, I'm still in the process of learning how to deal with it. 
One of the major aspects of owning your own business, especially at home, is the need for "Complete Self Discipline." When I had that cursed J-O-B, someone else told me when to be at work, and when to take time off. They gave me specific tasks to accomplish, and an allotted time span in which to complete them. It didn't take a lot of discipline. I showed up and completed my work, or I'd get fired. Simple, right?
But now....no one tells me when to work, or what to do. I have to rely on myself to know what needs to be done, and to do it.
And, to my own delight, I have found that I do possess the drive and desire to have "Complete Self Discipline." I don't think I have to describe the feeling that we, as online entrepreneurs, have. That little voice inside that warns, over and over again, "If you don't succeed, you're going to have to go out and get another job." I LISTEN to that voice. I heed it's warning.
The biggest shock of all has been the ONE area where I've found I lack "Complete Self Discipline". I have a hard time knowing when to STOP working.
Believe me, three years ago, this was NOT a problem. I cherished my days off. I reveled in them. But now.....that's all changed.
I can't tell you how many dinners have burned, or how many loads of laundry have wrinkled as they sat in the dryer, while I "answered a just a couple more e-mails," or "placed just one more ad." Sound familiar?
"Balance" is a word that has come to have new meaning to me. When you work for someone else, it's easy to balance work and home. You're at work for 8 hours a day. The rest of the time, you deal with the rest of your life.
But, when "work" is at "home", it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. In my home, I have taken over the dining room for my office. On my right, is the kitchen. On my left, the living room. This presents a problem in that anytime I walk from the kitchen to the living room, or vice versa, I see my computer. When I look at my computer, it represents all the work I need to do, or "should" be doing. Sometimes, I swear, I can hear it calling my name.
So, how then, can we "balance" our lives? Good question. I've thought of making up a schedule. But, that reminds me too much of my "other" life, and the rebellious side of me won't allow it.
Sometimes I make lists. It helps me, a little to be able to see, in writing, exactly what needs to be done.
Each one of us probably has a different formula for structuring our lives as we work at home. The first step, though, is to be aware of the need for that balance. To know that taking time off is just as important as working. Once we've taken that first step, we can then use our "Complete Self Discipline" to find a way do it.
So, this year I've made a deal with myself. I will NOT boot my computer up on Christmas day.....until after all the presents are opened.
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