by Cindy Underwood

Homework, is it for you? It can be for anyone as long as you understand the importance of treating it as a true business.

Working from home is becoming an attractive economic alternative during these difficult times. As a matter of fact, most of our bigger companies were started during the depression! Working from home is great, but not exactly as you might imagine. It will not take long before working from home becomes very comfortable and pleasurable. Your “Homework” should be fun but it is also very easy to get into the trap of mixing your home chores with your “Homework”. It is great to be able to work while still in your pajamas, sipping on coffee, being able to do the laundry, cook dinner, etc. One problem with this idea is the possibility of burn out.

Working from home requires discipline to set daily goals and stick to them. Set aside time to enhance your mind by reading and listening to a CD for 30 minutes each day. Exercise must also be a daily ritual for at least 15 minutes. Never plan your daily chores to be mixed in with your business; even if you have to put blinders on while going through the house. Make sure you meet and talk about your business to at least 2 new people each day. Follow-up with 2 to 4 people each day and being prompt is important. If you tell a potential team member you will call at 10:00am, always make sure you are as close to that time as possible. Maybe a better way to set an appointment is “I will call you Monday, June 1st between 10:00 and 10:30am, will that be convenient for you”? At the end of each day, make sure you cultivate your goals for the following day. Follow up is the most important thing you can do to help your business grow.

Of course you must make sure you know your products, know your web site, stay in touch with your team, be on at least 1 or 2 training calls each week and invite your new prospects to attend the training calls as well.

You should spend no more than 2 hours per day working your home based business. Remember, you started your business so you could have more free time with your family and be able to make full time money.

Keep track of your inventory, what you sell and to whom, the miles you put on your vehicle and/or the maintenance, and all receipts should be logged into some form of tracker each day. At the end of the year you will be glad you religiously maintained accurate records. It is easy to say, “Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow,” please do yourself a favor, and do not fall into that trap. Daily record keeping is easy and will only take 5 or 10 minutes of your time.

Because your office is just down the hall, don’t make it easy to just pop in after everyone is settled for the night to finish up. If you do, soon days will mix into weeks, no one day will have distinction over another and you will begin to feel all you do is work, work, work. Always set limits and stick to them as much as possible. You can and will be highly successful in your home based business if you always remember to have fun, have family time, have self time, exercise, be consistent and if it does not get done in the allotted time; it may be possible, you have scheduled too much into one day and you will have to re-visit your schedule. Soon you will fall into a routine and “Homework” will not only be fun but lucrative. And truly only 10 to 15 hours per week is all it should take of your time (with the right company), to make in one month what you are currently making in one year. No hype, it does take hard work; remember, stay away from the Nay Sayers and those get rich quick schemes.

Please visit my web site at www.trymyscents.com. For more information on starting your own home based business visit www.cindyscandlebiz.com.
Cindy Underwood a “Homeworker”.

“Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.” ~ Anonymous

I lost my special dad nineteen years ago. I have spent half my life without him. But he made a big impact on my life. He taught me I could be anything I wanted and to always go after my dreams. I now teach that to my children.

Thanks for the lessons Dad, I miss you.

By Brian Tracy

Throughout the developed world, we have moved from an era of manpower to an era of mind power. We have moved from the use of physical muscles to the use of mental muscles. Today the chief sources of value in our society are knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge in a timely fashion. In the information age, knowledge is king, and those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.

When you learn and practice the techniques for rapid learning, when you join the learning revolution, you will learn how to unlock the incredible powers of your mind. You will learn how to become smarter faster than ever before. You will learn how to become a master of your fate rather than a victim of circumstances. You will learn how to take complete control of your present and future destiny so that you can accomplish and achieve anything you want in life.

The answer to almost every question and the solution to almost every problem in the world of work is to learn and practice something new and different. When you learn how to use the incredible power of your brain to absorb and apply new ideas and information, you will be able to lead the field and rise to the top of any profession or occupation.

