We entrepreneurs have a way of turning into workaholics. It’s so easy to do. When you’re first starting out, there’s so much to do that many new entrepreneurs feel a compulsion to work until it’s all done. And when you love what you do with fervor, sometimes it’s hard to stop!

Usually I spend the month of December relaxing with family, preparing for the holidays, and doing my annual year-end assessment and pre-year planning. This holiday season was a little different. Since most of my clients were heading out of town or focusing on their own holiday festivities, my calendar was light enough that I decided to conduct my first ever group coaching program.

Boy, did I discover some things about balance while trying to do it all! Here are some of the lessons I learned the hard way:

1. Set regular working hours and keep them

The entrepreneurial lifestyle is often appealing because of the promise of flexible working hours. Sure, in many businesses, you can work whenever you want, but that doesn’t always mean that you should.

I set my working hours based on two factors: when I work best and when my clients are working and want to meet with me. There’s balance to be found here. If you happen to be a night owl, there’s nothing wrong with working when you’re at your best, but that doesn’t mean you should expect clients to show up for appointments at 3 a.m.

Regardless of what your working hours are, creating a structure and using self-discipline to stick to your structure will almost always help you to become more successful.

But remember, this works both ways- you have to stick to your structure and not become a workaholic. I myself have workaholic tendencies, and when my husband and I got married, I promised I would stop working each day at a certain time and I wouldn’t work on weekends, and I’ve kept to that…mostly…which has kept me sane and kept my marriage on track (though Leo is super-understanding when I’m on a deadline or working on a launch).

2. Make sure others in your family know your plans.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that if you don’t make it clear when you’re working, you’re likely to end up getting interrupted a lot. It’s better to make sure everyone knows you’re working, whether you actually say, “I will be working until 3:00,” or post a sign on a closed door.

3. Create a plan for work.
Especially at the beginning when you’re just starting your business, there are a million things to do and it can get overwhelming. If you create an overall plan for where you are and where you’re going, then it’ll be easier to prioritize and know where you can outsource. Once you’ve got that overall plan, start chunking your goals and tasks into manageable pieces, then plan what needs to get done each day.

4. Outsource.
I’m a huge fan of outsourcing, and today, the thriving virtual assisting field makes it easier than ever to find someone to take on tasks that you don’t like, aren’t particularly good at, or just simply don’t need to do.

Outsourcing is economically beneficial, and since it frees up your time, you can use that time for more revenue-generating activities, or you can use it to spend more time with your family.

5. Create a plan for play.
For some entrepreneurs, it’s useful to structure “play time” just as you structure your work time. Many of my clients with workaholic tendencies feel guilty if they take time off and don’t do anything, so we create a plan for their time off as well. That way, they don’t waver around, trying to find something to do. Instead, they designate certain times for certain fun activities.

But be careful that you don’t treat your fun time like something you’re checking off of your “to do” list. Play time should feel like play time. Allow yourself to relax and enjoy it.

6. Sleep.
You simply can’t overestimate the value of a good night’s sleep. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it’s time to restructure your day and analyze your habits and your sleeping environment so that you get enough sleep and are rested, refreshed, and rejuvenated. This will help you stay on top of things, keep your mind working optimally and your passion high.

If you’re anything like me, your brain has a hard time shutting down, so carve out a 15-30 minute block before bedtime for yoga and/or meditation so that your brain will slow down and let you get some sleep!

7. Stay healthy.
Another thing one can’t overestimate is the value of exercise and staying healthy. If you’re eating badly, it’ll affect your brain and that means low creativity. As an entrepreneur, your creativity is one of your most powerful allies- so feed your brain with healthy food! Eating healthy and staying fit means you’ll have more energy to devote to your business.

The balance between work and home/play is a critical part of your small business success. Pay attention and make sure you include fun in your business plan!

The end of 2011 was a mixture of absolute holiday perfection and complete technological mayhem for me. When last we left the story of my laptop disaster, Lenovo was sending a technician with a new motherboard in mid-January.

However, the very next day after I posted my story about “How A Laptop Meltdown Forced Me to Create Balance,” I received a phone call from Lenovo’s tech support saying that “middle of January” had turned into the middle of February.

