Would you like to get more done in less time with your work-at-home business so you can spend more time with your family doing the things that you enjoy most in life? Do you often dream of a balanced lifestyle that brings you success in wealth, health, and your relationships?

It’s time to make those dreams a reality so you can get on living the life that you deserve. The best part… it’s easier than you may think.

The key to increased productivity is to optimize your brain function. The more focused, alert, and efficient your brain operates, the quicker you will be able to get through your daily tasks.

The most effective tool that you can use to optimize your brain is exercise. But you don’t need to spend hours in the gym in order to boost your brain-power and increase your productivity. You only need 10 minutes.

Let’s put it to the test. I challenge you to take a 10-minute quickie break from the computer. Come on now… I know that you’ve got 10-minutes. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.

Here’s a fast and fun home office cardio workout that you can do right now. No excuses! It doesn’t require any equipment, it doesn’t require much space, and it doesn’t require much time.

OK, so how did it feel? Were your legs burning? Was your heart racing? Awesome!

Now it’s time to get back to work, feeling more energized and focused. You needed that break didn’t you? You feel pretty darn good about yourself to… right?

Please do me a favor and take mental notes on how this quickie 10-minute cardio session impacts the rest of your day. How it improves your productivity, quality of work, and time management.

Aside from your home business, I would love for you to share how the quickie home office cardio impacts your family. Did you have more energy to play with your kids or grandchildren?

The benefits of incorporating home office fitness into your workday are nearly limitless. This is a balanced lifestyle approach. You are using quick fitness to improve your business and quality time with your family. You really can have it all, and you deserve it! Begin today and experience a transformation in your business, fitness, and life.

You ROCK! Enjoy the experience!

Scott Tousignant, BHK has been helping busy work-at-home-moms and dads improve their #1 asset (HEALTH) for over a decade. Scott’s balanced and practical approach to fitness helps busy homepreneurs get more done in less time so you can spend more time doing what you enjoy most in life.

Backed by years of experience and the application of his education in human kinetics, Scott created Fat Loss Quickie, the fast fun home office fitness experience that will quickly transform you into the super-focused, highly productive, beautiful person you really are!

Now it doesn’t matter how busy you are… You’ll never have to neglect your health again!

There’s an old saying that goes “The only certainty is change”; however well you think you’re prepared for something, there’s always a surprise waiting for you.

Take the latest addition to my family – the birth of my 2nd daughter, Elissa, about a month ago.

Since I’d been through this before, you’d think that I’d be prepared for the nights with activities like disrupted sleep, half-groggy feedings (the baby, not me!) and feelings of fatigue midway through the day (a cosy 2-hour afternoon nap helps a great deal).

Add to the mix, fun activities like planning for my kids’ college fund (Never too early to start these days…), registering their respective domains (I own both BiancaWee.com and ElissaWee.com – no content up yet though!) and running the day-to-day operations of an online business.

While I’m no “Jon & Kate Plus 8″, I have been a little busy. Which is why this guest post is coming about 4 months after Kelly invited me to contribute a piece.

Dealing with Organized Chaos

Since I’m a “respectable family man”, the days of pulling all-nighters to complete a product, or staying awake for 48 hours to deal with product launch hiccups should be a thing of the past…or are they?

Stress? What stress?

Even if my “To Do” list contains 10 items for the day and only half of them get done, I don’t get insomnia or stress over it like I used to.

In the sometimes hectic pace of the 24-7-365 internet, it’s sometimes easy to forget the main reason why we’ve chosen the “work from home” route, compared to slogging it out in the corporate trenches.

The thing is, “Personal freedom” and “financial indepedence” are just buzzwords, unless you’re walking the talk, and not just talking the talk.

The key to finding fulfilment in online marketing is finding your personal comfort zone and accepting what you can reasonably do in the time you have each day (which might ultimately be 2-3 hours of solid, productive work – waaaay before everyone gets up, or after everyone has gone to bed).

Here’re some tips to Getting what you want and getting what you need to get done.

#1 Identifying the difference between “optional tasks”, “good to have tasks” and “need to complete tasks”

“Optional Tasks”

An optional task is something you can cut out of your schedule and not miss greatly (or possibly scheduling it for “Veg Out” time). This could be watching a re-run of a 5 DVD boxed set of “Sex and the City” or “Gossip Girl”.

It might also include meeting up or chatting with online/offline casual contacts who would like to “get to know you better”.

Having and using the power to say “No” can be a life saver here. Also, if you’ve scheduled your time in a planner, you’ll have a clear idea of what needs to be done, vs letting others take your time away. (a little harsh, but if someone’s using what little time you may have left, they ARE taking your time away).

#2 Identifying good to have tasks

These are tasks which would be useful to you personally, or professionally. It could involve watching clips on YouTube, reading relevant blogs and forums, and attending conferences, workshops, webinars, teleseminars, etc.

These can almost be as enjoyable as optional tasks, although they can do you or your business good too.

Prioritizing these tasks and deciding which ones to take up can again free up time for other more important activities.

#3 Need to complete tasks

Unfortunately, if you’re new to managing your time effectively, these tasks might be the ones that get shoved to the end of the day when you’re running on fumes and down to your last legs.

A comfy bed looks positively appealing compared to the humdrum review of sales reports, or planning out and implementing tweaks to your business to improve traffic and sales conversions.

These are the tasks that feel the most “work” like and can be repetitive, monotonous and yes, boring.

However, if you look at the reasons why you’ve made the choice to work from home or out of a small office, you’ll also realize that a solid 1-2 hour block of time at the start of the day (I like the 6am timeslot, right after I’ve given my daughter her feed), or at the end of the day, can give your business (whether fledgling or established) a huge boost.