Here’s another question for you: What is your most valuable asset? In terms of cash flow, what is the most valuable thing you have? Well, unless you are very rich, or have a family trust account, your most valuable asset is your “earning ability.” It is your ability to earn money. It is your ability to apply your knowledge and skill in a timely fashion to get results for which others will pay.

Specific knowledge and specific skills will become obsolete with the passing of time, but learning how to learn is a permanent skill that you can use all the days of your life. The people who join the learning revolution, and who learn how to learn faster, like those people who first learned how to operate computers, or learned how to become excellent in their fields, will be able to earn more in one or two years of work than the average person earns in perhaps five or ten years.

By joining the learning revolution, you will enhance every area of your life. You will be able to help your spouse and your children unlock and realize more of their individual potentials. You will be a better friend in helping your friends use more of their abilities. And you will be a better manager, developing the skills that will enable you to get far more out of yourself and other people than ever before.

Brian Tracy University — where you can learn exclusively from Brian Tracy to reach your goals faster — Enroll Today!

By Tom ‘Big Al’ Schreiter

All of your prospects have dreams. They just don’t believe that they can be successful with your opportunity to reach their dreams.

Our job is to help our prospects believe that they can be successful with our business. The prospects aren’t judging our business, judging our products, or judging the compensation plan.

They are judging if THEY will be successful with you and your business.

Think about that.

By Tracey Gilmore

Last night I watched about 10 minutes of the NBA finals.

This, in itself, is odd, we watch very little TV ever, there’s simply too many other things that I should, could, and want to be doing!

As I sat there watching those multi-million dollar earners shoot (and miss) their free throws, I was thinking about what it took them to get where they are.

I thought about the effort and concentration they had to have achieved in order to play in THE most competitive series of the season, vying for the most sought-after prize known to their profession.

I considered what it cost them personally to get there and how that relates to me and my business, and I had a most amazing ‘light-bulb’ moment…

I, too, am vying for the most sought after prize in my profession, walk-away income, but how do I approach what I do every day?

I am still playing high-school ball. I haven’t even graduated to college ball yet, and I prove that EVERY day by my focus and mindset and level of intensity.

Those highly-paid, finely tuned athletes PLAY their game very seriously every day. They focus and use visualization and concentration at the most sophisticated levels, every day. They still work on the basics, and practice, and SWEAT, every day.

They get up knowing exactly what they’re going to do, every day.

They know they can’t just spend their time shooting hoops, they must work on their agility with drills, their strength with weights, and their mind by studying plays and listening to their coach.

(As a side note: they do NOT listen to people who don’t play their game with EXCELLENCE! Might be a lesson there for some…)

They spend HOURS, every day, fine-tuning what they do, and they get paid the big bucks. They didn’t get rich overnight, they worked HARD, for a LONG time, to reach the superstar money. They cultivated the right mindset, they honed their skills and they continued to educate themselves DILIGENTLY in their chosen profession.

Hmmm… Makes me a bit sick when I think about how I play my game.

In addition to continuing to prospect, I plan to use my time this summer working toward my college degree. It’s time to plan, hone my skills, and study to improve my game.

I plan to learn better how to use visualization and concentration to improve the outcome of what I do, I have BADLY neglected the importance of these skills.

Every time a professional basketball player steps up to the free-throw line, he ’sees’ the ball falling through the net. That doesn’t guarantee that he’ll make his shot, but it highly increases his percentages.

What is the game of basketball about?

Shooting
Dribbling
Passing

The basics, and that’s what the very best players spend their time on every day, so when they get to the game, they are the very best they can be.

What’s my game about?

Prospecting
Presentation
Duplication

I must work, every day, with focus and concentration, to hone my skills and get better at the game. I must DECIDE that I’m no longer playing ‘high school’ ball, but have moved on to college level play, or I’m NEVER going to get anywhere close to the goals I have set for myself.

I challenge you to ask yourself, “What game are you playing?”

Here’s a great short, inspirational video that was shared with me.

Take a look. It will give you second thoughts about ever quitting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6hz_s2XIAU

I am reading John C Maxwell’s new book, “Dream, See It and Seize It.”

