It’s been two weeks since I have taken the the leap and in that time I have learned a lot about myself. Some of the experiences have been good, others have been bad, but all of them will stick with me for a lifetime and I believe are helping me to become a better Internet entrepreneur. In an ongoing effort to share my experiences with you, I’m sharing 10 lessons that I recently learned:

1. Develop Lists

I have tons of ideas. Applications that I just know will make me money if I can develop them quick enough, but with only me to work on them, I find it easy to feel overwhelmed. To counteract this feeling I start each day by creating a to-do list comprised of small (accomplishable) tasks that I would like to complete that day. There’s nothing quite like seeing a bunch of checkboxes filled in when I’m ready to call it a night. Besides, everyone loves a good list!

2. Money Management

In the world of freelance web design, some clients have a tendency to send payments anywhere between 30 to 90 days. This means that I may not see a dime from some jobs for a couple of months. As such I’ve learned to nip any frivolous spending in the bud. Thankfully, there are applications like Microsoft Money and Mint.com out there that make it easy to identify unnecessary spending and eliminate it.

3. Define Your Workspace

When you work from home it’s pretty convenient to define your workspace as that brand new La-Z-boy recliner in the corner of your living room. It’s comfy and inviting, but horrible for you physically and mentally. If you don’t separate your workspace from your living quarters then pretty soon you’ll begin to feel trapped in your own house. Plus, while a La-Z-Boy recliner is great for sitting in front of the fireplace or watching a 2-hour movie, it was never intended to be an office chair for 8-hours a day. Talk about back pain.

4. Develop A Routine

When it comes to working from home it’s important to develop habits. Even though I don’t have to be at the office by 8 AM anymore I feel more productive if I still act like it. I make it a point to get showered, shaved, and dressed so that I’m on my computer working by 8 AM in an attempt to make the most of each day. And while the only living being that I’m guaranteed to encounter daily is my 4-month old kitten, I find it mentally refreshing keep up with these things.

5. Reduce Distractions

I’m a tech-junkie, and as such, I find myself easily distracted by the electronics of today. So much so that my girlfriend unaffectionately refers to my Apple iPhone as “my mistress Natasha”. With an XBOX 360, a Nintendo Wii, and no employer looking over my shoulder, distractions seem to find me. I have found that I work best when I isolate myself in my home office during working hours. By minimizing the amount of distractions, I’m able to concentrate solely on the tasks at hand and soon enough hours go by as if they were seconds.

6. Limit Email

Email is the devil. I hate it. Plain and simple.

Every morning I used to sit down at my desk with my Venti Starbucks coffee and the first thing I would do on my computer was double-click on the Microsoft Outlook icon. As the computer slowly churned and the hard drive came to life, I would think about the emails that I might have received the night before and what kind of impact they would have on my day ahead. Then, throughout the day, whenever I would see the new mail icon beckoning my attention in the task bar, I would immediately stop whatever I was doing to see what new messages awaited me. How many of you are guilty of the same thing? How easy is it to let email sidetrack you from what you’re currently working on?

As much as I fear that I’ll miss the next urgent email, I have been working on limiting the amount of times that I check my email a day. So far, I’m checking it 4 times a day and I can probably cut it down even more if I tried.

7. Maintain Leisure Activities

Without a bimonthly paycheck to deposit into my bank account, I find that it’s easy to put my head down and work for hours on end without the slightest break in hopes that one of my web applications will begin to generate a substantial income. Take breaks. This simple lesson is one that I need to continue to work on. While I’m getting better at it, I have a tendency to get “in the zone” and when I get there I can work for hours on end. This is a good thing as I tend to get a lot done, however, at the end of the day I feel fried and no matter I do. I cannot stop thinking about work. Usually when this happens I even dream about work. Now I love working as much as the next person (probably even more), but we all need a break every once in a while!

It’s incredibly important to take advantage of a flexible work schedule if you have one. As such, I visit my local gym each morning, and in the afternoons I try to read a book for leisure. Last Friday, I was even able to get away for a couple of hours to have lunch with my family. Most other jobs would have made this small treat impossible.

8. Work The Hours That Work For You

I try to maintain the 8 AM to 5 PM work hours that I’ve grown accustom to over the years, but I’m slowly finding out that this may not be the most effective time for me to work. I think back to when I would spend my evenings moonlighting as a web designer. The hours between 11 PM and 5 AM on a Friday night were my sweet spot, and oh how sweet they were. There wasn’t a single thing to distract me and everything just seemed to flow. As such, I’ve been tempted to switch my working hours to late nights again to see if I can get back in this groove. I’ve done it a couple of times lately and think that it may be just the ticket to get my web apps off the ground.

9. Reach Out To Others

While I’m an experienced designer and developer, I don’t possess all of the skills necessary to get my ideas off the ground in a timely manner. I’ve learned to focus on what I know and reach out to others experienced in the areas that I don’t know quite as well. Hopefully the end result will be something that we all can be proud of.

10. Slow Down

The most important lesson out of all of the ones mentioned here: Slow down! Eat slower, drive slower, and think about things more thoroughly. This really helps me to get through the day. Whenever I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed I like to take a cruise over to the grocery store. I know it’s not the most happening place, but it’s exactly what I need. On my way to the store I take in the scenery and when I get there I take my time shopping. This gives me some much needed time away from my work and I’ve learned to really enjoy cooking because of it.

That’s all for now!

So there you have it, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Everyday I learn something new and exciting about this journey that is making it one of the most interesting experiences of my life.