The below is an excerpt on attitude from the ebook by Tiffany Sutton, The Truth About Working At Home:
I truly believe that your attitude has a lot to do with being successful or not. You have to make the decision to be successful and then make it happen. Have you DECIDED to be successful yet? Or, are you waiting for someone or something else to get you there? You have to first decide what it is you want to do. I decided I wanted to work at home. I just had to find the right thing to do.
Once you find the business or opportunity that is right for you, research what you are doing as much as you can. Although others should be available to answer questions or provide tips, try to be as independent as possible. You don’t want to “need” someone else to be successful. You don’t want to depend on them for information. That is a mistake that I’ve made before, and it cost me a lot of my time and money. Don’t rely on what others tell you. Find out for yourself.
Set a daily, weekly, and monthly financial goal for yourself. Hold yourself accountable. People fail at working at home for two reasons. One, they were completely misinformed, lied to, or given totally false information as to what a business entails. That is not your fault if this happens. It’s happened to me. While this may surprise you, there are many people out there who have no concern about your financial well being. They are looking out for their money. You are nothing more than a few extra bucks. Once they get that money from you, they suddenly forget who you are. (It’s funny how that works.)
Next, you have people who want to be successful, but they really don’t do anything to make it happen. They will spend more time and money looking for a get rich quick thing, instead of doing something productive. I sense a lot of these people really don’t want to work or make the required effort. Maybe they are afraid of being successful? Maybe they don’t think they deserve it? Well, for those that do think you deserve more, it is up to you to make it happen. Unless you win the lottery, no one is going to arrive at your door with a big fat check.
Invest in good motivational books and audio sets. They make all the difference in the world. Whatever you pay for them, you will get it back ten times over. I personally prefer Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar. I have learned so much from the information that they offer. Purchase just one of their books and you will see what I’m talking about. Work and finances will fall into place for you when you have the right mindset.
Surround yourself with successful people. Many statistics say that you will generally make within $5,000 of what your closest friends make. Look around you. Are your friends helping you or pulling you down? Make an effort to network with other professional people. Join groups where you can meet the type of people that can teach you something. Anyone can find people who have no skills and no good advice to offer. Stay away from those people. I know there were people that didn’t believe in me when I decided to work at home. That’s fine. Ask them if they’ve heard from me in the past few years? You have to get up each day believing in yourself and not focusing on what others think. If you have the confidence that you can make it happen, it will.
Although one benefit of working from home is being able to work in your pajamas, I don’t recommend it for everyday. Get up, eat breakfast, workout (or whatever you do) and get dressed for the day. That doesn’t mean sitting at your desk in Jimmy Choos and a business suit. But, if you are at least presentable enough to be seen in the grocery store, it will improve your overall attitude. I personally work in yoga clothing. It’s comfortable and does not require dry cleaning. Sorry, I don’t think being a slob contributes to a positive attitude or self image. If you think you’re a slob, so will everyone else. If you take pride in your appearance, it will come across to others in everything you do, even on the phone.
Lastly, my best advice is to not turn on the t.v. during the workday. I have a strict rule in my house, no t.v. before 6pm, period. People ask me if I saw *blank* on the news? The answer is always NO. Watching t.v. is counterproductive and will not do anything to contribute to your finances. Watching the news has proven to affect people’s moods in a negative way. Why do that to yourself? Watching fires, car wrecks, and natural disasters will not benefit you or your workday. Try to stay focused and as positive as possible. Listening to music is fine. Studies show it actually helps some people concentrate.
Treat your home office like a real office. Clearly, we all work at home for the peace and flexibility that comes along with it. I love that I can work when I want to. But, create some kind of a schedule for yourself and stick to it. I get few personal calls during the day because people respect me and my work. They know I am working on my advertising. I don’t go to their jobs and bug them, so I like the same consideration in return.
In order to be successful, you do have to have some kind of discipline. You can’t get rich sleeping until 2pm everyday or sitting around in your underwear eating chips. You have to make some kind of effort everyday. I manage to stay busy at my desk at least 6-8 hours a day. Most of my days are considerably longer than this. I do this because I am focused on the long-term. For the first time in my life, I am glad to work.
*If you called someone to inquire about a business and they had Days of Our Lives and a screaming kid in the background, how impressed would you be? Seriously? Would you want to have a conversation or spend a dime with that person? When was the last time you called an office or business and heard screaming in the background? -Exactly. Life happens. Dogs bark, kids cry, doorbells ring. But, if you are going to pick up the phone, try to have a quiet background. If that’s not possible, let it go to voice mail. The person on the other end of the phone deserves that much respect.
About The Author: Tiffany Sutton is the webmaster and owner of http://theworkplacesucks.com/. She has a successful Internet home business and ahe has helped several new online business owners get started. For a FREE Internet Home Business Ebook that tells The Truth About Working At Home, visit her website.