Today we have a guest post from Dominique Molina. Dominique is President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches, an organization of tax professionals who are trained to help their clients rescue thousands of dollars in wasted tax. In addition to her blogging and speaking engagements, Dominique provides CPA continuing education as a registered educator with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).

Isn't working on your own fun? No boss breathing down your neck or micro managing your every move. You get the flexibility of working during your peak performance times, and taking breaks when you need them for say, surfing or kids' school activities.

While working on your own can be cost-effective and liberating, many people feel isolated and find it hard to focus. You may find yourself rushing down the hall to pop in a load of laundry which has piled up, or taking calls and meetings from everyone who thinks since you are home, you are available.

The other side of the spectrum may reveal that you are ALWAYS working. When I worked from home I found it virtually impossible to pass by my home office without stopping in "real quick" to send this email or finish that project. Suddenly I found my 40 hour work week taking 70 hours to complete; yet I was still only accomplishing 40 hours of work. Did I leave my discipline back in my corporate cubicle? I found myself constantly dreaming "if only I had more time. . ."

Since everyone has the same amount of "all the time there is" and we simply cannot have MORE time, the only solution is to more effectively use the time you do have. Choosing where to invest your time will help you get more done in less time, so that you feel you have more time to spend on the fun things. Here are 3 tips to making the most of your time so you can focus and get more done.

Tip 1: Track Your Use of Time - It is human nature to rationalize what we can't see. Tracking your time allows you to quickly see where you are losing precious minutes of each day and gives you the ability to spot the holes so you can use your time more wisely. For example, reviewing my time logs allowed me to see how much time I was wasting in traffic. Holding virtual meetings instead of physical ones created large pockets of "found time" for me to fill with something more meaningful.

Tip 2: Say NO! - When you choose to stop doing something, you free up time for something else. Identify the things that waste your time and don't help you complete your task list. Things like Facebook and online browsing hijack your time and evaporate it away into a vortex of oblivion. I find it helpful when I find myself wandering into this black hole of waste, to redirect my attention by saying to myself out loud, "NO, right now I am _____."

Tip #3: Put Your Important Things First - Consistent with the "80/20 Pareto Principal" most people waste about 80% of each day working on low level, low return activities. If this is you, consider what this pattern of behavior is costing you. You've got to plan your time for the highest value things first; otherwise they don't get done. This can be as simple as doing these tasks first thing in the morning before anything else.

It's up to you to take charge of how you invest your minutes and hours. But if you can master it using the above steps, it will feel like you CAN create more hours in a day.

Photo Credit: purplemattfish

As much as I love working from home, some days it can be a lonely existence. Back in my cubicle-dwelling days, if I was feeling stuck for inspiration, I could always get up, walk around, stretch my legs and meet someone at the coffee pot for a quick chat to get my head into a different space. There were lots of colleagues around to bounce ideas off of. I even worked at a high-tech firm once that had daily yoga classes - there's nothing like a good stretch to get the creative juices flowing again. 

In contrast, the home office isn't always the most inspiring place to be. We tend to hole up behind our computers for hours on end, lost in our own little digital world. And when we get stuck creatively, it can be a very frustrating place indeed. So what's a workshifter to do? Well, it turns out finding inspiration when you need it isn't so difficult. You just need to set yourself up for it. 

Surround Yourself

I think the number one way to stay inspired is to surround yourself with things you like. For me, it's color. I have colorful prints on my wall and images I love on my computer desktop. Even my office supplies are colorful - why buy boring silver paper clips when you can get fun multicolored ones? Whatever can brighten up your space helps. In those moments when you're looking for that creative spark, just sit back and look around at the things you love. You may get all the inspiration you need.

Listen to Music

Music is one of the most inspirational gifts we have. While many people like to work with a soundtrack in the background, I need mostly silence to work (especially for writing). However, when I'm feeling stuck creatively, there's nothing better than turning on some tunes. Sometimes I'll retreat to the sofa for a while with my headphones, or I'll just crank up iTunes at my desk. Keep a playlist handy of music that relaxes and motivates you - then you can always call on it when you need it. I also keep a guitar nearby, so if I'm feeling so inclined I can pick for a few minutes. Often that small musical interlude is all that's needed to rejuvenate my creative brain.

