3. Establish a routine and structure similar to workplace

As stated earlier, structure and routine of an external workplace has advantage of allowing you to leave work behind at end of day. By establishing a routine and structure similar to a place of work, you can still benefit from this advantage. Now obviously you don't have to be as regimented as you would be if you worked in a corporate office.

You don't have to start at 9:00 am, work till noon, take a one hour lunch break and then work through until 5:00 pm. You can set whatever routine and structure you like. The important thing is to be disciplined in sticking to your routine, whatever you decide it is. If you prefer to work from 5:00 am through 10:00 am and then from 2:00 pm through 4:00 pm that's fine. This structure allows you to enjoy hours from 10:00 am through 2:00 and after 4:00 pm as your own. There is room for flexibility here. Work however is most productive for you but stop once you get to end of your allotted work time. If you haven't finished what you started, pick it up again in work time. Don't allow 'your' time to be encroached on by work.

4. Minimize distractions and interruptions

By implementing suggestions 1., 2. and 3., you will also be establishing an environment where distractions and interruptions are minimized and discouraged. For example, if you have school-age children, by scheduling your work time to coincide with their school time, you will minimize distractions and interruptions you will inevitably face if you try and work while they're at home.

By having separate communications systems, you won't be interrupted with calls on your home phone while working (your answering machine should be getting these calls so you can return them on "your" time).

By having an exclusively "work" area in your home, and making sure that other members of your household respect this space for what it is, you can help others remember that when you're in your room you're working and are not to be interrupted for things that can wait until you're "home" again.

5. Rituals

Rituals can play a useful role in flipping switch at end of workday. For example, you may already have a routine that sees you working until 6:00 pm, time your partner returns home from work. Perhaps you share a glass of wine together at that time. Why not think of your shared glass of wine as an "end of workday" ritual. By making a habit of doing this, your mind will soon learn to associate that glass of wine with end of workday and flip switch on work in automatic response.

Another idea is to wear a certain item of clothing while working so that, when you take it off at end of work day, your mind makes connection between its removal and end of work time. A baseball cap, a particular pair of shoes, whatever it is doesn't matter.

6. Plan to take days off and vacations

Finally, when establishing your routine and work schedule, don't forget to schedule days off and vacations. And make sure you take them. You may decide to take Saturdays and Sundays off, or your "weekends" might be Tuesdays and Wednesdays or Mondays and Fridays. Whatever works in best with your lifestyle, do it.

The same goes for vacations. Don't underestimate rejuvenating effect of taking a week off entirely. Not only is it good for your overall health and mental wellbeing, you will probably find that you are that much more productive when it comes to getting back to work for having taken a true time out.

Hopefully you can see that working from home does not have to mean turning your home into a place of work. Working from home as a lifestyle choice should mean that quality of your life is enhanced as a result of your decision, not diminished. By practicing these simple disciplines day-in and day-out you can be sure that even though you are taking care of business, you are also taking care of something even more important. Life.

So, what can you invest in that is guaranteed to provide a good return for your money?

YOURSELF!

That's right. Invest in YOU.

Start a home business. Invest enough capital into it to allow it to grow. Invest enough of your own effort into it to make it turn a profit.

Right now -- with company layoffs, DOW dropping every day, and corporations going bankrupt left and right -- you need to TAKE CONTROL.

The stock market is out of your control. However, building a successful home business is in YOUR control.

And, what's more exciting is...once you pass learning curve on building your business, you will be able to earn MORE, FASTER from same money when you invest it in your own business rather than investing it in someone else's business through stock market.

Why?

Because YOU have control over growth of that money! YOU are boss, and YOUR efforts will determine profit you make from your investment.

The same $100 you would have put into a mutual fund that, in a good economy, would provide you with an average 10-percent (or $10) return a year can provide you with a MINIMUM of a 10-percent (or $10) return a DAY once your business picks up momentum.

And, if you give it all you've got, you'll be investing in a "Sure Thing."

YOU are best investment you can make...stop living in fear of having someone ELSE take everything away from you. By focusing on building a home business, you can take control over your financial future.