There is one quote that really touched me and I wanted to share that with you.  Definitely gives you something to think about.

Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel wrote in “Souls on Fire” that when you die and you go to meet your Maker, you’re not going to be asked why you didn’t become a messiah or find a cure for cancer.

All you’re going to be asked is, “Why didn’t you become you? Why didn’t you become all that you are?”

So are you working toward becoming all that you are?

When you encounter challenges or a need for an unexpected change, do you accept them as simply part of the process of running a business or living life? Or do you turn small mishaps into bigger issues than they need be, thus robbing yourself of vital energy? In my business I see all kinds of reactions to problems. It saddens and confuses me when I see some turning raindrops into storms. It is essential for longevity in any home business to be able look beyond those raindrops and look at the bigger picture of the rainbow that will transpire.

Problems are an essential part of life; you must expect that you or your business will not be immune to them. But rather welcome them, as they can actually help you move forward. All worthwhile achievements or outcomes are usually the result of problem solving.

I know when we have encountered obstacles in our business, it has forced us to get creative and seek a solution to overcome the issue. In fact, giving us an even better system than before the problem presented itself. It has caused us to think much more concretely about what we expect the system to do and what it can not do. It is easy to get complacent with the way things are when they seem to be working “okay.” But one step back can result in two steps forward.

It is when a change (usually a very unexpected one and one out of our control) happens that we must really confront it head on and be excited about the challenge to move us forward and not get paralyzed by it. Taking action also gives us back a sense of control … and THAT is usually the issue that causes us so much stress.

Recently this quote came to me while our team was experiencing some difficulties that were resulting in some partners wanting to turn raindrops into a storm, “We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.” ~ William Arthur Ward.

It’s a matter of choice. We are all presented with the same stone, but it is how you choose to use the stone that will determine your success and your ability to move beyond the difficulty.

Which method will you use when presented with a stone?

When you’re sure you’re on the right road to success
you don’t have to plan your journey too far ahead.
Don’t burden yourself with doubts and fears
as to the obstacles that may bar your progress.

You don’t need to know all your answers in advance.
Just have a clear idea of the goal you want to reach.
You can only take one step at a time.

If you can muster up the courage to begin,
you’ll find the courage to succeed.
It’s the job you never start that always takes the longest to finish.

Eighty percent of success is in showing up.

© Copyright 2009 www.yourdailymotivation.com

By Patrick O’Neill
www.CoolAromas.com

I did not mean to offend anyone with that title, but just bear with me here.

The great Maxwell Maltz tells the following story.

Did you know that full grown circus elephants have been known to die in fires while chained to small stakes they could easily move?

Why is that?

It is because when the elephant was a baby, it had a 2 inch band strapped around its leg, which was then fastened to a stake that was hammered into the ground.

As a child, before it realized it could not escape, the elephant fought daily to free itself from its chains.

She soon learned the futility of trying to pull free of the chain, and mentally, accepted is a part of her life.

By the time she had grown strong and powerful, she had stopped trying to break free. She thought, “This is just the way it is going to be. It has always been this way, there is nothing I can do to change my circumstance.”

As long as she was fed and given the occasional peanut as a treat, at the whim of her captors, she was content.

Then a great fire came, and she died when she could have easily escaped.

That is the way you and I are sometimes.

We allow our life and abilities to be defined by “chains” we could easily snap, because we have conditioned ourselves to believe things that simply are not true, sometimes due to a single event that happened years earlier.

“Nobody I know is wealthy, so I do not deserve to be wealthy.”
“I’ve always been fat. I guess I was just meant to be fat.”
“I am not as smart as other people, so I will always be paid less than others.”

Unlike the elephant, we are rational human beings with creative imaginations. For example, did you know your sub-conscious mind believes anything you repeatedly tell it to be true, regardless of fact?

That is right; your reality in any situation is what you have told yourself it is, and not what truly exists.

Did you also know that you move towards your most pre-dominant thought, whether positive or negative?