Reach Out

We're so lucky to have this wonderful online community at our fingertips! These people are our water cooler buddies - the ones we can reach out to whenever we want. Take a break, hop on Twitter and bounce some ideas around with people. If there's one thing Twitter people love to do, it's brainstorm. Even friends on Facebook are good for helping with ideas - and I find that, because my friends on Facebook tend to be people who are not in the same business I'm in, the ideas we spark are even more out of the box. Google + hangouts are also great for inspiration. Grab a circle of buddies and spend 10 minutes riffing on an idea - who knows where it will end up? When you're stuck, your community is a great place to turn to. Just remember, it works two ways - to be helped, you need to be helpful yourself - so return the favor while you're there!

Walk Away

There's no point in beating your head against the wall if the inspiration just isn't coming. Sometimes it's best to just walk away for a while and leave the lonely home office. Do some errands. Take a walk. Call your mom for a chat or have some coffee together. The world will not end if you take a few hours to yourself, so do something to give yourself that change of scenery. Before you know it, the ideas will start to flow.

Sometimes, our cup of inspiration runneth over; other times, coming up with a good idea seems impossible. If you're working on your own, it's easy to become stuck without others around to help keep your creative energy flowing.

What about you? How do you recharge when you're low on inspiration?

Photo Credit: ECKO Design Group

I have a confession to make. This time of year I tend to get distracted. I think it's the perfect weather that draws me away from my screen and towards the ocean or the first tee.

Can you relate?

The workshifting lifestyle is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to flexibility. True, you don't have to be chained to a cube breathing recycled air, but you still have responsibility to get work done.

To solve this, I've found it works best to create boxes of time in my day that are allocated with no distractions. I also leave time for getting outside or away from my laptop and phone. When I am in do-not-disturb mode, I don't check email, Twitter, blogs, Google+ or Facebook. I don't answer the phone or talk to people. I work.

This way, I can be disciplined and ultra-productive without driving myself crazy or burning out. When I take the DND sign off my desk, I'm looking to quench my everyday-is-Saturday thirst.

Timeboxing and quiet hours have been well documented. Here are a few good resources to help you stay productive:

• Pomodoro Technique
• Time Blocking
• The Interruption Tax

It may take some trial and error to find out when you are most productive and when you are most prone to distractions. I tend to work better in the mornings and late at night. A good friend of mine is the opposite - she likes to begin and end with downtime and crank through midday uninterrupted. Once you have a feel for your natural routine, set your calendar and turn yourself loose.

What are your 2 cents?

Photo Credit: lazylikewally

Distractions are one of the most common reasons people think they can never workshift. They believe that when left to their own devices - working from a home office, coffee shop or wherever - they would be far too distracted by trivialities and would never be as productive as they are when working in an office environment.

While it's true that it takes some effort to be focused and productive when the boss isn't looking over your shoulder, I think that once people get into the groove of workshifting, they actually find they are more productive.

After 6 years of being a full-time workshifter, I can tell you that I am able to finish 8 hours' worth of work in just half the time. That's how laser-focused a quiet, remote space makes me, and it's not all work and no play that allows this. In fact, I need to embrace certain distractions as I work to be so successful. I call them "healthy" distractions - things that help me overcome creative blocks, work through problems or just take a much-needed brain break.

Social Networking Isn't a Distraction - It's a Creativity Booster

Some people are going to disagree with this, and that's okay. I've read tons of blog posts about how social networking is one of the biggest distractions to "real work" there is. Instead of getting actual work done, we're goofing off on Twitter, poking around Facebook and hanging out with our Google + friends. I myself have been guilty of these pastimes on occasion.

But I do think social networks can be a great creativity boost. When I'm working, I regularly have Twitter open in the background. The message stream flows by and I usually just ignore it. But sometimes, I need to stop working and think a bit. I could either sit and stare at my screen, waiting for my muse to strike - which rarely works - or I could flip over to Twitter, where I scan through posts and click a few links. I think about something completely different for a few minutes, and often that's just what I need to snap an idea into my head.

The people I follow on social networks serve as my inspiration. It works every time.

(Note: if you're worried about getting sucked into social networks - an easy thing to do - set a timer for 10 minutes when you take your inspiration breaks. This way you'll know when it's time to get back to work.)