It’s not all work though. “Need to complete” tasks should also include activities that are personally meaninful to you (and sometimes, your sanity!) I’d also include setting aside time to spend with my wife and older daughter each day.

Putting it all together

While some may have a moment of self-realization and attempt to shift ALL their time to “need to complete” activities and experience a burst in productivity, this boost might be short-lived.

If it’s a radical change to your lifestyle over the past couple of years, it could send quite a shock to your system and lead to burnout.

Instead, what’s worked for me is making gradual changes to my schedule that I know I can follow on a long-term basis.

If I fall off the wagon when it comes to following my schedule, I take note of it and keep chugging along.

One of the maxims that’s helped me succeed is Vince Lombardi’s quote “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.”

There’s certainly no reason to get lost in transition.

Andrew Wee blogs at WhoIsAndrewWee.com and is co-founder of the internet marketing resource, InternetMarketingCookbook.com.

When it comes to making the leap from employee to full-time entrepreneur, do you follow your heart, your gut or your money?

It’s a hard question and one that I still don’t have the answer for. If it were up to my heart, I would have left my job a week after I started. If I were to follow my gut, I would have left a couple of months ago. It felt right then and still feels right now!

But if I follow the money, well let;s just say at this time I should probably just sit tight. After all my entrepreneur ventures are still no match for my current salary and I have those two growing kids at home to feed.

I decided to enlist some advice on twitter and asked, “When it comes to making the leap from employee to full-time entrepreneur, do you follow your heart, your gut or your money?

Here are some of the responses:

@tracilove:  Follow your heart & trust your gut – but remember that if there’s no $, it’s a hobby (not a biz).

@multitaskingme: Your gut, your heart, your money in that order

@weddingsites: Definitely your heart, it’s just a feeling you get, plus it becomes too much of a struggle juggling multiple jobs and family

@KenClicktoy: Your gut will remind your heart to remember to make money

@chatterboxcgc: Heart and gut definitely! But money is always there in good ways and bad.

@AskWifey: A little bit of all three – smiles!

While I agree that it’s time I follow my gut and heart and move forward, I thought it would be best to develop an exit strategy.

Set a Date: Decide when you would like to makes the transition to running your business full-time and develop a schedule around that date.

Review Finances: Amanda Steinberg from DailyWorth.com says, “If you’re leaving a full-time job, set up a savings account six months before you announce your departure. Commit to adding to it regularly. Save as much as you can. While six months saved in cash is a pipe dream for many of us, it’s a good north star to shoot for.”

Eliminate Debt: You may need to incur more debt as you vamp up your business, so clearing out old debt will give you some wiggle room.

Build Your Credit: Apply for extra credit.  Save those checks that you get in the mail from the bank and those pre-approved loan offers. They will come in handy if need some extra money for business expenses at a later date.

Create Your Vision: Make sure you have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Consider getting a business or life coach that can help support you and create a realistic plan.

Talk to Family: Discuss your plans with your family, they make a great support group, so if issues arise you can work them out together.

Networking: Being a full-time entrepreneur may mean spending a lot of time alone. Start connecting with other entrepreneurs by joining support groups on and offline.

Starting a business takes motivation and determination, leaving the security of your full-time job takes courage. To ensure the highest potential of success formulate a plan before making that transition.

For some more great tips, advice and coaching on taking that final step to full-time entrepreneur visit Deborah Bailey’s blog: The Secrets of Success . Deborah is the author of an eBook called “Boost Your Marketing & You Visibility with Internet Radio”. She is also the founder of Deb Bailey Coaching for transitional entrepreneurs and is the host of the weekly Internet radio talk show “Women Entrepreneurs – The Secrets of Success”.

Good luck on making your transition to full-time entrepreneur.

Read more from Stephanie at BizzieMommy.com.

Yes, I am a television addict.  That probably shocks a lot of people who are always asking me how I have time to do everything I do and it should confirm once and for all that I don’t do all that I do   (Outsourcing is a lovely thing.)

Actually, I watch a lot of television while I work.  Remember the evil Mac from my home office heaven post?  It’s primarily used as a TV.  (Yep, that’s Hulu.com on the screen.)

There are a lot of things that I do that requires focused attention but there are also a lot of things I do that can be done with a favorite program running on the side – and I have a lot of favorite programs – The Bachelorette being one of them.

So I know you probably couldn’t care less about my TV addiction or that I’m hooked on keeping up with Jillian’s current attempts at finding love, but I do have a topic that I want to pull from the program and that is issue of Ed.

Ed is a tall handsome man from Monroe, Michigan.  He was definitely finding favor with Jillian – but in episode five he shocked us all by telling her that he had to bow out of the program and head home to take care of work.  (His career is listed as ‘Technology Consultant’ and he mentioned talking with ‘his boss’ so he isn’t a solopreneur.)

I have often wondered how these adults manage to walk away from their real lives for such a long time in order to participate in a reality TV show.  Surely they earn something for their participation, but there has to be a pretty bit sacrifice involved.

When Ed told Jillian he had to go home, a part of me totally understood.  Sometimes our work is in a place that requires a lot of our attention. Hopefully not all the time, that would suck.

Jillian was visibly heartbroken and said it was obvious that Ed’s priorities were in a different place than hers.  She talked about risk. She was taking a big risk doing the show so she certainly knows a lot about it.

Love is a risk.  Taking time away from a career is a risk.

I don’t envy his decision at all, how about you?

Have you been faced with a choice like this?  Devoting time to a budding new relationship vs devoting time to growing your business?  Would you put love on hold or even say goodbye to it just to get more work done?

I can’t help but think that Ed was making a big mistake.   But who knows?  We all have to make daily decisions about what we give our time and attention to.