Think of your sub-conscious as a taxi cab driver. Wherever you tell it to go, it will head for it is totally unconcerned with what happens to you when you reach your destination.

But just as the cab driver can respond to new instructions in the middle of your trip, your mind can respond to new instructions from you any time along life’s journey, and deliver you to a new and wonderful destination.

Remember, if you can believe it and conceive it, you can achieve it.

Promise yourself to re-program your sub-conscious mind, and begin to break free of your chains today.

Please visit Patrick’s website to find out how you can remove the chains.
www.CoolAromas.com

I am excited to announce a new series I will be starting today …
Guest Bloggers.

I will be having some very talented guest writers share their stories, inspirations, and home business building tips with you. I am looking forward to reading and learning from these great business owners.

Please take the time to read their posts, implement any business ideas they offer, and be sure to leave a comment if the post has touched you in some way.

And if you are a reader of the “Coaching the Dream Blog” and would like to be considered as a guest blogger, please let me know.

By: Unknown

I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busy work were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
I claimed to be so busy with things inside my zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.

I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.

If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
Reach for your future with a smile;
Success is there for you!

I recently had to book flights for three separate business trips I need to take. And it amazes me the differences in ticket pricing from day to day, airline to airline, site to site. It got me thinking, there has to be a secret to the booking of airline tickets.

I was extremely frustrated trying to get the best deal on my airfare. I thought I had it all figured out after I had spent the week watching the rates. I found the deal I was happy with, needed to step away from the computer to put my daughter to bed and would finish up in just 10 minutes by completing my ticket reservation. Well, to my horror, upon my return to the computer, the screen jumped $100! In 10 minutes, how can that be. Boy, to say the least I had a few choice words to scream at the computer.

I was perplexed with these questions -
what day of the week is best to book, what time of day is the best to book, what day of the week is best to fly, is it best to book directly with the airline or the various travel search sites available, how many days out from your travel should you book, does the price tend to go down or up the closer you get to that 30 day out mark?

This weekend I found a great article in the Star Tribune, The Wall Street Journal section. The article “How to Land the Best Deals on Airline Tickets” by Scott McCartney answered some of my questions. Darn my tickets are already booked - but I’ll be prepared next time. I hope some of these suggestions help you with your summer travel plans.

McCartney says the cheapest days and times to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoon, when demand is the weakest. The worst time to shop for airline tickets is on the weekend, when everyone else is looking. See I knew there had to be an answer to my perplexing questions.

Airlines tend to file price increases on Thursdays to see if competitors will match over the weekend. If they don’t follow, the price increase can be rolled back on Monday morning before business travelers start buying. So he suggests the best days to buy are Monday through Wednesday.

He recommended the travel search site, www.kayak.com, which is what I personally use myself. This not only searches the online travel agencies but also the airline web sites. I have always liked starting here to get a base reference to the ticket pricing at the moment.

For my last several flights I have found that booking directly at the airline website has been the cheapest pricing. So that was what I was expecting to do with my latest booking to my company convention in PA this summer. But as I mentioned earlier, the flight at the airline and the search results on kayak.com jumped $100 - same flight information but 10 minutes difference.

But kayak.com had also searched various travel search engines as well and had opened a separate window that I was preparing to close when something definitely caught my eye at www.priceline.com. Not only was this new pricing not the $100 over what I was preparing to pay but it was actually $40 LESS than I was preparing to pay. Wow, definitely a game going on there. How can there be such vast differences in pricing within a 10 minute span. Well, I didn’t question it any further and quickly booked that flight!

McCartney also suggests a couple other sites as helpful to your airline ticket search. To help you make the right choice, check out www.FareCompare.com. This site will show you the cheapest tickets available on your route for the next 11 months. He indicates that airlines set their schedules and fares only 11 months out. And the other site, www.FareCast.com predicts whether the price of a ticket will likely rise or fall.

So next time you need to book airline tickets, check out some of McCartney’s suggestions and see if you can’t get the best deal on your next travel plans.

Happiness, like Most Things, Comes from Mothers
Copyright by Nicholas Gordon