When it comes to home based businesses, I'm surprised at how many fail and never try again. It's almost depressing actually.

I suppose I was fortunate to have a great memory and parents that taught me an important lesson that applies to most (if not all) aspects of life:

"When life throws obstacles, walk, climb or crawl to get over it and know there are more to come"

Oh, yes. Dad has been right about many things, but this life lesson is one he lives by and that's why he's successful.

A lot of people I talk to that have been involved in home businesses have expressed the importance of planning ahead. This could make or break you.

Write Things Down!

Don't rely on a mental note when you want to create a list of things to do. Most of the people who do that get distracted by other things like family responsibilities or college and completely forget to work on their home business.

Write out a list of things to do and keep that list where you will see it. I personally keep the list with me and mark things off as I complete them because it's a great way to keep track of progress and can be very motivational.

Plan for the Worst

By this I don't mean to give up hope. I simply mean it's a good idea to have a backup plan in case something doesn't go the way you expected.

I've definitely had moments in my life that I wish I'd had a plan "B". When you don't have a backup plan for those occasions when things do go wrong, it can leave you standing there with a "deer in the headlights" expression on your face. That's not being productive.

Your goal is not to have to pause and figure things out. You want to be constantly moving your business forward, not backwards.

Break Things Down

This is a mistake that many people make. (I'm guilty of this from time to time) They try to do too much at one time and they stress themselves out. This results in the dreaded "burnout".

Don't rush. When writing out your list of things to do, don't be vague by simply writing "take time out to work on business". Be specific. What exactly do you want to do today that will benefit your business? Now you aren't being so vague and you'll be much more focused when working.

So, the next time you sit down at your computer and start working, think about what you want to achieve. Break your ultimate goals down into smaller checkpoints so you don't get overwhelmed and always have an idea of what you're going to do when "life gives you lemons".

Make these methods a habit and you'll see more positive results and feel less worn out.