One of the MOST important things in IM - (often overlooked) - Might sound obvious but yet..

Agreed fully. The first and most important lesson I had to learn when I went full-time in my online career was setting work hours and sticking to them. Learning to be able to tell my friends to **** off during business hours. Just because I may be sitting at home in my boxers sipping cold beer all day, doesn't make it any less work. When I first started out, it seemed like I was that guy who was always home and could always hang out. Friends would show up whenever and want to do stuff or just hang out and play videosgames or whatever. 1:00pm, I'd be fullsteam into something working away, and up show the friends with a case of beer wanting to hang out, play road hockey, go snowboarding, or whatever. Well that's the rest of my work day gone. It was hard at first to tell them, "No, I'm working, I'll come out later." They'd just laugh as though it was a big joke. Now I have a strict rule. If it's before 3:00pm I'm working, don't show up. After that, well I'm probably still working, but I won't get mad about it when you roll in wanting to go do something.

Excellent points all around. Let me add one little tidbit I've picked up after almost 13 years of running a business from home: work in short bursts. I'll work about 45 minutes out of every hour that I'm working, but not at one stretch. I'll go 20 mins, off for a few, 20 more, off a few, etc. It's actually hard to make yourself do this at first, but once you get into it, it really can make a difference. I used to burn out (depending on what I was working on) after just 3-4 hours. The last few hours I'd work were torture. Then when I started taking short breaks on a schedule, I had a lot more energy and could put in a full day without being spazzed out. Try it!

John

I absolutely agree. As internet marketers / product developers our biggest constraint is our time. Multitasking causes everthing to take longer to complete. Work on one thing at at time and stay focused!

Lean Unleashed For Small Business

Another thing to think about. When I first started working at home, I tried working any time during the usual 9 - 5 window that I'd been doing forever with my job.

But, as time went on, I realized that due to my inner clock, I'm not at my best during those hours.

Now, I've gotten to the point where I work for a couple of hours right after I wake up (naturally, with no alarm) and then I quit working until around 10 pm.

Then, I work from about 10 till 1 or 2. May sound crazy to some, but it works beautifully for me.

You need to find what works for YOU.

I don't do any of that.

The reason I got into IM was so that I could work when I want and NOT when I don't want, and that I hate having work come before my friends/family.

So for me it's the opposite:

My time for reading books and drinking coffee, or meeting friends and family, or just travelling - all comes before working.

That's the biggest mistake I used to make - thinking that the harder I worked the more money I would make.

Work smarter - not harder I say. And work ON your business and not IN it.

Andy

Some great points shared. People mnay a time overlook these points but thnx for sharing. But according to me, 10pm-2am has always been my best hours!