yes, you heard me right: increasing productivity with gratitude is, indeed, a highly effective process. Why? In a nutshell, giving and receiving thanks increases release of dopamine, therefore raising your energy. This neurotransmitter plays a critical role in the function of the central nervous system, and it is also linked with the brain's complex system of motivation and reward. Who doesn’t feel more productive and content where higher levels of motivation and reward are involved?

In a long-term research project on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for human health and well-being, Professors Robert A. Emmons, University of California, and Michael E. McCullough, University of Miami have made some amazing discoveries. “Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.” says Professor Emmons. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

In similar studies, when medical doctors were gifted with small “goodie bags” of candy to express a patient’s thanks prior to researching a diagnosis, performing procedures, and caring for the patients, these doctors were more likely to put in extra time with the family and toward the patient’s improved health and recovery. A little thanks goes such a long way.

Now looking at these results you could surmise that, not only can you increase your own productivity through the power of gratitude, but that of others as well. And you would be right. How often do you think, “thank goodness for my virtual assistant,” or “I’m so glad my Fed Express guy comes on time every day.” Expressing your thanks in a simple manner feels good for both the recipient and the “giver” as it increases the production of the “feel good” neurotransmitter. The embedded memory of that positive state will stay with those individuals indefinitely. Those who receive your gratitude will show a higher likelihood of taking that extra step toward giving back.

Practice the power of gratitude in your life in these simple ways and let us know how you experience the positive impact.

Keep a simple gratitude journal. Every day write a brief sentence about 2 or 3 things that occurred in that day for which you are grateful. Simple things work, like a fun conversation with a friend or the fact that your 3 year old made it through the night without an accident! As you write about your experiences step into the gratitude feeling, think about how good it makes you feel - really experience it in your heart.

Add a simple sentence to the words “thank you” when you thank the people you encounter during the day. At the grocery checkout counter instead of going on autopilot and mumbling the expected thanks to the cashier, try something like “This job must get difficult at times, thanks for hanging in there.” This will feel good for you and certainly for the cashier who probably hears little in the way of acknowledgment.

When you’re at a stoplight, look around for something that brings a little joy to your heart. A flower bed of beautiful blooms; the sun setting on the horizon; a group of kids having a great time; or the mere fact that you are out of the house, are examples of things that can raise your internal energy – IF you take the time to express and feel your gratitude.

Send a card or small gift to someone, just “because.” I have a friend who sends me cards on occasion and she inserts beautiful stickers, tea bags, sticky notes, packets of flower seeds, or other unexpected trinkets. What a lift it brings to my day!

Tell a client why you enjoy working with them as much as you do. Point out their unique qualities and express sincere thanks for the fact that you have this great working relationship. “Sincere” is the magic word here!

Well, you get the idea. What other ways do you experience the benefits of gratitude? Please share with us here on The Million $ Mindset for Solopreneurs!

It’s 8am and you’re about to step into another satisfying work day. Surrounded by your essential tools including your computer, fax, and phone you plunk down at your desk, coffee in hand, and pull up your calendar to assess the day ahead. No traffic, no suit and tie, no killer heals. It’s just you, your checklist and a productive day ahead. Where to begin?

Then you realize that sleep still lies heavily on your eyelids, you recall tripping over the tall stack of laundry on your way to the bathroom, and the lawn never did get mowed over the weekend. So much to do - so many temptations. How does the solopreneur survive the many opportunities to be pulled away from business and keep her sanity in check?

Many solopreneurs feel the tug between personal obligations and their business. I often hear confessions of guilt from home-based solopreneurs for spending too much time in the office and not enough on household chores or visa versa, yet they don’t feel productive in either space. The question appears to be, how do we divide our time, become more productive, and let go of the guilt? There are ways to to achieve this. Here are just a few of the basic tips that I cover more extensively in my productivity audio download.

1. Get things out of your head and onto paper; it helps to decrease your mental stress. Create your “to do” list. Now, creating the list is only a part of the goal. Make sure you schedule time on your calendar to DO these tasks. That is the trick.
2. Turn off the phone, social media accounts, and email while you are focused on other tasks. Give yourself the time and space away from the outside world to maintain some uninterrupted blocks of time in your schedule.
3. Schedule time for personal chores and errands. If you know when you will get these things out of the way, and that the time is a part of your schedule, you can allow your brain to focus on the task at hand, rather than playing the guilt tapes in the background of your thoughts.
4. Don’t restrict your work space to the home office. Is there work that you could do at the local coffee shop, bookstore, or library? It does wonders for the socializer in all of us to have time rubbing elbows with the human race everyday!
5. Just as you would if you worked in a corporation, let friends and relatives know that you are not available during certain times of the day. This is a REAL business you’re running and it’s up to you to set the boundaries for others to acknowledge and respect that.
6. Take breaks! Your brain is capable of focusing intently for up to 2 hours, and then things begin to get muddled. Stretch, walk, have a healthy snack, get a dose of love from your kids or pets, and drink lots of water to keep refreshed and motivated.
7. Get involved in outside activities. Because personal and work life become so closely associated with one another when you work from the home, it’s easy to fall into the trap of living your work. What else do you enjoy? Socialize in ways that stimulate your brain in a different way and that satisfy your body’s need for exercise. Have fun! It’s important to your body, mind, and spirit!

There are so many more tips and tricks, but these are the basics. What do you do to maintain your sanity, diminish guilt, and get things to done? Share with us here on The Million Dollar Mindset for Solopreneurs!