Working for yourself can be liberating, frustrating, exhilarating and empower you to reach new heights. But with great freedom comes responsibility – self discipline is usually the main challenge for you as an entrepreneur – the goal of which is to balance your life.

So here are some really basic building blocks for clearing the clutter from your life, creating more Time and more Space to do the things you really WANT to do – not just he the things you HAVE to do.

Basic rules to live by for anyone working from home:

Start your day off right

Lying in bed letting the day slip away in a fog can be done occasionally – if you have planned for it – however if you really want to clear the clutter out of your day – get up and get started at a regular "normal" hour.

Dress Code

Just because you are working from your home office does not automatically mean wearing your PJ's all day is the correct attire. Spending the entire day in your fuzzy slippers and no makeup usually means one of two things. Either you are sick or you have scheduled a cozy, "not seeing anyone today" reward time for yourself. Wearing your PJ's every day can really have a gradual demoralizing effect on the normal "go getter" attitude resulting in lost business and loss of confidence.

Stop interrupting yourself!

Studies have shown that an activity that normally would take an hour can take you up to FIVE TIMES LONGER to complete if you get interrupted!

So switch off the cell phone ringers, the email ringers and break time alarms when you need to concentrate – put them back on when you are ready to attend to them.

Where to eat!

Your office is your office not your kitchen or dining room table! Get organized and schedule a time for lunch and take a break away from your office desk. Plan a lunch outside the home with someone – or minimally go for a quick Executive Walk after your lunch – even just a couple of times around the block, (keep your phone behind on your desk for this). Just get your attention off and away from work for a while. You will return more refreshed and ready to work – I promise. Then at the end of the day you will not have that feeling that the day was unending.

End you day off right!

Decide on a time you will stop work nightly and stick by that. It is really easy for all of us as entrepreneurs to keep working through and past midnight every day. This will guarantee burnout and loss of enthusiasm for your business. There will ALWAYS be more to be done so relax and keep a sane work schedule.

I understand that working late will happen but make sure it is the exception – not the rule. Implementing these basic steps will help you to balance your life and then you will learn how to learn to balance your life and will start your day off right the next morning.