Increasing workloads are forcing people to spend more time in the office, even when the office is at home. This means that many parents are unable to stay involved in their children's lives as they develop, and are becoming mere spectators instead of loving role models. The result is an undermining of their relationships, higher stress levels, a lack of balance and a generally unfulfilled life.

However, this should not be the case. Working at home allows greater freedom and independence and should result in less time being wasted. Yet many of us fail to successfully make this transition. Discipline is a key factor when running a business from home... and believe me; I know what I'm talking about as I am one of the thousands of business owners who enjoy the benefits and also the challenges of as a home-based business owner.

Starting the New Year with renewed energy and a zest for life is the best feeling ever.  
You are bursting with enthusiasm; there is a clear stretch of 365 days ahead, you have a perfectly clean sheet on which you are going to write in your best script everything you want to achieve this year.  The list ends up filling several pages of your beautiful new note book purchased specifically for this task and you are just dying to start ticking things off.  The challenge is there and you are ready - “bring it on”!

Ding, Ding, Ding – reality check!  This arrives about 1 March when you’ve probably lost the book, you are gorging on chocolate cake as punishment for not sticking to your diet and you have only had one of those monthly massages you promised yourself, let’s not even talk about the gym membership.

I love public speaking. Do you? Many people would answer “you’ve got to be kidding!!”. I think it is such a pity that public speaking is frequently number one on people’s list of fears (even above death). I love Jerry Sienfeld’s joke about that - it means that at a funeral most people would rather be the ones in the casket than giving the eulogy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a bit of good coaching, support and experience just about everyone can experience the joys of speaking. There is nothing like the exhilarating feeling of connecting with an audience and delivering a great message.

So what can you do if you have to stand up in front of a group and suddenly the nerves go into red alert. The voice of Will Robinson’s robot booms in your ear …… danger, danger, danger! Your palms are clammier than a homeless oyster and your breathing goes into overdrive. You forget what day it is, your name …..  and …. er …… who are all these people staring at me? Why are they doing that?

In the same way that good location is vital in finding great real estate, a positive attitude is vital in producing a truly outstanding and fulfilling life and business.

Words are powerful. They can inspire us or make us so afraid of failing that we fail to act at all. Becoming aware of the words we use to describe ourselves and our businesses, can help us live a more balanced and fulfilling life and run our businesses more successfully.

All of us have negative messages in our minds that hold us back. We are all aware of the form these messages take – ‘You’re stupid’, ‘You’ll never be a success’, ‘You’ll never do any good’, ‘You’ll never amount to anything’, ‘What if you get it wrong?’ And on… and on… and on!