Fast forward to episode number seven.  Believe it or not, Ed came back and asked Jillian to let him back into the group.  He regretted his choice and wanted another chance.  When he walked through the door I think my heart thrilled just as much as Jillian’s, it was so sweet and vulnerable for him to come back and take that risk.  She could say no and leave him looking like a fool on TV.

But she didn’t.

I don’t know if Jillian will choose Ed in the end.  I’m sure she has some tough questions for him about his career goals and priorities.

Of course, I’ll be watching

(And rooting for Ed.)

“This is a how to think book, not a how to book.”

Marc Warnke’s new book, “ONO: Options not Obligations” is more than just a how to think book, though. It’s an inspirational guide for everyone who wants more independence and fewer obligations in his or her life.

Marc starts out by explaining that most of us live a life of obligations. We have a mortgage to pay and car payments to make, so we get up every day and go to work, and we continue this behavior day after day and year after year without ever realizing there is a different way to live, one without obligations, where you have the option to do what you like with your time instead of the obligation of
going to work.

You might think that a life of options is only available to those lucky few who were born into wealth and don’t have to work for a living, but in “Options not Obligations” Marc gives concrete examples of how everyone can reach a place of options by just making a few simple changes in her life and rearranging her priorities.

He suggests building an “ONO account” and gives some examples of how putting just a small amount of money in an ONO account every month will result in a great deal of wealth through the power of compound interest.

Marc further suggests the way to true wealth is not by selfishly looking out for only our own interests, but by developing a philanthropic attitude in business. By helping others be successful and build wealth, we are often in a better position to build our own.

As you read through the book, you will find “Opportunities for reflections” where the author asks you to think about a particular idea he’s presented. I encourage you to do these exercises. This is a worthwhile book without them, but by sitting down and really thinking through the questions asked of you, you will gain much more than you would by simply reading passively.

“Options not Obligations” is a great place to start for anyone looking to improve her life and financial situation. It is not a step by step guide to making money, but it is a guide to living a better life.

If you’d like to learn more about the book, please visit the website.

How Many Mornings Do You Wake Up Excited?

Children and brides know what it means to wake up thrilled to face the day, but what about the rest of us?

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect every morning to be like Christmas, summer break or our wedding day – but shouldn’t there be something shiny and enticing about most of our days?

Since becoming an full time entrepreneur, I can honestly say that I get out of bed with positive anticipation way more often not.

How Many Days Do You Spend Doing Things That You Enjoy?

I remember when I worked in a true ‘corporate’ environment.  Most of the day I spent glancing at the clock, always wishing it were closer to five o’clock PM than it was.

Then there was the night job.  Most of the night I spent wishing it were closer to seven o’clock AM than it was.

Don’t even get me started on friends and family. I have a sibling who has hated his job pretty much every minute since he took it twenty years ago.

How Many Nights Do You Fall Asleep Content?

Is your sleep sweet?

I’m not just asking if your bed is comfortable… though I do feel that a quality bed is THE most important item of furniture in your house followed closely by a great home office chair (of course) and comfortable dining room chairs (sit long – talk much).

I’m asking if your head hits the pillow with pleasant dreams soon to follow – or do you lay awake worrying about tomorrow?

What you don’t deal with during the day, you’ll deal with at night – one way or another.  Tossing and turning, fitful dreams – waking up tense and tired.

I know the value of a good night’s sleep – mostly because for many years I didn’t get one.

Why Do I Ask These Questions?

Some people don’t like to be asked tough questions like this.  They don’t like to be confronted with a reminder that they have the ability to choose whether they will enjoy their life.  They prefer to wallow, whine and rage against the machine as if they live lives in helpless captivity.

What about you?  Do you realize you have the ability to choose?

Do you realize that you can make choices today that lead to a more enjoyable tomorrow?

For several years I was miserably unhappy as a homeowner but felt home ownership was a badge of true adulthood and one of those magical keys to financial stability.  One day I realized I was suffering for an ideal that I didn’t even hold as an ideal.  I sold the house and have been a very happy apartment dweller since.

I think it’s crucially important to ask ourselves tough questions.

• Why do we do what we do?
• What are we working so hard for?
• Are we trading in long hours for extras our kids would gladly give up for more time with us?
• Are you working really hard to be someone you don’t even like?
• Are you kissing an ass you don’t even respect?

We’re in charge of our mornings, our days and our nights.  The sooner we realize just how very in charge we are, the sooner we’ll start taking actions that make us happier

The idea is to get some idea juices flowing around a different topic each week – first here on the Sparkplugging blogs, then blossoming out in the blogosphere.

We kicked things off this week with this topic:

Spark an Idea to Entertain the Kids While You Work

Check out what the creative Sparkplugging Author’s have had to say so far today:

• Eight Ideas to Keep the Kids Busy
• Entertain the Kids While You Work on eBay
• Entertain Your Kids While You Run an Online Store
• And Idea that Entertains the Kids While You Work
• Entertaing Your Kids While You Work
• Entertaining Older Kids While You Work
• Working in the Home Office

Now, if you’ve got an idea about entertainging kids while you get your work done that hasn’t been shared before – please jump in with a post of your own and link back to us so we know that you’re participating.

You can grab the Meme Graphic right here.

We hope you gain some great ideas from this and will look forward to next week’s topic!

So when you find out you’re marketing isn’t working like you thought or that your great idea isn’t seen as such a great idea by the people in your market – what do you do?

When the sales slow down and the bills aren’t getting paid – what do you do?

And on those days that you have no motivation, no real desire to grind away at making your business work – what do you?

In other words, what keeps you going?

For me, personally, it’s my vision. Certainly it’s the goals I want to achieve, that’s part of it. But it’s not all of it.

