Starting your own business normally requires that the entrepreneur perform most of the functions of the business. This includes accounting, marketing, sales, inventory, purchasing, office, shipping, and any other task needing to be done. The business owner is motivated to succeed and will do "whatever it takes", even if it kills them. So, long hours over extended periods of time may result. This affects all areas of life including family, spouse, and friend relationships as well as the amount of time spent on relaxation activities like hobbies, quiet time, and vacations. At times it is only work, work, and more work. Over the long term this will be detrimental to the well being of the business and it's owner while necessary perhaps, over shorter periods of time.

Take sleep for example. Many processes necessary to health and well being take place during sleep. Sleep is essential to help maintain mood, consolidate learning and memory, and help mental and physical performance. Sleep plays a central role in the normal function of the endocrine system, which is instrumental in regulating metabolism, growth, development, tissue function, and also plays a part in determining mood. Sleep will also recharge your immune system. Lack of sleep can be a contributing factor to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression.

Each time you lose an hour of sleep, that hour is added to your sleep debt. This "sleep debt" can only be reduced by getting extra sleep, but the effects of long term sleep deprivation may not be reversible. And long-term sleep deprivation leads to fatigue and lowered mental ability and then to problems handling stress, problem solving and decision making.

It is apparent that it is very important for the business owner to get enough sleep to avoid the serious consequences as listed above. It is not only sleep that is important though. Outside diversions, fun, rest and relaxation, and good relationships are integral parts of a balance that will lead to an individual's success. Time must be taken to "recharge our batteries" so to speak.

The creativeness required to run a business is only available to us when we are rested and in a good frame of mind. There are many forms of meditation that will help us achieve the ability so sit quietly and wait for an answer to a question. Or it may be a meditation that actively contemplates problems and solutions. But we still need to take the time to do that rather than always logic. When we use what we already know to guide us, results are likely to be mediocre. What we really want is to be inspired and that requires that we get out into new situations and experiences.

This inspiration usually come when we least expect it. For example, we may be wondering why we cannot retain customers or attract word of mouth advertising. Then while playing golf an inspiration will come to us that like in golf, follow-through is important. Just like we need to finish our swing in golf, we need to finish the transaction with our customer. This could then lead to follow-up communications like saying "thank you", and the like. Golf also teaches us to keep our eye on the target or dream. This is an excellent example of the value of fun, rest & relaxation to the business owner and business.

Finally, many business owners have "providing well for their family" as a goal of their efforts. If the business owner doesn't take the time to spend with their family, they may not want to even share in any of the other successes.

Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, & spiritually and then you will be able to do anything, to have anything and to be anything.

Mark Styranka is the owner of Exciting Destiny.com.
He writes on a variety of topics but primarily
relating to money making secrets for the stay at
home business. To learn more about how you can
work & stay at home, Mark recommends that you visit:
http://www.ExcitingDestiny.com
http://www.AudioEbookSelfhelp.com

Recommended: WARNING: These are the "secrets" other opportunities DON'T want you to know...

In one of his audio tapes, Bob Proctor discusses what he has found as the reason why some people succeed while others do not. Simply put he says that successful people do those things that failures don't do. In and of itself, that doesn't help very much. But he goes on to say that successful people have a dream that compels them to do whatever it takes. They are focused on the result rather than the means to the result. So they make the sales prospecting effort and when appropriate, they ask for the sale as a step towards realizing their dream, whereas the unsuccessful person will avoid these unpleasing tasks. So the dream is very important to successful people. The dream could be anything from financial freedom, to staying at home with the kids, to joining the professional golf tour but it must stir up passion. When the dream is the focus, then the means become necessary and therefore palatable. Proctor says that when the focus is on the pleasing result or dream, then people will undertake the not so pleasing means. If the focus is on pleasing processes instead, then a pleasing result is highly unlikely.

Efficacy is the ability to create a result. As a result follows every action, the key is to perform the right action to realize the desired outcome. Self-efficacy is the belief that one is capable of attaining certain goals. It is a belief that one has their capabilities to carry out the actions required to deal with circumstances or ability to reach a goal. If the individual has high self efficacy they will be more inclined to undertake the action believing that they will succeed. As individuals exercise control over their thoughts, feelings and actions it follows that they then control the result. It is important then that we avoid thought like "I can't do that" and instead think "How can I do this?". The answers will come and we can take each small step toward the goal until it is realized. With each of these successes we will become more and more confident and therefore more willing to step out of our comfort zone.

It is important then, that people feel that their goal is attainable. A good starting point is to do some research. Common sense says that if one other person has achieved that goal, then anyone will be able to achieve it. Attaining the goal will require action but first a plan is needed. Ideally, copying another person's actions should achieve similar results. This is not usually the case, even though moderate success will likely be achieved. What really needs to be duplicated is the successful persons' attitudes and overall strategy. This would include things like having a dream, believing in oneself, following a plan, massive action, and finally, doing the things that failures don't like to do. Many people are successful because their idea was new and the freshness of it attracted customers or followers. This new idea filled a need of other people that was in demand. So if we want to copy someone exactly, we may not be as successful. For example, a while back I found a pay-per-click location that cost me ten cents per click and I received lots of customers. When I go back there now though, because many other people have found this website the cost is higher and there are other competing products so my results are not that great anymore. So if someone were to copy me into that exact website, they would be disappointed. But if they copied me in discovering an underused website, they would have the success that I originally did.

To summarize, find a dream, what is it that really excites you? Do your research and set out a plan. Then it is important to focus on the end result while doing the steps laid out in your plan.

Mark Styranka is the owner of Exciting Destiny.com.
He writes on a variety of topics but primarily
relating to money making secrets for the stay at
home business. To learn more about how you can
work & stay at home, Mark recommends that you visit:
http://www.ExcitingDestiny.com
http://www.AudioEbookSelfhelp.com

Recommended: WARNING: These are the "secrets" other opportunities DON'T want you to know...

It seems that every time we turn around
there is another bad news story.

You have heard them:
- a recession is here or imminent,
- the sub-prime fallout,
- businesses closing,
- businesses downsizing,
- people losing their homes
- high price of energy & gasoline
- increasing unemployment... and so on.

These stories end to cause people to worry
about their own and their family's future. So
the voice in our head says things like:
- what will happen if I lose my job?
- will I be able to keep my house?
- how will I pay my energy bills?
- can I afford to put gas in my car?
- do I have the ability to take a vacation?
- how will I pay for my children's education?

Worrying about these things does not affect,
in any way, whether they will happen or not.

There is a solution though.
First, take the energy that is being put into
worrying and focus it on being grateful for
the things that you have now. Make a list
so that you can remind yourself that their is
good all around you.

Second, affirm that it is you and only you that
can take action to achieve what you want in life
beit good health, financial security or success,
a new job, or a healthy relationship... and then
decide to act.

Third, take the action that you need to take
even if you feel that things are not yet ready.
It is better to take imperfect action than no
action at all. If you make a mistake, then at
least you have also learned something.

Mark Styranka is the owner of Exciting Destiny.com.
He writes on a variety of topics but primarily
relating to money making secrets for the stay at
home business. To learn more about how you can
work & stay at home, Mark recommends that you visit:
http://www.ExcitingDestiny.com
http://www.AudioEbookSelfhelp.com

Recommended: WARNING: These are the "secrets" other opportunities DON'T want you to know...