Here we go again--another year of promises and promises. Six months from now it will all be forgotten and then we can continue to do what we always do" ?very little that will make a BIG difference and move us forward to achieve our new goals.

Everything gets buried in our overwhelmed lives. The Time Assassinators are at it again: interruptions, e-mail overload, demands on our time, cluttered office and busy lives. Sometimes as a home-based entrepreneur it is hard to be taken seriously. When will we ever find the time to achieve our goals and plans?

There is only one answer. Nike said it. We all say it at one time or another: JUST DO IT! Oh, if only we could. If only it was that simple. Today I started writing. I do not answer the phone and let the message go into voicemail. I ignore my husband's gentle interruptions to do something for him that could be done later after I finish my two hour writing goal. Then my husband answers the telephone and comes in to tell me my daughter's on the phone. What's a mother to do? I can't ignore my daughter since hubby has already told her I'm here. I take the phone and tell her I'm on my writing project and will call her back in an hour.

If you want to achieve your goals then you have to follow some simple, but challenging rules:

1. Treat your home-based business as a business. Have a separate area for your business-related work. Include all the working tools you need to do your job from this area. If you do not have a separate room for your business then devote a corner of a room and put a folding screen by the area so that your family knows when you are in this work area you are working on your business.

2. Have a plan. You must have a plan. You need direction and something to review every day to keep you focused. Without a plan you will do things helter-skelter. Think of the end-result of what you want and then work backwards with all the steps it will take to accomplish that goal. It requires some work, yet it will make it much easier to get where you want to go. It is like drawing a map to your destination.

3. Make a date with yourself. Set aside the time needed in your appointment book to finish your project or the next activity of your project. You will be amazed at the difference it makes when you see the reserved time in your appointment book. Keep doing this and soon you will acknowledge that your time is just as important as the time you give to others.

4. Keep a routine. Maintain the same business hours every day if possible. Eventually you will create a pattern and working in your home office becomes a good habit. You also will find that you will be in The Zone more frequently and accomplishing more every day.

5. No interruptions allowed unless it's a matter of life and death. Create some good responses if you are interrupted by your family or friends. Just like the answer I gave my daughter above: I explained I was in the middle of a writing project and I would call her back in an hour. This explanation helps her understand what I am doing and tells her when I will be able to respond to her.

6. Be persistent and never give up. Interruptions do happen but if you stay committed to accomplishing your business goals you will achieve the success you desire.

Recognize that you are a business person and you will finish what you start. When you accomplish your goals people will acknowledge you as a go-getter. They begin to see that you are a mover and a shaker. You will have more clients because they see you as a successful entrepreneur. Everyone wants to be with a winner.