What keeps me going is wanting to live the lifestyle I want. Not just talk about it or dream about it – and not just touch it from time-to-time. But to actually live the lifestyle I want.

For me that means putting time with my wife and kids before anything. It means taking a day off when my wife’s sick or needs some rest. It means making 4 day weekends so my family can enjoy a camping trip. It means being incredibly active and highly available to my kids. It means living a life that’s balanced with some freedom.

You see, I don’t want a life where I’m bogged down by my work. If I did, I could go out and work for any corporation, put in less effort and allow someone else to dictate my lifestyle. Sure, I want – and do – make a nice living. But I don’t want my pursuit of money to become more important than what’s more important to me – quality time with my family, hiking, my spiritual practice, etc. All these things I put above making money.

BUT, I still focus on making money – as a means to the ends I wish to live by. So I work in my business to make money solely so I can have the lifestyle I want. And that’s what keeps me going on the days when it’s just not so easy or comfortable to work for myself.

So that’s me. How about you, what keeps you going when it’s less than easy?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW8uia0mNOk[/youtube]

I’ve done it. Wendy’s done it. And it’s likely, if you have a home office, that you’ve done it as well.

Yeah, I know how the lyrics to this song goes: “I’m just eating so I can get a little work done while I’m feeding my face. That way I can get even more done in the day.” Ever hear yourself thinking that one?

So, is the reason you work from home so that you could sit at your desk and eat your lunch – alone…while sun warms the earth and the birds sing their little songs? Do you really think you’re more productive because you spend your lunch in front of the computer?

The truth is, it’s likely you’re not more productive, but less so, when you spend your lunch time at your desk. How could this be so? Well, first, you never work as effectively or efficiently when  you’re doing more than one task at a time. Eating is one task. Checking email, browsing the web, blogging, catching up on social media, building a spreadsheet, writing a proposal, designing a logo – all these are separate, individual tasks. you wouldn’t write a proposal while you’re checking email – so why would you combine eating with any of these?

Yet, efficiency isn’t the key. I’ve worked over some lunches, lightly snacking on my food while I focus greatly on finishing some project for a deadline. I’ve gotten work done doing it that way. But I do know that I’m simply not as effective as when I am only focused on the project.

The key is quality of life. More directly – quality of your business life.

If you’re working from home, it’s because you want too. Whether you’re a entrepreneur, a small business owner or working remote, you’re working from your home office because you can be. If this is true, stop and ask  yourself, “Why did I want to work from home?”

I’m going to guess that you’re not going to site reasons like, “so I could work at eat lunch at the same time.”

For most of us, working from home has something to do with the quality of our life. We think of working at home, we think of freedom, space, relaxed work environment, flexibility and things like that. Yet, are we living those qualities in the work we do? That’s the real question.

So I suggest eating your lunch away from your desk – and if you can, away from your office. Go outside and enjoy the seasons. Eat lunch in the sun or under a tree. Sit, taste your food, chew it slowly and think about something other than work. Doesn’t matter what it is, just get your mind out of work. Feel the warmth of the sun, breathe the air – take deep, belly-full breaths and even close your eyes for a few moments and just relax (don’t fall asleep, though). Feel your feet or buttocks on the ground and just be present. Don’t worry about work – it’ll all the there when you return.

I do this almost daily. Yeah, the work-at-my-desk bug still gets me from time to time. But it’s seldom these days. I make my lunch a time to recharge and focus on living, rather than working. I take time to taste my food and feel my feet. All this helps me remember why I work so hard in the first place.

And if I want the biggest dose of why I work, I have lunch with my wife and kids. I get out of the office, sit down with my family and we all eat lunch together. In the warm months, we might make a picnic in the backyard under a tree for half an hour. Or we might sit under the porch while it’s raining and listen to the rain and talk and laugh. These times are special to me and to the kids. They remember daddy eating lunch with them – and I them. And I remember that they won’t be little forever (my oldest is 4) so I should cherish these times while I can.

Because I work from home, I can.

Where do you eat your lunch?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year from Staples via @BarbaraJones.

Think about it. With a home office, there’s no commuting – which saves time, stress and money. Working from home means you can have lunch with your kids every day. It means you can take a half-hour and roll around with them in the yard. And if you’ve had a late night, no worries. You can roll out of bed minutes before your first appointment and still make it on time. The advantages go on and on.

But, there’s also some major challenges with working from home.

For instance, if you were working in an office building, it probably wouldn’t take your 15 minutes to use the bathroom because your kids are jumping all over you the minute you leave your office. Or, in our case with my wife being a stay-at-home-mom, your spouse thinking that it’s all right to interrupt you 67 times a day. Okay, it’s actually closer to 68.

Before my wife and I married and had kids, I’d worked from my home office for seven years. When we got married, I had no idea the challenges I would face. I figured she just understood that when I closed the door to my office I was unavailable. Nope. Same with the kids.

