In today’s world written word is one of the most widespread forms of communication.  We converse with people through emails, texts and letters.  We have social media platforms that enable us to post our daily activities.  Writing is everywhere.

With writing becoming a more prevalent way to communicate rather than face to face, people have created a form of short hand to keep it quick and simple.  This shorthand has been brought about through such avenues as Facebook, Twitter and texting.

Social media shorthand is becoming an accepted form of communication.  I can understand needing to write a quick text to someone, but just because it’s fast doesn’t mean we should use it constantly.

When first coming in contact with someone whether it’s a new business connection or a customer, you should sound professional.  First impressions are everything in business because in most cases, you don’t get a second chance.

As part of my job I have to read through guest blog post submissions.  When someone first contacts me through email I pay attention to their grammar, spelling and word choice.  If their initial email is poorly written, I am hesitant to even accept a submission from them.  I don’t want to waste anyone’s time.  In business, emails should be formal and grammatically correct.  They should be proofread before sending them.

As irritating as it is to receive a poorly written email, what’s worse is when they use texting shorthand.  I received an email from one man and all he wrote was, “TYVM”.  (Thank you very much.)  Really?  You are so grateful that you couldn’t even take the time to write it out.  Using texting shorthand is fine with friends and family, but not in business.  It is a reflection of yourself.  When I see, “AFASK” (As far as I know) in an email, the first thing that comes to my mind is lazy and immature.

Taking the time to write a formal and professional email, text or letter to someone shows that your care about your business relationship and that you respect them.  You can take time to personalize it by asking how they are, how their family is, etc.  It’s hard to show sincerity when you write, “HRU” (How are you?)

It can be easy to get caught up in the social media shorthand trend, but before writing a text or an email just remember who it’s to and what it’s about.  If it’s business related, keep shorthand out of it.  Stay professional and it will send a good message about you.

You may have many reasons for wanting to start a business right now.  Taking this challenge on at this point in your life won’t be easy.  You have to make sure your motives for wanting to do this are yours and no one else’s.  If you are doing this for someone else, you most likely won’t succeed.  You have to want this.

Your personal motives define who you are and what you stand you for.  They can clarify your expectations for yourself.  In business, they let your employees and your customers know what kind of person you are and what type of business you run.  They set standards and determine what direction you are heading in.

Personal motives help to set yourself on a course to accomplishing your goals and ambitions.  They can drive you to push your limits and stretch farther than you thought possible.  You set limitations on yourself by thinking you can accomplish less than you really can.

There may be times in your life that circumstances require you to change your goals.  This could mean you have to adjust your motives to meet them.  If something like this does happen, it doesn’t mean that you give up on yourself it just means you have to find another way to get what you want.  You can’t plan for everything but you can do your best to prepare for the future and learn to be flexible when the situation requires it.

There are some things to be wary of.  Sometimes personal issues can start to cloud your judgment.  You get so focused on one thing that you begin to miss important details which can result in other areas of your life starting to fail.  Make sure to keep a healthy balance.   Even though your reasons for wanting to do something might be good, it might not be the right time.

Whatever your reasons for starting a business, make sure they are your own.  Sit down and decide what your personal motives are, what is it that is driving you to achieve success.  Determine if they are strong enough to help you accomplish what you have set out to do.  Then, go out and do it.  You have to act.  You can have to best reasons for doing something, but until you take the first step, they are just dreams and wishes.  You are the one that has to make things happen.

Starting a business is a wonderful thing.  It takes hard work and certain type of personality to be successful.  You have to have ambition, self-discipline and desire.  There are many reasons why someone would want to start their own business.

Starting a business is not easy and if you are not truly dedicated to it, you won’t succeed and you will be putting yourself through a trial that you didn’t need to go through.

Make sure that before starting your own business you are in it for the long haul.  This shouldn’t be just some whim or phase that you are going through.  Make sure you want it.

For all the reasons you have to start a business, there are some that probably shouldn’t make the top of your list.  If any of these reasons are your main focus, rethink why you’re doing this.  You need to have your priorities in order so that when it gets hard, you don’t give up.

1.       You need a distraction-

Many people solve problems in their life by finding something else to distract them.  If you have things going on right now that are taking up your time, energy and focus, deal with those first.  You don’t want your business to just be a distraction from problems you have going on.  Take care of the important things going on in your life and then get working on your ideas for a business.

2.       You are bored-

When someone is bored they will try anything that grabs their attention.  I have a family member that bounces from one hobby to another.  Every year he spends thousands of dollars on something just to shove it all in the closet a few months later because something else caught his eye.

You don’t want your business to be something you shove in the closet so you can move on to something else.  Make sure that you aren’t going to quit when something else pops up.

3.       You got mad-

Whether you are mad at your boss, someone you work with, a customer or even a task you had to do just remember that where ever you go or whatever company you start, you will still be dealing with people.  Learning how to work with difficult people is a skill that you can hone.  Some people can do it naturally and others have to take the time to learn it.

You don’t want to find yourself in the same situation once you have started you own business.  Learn how to talk to and work with other people; you will find it helping you in the future.

4.       You think it will bring in fast money-

Starting a business takes time.  You want a solid foundation and something that is reliable for you, your employees and your customers.  You want a solid customer base.  These are things that take a lot of time.  While there are stories of people who make it big with one great idea that is the exception not the norm.  Becoming an entrepreneur takes dedication and time.

