No Estacione, No Envidie, No Ensucie, No Enloquesca… (Photo credit: HttpCarlitox!)
Self-respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say ‘no’ to oneself.”
##
Sometimes it’s not easy to remember: saying “no” is often a matter of remembering what we really want. There are lots of benign-looking little distractions and temptations in everyone’s day… and short-term sacrifices often set the stage for the successes we really crave.
House with dollar sign to portray a home based business (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Attitudes and behaviors can be contagious and that is true both at home and on the job. As part of a four-generation direct-selling family I know the line between the two can sometimes get a little blurred.
In addition to being a great source of additional income many people choose a home-based business opportunity to find a better balance between work and home. Sometimes, there’s a struggle to create boundaries that serve both: how do you decide what’s flexible enough for “home” but professional enough for business?
When coaching direct sellers I often hear that “others” don’t take the business seriously, making difficult to keep a schedule and achieve goals. In addition, lots of parents seem to feel apologetic toward their families for the “time away” from them instead of focusing on the flexibility, ability to grow the business and, in many cases, the lack of a commute!
Perhaps there’s something else at play. It’s easy for people working from home to become isolated and start believing their own thoughts. They may question their choices and struggle with confidence. With no obvious place to share those worries it can become easier to say “other people don’t take my business seriously” than “I’m letting self-doubt (aka “my inner critic”) undermine me professionally.”
You chose to start a business for your own reasons — often to give more options to the people you love. In the tough times it can be easier to focus on the things that are difficult rather than everything that works. But kids learn from what we do even more than what we say.
Children of entrepreneurs can learn lessons about choices, empowerment, problem-solving and choosing an attitude. Everyone needs support and our family members cannot be expected to read minds. When focused on the benefits of working from home it becomes easier to be specific about ways the entire family can be involved… with both the work and the rewards.
Some say that summer is a “bad time” in the direct sales world. I’m not convinced there’s ever a bad time to work on ways to enhance your family’s freedom.
Related articles
Mary Higgins Clark’s signature (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mary Higgins Clark was born in New York City where her family lived above a tailor shop. She was only ten years old when her father died. In her teens she went to secretarial school and secured a job with an advertising agency to help with family finances.
A thirst for adventure led to work as a flight attendant before starting a family. When her husband died unexpectedly she supplemented the income from her regular ‘day job’ by writing radio scripts and later, books. She wrote in the morning before work.
All 42 of her books have been best sellers. Her debut suspense novel Where Are the Children has undergone more than 75 printings.