Now, 6 years later, we’ve worked out a pretty good system for making sure everyone’s needs get met in the family and in my business. All we had to do was create a few boundaries and establish a few rhythms:

• Set office hours – AND KEEP THEM.
  When your office is just down the hall, it can be difficult to set work aside and have ‘off time.’ Yet, it’s really unfair to both you and your family if you’re bouncing in and out of your office at all hours. Establish specific hours on specific days where you’re working. Make this time as though you’re out of house. This is foundational to effectively working at home so I can’t stress it enough.
• Remember your family has rhythms & schedules – AND HONOR THEM.
  One issue we had in our family is that I would need a breather a few times in the middle of the day and so I’d come out of my office and spend time with the wife and kids. This was always on my terms because I decided when I came out and when I went back. And since there was no specific time set each day for me to take these little breaks, my wife and kids would never know when I was coming out of my office. Such, this would interrupt their daily flow and their rhythms. So while fun for me, it wasn’t fun for my wife to deal with after I’d go back to work. So talk to your spouse, if they stay at home, and ask them how your mid-day breaks affect the family.
• Set specific break times – AND KEEP THEM.
  One thing all of us look forward too is eating lunch together. I used to just come out for lunch when I could, which just created chaos. Now, we schedule lunch – as well as those mid-day breaks – so that all of know what to expect. My wife can plan her day and the kids know what to expect – both when the break begins and ends. It’s made our lives much easier.
• Communicate your needs with your spouse – OFTEN.
  It’s highly unlikely your work’s exactly the same every day. Deadlines and problems can lead to all sorts of business turmoil. Or maybe you’re taking on large project that may require extra time. This may change your work rhythms – maybe you need to work a bit more, or maybe there’s going to be more stress. Talk with your spouse about this BEFORE it becomes an issue. If you’re going to take away from family time, be sure that your spouse agrees it’s a good idea, is supportive and has an idea how it’s going to change their life. Sometimes not taking a project that interrupts your life and hurts your family can be the best choice.
• Put a lock on your door – AND USE IT.
  Seems elementary, but it’s wholly necessary. Sure, it’s cute when you’re on the phone with a prospect and your 3 year-old waddles into your office for a kiss. But it’s not so cute when they come running into your office crying while you’re on a conference call with decision makers at a company you’re doing business for. Lock your door and keep it locked when you’re ‘in your office.’ Make it habit.
• Don’t unlock or open  your door during business hours – UNLESS YOU NEED TOO.
  The point of putting a lock on your office door – and using it – is so that your inaccessible just as you’d be if you were working out of the home. That means when your kids or spouse see your door locked, they don’t bother you. If the kids come knocking – and they do – you simply don’t answer. You resist the temptation to open the door. In short order, they’ll get it that when your door’s closed, you’re unavailable. Addendum: You’re also at home and always a parent. So, if you hear your 4 year-old telling your 2 year-old not to touch the hot stove, you quickly go out and deal with it – then return to your office and lock your door.
• Have family meetings before work – DO THIS!
  Inevitably you and your spouse will need to talk about things throughout the day. Of course, if your spouse believes (s)he should interrupt you at every moment there’s a question – just because you’re at home – you’re productivity will suffer – as well as your patience. So create a time in the morning or in the evening – off from work – where you can talk about daily family business. This is the time to make plans, talk about money, pay bills, make decisions on kid’s classes, schedule doctor’s appointments, talk about dinner, remind you to get a hair cut, etc, etc, etc. Then, whatever needs to be talked about has a space and time so that it doesn’t have to be talked about during business hours.
• Use the telephone to communicate during business hours.
  Just as if you were working 30 miles away, ask your spouse – and kids – to use the telephone to reach you if there’s something pressing. My wife and I do this and it works great – even though sometimes I can hear her voice through the door. And the kids can talk to me this way as well. It honors all of our needs while I’m working while allowing her a chance to get questions answered – or to just say ‘I love you.’ (okay, I’m a sap). BTW, IM and email works fine too.

There certainly are other things you can do to establish a home/work environment. The most important things is that you and your family set boundaries that work for everyone. Boundaries that allow you to get your work done while honoring your family’s needs and your responsibilities to them.

Just remember that it’s not all about you getting your work done. You have an impact on them as well. So honor their needs, their rhythm and the ‘work’ they’re doing in and for the family.

As I always say, a peaceful home provides a peaceful home office.

Jerry: They’re not going back to Florida. They’re moving here.

George: What? Why?

Jerry: Because your parents are going down there. My buffer zone just went from twelve hundred miles down to two feet! You gotta do something.

George: Hey, I’m sorry, you had your buffer zone for many years. It’s my turn to live, baby. (Seinfeld, The Shower Head)

When I started working from home after 25 years in a corporate office, I quickly learned the value of an ample buffer zone.

One of my first freelance gigs was a series of press releases for a European software firm. I was thrilled to have the work, but it was a tough assignment. The software was complex, so there was lots and lots of research involved.

The day of my deadline rolls around, and I’m chomping at the bit. Luckily, my wife is out running errands with her friend Michelle, leaving me blissfully alone with my research notes, hot Genmaicha tea, and a blank Word document. I’m so excited – after all these years I’m actually a professional writer. I can almost see the finished press release now, and the congratulatory emails pouring in from the client.

A half hour later I’m still staring at a blank Word document. Can’t think of a headline. Can’t think of a lead. I’m staring at my notes and all of a sudden I see a thousand keyword phrases and I can only optimize for three. I brew more tea. Feed the cats. Take out the garbage. Return to my computer and play a game of Hearts.

And then as I smell the oaky, popcorn aroma of my Genmaicha tea, everything falls into place. I have the headline. I have the lead. The whole structure of the release is clear as a bell.

I’m typing the word, “The”, and my cell phone rings.

It’s my wife. “Honey,” she says. (I know I’m in trouble already. My wife never says “honey” unless it’s for a reason.) “Honey,” she says, “Can you come over to Michelle’s for a sec? We’re trying to move her TV.”

What can I say? From the office, with that nice buffer zone, I could have said a number of things. I don’t have time. I’m heading into a meeting. I’m wearing a tie. But from home, what can one say except, “I’ll be right over, dear.”

For the next 45 minutes the three of us muscle Michelle’s immense plasma TV from the living room through her ridiculously narrow front door and into her SUV. I’m sweaty, aggravated, and completely preoccupied with my press release. They say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Brad.” I flash a charming smile and get the hell out of there as fast as I can.

