When I advise women returning to work, we discuss finding a career you love.  I also suggest employing a partner/spouse in the process of developing family goals and objectives for achieving work-life balance.

But what if you are single?

I have to say I am a vision convert. There was a time when I thought creating a vision was a complete waste of time. That it was a fruitless effort in formulating dreams that ended in disappointment when they weren’t fulfilled.

That was until I discovered the magic formula for truly creating and bringing to fruition an inspiring and effective vision. Including the most important ingredient.

Believing in it 100%!

The holidays bring cheer, happiness, love and...STRESS.  If life seemed hectic BEFORE the holidays, then holiday activities only exacerbate the situation.  We are busy running around buying gifts, wrapping presents, baking cookies, attending parties, running parties (for each group/activity/club/work) and donating our time and efforts to charitable causes.  Oh, and our real jobs and home life doesn't stop during all of this.

Tip of the Week - Crime and Punishment

“Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time.”  Barretta

What it is:  Penalties that naturally link to rule breaking.

Why it’s important:  Arbitrary punishments don’t teach kids how to choose wisely.  The best decisions get you closest to your desire while costing the least.  When actions link to consequences good decisions are easier to make because you know what each action costs.

For me, every day is filled with voices. There are the sweet voices of my children, the warm voice of my husband and even the near-silent voice of our gecko.

When will I learn? I’ve been working from home now for more than 7 years and yet I still manage to get caught out there looking pretty blah. I confess that I’ve fallen into a rut. I’m not keeping up appearances. I’m soooo comfortable at home when the kids are at school and my husband is at the office. I can work at my own pace...sipping on tea as I peck away at my computer, crunching numbers and sending out emails to the office. Most often I can be found sitting there with my hair undone, wearing ill- fitted pants and a frumpy tee shirt.

Jackie just left her corporate job and decided to venture out on her own: She's always wanted to have her own marketing and community relations business.

Why are some people able to get more done in a day than you seem to be able to accomplish in three hours? It's not that they are superhuman (even though it may seem like that) or because they have an invisible staff hovering around them helping out with their every needs.

Earlier this week I asked my readers how they earned their first dollar. The response was overwhelming...everyone wanted to share.

Some of us babysat, mowed lawns, or worked in a family business at a young age. Some of us had the entrepreneurial spirit and were selling everything from seeds to greeting cards.

As a Christian Business Coach, one thing that I work on with all of my clients is their definition of success. We live in a society where a successful person is defined as one who makes money and influences others. God’s economy, and His business practices, are upside-down when compared with the world’s. We’re told in Scripture that it’s better to give then to receive and in order to best the greatest, we must be servants just as Christ was.