(Don't) Step Away from the Sofa

The lure of the sofa - I remember this affliction back when I worked in an office. The 3 PM Snoozies, I called them. They'd creep up on you mid-afternoon, and it would be hard to keep your head up. All you could think about was a little 5-minute nap and how good it would feel. But of course, you couldn't be caught sleeping at your desk, so you would grab another cup of coffee and work through it.

Now that we're working from home, the sofa is right there. It seems so soft and warm. The cat looks so comfortable sleeping peacefully in your spot. But you know what? It's okay to take breaks. It's okay to give in to the 3 PM Snoozies once in a while. So go and lie down for a few; rest your eyes if you need to.

Sometimes a 15-minute power nap is all you need to reset yourself so you can be productive the rest of the day. Don't feel guilty about it - think of it as a productivity booster. Give yourself permission to take a mini-siesta if and when you need to. That's one of the perks of working from home - so use it!

Appreciation Is the Best Healthy Distraction of All

Sometimes, I'll stop working, sit back from my desk for a few minutes and just look around me. The dog rests peacefully at my feet. I am surrounded aby photos and reminders of my loved ones. I have my work environment set up exactly the way I want it. I can look online and see so many friends and colleagues that are doing amazing things. And I'm incredibly grateful that I have the ability to choose this lifestyle, grateful for all of the opportunities that it has afforded me. And I'm appreciative of the people and the technology that supports me in this choice.

So once in a while, just stop. Give a little thanks to the people and things around you that have allowed you your workshifting life. Gratitude really is one of the best distractions there is, don't you think?

What about you? Do you have healthy distractions that help you workshift better?

Photo Credit: tomsaint

You know those days when you're hopelessly unproductive?

How do you respond? Come on. Tell the truth. Do you agonize over the research project all day hoping a "eureka" moment will break through? Do you sit there shuffling papers, reading, tweeting, or (worse) recycling lame jokes via email?

Or do you just stop?

I had one of those days recently. My to-do list was really long, but there was nothing that had to be done right away. My brain tried to focus on first one task and then another. Then I tried to tackle some low-hanging fruit. Nothing. Neurons definitely were not firing.

So I walked away.

I ran errands. Went for a walk. Took a nap.

I took the day off.

Workshifting takes discipline, but success is based on results and not time chained to a desk. Whether you work for yourself or are part of a bigger team, there's no one tracking your comings and goings. You either get stuff done or you don't. So why do we so often feel compelled to be "at work" on some variation or other of 9-to-5, Monday through Friday?

Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to take a day off.

Photo Credit: pmin00

"I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time." - Charlie Brown (Charles Schulz)

Up to 90% of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related symptoms and the major cause of stress is worry. We all know that worrying serves no purpose, but that doesn't make it easy to stop a worry habit. Here are 9 techniques for worry busting:

Swap worrying time for thinking time

Nuroscientists have proven that worry is worse than useless when it comes to resolving big problems--it is counterproductive. Worry impairs our reasoning abilities. If you have a big worry, think about it instead. Get into problem solving mode. It helps enormously to talk to someone else while problem solving rather than to try to do so in your thoughts alone.

Walk down the memory lane of your previous worries.

Can you remember what you were worried about this time last year? If you can actually remember them, which were worth the worry? Remember the old saying: "Today is the tomorrow that we worried about yesterday."

Brainstorm all your worries

Brainstorm all your worries, big and little. Now for each worry write down what you can do about it. Don't just sit there worrying--do something about it!

Accept the worry

Accept the worry when it is beyond your control.

Write your worries down

Write your worries down and ask a friend to read each one out loud. As they do so, ask them to role-play the worry. They should act as if they are you, and you play the devil's advocate to challenge each worry. The aim of the game is for you to have the final say as the devil's advocate. The purpose of this is to retrain your mind into positive, solution-led thinking.

Play with your worry voice

Play with your worry voice. Give the voice a character with a life.

For the sake of illustration, I like to call mine Dobby (after the negative little house-elf from Harry Potter). Now try having a conversation with Dobby, who might start off like this:

"But master, what if the Dark Lord comes tonight?" Hear Dobby's high-pitched, little whiny voice, see his big ears and his wringing hands. He's a bit ridiculous, isn't he? How would Harry Potter respond to Dobby?