Once I stopped alternating between hysterical laughter and mild crying (LOL) I decided that enough was enough and initiated return proceedings for the Lenovo laptop that was supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Moments later, I had ordered a new Macbook Pro and was driving to the Apple Store to pick up a new iPad (upon which I’m writing this post, as I await the new laptop). I’m starting the New Year right!

How can you start the new year right? Follow these three steps:
1) Forgive yourself for everything and give yourself permission to succeed in 2012.
Before you head too far into 2012, forgive yourself for anything that didn’t go the way you wanted in 2011. Learn whatever you can from past mistakes, and then let them go so you can move on. Then, give yourself permission to succeed in 2012.

2) Toss out whatever isn’t working.
Your purge should include outdated systems, inefficient tactics, and underperforming strategies. Look at everything- your marketing, your products and services, your customer service, even yourself. What’s not working that you can either improve or get rid of?

3) Work some new stuff into your structure.
At the end of each year, I take some time to look over the past twelve months and see what worked and what didn’t, but at the beginning of each year, I come up with new stuff to work in. For example, this year, I’ll have a new radio show, a new web site, new products, new training programs, and I’m even working on some new time management strategies I’ll be testing out.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that there’s a fascinating split between those who, like me, embrace a new year as a fresh start and a new beginning, and those who see January 1 as just another day.

If you’re one of those who don’t see the point in New Year’s Resolutions or in making the new year a starting point for an exciting time in your business, I’d like to encourage you to give it a try and experience what it feels like when you give yourself permission to wipe the slate clean at the beginning of this new year.

If you’ve read my “The 7 Lessons of Mega-Successful Entrepreneurs” or if you’ve been reading my weekly e-mail newsletter, then you know that there was a time that my business had plateaued and no matter what I threw at it, money, marketing strategies, time, effort…I just couldn’t get the darned thing to budge over the bump to the next level. My business was doing fine, but I wasn’t satisfied and I certainly wasn’t fulfilled.

I started thinking that maybe it was time to walk away. In fact, I actually did walk away. I took a three-month hiatus away from my business and started to look at other opportunities. My husband and I looked at all kinds of businesses.

But try as I might, I couldn’t escape the nagging feeling in my heart that I still had more to do in my own business.

So, a month into my little sabbatical (about the time when I got really bored), I started working with a coach to get through the burnout and frustration to the heart of what was holding me back in my business. Because the one thing I did know for sure was that when you’re too close to something, it’s usually too hard to see the answers. Having the outside perspective of a coach or consultant can give you insight and a big picture viewpoint that you’d never have on your own. And if I was going to figure out what had kept me in that plateau, I knew I needed someone who could be for me what I am to my own clients.

For two months my coach guided me as I dug deep and searched my soul. When I finally came up for air, my mind was clear. And that’s when I discovered precisely what I’d been missing all along that had held my business firmly at that plateau.

It wasn’t just one answer. In fact, the answer to what was holding me back came in the form of seven simple lessons, and I’d been hearing them from my mentors for awhile. But sometimes you hear the right answers at the wrong time, you know? And that’s what had happened to me. I’d heard them, I just hadn’t gotten them.

As soon as I started implementing the Lessons in my own business, things started to change. Things didn’t change overnight and I did still have to work. That’s just how business operates! But the more in tune I got with the Lessons, the more things happened. Opportunities started to fall in my lap and people started to take notice. I felt an ease in my business that had never been there before, and my creativity soared.

I don’t know if now is the right time for you to hear the Lessons, but even if you’re not quite there yet, I’d like to encourage you to start learning about them. You can download my original “The 7 Lessons of Mega-Successful Entrepreneurs” using the form at the top of this page. Once you click the confirmation link in your e-mail, you’ll receive another e-mail with a link to the free download (sorry to make you jump through hoops, but it’s become necessary with bots and spammers; I promise the download is worth it).

If you’re not just ready to hear the lessons, but you want to see how dramatically your business can be changed like mine was, then join me for my free Webinar, “The 7 Lessons of Mega-Successful Entrepreneurs,” where I’ll share the Lessons in-depth and give you action steps for every lesson in a handout. You’ll walk away with a few ways to start seeing changes in your business now, even before the New Year.