5.       You think it will be easy-

Things that are worth doing are hardly ever easy.  As I have stated over and over throughout this article, starting a business is hard work.  Things don’t always go as planned.  You will face trials and struggles.  There will be times you won’t have a clue what the outcome of important situations will be.  You have to be prepared to face these things.  Be ready to work.  You will have to sacrifice time, money and energy to be successful.

If you feel that starting a business is the path you want to take, sit down and figure out your reasoning.  Make sure that you are prepared for hard times and unexpected situations.  Make up your mind that you are in it to stay and you won’t give up.

If you’re working full-time you may often worry that work is taking over both your professional and personal life. You may be having trouble setting aside time for yourself and creating a balanced coexistence between work and play might even seem impossible.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way, as you can create a harmonious balance between work and your personal life with just a few simple time management tricks. To help you find the perfect balance, here are our top 5 suggestions:

Stick to Your Schedule

Create a schedule that lists all of your key responsibilities and tasks that week and this should help you complete them within their allotted timeframe. You’ll be better able to protect work from seeping into your personal time and you should be able to get things done more quickly and productively. Without creating a schedule, procrastination and disorganization can easily occur, but by simply making a simple weekly schedule you can know exactly what needs to be done and when.

Schedule in “Me” Time

Don’t just keep your schedule for work purposes, but be sure to also schedule in allotted “me” time. You could schedule in an hour of relaxation each day, which you could use by taking a nap or attending a yoga class. Creating a balance between work and your personal life will only happen if you force yourself to take some down time for relaxation, so make sure to include it in your planning.

Be Social

If you don’t have much of a social life, it’s easier for work to start dominating your time. If this is the case for you, try to find some social events to add to your schedule each week. You could meet with friends for cocktails, call an old college buddy on Skype, join a club or even take up a new hobby that puts you into contact with people you’ve never met before. Socializing can help you feel more emotionally fulfilled and add a fun element to your week, so do it as much as much as your schedule will allow.

Keep Your Friends and Family in the Loop

If you’re really striving for balance, it’s essential that you let your family and friends know your goals so that they know when you’re working and available to play. You could even email them a copy of your weekly schedule to let them know exactly when you’re available and to demonstrate that you’re really serious about creating balance in your life.

Go Easy on Yourself

Creating balance between work and personal life certainly isn’t easy, and there will of course be times when one or the other starts to dominate your life. If this arises, don’t be too hard on yourself, but instead try to get back to a balanced life as soon as you can. Unwanted responsibilities and personal life drama will without a doubt crop up from time to time, and the best way to deal with it is facing it head on without being too hard on yourself in the process.

Creating a balanced lifestyle absolutely has its challenges, but with a positive attitude and a strict schedule, you can do it. Good luck!

Author’s Bio: Shannon King is a freelance writer and personal coach who learned how to manage his time effectively by earning his degree online at Colorado State University-Global Campus. He strives to teach others how to create and maintain a healthy balance between study, work and their personal lives. When he’s not writing or studying, Shannon enjoys fishing, drawing and attending concerts.

Whether you are working in your home or in your own office, it can be hard to stay focused.  There are distractions all around you.

In my experience the follow three topics are the leading causes of distractions for most people.  If you struggle with any of these, either try these solutions or find your own.

1. Technology-

Phones, iPads and computers are all amazing tools you can use to get your work done.  But they are also some of the leading causes for being distracted.  It is so easy to check email, Facebook, Twitter or even the news.  Many people may justify it in their minds and say to themselves that they will only look for 5 minutes.  Well, 5 minutes on Facebook is an hour in real time.

Solution-

Just don’t.  What it all boils down to is self-control.  Only check Facebook on your break.  Set a timer if you need to.

2. Multi-tasking-

When you multitask, it may feel like you’re getting a lot done.  The reality is that jumping from one project to another without fully completing the first one leaves you with a bunch of unfinished projects at the end of the day.  There are some people that can multitask but it is a skill to be honed, not a tool for everyone to use.

Solution-

Every morning create a to-do list of what you want to get done that day.  Then make an agenda and schedule every hour of the day.  Give yourself time to complete every project.  Don’t overwhelm yourself.  You know what kind of workload you can handle.

3. Coworkers or Family-

We’ve all been there.  You have a question about a project that you’re working on.  You start a quick conversation with someone and just expect a quick answer.  Twenty minutes later you find yourself talking about your plans for the weekend.

Solution-

Don’t be afraid to cut a conversation short.  You will both be grateful that it didn’t go on too long.  Ask them to meet you for lunch so you can continue the conversation.

If you work from home, make sure your family members know your schedule.  Tell them that you can’t be bothered during that time unless it’s an extreme emergency.  You can’t answer the door, you can’t run to the grocery store real quick, you can’t hold the baby while your spouse goes out; you are working.
It may seem harsh, but if you want to be successful, you need to put in the hours and stay focused.

Do what you need to in order to stay focused at work.  If you are an entrepreneur, you most likely don’t have someone else keeping tabs on you, you are that person.  Hold yourself accountable at the end of every day.  Surround yourself with things that will motivate you and keep you focused on what needs to get done.