At first I thought that this article would be mainly for seniors, however, there is something here for everyone. Even teens and young working parents can benefit from my observations.

We traveled in our RV for a number of years and then decided to settle down. I took up quilting, sewing and Swedish or Huck weaving. That was interesting for awhile. Designing quilts is neat, but half way through the actual assembly it becomes very boring. My husband became ill and during that time I found that I needed something a little more challenging to keep my mind occupied.

Although I have had accounting experience, have taken a computer programming courses, used Apple Computer's Multiplan spread sheet program, Lotus 123, dBase, Excel, I have been out of the work force for years. All my computer experience was dated. I had been using the computer only for browsing, shopping, email and games. I decided to investigate Internet marketing. I had to start with no marketing knowledge and absolutely no knowledge of websites, html or java script. I am still not familiar with the more advanced applications, but I can build a website.

Building a website under the direction of Top Online Profits and Internet marketing is a brand new territory that I have found sometimes difficult, but rewarding.

These are my personal rules for success: The #1 Most Important is that you cannot solely rely on family, a job, or friends for your own feelings of self-worth. Everything changes, jobs come and go, children grow up, friends move away, and you can lose your loved ones. You need some endeavor that you find worthwhile that is not dependent on events out of your control. When I was fourteen, my Mother informed me that it wasn't her job or anyone else's to make me happy. I was shocked, but realized that I was my own person, separate and apart from my family. Her quietly harsh words are still true; we all have to go our own way.

Look for Something New to Learn! The saying, "Use it or lose it," is really true. If you are working full time with small children or a senior with health problems or other limitations, your time may be restricted. That's when you'll have to decide whether or not your leisure activities will be beneficial in the long run. I encourage everyone to critically examine their behaviors. Sometimes we fall into patterns that bring little value to our lives. If I had to choose between playing solitaire and doing a crossword puzzle, I would choose the crossword puzzle because I might be improving my vocabulary

Don't Give Up! As long as my health holds up, I'll just keep on. Persistence is one of the biggest keys to success in any endeavor.

Do Something Constructive! It does not necessarily have to be Internet Marketing. I chose it because I live in somewhat rural areas and working from home was my only option. What I am trying to convey is that you need to be both mentally and physically active. If you have had a hard draining day at work, perhaps some exercise with your kids or solo would be refreshing.

We all have tedious chores. Moms and Dads know all about those. I don't clean or cook any more than absolutely necessary. I might spend an hour or more making an entree that will last for three days. I would rather eat leftovers than go to all that work every single day. When I married at twenty, it didn't occur to me that I was signing up to cook for 44 years and counting!! I don't consider daily chores to be fulfilling, rewarding or constructive. I do them as quickly and efficiently as possible so I can do what I truly enjoy.

Limit Passive Activities! I have nothing against fun, we all need little escapism. It's good for you, but it can be addictive. We all enjoy watching TV, movies, plays, sports or reading. Turn off the television!! Pick a few programs you really enjoy and only watch those few. Even reading to excess has little to offer if all your reading is poorly written formula novels.

Be as careful with your time as you should be with your money. If you are spending hours and hours in passive unproductive activities as a means of escaping from every day humdrum life, think about substituting a productive activity. Internet marketing, courses, hobbies, sports and volunteer work are all very stimulating and rewarding. Learning something new can be fun and you get a rush from every little success.

Stay Focused! There are some of us that have many activities on the go, so have trouble focusing our attention and efforts. I am currently working on a quilt, afghan, ceramics and Internet Marketing. I'm a hands busy person so I do sewing during TV shows and the ceramics classes are fun and social. I try to schedule my activities.

Learn Patience! Are you a race horse or a plodder? I'm a list maker and methodical plodder when it comes to work. You race horse types have to learn to take it easy. You must start at the beginning of a project and follow each step to the end. A shot gun approach will have you going in circles and you just won't finish.

So get going and get busy.

Top Online Profits - The Work at Home Directory Program When I started in this business I made some terrible mistakes and spent money on a program that has yielded nothing in return. When I was floundering without direction, My SFI sponsor suggested that I try Top Online Profits.

What it boils down to is that it takes knowledge, hard work and some investment to earn income. Top Online Profits will give you the tools to succeed.

As part of their program, they give you a website, but recommend that you obtain your own domain name and web hosting. They recommended Ipower. Ipower has built in email, web builder and many other useful programs. It's easy to use, reasonably priced and I highly recommend it. Also, they don't send out 100's of emails advertising additional services like some other web hosting companies.

I don't use the web building program in Ipower because I have a very uncertain wifi signal. I have used it for minor edits only. I work offline and upload to the server. I tried Microsoft Frontpage and didn't like it. One of the major assets of Top Online Profits is their Work at Home Discussion Forum and forum moderators. On the forum I discovered that many people in Top Online Profits have been using NVU, a free web building program. They have a section devoted to helping NVU users. I started using it and it does the job. That doesn't mean that you don't have to learn html or xhtml. You need to know the html basics because any of these web building programs will accept a lot of commands and your site will get garbled and you simply must go into the code and fix the problem. There are lots of websites online that offer free html and xhtml instruction. There are also tons of free graphics, free banners, free online banner makers and free templates. I used the Top Online Profits website provided to me as a template and just started gradually changing it as I learned.

The mentoring I've received from the Work at Home Discussion Moderators for Top Online Profits has been invaluable. The program is structured to ensure your success. All you have to do is follow directions and do the work. It's a matter of duplication. Spend all the time you can reading the various forum threads. You'll find useful information and the moderators are very helpful regarding specific problems. One of the best sources of web building help is to look at other Tops members' sites and read the moderators' reviews and suggestions regarding their sites. That will help you to avoid their mistakes. In order to progress through the three phases you must submit your site to the moderators for approval before going on to the next phase. I'll give you a big hint, for a newbie the first phase is the hardest.

Top Online Profits will guide you through the process of setting up a professional website. They will provide a website template, and you are encouraged to modify it to make it your own. Their program very nearly forces you to learn what's necessary to become a successful Internet marketer and web master. Best of all, the cost to join is low, about $60 a year for the program. A big bargain for all the help I have received. If you are serious and willing to invest your time and some money: JOIN TOP ONLINE PROFITS. This is the absolute best advice I can give to anyone.