I rush back to my computer where the word “The” is still on the screen. But I can’t remember the rest of the headline. My brilliant lead – gone. Everything’s a blur, and the deadline is four hours away.

I brew more tea. Play Hearts. Wonder if CareerBuilder has any sweet job listings for a marketing executive. Finally understand why a king built a moat around his castle. It wasn’t to keep other people out, but to keep himself in. Those medieval guys knew the value of a buffer zone, that’s for sure.

Brad is a regular guest contributor to Sparkplug CEO and is an Humor Marketing expert. Here’s more samples of Brad’s business cartoons. You can email Brad about using cartoons in your business or call him at (630) 845-1778.

So in the spirit of giving our brains a break, please leave a comment and share with us what you are going to do today (or sometime in the next few days) to walk away from your desk & get some fresh air. I’d also be curious to hear about what problem, challenge, or question you have been pondering lately that just might get resolved when you go have some fun!

1. It gets me out of the house. I’m a homebody and love being/working at home, but sometimes it clears my head to get out.

2. It’s “me” time. Being an entrepreneur, a wife and a mother, I’m often the last person on my list. Yoga is something I do for me. I don’t need shopping sprees or manicures, but yoga serves the purpose nicely.

3. There’s no email in yoga. I am an email addict. Even when I tell myself my day is over, I still sneak in and check my email about 4 times before dinner bedtime. Yoga classes really frown on you bringing your laptop in, and as they say, check your problems (and Inbox) at the door.

4. Children aren’t allowed. Don’t get me started about the people who bring their kids to yoga on holidays. But in theory, it’s an adult venue. No whining, no “mama you made me sad” for the 100th time today because I wouldn’t let my child dance in the middle of the street with traffic. I have to remember I am a person, a woman, first, and a chauffeur/chef/tear-wiper/bedtime-story-reader second. That way I am better as a mother when yoga time is over.

5. It’s hard to think about clients when you’re balancing in tree pose. I admit, sometimes my clients come with me to yoga (in my head! I’d never want them to see me in stretchy yoga pants). But as I push myself to get deeper into the moves they leave. And funnily enough, even though I’m not thinking about them (or maybe because of that) I come up with better ideas when I get out.

6. Exercise is good for you (especially the non-sweating kind). I hate running. I’m not competitive. I don’t even like to watch sports. But yoga works for me. Probably because it’s the closest I get to meditating. But it also stretches my body and keeps me fit. Which means I’m healthy in body and mind, am sick less and feel good.

7. Because I can. I constantly am grateful for the fact that I have the luxury (since when is taking care of ourselves a luxury??) to go to yoga twice a week (yes, clients, my Monday and Friday meetings are actually yoga). It makes me work twice as hard so I can enjoy it. Before I left for yoga this morning, I got more done than I’ve gotten done since.

8. I can vent without getting angry. If you do yoga, you get this. All the frustrations that build up, all the “check’s in the mail,” all the whining, the annoying salespeople, the pee spots I slide into wearing socks (it’s from the dog, not the 3-year-old), everything that gets on my nerves all week melts away in yoga. I don’t have to yell or punch anything to dissolve the tension.

Susan Payton is Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an Orlando marketing firm, and is the blogger behind The Marketing Eggspert. She helps businesses put together their marketing strategy and execute it. From press releases to email blasts, Susan and Egg can help promote your company. For free advice on marketing in today’s Web 2.0 world, visit The Marketing Eggspert Blog.

Now, I’m not much of a TV kind of gal, but when I do watch, it’s usually TLC. With this new show they are finally shining a spotlight on one of the biggest under-served issues in motherhood :: leaving and re-entering the workforce (hello, why did it take so #$^& long?!). In fact, it’s such a strong need with women in their 30’s and 40’s, Shannon Hutton and I are going to be launching a blog soon dedicated to helping moms work through these difficult transitions.

I have to firstly give TLC and show host Tracey Gold a standing ovation for putting this show on the air in the first place. Interestingly, some moms that I consider some of my best blogging buddies in the industry aren’t so thrilled with the idea, and are being quite vocal about their concerns.

OOoooooohhh, controversy. Gotta love it.

Here’s the TLC show description:

Being a stay at home mother is an all consuming career – and while most moms are wonderfully fulfilled by this choice, other women may wonder about the dreams they left behind. TLC’s new series The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom takes a stay-at-home mom and gives her a chance to secretly live the life she gave up to raise her family. Each hour-long episode profiles the story of a mom as she experiences what her life could have been like if she had chosen to juggle career and family. Guided by Tracey Gol, Mom spends one week outside of the carpool lane and back in the fast lane. The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom gives moms a chance to get back into the careers they left behind.

Episode I :: Adrian Stark

Without telling her family, stay-at-home mom Adrian Stark secretly goes back to work as a high-end fashion designer, while her doctor husband tends to their three girls.

Let me start out by agreeing with Char and Elizabeth on the one thing I just don’t get – why does the premise of the show entail these moms being secretive about this week in career nirvana? Nobody likes to see family members lying – even on reality TV. I guess it serves up a ‘dramatic twist’, but I think it is both unnecessary and undermines the great intentions of the show – to help women pursue a dream they put on hold. And I have to say the Mr. Mom segments were a little cliche – it’s an old joke that reinforces stereotypes.

But that’s all the negative things I have to say about it – the rest of the show was exciting, uplifting, and it even almost made me cry a couple of times. Adrian left the fashion industry 10 years prior to the making of this show, and she was crystal clear about the fact that she enjoyed every minute of the privilege of being a stay at home mom for such a long period of time. There were moments in the fashion designer’s office in which she was freaking out, wondering if she could pull it all off – and when she not only earned the respect of her coworkers, but they wanted to include her designs in a prestigious fashion show, she had one of those brilliantly beautiful moments where she realized that she was not only living her dream but succeeding at it… ah, it brings a tear to my eye again just thinking about it!

