Two pitfalls of working from home are the constant distractions and the lack of a start and finishing time. There can be so many things you can see need to be done that it is easy to give them the wrong priority. You know you have to control your time to make sure you do not let other tasks intrude on your business-building time, but this is easier said than done.

Here are some ideas that might help you stay on track.

Make your home business a priority.

Revisit the reasons that motivated you in the first place. Make a list and get excited about it. Check out this list to remind you:

• You want extra income for a better lifestyle, overseas holiday, house extension, new car.
• You are not satisfied with your day job as you feel lack of opportunity.
• Or you hate your day job and want to sack your boss, your company or both.
• You want the freedom to work in your own way and control your own destiny.

Write you own personal goals that will drive you to put more importance on building a business from home. Then think about them and become passionate about them. Leave reminders around to keep you determined and to help you stay focused. Some people like sticky notes on their computer, desk, mirror, bedside table or any other prominent place. Others use photos or models of the things they want – maybe it’s their dream house, holiday house or new car.

Find what motivates you and what works for you to stay motivated. Once you do this and keep motivating yourself by revisiting your goals, you will want to apply yourself to your work. Self-discipline becomes easier.

Set up a work schedule.

What does your day look like? Look at your daily routine and see where there are time slots you can give to building your home business. Then draw up a schedule that covers the essential things you have to do but still allows time for yourself. If you are working full-time, you may only have early mornings or late evening and weekends. This can be hard, but many before you have done this and many are still doing it.

If you are working part-time, it becomes a little easier but there will still be tasks and activities calling out for attention. Particularly if you are running a family.

Eliminate frustration and wasted energy.

Taking the steps I have outlined will help you eliminate feelings of frustration and guilt, which is wasted energy. You can use this energy to be more productive. You will still have times when issues will intrude on the time you have set aside to work but they will happen less frequently and for shorter periods of time. Your mindset will change from trying to squeeze your home business-building activity into your other activities to one where it has its own definite place.

Take control of your time now by drawing up a schedule for the next week so your home business becomes business-like, with definite periods of time and with specific start and finishing times. At the end of the week you will feel you have given your dreams and goals the dedicated attention they deserve, you will feel more fulfilled and you will have been more productive. Then do the same thing for the following weeks until it becomes a habit.

To work at home effectively you do need to plan your time and to priorities your activities. You can find more ideas on this by visiting more ideas. William Burnell has worked at home for some years and knows how challenging it can be.