How will you respond to your Dobby equivalent? Give him a bloomin' good kicking, that's how. Kick that Dobby voice NOW!

Turn the volume up and down

Turn the volume on the worry voice up and down, change the pitch of the voice, get it to sing. How about getting the voice to sing its lyrics to the tune of Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky"? Once you've had a good old play, go back to the volume and turn it right down until you can't hear that worry voice at all!

Halt the repetitive worry cycle

When your worries become almost mechanical, with a rhythm that goes on and on (when you're getting the same thoughts again and again), do something physical or just plain daft. Here are a few ideas:

• Run up and down the stairs.
  
  
• Snap an elastic band on your wrist--ouch!
  
  
• Sing the alphabet backwards in the style of Pavarotti.
  
  
• Touch your tongue to your nose, wiggle your ears, raise one eyebrow, try a handstand (best done at home rather than at work for this one). Just do something physical that requires some concentration. I bet you can't worry at the same time!

The possibilities are endless; the key is to get out of your own way!

Perform a worry autopsy

Write down what you are worried about in a notebook. What is the worst that could happen because of these worries?

• Think about how you would handle this worst-case scenario.
  
  
• Decide where you have control over this worry. What can you do to reduce the chances of this worry becoming a reality? Where can you take action?
  
  
• Look at the worrisome thoughts that you feel you can't take any action on. Which of these have you inflated or distorted? Which have little basis in reality?
  
  
• Write opposites or alternatives to the worrisome thoughts.
  
  
• Learn the alternatives by heart. Each time you catch yourself worrying replace the original worry with the new positive thought.

Photo Credit: Photo Plod

Welcome to 2011 and the new decade. Hurrah...a new start, spring will be here soon, it's time to strip away the old and open ourselves to new possibilities - and then return to the same old same old life as a workshifter. January, of course, is a time for making our New Year's Resolutions and then promptly begin breaking them.

The "78% will fail" statistic comes from research by Richard Wiseman, who does some interesting research debunking many of the claims made in the personal development field. According to Wiseman, many of the 78% in his research group failed because they had focused on what would happen if they didn't achieve their resolution and tried to do get there by willpower alone. Personally, I avoid being in the 78% category by not setting any resolutions!

Here's 3 reasons why people fail with New Year's Resolutions, and what works better:

Resolution Challenge #1: Cold Weather

January, for those in the Northern Hemisphere in particular, is a month of cold, grey, short days and one that follows a month of excess, merriment and celebrations. It's the prime "Cold Turkey" month - an image which conjures supreme acts of will in withdrawing from addictive substances, most of which will result in failure. Not really a proper environment to promote the best chances of success!

What works better: If you've already tried a resolution and failed already, shift your focus instead onto developing a Theme for the year ahead. Choose one word or a short phrase (up to 3 words) that represents the overall direction you want to take your life this year. My theme this year is "Simplify". I may not fully achieve it, but by having this one goal at the front of my consciousness, I'll strive to simplify daily and I'll be more aware (and, as a result, find it easier to make adjustments), when I over-complicate my life, which I tend to do on a frequent basis!

In short: Ditch the resolution and pick up a theme for 2011.

Resolution Challenge #2: Being Overambitious

People have a tendency to make large, difficult to achieve resolutions that don't afford the demands of everyday life. Remember that you don't live in a vacuum. For example, it's not easy to lose 2KGs weight when, like most people, you're probably leading a full and busy life. If you are a celebrity with a personal chef, then you're all sorted!

What works better: Look at your life and what's realistic and plan according to this. Break your resolution or goal into baby steps. One step at a time. And just because you stumble in your baby steps (as you will), it doesn't actually mean that you're doomed to failure! Just get up and try again!

In short: Be realistic, get support, take baby steps and keep on trying!

Resolution Challenge #3: Failing to Plan

Rarely do people plan how they will achieve our resolutions or goals. Nor do they consider "What might prevent me from succeeding in this resolution?" or "What might go wrong and what will I do if that happens?" and "What will I put in place to support me?"

What works better: Keep a diary of your goal progress. Ask yourself why you want to achieve this, what it will bring you and brainstorm as many ideas as you can of ways to get there. Don't make goals or resolutions with out thought! Ensure you've got good support and accountability structures in place (Coaches are good for this. There's one writing to you right now!).