Honestly, I think the show started off well, and I can only hope they touch more mom’s lives as they move forward. Will it reignite the infamous Mommy Wars? I guess we can only wait and see about that one, but I give the show creators kudos for respecting both sides of motherhood in this episode.

Want to get on the show?

From the looks of their preliminary TV schedule, they have filmed 5 pilot episodes. Makes me think that there’s plenty of room for one (or ten!) of you to jump on this opportunity and hopefully experience a life-career-changing week yourselves!

From the Get on TLC page:

Celebrating Stay-at-Home Moms!
Are you or is someone you know a stay-at-home mom? Is your life filled with driving the kids from soccer practice, piano lessons, dance classes and back home with barely enough time to get food on the table? Do you feel like everyday is for someone else with no time left for you? If your answer is yes, TLC is looking for you to be a part of a wonderful new show celebrating “soccer moms”.

If you’ve put your needs on the backburner to run a world of diapers, dishes and laundry, we want you! E-mail us your information at: soccermomcasting9@gmail.com

If any of you want me to put in a good word for you, I’ve got your back.

It is so funny how they can suddenly be so self sufficient on a Snow Day. While they usually need me to help get them dressed, eat breakfast, and go through the bathroom routine, they have done ALL of this themselves before 9:00am today because they are so anxious to get out into that snow. I know that snowmen and snowforts are fun and all, but it won’t occupy them all day. Luckily I’ve been doing this for a really long time and I know how to keep them busy while I have to work… and I also know how to manage my work so that I can have a little fun with them today, too.

The post I wrote at the beginning of last summer 94 Ways to Keep Kids Busy for the Work at Home Parent is to this day one of the most visited posts on this blog. I wrote it to get me through the summer, so it can definitely get you through one measly snow day.

Seeing I was onto something with that article, I hired Shannon Hutton to write our Seasonal Kids’ Activities Blog to continually provide simple, fun projects that you can do with your kids. She was also just featured today on 5 Minutes for Mom with a set of Super-Simple Valentines Day Projects.

Char Polanosky writes 2 kid-friendly blogs that have been a hit with both parents and kids. Printables4Kids offers just that, lots of free downloadable worksheets and coloring pages. And Doll Diaries is a blog dedicated to the girly fun of dolls, especially the American Girl dolls.

Derek over at Dad Balance has written a post or two to help you out on a snow day as well. Check out his archives in the Hobbies & Interests and Family Time categories.

And Supermom in NY sent me a link I wanted to add, she’s got recommendations for 5 sites for kids I hadn’t heard of before, and they look awesome.

Most of all – put down the laptop or your mouse and go have some fun today. Even if you aren’t sitting on a foot of snow, it’s Friday, so take advantage of the fact that you work at home and get some extra time with your kids today!

Now excuse me. “Christmas in Connecticut” is coming on soon.

Susan Payton is Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an Orlando marketing firm, and is the blogger behind The Marketing Eggspert. She helps businesses put together their marketing strategy and execute it. From press releases to email blasts, Susan and Egg can help promote your company. For free advice on marketing in today’s Web 2.0 world, visit The Marketing Eggspert Blog.

Take a look at a few facts from the movie:

• The top 10 jobs we will have in 2010 did not exist in 2004 (as in, we are currently educating our children for jobs that don’t exist yet)
• In 2004, Nintendo invested more than $140 million dollars in research and development, yet the US Government spent less than half that much on research and innovation in education
• A week’s worth of content from the New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century.

One of the driving forces behind the content on this site is to encourage and push more people to go into business for themselves rather than depend on a company for income, which in my mind is more risky than being an entrepreneur.

And I think it is critical that we find ways to teach our children the same – there is no way we can teach them to truly prepare for what they will face 10-15 years from now – but we can teach them to innovate, think for themselves, and give them the skills necessary to make a living no matter what the world is like in 2017.

So this holiday season, give your children a gift that will teach them a thing or two about business. I promise you they will love it if you find them one that fits their interests – my kids are particularly fond of Zoo Tycoon – see below!