If you’ve been feeling frustrated like I was and you’re ready to jump out of your plateau, this webinar is for you.

Join me November 29 for “The 7 Lessons of Mega-Successful Entrepreneurs” at 1:00 PM Eastern.

(Seriously, it’s free. And it’s not a sales pitch. That’s not how I roll. I’m just saying.)

When I was growing up, my mom used to say, “Susan, you can do anything you set your mind to.” I grew up believing I was capable of anything as long as I decided it was what I wanted to do…except that it wasn’t true.

I know many of you are shocked that I’ve just said that, but the truth is, I think that sentence, “You can do anything you set your mind to,” has an implied assumption that many in the world today have forgotten. These days, so many folks out there believe in the law of attraction, and I’m not saying I don’t, but as I’ve said many times before, the law of attraction requires action and that’s something most people forget.

Likewise, you can’t do anything you just put your mind to…you also have to put your back into it.

I propose an update to the saying, “You can do anything you set your mind to.” I submit the following: “You can do anything you put your mind to and take action toward.” Just knowing you can do something doesn’t get it done. But taking action, well, that changes the story.

Today is a big day at Business in Blue Jeans! You may recall that I mentioned that this was coming. Several weeks ago, I was invited to participate in a unique project like nothing I’ve ever seen!

And finally, today, along with 29 other successful online businesswomen, we’re launching The Millionairess League e-book! In this downloadable e-book, you’ll find inspiration, tools, resources, empowerment, and more, from some of the most powerful, successful, female entrepreneurs online today. Australian publisher Sarah Sprout interviewed me, Susan Baroncini-Moe, CEO of Business in Blue Jeans, along with 29 other phenomenal women to find out what makes us tick. Get inspired, hear our advice, and learn how to build your own online empire today!

Click here to buy your copy today!

My husband just shared a joke with me and it seemed particularly poignant. Now, I’ll warn you that this is kind of a religious joke, but regardless of your particular stance on religion and/or spirituality, the point will still be the same. Here goes:

This man was out to sea when his boat capsized. The boat was destroyed and his crew lost. As the man treaded water, with nothing around him but ocean, he wondered how he would be saved. As a man of faith, he called out to God, “God, please help me! Don’t let me drown!”

Suddenly, his first mate appeared beside him, holding on to a large board. “Grab on to the board, Captain,” the first mate said. “No! God will save me!” the man replied. Unable to convince his captain, the first mate shrugged and swam off, clinging to his board.

The man called out again, “God, please help me! Don’t let me drown!” And suddenly, behind him appeared a boat. “Get in, man!” the crew called out, “We’ll throw you a line!” And the man said, “No! God will save me!” Unable to convince the man to grab the line, the boat eventually sailed away.

The man called out again, “God, please help me! Don’t let me drown!” And suddenly, a helicopter appeared in the sky. “Climb up the ladder!” the crew called down to him. And the man said, “No! God will save me!” Unable to convince the man to climb up on the ladder, the helicopter eventually flew away.

The man became very tired, could no longer tread water, and finally, he drowned.

The man had lived a good life, so he went to Heaven. When he arrived in Heaven, he found God and said, “God, why did you forsake me? Why didn’t you save me when I was treading water and about to drown?”

God looked at the man, shook his head with pity and said, “Who do you think sent your first mate, the boat and a helicopter for you?”

In this economy, I know so many people are on their knees saying, “God, please don’t let me drown!” I’m all for prayer and meditation and The Secret. But the real question you need to be asking is, “Are you letting yourself drown?”

Whether you believe in God, Spirit, The Universe, some other deity or no deity at all, the principle remains the same: What opportunities are you ignoring? Are there opportunities that you haven’t taken advantage of? Are there ideas or opportunities that keep cropping up and keep appearing?

If you’re letting opportunities pass you by and you’re not doing absolutely everything that you can do to keep your business afloat, you’re letting yourself drown. Make a list today of opportunities you’ve passed by and find a way to get them back!