That's a crucial question. If you are not where you want to be right now, you might not get to where you want to be later. Can you say, "I am where I want to be right now"? If not, you're probably allowing fate to control you instead of you controlling fate.

I realize that many have grabbed the opportunity that the Internet has afforded to try to make money on the side. Yet, contrary to many spaced-out claims, it does take some hard work to succeed in a Web-based business. While you may be your own boss, have your own time and work in your underwear, it is a job! And you will come to a point where you'll have to ask yourself again, "Am I where I want to be?".

You may not be in the best of situations now --your job is tedious and boring; your boss is a slave-driver; the coffee tastes like it was brewed from used sand paper; etc.,etc.-- but you can create the environment that will make you feel you are more in control. Keep these in mind:

--Live one day at a time. Accomplish the tasks of this day. Looking towards the weekend will make the week seem longer and tasteless. Someone once said, "I don't worry about tomorrow. Today has its own problems." Live for today's lessons and achievments.

--Set a personal goal for the day and let the other tasks be bonuses. It could be anything: buy some flowers after work for the dinner table; clean out your desk drawers; annotate that report; submit your site to Yahoo. Whatever it is, let it be something that will give you satisfaction. Then let all the other work of the day be stepping-stones to that personal goal. Or you can accomplish the personal goal first and then work on the other tasks with the after-glow.

--Build good relationships with small geatures: offer help to an office mate; say "thank you" always; give a sincere compliment. In other words, give a blessing today (this could be a personal goal). Okay, so your next-booth neighbor can be likened to that most private of man's anatomy, give him a smile anyway. Good relationships will buffer you from the day's doldrums.

--At the end of the day, dwell on the good things that came your way. Another way to put it is count your blessings. Let these be the motivations for the next day. They give you a positive outlook.

Success, after all, isn't just being able to accomplish your goals, but being able to emanae a positive aura that impacts people. And don't think that this isn't possible in a Web-based business. Whatever endeavor you are into, you will always leave an imprint. And that depends much on the kind of working environment you create.

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Dean F. Mapa is a motivational speaker, writer and owns Beeznet Services, a management services firm. He has a web marketing site at http://www.cyber-trends.ph/
His new e-book, "The Joshua Principles: A Spiritual Quest for Success," is now available at
http://www.booklocker.com/bookpages/dfmapa.html