In short: Treat your resolution or goal as a project, not just a sentence. Remember that boring old adage: "Failing to plan is planning to fail"!

Photo Credit: Jeff Hester

2011 is in full swing. How are your new year's resolutions going? My guess is you are kicking butt and taking names. The key is for this to be the same answer after a week, a month, and six months from now.

Many of the workshifters I interact with regularly all made resolutions this year. The top three were to be more productive, get in better shape (hey, round is a shape), or become better organized. There are many more worthy and valiant choices.

This post isn't about how to do any of those things. It is about how to follow through and stay faithful to your resolutions. Here are three simple and practical steps.

One: Don't make resolutions. They are like rules that are meant to be broken and they usually are. Shift your mind. Start calling them goals or objectives. Doing this will make them more tangible and actionable. We are all accustomed to reaching goals whereas resolutions seem idealistic and ethereal.

Two: Stay in the Present. Nothing challenges the development of new habits like thinking about the long road ahead or worse, past failures. When you stay focused daily, moving towards your goals, you have greater success. It is what you do daily that ultimately decides your success or failure.

Three: Be Accountable. There is strength in numbers. It is lonely flying solo. Find at least one other person and form an accountability team. It doesn't have to be formal, complete with meetings and funny hats. It can just be a few other folks traveling a similar journey who you can lean on during the tough times and celebrate with during the successes.

If you follow these steps I believe you will find success in making your new year's resolutions goals stick. The final thread you need to weave through all of the steps is grace. Give yourself a break if you slip up or fail a time or two. You are changing habits that you have been ingrained and practiced for years. Enjoy the journey and this will be your year.

Photo Credit: Jeff Golden

As a workshifter, I have had to learn to literally shift from multi-tasking to mono-tasking. Make no mistake, I need to master multiple tasks a day, but I choose to focus on one at a time - which means I am constantly on the move from one task to the next, as they are completed to my satisfaction and/or reach a logical stopping point.

This takes a considerable amount of momentum and stamina. Surprise, Surprise! As I carried my "portable office" to my extended family's home on Christmas Day (so I could knock out some research and still be among family), I realized that workshifting also takes commitment and passion. If I did not enjoy what I was doing and if I were not deeply committed to producing quality output, I would have been a very unhappy elf. Working while everyone else was playing with their new electronic toys and eating dessert may seem, to some, like torture. But to me, a seasoned workshifter, I craved the opportunity to create while inspiration was flowing and to capture as much of my otherwise "free time" to do the research I rarely have time to do on more structured workdays when the phone is ringing and emails won't cease. As workshifters, to whom much is given, much is still expected. We are blessed with the freedom to be and to create on our own timetable, yet we are fully accountable for what we produce on that same timetable.

Passion is a crucial ingredient to any workshifter's recipe. Without it, other ingredients such as organization, expertise and timeliness would fall flat like a failed soufflé. In each task, project or assignment you undertake, passion will provide differentiation; timeliness and quality are expected - so, in essence, it's not what you do but rather the je ne sais quoi of how you do it which ultimately makes your product shine from the inside out!

Without passion for what you are doing, you might as well_________?

Photo Credit: Nick Wheeler

Workshifting requires regular doses of inspiration. This year, I was fortunate to find great inspiration. I thought it would be nice to share some of the names of the people that made me better. A better writer, a better listener, better wine drinker, better father, more patient, more giving, more focused, less inhibited, and just plain made me stand up and pay attention. My hope is that they will do the same for you.

This list isn't exhaustive, and they aren't in any particular order, but I wanted to pass their names along simply to shine a light on some people that deserve to be recognized. Some I know personally, some I don't know at all. Some are recognizable, some are not. People tend to think that the recognizable don't need more recognition. To that, I say we all need to be inspired, and sometimes, a simple thank you may be all the inspiration that's needed.

Phil Terry

Alex Beauchamp

Youngme Moon

Amanda Rose

AJ Leon

Melissa Leon

Scott Harrison

Lynn Koves

Chris Brogan

Georges-Edouard Dias

Terri Holley

Tony Porter

Keith Saarloos

Amber Naslund

Dad-O-Matic

TED Blog

Justin Levy

Budi Kazali

Tim Hayden

Jessica Randazza

Jim Long

Salman Khan

All the best in 2011!

Photo credit: Kicki