	Monopoly The grandfather of all money & investment games, and also one of the best. My kids LOVE playing Monopoly (except when I win!!). These days you can find a version of the game to please anyone, like the Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition, Horse-Opoly, or even the Monopoly® SpongeBob SquarePants™ Edition
The “Official” Product Description In 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, an unemployed heating engineer from Pennsylvania created the game of Monopoly. Realizing that his get-rich theme might appeal to other Americans, he had the game printed and distributed in a Philadelphia department store. When he couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming requests for more sets, he arranged for Parker Brothers to take over the game. And the rest, as they say, is history.
	KidsWealth Money Kit This isn’t just a game, but a way to teach your children to track and manage their own real-life money in a fun way. Where were these things when I was a kid?!
The “Official” Product Description This unique, tested, and proven program uses a practical hands-on approach to teach kids to manage real money in a safe, structured, and supported manner. Kids learn the value of money, how to build smart money habits, and develop a mindset for personal and financial success. Incorporating powerful psychology and advanced learning methods, the award-winning KidsWealth Money Kit makes it easy for parents to open positive, healthy discussions about money.
	The Sims 2: Open for Business The Sims is one of the most popular PC games of all time, and with this expansion pack, you can build businesses with the characters you have created. I like this one because you can build just about any business, whereas many of the other games are limited to one area of interest.
The “Official” Product Description In Sims 2: Open For Business you’ll get to design your own clothing boutique, beauty salon, florist, high-end electronics shop, bustling restaurant chain, or virtually any other type of business. Hire your staff as the business grows and put talented Sims to work making toys, running the register, crafting floral bouquets, giving sales pitches, or manufacturing robots. But watch out for slacker employees and be prepared to fire them on the spot. Will you build a thriving business empire or become an eccentric entrepreneurs designing the next big thing?
	Stock Rush Game Although I haven’t played this one, I love the idea of teaching children to invest and to risk wisely.
The “Official” Product Description Stock Rush is a fun and exciting board game that includes all the basic principles of trading used in the real world. The object of the game is to become the wealthiest player through trading (buying and selling) Stocks, Commodities, and Franchises.
	Zoo Tycoon I LOVE this game – my daughter has it and she plays it all of the time (and the other kids beg to get their turn!). It teaches kids what it is really like to run a business, from cash flow to inventory, marketing to fundamental business planning. But it’s all done while they are in an open and engaged environment. If your child has an interest in animals, I can’t recommend this game more highly to teach your children how to think like an entrepreneur.
The “Official” Product Description Zoo Tycoon allows players to create their own completely free-form zoo. Start with fences for exhibits, then pick animals and give them toys, foliage, and anything else you want. For customers, you can lay down paths to lead them around, then add food stands, amusement rides, even maps and trash cans.
	Roller Coaster Tycoon I have to say ditto on this – my kids have this one too. Since they have a stronger interest in animals, they play Zoo Tycoon more than Roller Coaster Tycoon. But the principles are the same in this and the following “tycoon style” games.
The “Official” Product Description Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 is a brilliant reworking of the classic management strategy game. An unlimited combination of roller coaster designs and landscapes to help you build the coolest park imaginable!
	Fairy Godmother Tycoon This has GOT to be the most creative spin on the Tycoon-style games ever. Learn business by setting up a potion shop?! Brilliant!!
The “Official” Product DescriptionFairy Godmother Tycoon gives you the chance to the power behind the world of fairy tales. Climb the ranks of the Fairy Godmother’s operation, then set up shop in different villages across the land. Check the weather forecast each day to find out which curses will strike the peasant village. Buy supplies and upgrades to create magic potions, set your prices, manage your inventory and hire contractors to help move your product.
	My Horse Farm Another cute spin on the same game concept – you would think this one would be geared at really young children, but according to the reviews on Amazon, your child has to be at least 8 or so, because there is a lot of reading involved.
The “Official” Product DescriptionTake good care of your horses and build your business as you breed champions. Outfit your riders, from head to toe, by choosing from an array of clothes, accessories and hairstyles! Spend your money wisely, make good decisions, and train your horses to become world-class champions.
	Restaurant Empire I am seriously considering getting this for my husband, even though it is targeted at a younger audience. Hubby has always wanted to open a restaurant, and I can’t think of a more fun way to “fulfill a dream” than in the virtual world (unless, of course, you can do it in real life!!).
The “Official” Product DescriptionRestaurant Empire is the first game that faithfully recreates all the challenges of building and operating a restaurant franchise through a unique blend of business-simulation and RPG gameplay. Starting with nothing except some cash and a passion for food, build a restaurant from the bottom up–hire waiters, decorate, even cook the meals! Buy, build, outsell and, underprice your competition.
	Lemonade Tycoon 2 I believe this is the second version of one of the earliest ‘tycoon’ style games – what’s cool about this one is that your kids can play it on the computer then take what they learn and start applying it in real life… as in, see below!
The “Official” Product DescriptionLemonade Tycoon 2 juices up business simulation and takes to the streets of NYC! It’s jam-packed with awesome graphics, tons of customer types, loads of equipment upgrades, and tons of equipment upgrades, and 19 different locations.
	David Kirk’s Happy Giddy Lemonade Stand & Presto Homemade Electric Lemonade Maker SOOoooooo cute – and so affordable! The lemonade stand is less than $25 – and really encourages your kids to get out there and take a shot at running a business for a day. Make it easy for them to make lemonade that people actually want to drink with this nifty lemonade maker (also for less than $25).
The “Un-Official” Product DescriptionThe Happy Giddy Lemonade Stand is built from fiberglass (PVC-style) pipes and polyester fabric, measuring 47 3/4″ Height, 23 3/4″ wide, 11 1/2″ Deep. It can be used indoors and outdoors.
	Learning Resources Pretend & Play Snack Shop It’s a little hard to teach younger children the more complex strategies of money management and business – but give them the opportunity to get interested in business early by encouraging role playing business games with products like these.
The “Official” Product DescriptionThis convenience store is truly convenient. Simply set it up on a table whenever your child wants to play. The tri-fold board comes with more than 104 pieces including snacks, play money, write and wipe board for daily specials and many more shop items, all in a convenient and sturdy tri-fold board with carrying handle.
	Learning Resources Supermarket Checkout & Pretend and Play Supermarket Set Call me old-fashioned, but I really don’t like to see the new toys that have been coming out in the last few years with play credit cards. I don’t think it’s wise at all to teach our kids at a young age to spend on credit – good god, we do a good enough job at that on our own as adults. The last thing our kids need is learn to spend without learning what really happens in a transaction. That’s why I like these playsets – they have “real” play money that teaches kids the basics – including that money indeed changes hands when you buy something!
The “Official” Product DescriptionYour child will love “checking out” the Supermarket Checkout Set. Young supermarket checkers can simply slide food items across the working conveyor belt as the scanner light flashes. The register will beep when it’s ringing up the sale. Set includes working produce scale, swivel price display, nine plastic food items, plastic credit card and shopping basket. The Pretend and Play Supermarket Set has everything kids need to open a pretend store. This 93 piece set includes a durable cotton apron with nametag, a colorful shopping basket, groceries, assorted dry-erasable sale signs, coupons, assorted play money and more.