Consistent and rapid changes are impacting the economy, and the small businesses that create approximately two-thirds of the nation's new jobs. These changes are all around us and envelope all areas of business. The most obvious changes range from: telecommunications, manufacturing, distribution and natural resource management to evolving consumer needs and demands. Thus we see a tremendous growth in worldwide competition and making the road to success much more complex and difficult, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

In a century that moved our transportation from horse trails to interplanetary trajectories, changed our communications tools from quill pens to computers, and took our culture from bacon and beans to sushi and burritos, some people think they've seen it all. Futurists say, the winds of change witnessed in the 1900s are a summer's breeze compared to the hurricane that lies ahead. The 21st century, they claim, will bring unprecedented transformation to the world in which we live.

In the last decade alone, computers, fax machines and modems have brought the office into homes, cars, airplanes and hotel rooms. Future advances will unite the telephone, computer and television into one unit. In fact, telephones may become so portable that many people will have their own individual phone numbers where they can be reached anywhere in the world. The electronic economy is changing large corporations and small businesses alike. This same technology is greatly affecting the growth and increase of volume for home-based businesses and breaking down stereotypes of the home office. According to a 1993 study by the SBA's Office of Advocacy, home businesses are not just the realm of people without "real" jobs who want to earn extra cash. On the contrary, the study found that while having fewer employees, the average home-based business owner had significantly higher net worth than their workplace-bound counterparts. In 1993, an estimated 41.1 million Americans were working from their homes, or more than a third of the adult work force, up from 26.8 million in 1989.

California leads the country in this alternative work style trend with an estimated four million home offices. The work-at-home segment has continued to grow rapidly.

Turn of the century journalist Ambrose Bierce defined the future as "the period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our happiness is assured." ealistically, however, the future may supply conditions no less competitive than the present, and companies of all sizes will continue to scramble to some degree to survive. By taking advantage of key trends that are changing the world as we know it, sending businesses around the globe and recreating the workplace, entrepreneurs will continue to fuel the nation's economy through new job creation, creativity, and innovation.

We all want success, health, prosperity, and we all want to be happy. We want it now. We all want to be self-disciplined and find an easy formula for success and high achievement. There are ways to maintain this excitement and enthusiasm about goals and ambitions we want to accomplish. There are ways to stay committed to do the things we know we want to be doing. There are several ways to keep the energy, desire, drive and make the feeling last! There is a formula, a recipe or a road map for lasting success and motivation. In certain areas of our life we have the desire but find a lack of long-term motivation.

What Stifles Inspiration
1. Lack of defined goals

2. Letting others pull you down

3. Lack of personal development

4. Lack of responsibility for your life and shifting the blame

5. Poor health

6. Overwhelmed

7. Waiting for better order in your life, or for things to be perfect

8. Don't see your reward or visualize what you want to accomplish

9. Poor self-esteem

10. Creature of habit

Top Ten Ways to Find Your Internal Inspiration
1. Find what you love to do and form a game plan to do it.

2. Review your goals and objectives daily. How are you going to get there?

3. Develop a sense of urgency. How and when you are going to get there?

4. Develop courage to do what you really want.

5. Read inspirational material about how and where you want to go.

6. Find others who are successful and discover how they accomplished their goals.

7. Develop a vision.

8. What are the reasons you want to get there? List them.

9. Find a support group.

10. Find and develop a great attitude!

When we use inspiration, we are enthusiastic about ourselves and what we are going to accomplish. How do we find that inspiration? We find it by discovering the reasons that inspire us to improve ourselves and our lives. What is our purpose? What are the reasons behind our goals and objectives? When you use desperation as a motivator, you are moved by logic. For example, you go to work, because if you don't you will be fired.

Emotionally you do not want to go, but logically you must go to work. When you use inspiration as a motivator, you are using your emotions. Sure, there may be some logic to your motivation, but the inspiration to act is emotional. Wanting to become the best in your field is a desire, and this emotion and will drive you further than basing your motivation on logic.