In part two of this two-part blog, we continue our look at tips for making the most of your time.

Tip #6: Recognize Distractions

There is a reason why businesses block sites like Facebook, limit the time you spend on personal phone calls, and try to keep office chit-chat to a minimum. All of these things slow down productivity.

These same distractions will slow down your productivity at home, too. So, do these things on your “recess” breaks. Don’t kid yourself about what is and what isn’t a distraction. If your two-minute check of what’s new with your Facebook friends usually turns into a half-hour-long trek, then it is a serious distraction for you. Recognize it and plan for it. It doesn’t mean that you can’t do it — you just have to count it as a recess or schedule it for non-business hours.

Tip #7: Reward Yourself

When you reach your goals, or beat your expectations, reward yourself. In fact, consider placing your potential reward in the goal.

For example, “When I make my first sale, I’m going to my favorite restaurant for dinner,” or “When I reach $1,000 in commissions, I’m taking my spouse away for the weekend.”

Reinforcing good behavior is a time-tested psychological tactic. Believe it or not, it will work even if you are both the rewarder and the rewarded.

Tip #8: Get Dressed

Yet another way to psychologically trick yourself into more successful behaviors is to simply get dressed every day. This means you need to get up and get through your morning routine — your shower, coffee, workout, and breakfast — BEFORE your scheduled business hours begin.

Some experts will tell you that getting dressed and putting on shoes turns on something in your brain that tells you it’s time to do something. Even if you don’t believe that, you can believe that when you have your morning routine done early, you won’t be tempted to waste time catching up on these things during the day. Plus, you’ll find that your spouse, family, and friends will appreciate not seeing you lounging around in PJs and old sweatshirts every day.

Tip #9: Leave the House

A lot of affiliate marketers get into the business specifically to stay home with children or other family members who need care and support.

However, if you have the chance to leave the house at least a few days a week, do it. This helps clear the at-home distractions like laundry and the dog. Plus, it’s another great way to trick yourself into getting things done. When you leave, you’ll want to get everything done that you can before you go back.

Try going to your local coffee shop, fast food restaurant, library, or college campus. Many of these places offer free or low-cost wireless Internet and a comfortable place to plug in and get things done.

Tip #10: Share Your Accomplishments and Failures with Someone

This is one of the principles behind community-based weight-loss programs, like Weight Watchers. It’s easier to let deadlines slip by and goals disappear when you’re only responsible to yourself. So, share your goals with someone else. Your spouse is a good one, and the members of the online communities like the forum at Affiliate Classroom are another great group.

Tell them what your goals are. Let them know when you’ve reached your goal and don’t be surprised when they notice that you’ve missed a deadline or fallen short of an important benchmark.

Overall, remember that your success is tied directly to the time and effort that you put into this. So, manage those two resources as efficiently as you can — your bottom line depends on it!