After spending the past 12 years working outside the home, I've decided to take on the most challenging role of my life, being a work at home mom.

All our lives we do exactly what our parents instruct us to do we go to school, get a great education, land a rewarding career, get married and start a family. There's only one problem. We don't truly have time to enjoy this family.

We cart them off to school or day care every morning. Pick them up late in the evening or at night and race to get them bathed and in bed at an acceptable time all in preparation to separate from them the following morning.

Two years ago, I decided to take my life and my family back. I started out in network marketing which was definitely not my niche. After hundreds of dollars spent and countless hours still basically working outside the home, I explored other work at home ventures.

There are tons out there and some if worked properly can be very financially rewarding. The key is to find something you truly enjoy. Then, more importantly than anything else, treat your business just like a business.

Invest in a planner. Schedule your day and utilize your time wisely. It's amazing how fast time passes when you're doing something you love.

Don't spend your time at home taking care of the chores. It's easy to sit down at your computer to start your work at home day and start thinking about the laundry basket that's running over or the breakfast dishes in the sink. Just when you block those thoughts out - the phone rings. It's your girlfriend. She just wants to chit chat for a while. She knows you're a WAHM now and decides to call you to see how things are going. Know, from experience, this isn't going to work. You must maintain structure in your work day just as you would if you were still working in the corporate world.

Make sure to incorporate a few breaks in your work day. Working online can be very time consuming. If you're not careful, it can completely absorb you. A few 15 to 20 minute breaks during the day will allow you to clear your head and put you on the road to achieving personal and professional success.

Finally, make your environment work at home friendly with these tips:

1. Start dinner right after breakfast. There are hundreds if not thousands of slow cooker recipes online that will make preparation time short and sweet. Once the meal is placed in the slow cooker, you can walk away and by dinner time, your meal is ready.

2. Turn the TV off. This is the WORST distraction

3. Turn the ringer off on the phone for a few hours unless you can screen your calls without allowing them to completely take you away from your assignment or project.

4. Utilize an organized work space. Make sure you have all the items you need in your home office space. Constantly getting up to get supplies will eventually lead you to not completing your task.

5. Take your longest break after the kids get home from school. Remember, being a WAHM is a privilege and a blessing. It gives you the opportunity to spend more time with your family than you did when you worked outside the home. Take this time to talk with them about how their day was. Enjoy an afternoon snack together. Get them started on their homework assignment and help them if needed.

Remember, every WAHM is different. What works for Janet may not work for Barbara. Find what suits your style best and stick to it. Your business and family we thank you for it.