Home with the Kids Newsletter November 14. 2006

The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Discipline Your Online Business With Priorities
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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter

I've been keeping pretty busy this past week. Actually more than just this past week, but I didn't mention it before.

I've been working on an update to the Stores section of this website. Now, this may not be very exciting to you (then again, you might approve), but I had a lot of fun picking new datafeeds with new products to include. Then came sorting them by category in an attempt to make things at least somewhat usable.

I'm going to be creating a Christmas gift guide soon, and I wanted the stores updated for easy linking. I'm not going to just go with the popular stuff like that new Elmo doll... I understand that if you really want one you can bid on eBay, just like always with the hot toys, but let's get practical here. Is it really vital that your child get that one special toy right at Christmas? Can't it wait? Could another toy do just as well?

Sorry, it just amazes me how nuts people get over these things. If one of my kids gets desperate for THE hot toy some year, as I'm sure will happen, they're going to get a lesson in patience. I'm not fighting crazed crowds or overpaying.

Don't forget, you can contribute your articles or tips anytime for consideration. Just use the contact form.

Feature Article

Discipline Your Online Business With Priorities

Some people seem so disciplined, they seem to have it all together, they reach their goals and they are successful. Others are straggling along, never quite reaching the goals they set, and they seem to be undisciplined.

Running an online business is not always an easy thing to do. A hundred and one temptations can steal you away from your work. How do you discipline yourself and ensure success for your business on the Internet? How do you make sure you reach your goals?

= Fluid Priorities Affect Your Online Business =

However, the very concept of being disciplined or undisciplined can be an illusion. Your level of commitment to anything in life is heavily affected by your priorities. If your goals don't reflect your top priorities in life, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Priorities are a funny thing ... in most people's lives, priorities tend to change quite easily. A person who wants to lose weight may put weight loss as a top priority. But when the weekend comes, and a large slab of cheesecake beckons, enjoyment may replace weight loss as a top priority.

The same happens in business - especially an online business run from a home office. On Monday, getting your new website listed high on Google may be a top priority, but by Friday it could easily be replaced by a sudden pressing need to take care of a backlog of e-mail.

This fluid setting of priorities comes from setting goals for which we are not truly committed. Even a commitment of 99% is not enough. If your commitment to a goal is not 100%, chances are another chore will take priority over your planned goal. To be fully disciplined means committing yourself 100% to reaching that goal - no matter what.

= Increasing Discipline In Your Online Business =

To become disciplined in your business, you must choose a goal and set an iron-clad commitment to reaching that goal. You must make the activities related to that goal your number one priority - each and every day. You cannot allow anything to get in the way of this most important objective.

All those other things that come up and scream for your attention take a lower priority. All those things that can be used as an excuse to put off your goal's chores ... these must be cast aside. Nothing can get in the way of your top priority.

With this kind of discipline, reaching your goals will suddenly become an easy thing to do.

= How To Keep Your Eye On Your Priorities =

To exercise good discipline, keep a close eye on your priorities and those things that change your priorities. Try the following exercise to get yourself focused on your priorities.

Choose a top priority for the next week. Write it down. Write down what you need to do to reach this goal. This practice alone will help to discipline your online business - once you have set a solid commitment, it will be easier to achieve your objective.

Now, keep a journal to track your progress towards your goal. Each time you fail to perform the things needed to reach your goal, write down what activity took a higher priority. Write down why you allowed it to knock your top priority off its position.

This exercise will get you to fully focus on your top priorities. It will help you reach your goals and put discipline in your online business. By focusing on the temptations that steal your energy away from the top priorities in your schedule, you will be armed to avoid these temptations and stay on track to your goals.

Kevin Riley is the Mission Leader at Internet Marketing Force (IMF). Discover what you need to do to build a successful, money-making online business. Apply for your own free Pre-Mission Briefing today, at missionmakemoneyonline.com

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