Have you ever watched a professional baseball game and seen an athlete just go off on a fan in the stands who went just a little too far in his taunting? It’s not a pretty sight. And no matter how abusive the heckler was, the athlete is the one who ends up looking bad. Right or wrong, the assumption is that athletes are expected to rise above the crowd, not allowing the taunts, jeers, and comments to get to him. After all, the athlete is getting paid; the fan isn’t.

This situation is similar to what businesspeople face. You’ve heard the phrase, “The customer is always right – even when they’re wrong.” That means that you sometimes have to bite your tongue and move forward, even when an objective observer would say you were “right.” Here are five reasons you should always take the high road:

1. You gain karma. Putting positive energy into the universe will bring positive experiences back to you.
2. You never know what’s happening behind the scenes. The person screaming at the center fielder may just have found out he has colon cancer and is venting his fear. The person sending you a nasty email may have just found out her daughter is suffering from epilepsy. Giving others an undeserved helping of grace might help them when they need it most.
3. You can’t really “win.” With customers (and heckling fans) you never win, even if you “win.” Don’t get into a spitting contest when squashing them like a bug will just make you look bad.
4. You won’t waste time or energy. Some people are just grumpy, looking for some place to blow off steam. Fighting back only fuels the fire. Direct your energy where it can be put to best use.
5. Your mom was right. Remember when she told you that the people talking behind your back were just jealous? A lot of times, that’s true. The fact that people are aiming their squirt guns your way is a sign that you’re succeeding, and the more you succeed, the more it will happen.

Yes, it’s hard to ignore the hecklers. But here are some ways you can block out the jeers and taunts:

1. Imagine them as little children. If a two-year-old was throwing a tantrum, you’d treat them with more compassion and less anger, so imagine them that way.
2. Breathe deep. When you think you’re being attacked, it’s easy to fall into that “fight or flight” response. Breathing deeply helps clear the adrenaline from your body.
3. Bring in a third party. If a response is required and you cannot answer without anger or emotion, have an objective third party answer for you. Many business people outsource their customer support email for this particular reason.

Your time and energy is precious; invest it where you’ll get good things in return.

According to those who have been there before, the key to success in law or business school is getting in with the right study group. These partners not only give you buddies to study with, they keep you accountable and on-task. If you let yourself down, you let down the whole group.

Finding accountability partners can be key to a successful entrepreneurial venture, too. Finding a group to support your efforts, help you brainstorm problems, and keep you on schedule can mean the difference between passing and failing. Here's what to look for in your own “study group:”

Variety of skills. The best groups have members with expertise in different areas. The former tax accountant, the paralegal, the sales trainer can all advise each other and provide different perspectives on the same topics. If everyone is in the same industry with the same background, you may have a lot in common, but you won't be able to brainstorm as effectively.

Similar commitment level. The most important element may very well be a common level of commitment to your goals, whatever they may be. If one member is a little lax and the others are all gung-ho, the mismatch will soon drive everyone crazy and cause bad feelings.

Regular meeting times. Whether you're meeting by Skype, in person, or in a chat room, make a regular – weekly or monthly – appointment, and keep it! Nothing will submarine a group faster than no-shows or constantly changing meeting times.
Accountability process. There needs to be some carrot or stick to ensure that members stick to their goals. If there's no reward or pain associated with the goals, the likelihood of following up will decrease.

Structured meeting. The meeting doesn't have to be scripted down to the last minute with a pre-released agenda, but at least having a time limit on each member will ensure no one hogs the whole time – or never shares his or her progress at all.

Resource-sharing. One of the most valuable roles an accountability group can play is providing recommendations and referrals. Looking for a great graphic designer, bookkeeper, or webmaster? Your “study group” should be your first stop.

One final thing to keep in mind is that accountability groups, like friendships, are created differently. Some will last a season as you launch your business; some may last only a few weeks or months. Be ready to let your group go if it's no longer fitting your needs. It will be hard, but if it's not helping you further your goal, it may be time to move up and on.

As summer winds to its inevitable close, college students are anxiously poring over their course catalogs, figuring out what classes will fit a schedule that will allow them plenty of time to hobnob with friends, give them enough credits to allow them to graduate on time, and also not require them to get up before 8 AM on Mondays.

Entrepreneurs are attempting the same feat: How do you allow enough time for product creation, customer service, networking, enrichment, research, and just plain goofing off? It is possible – and these hints will help:

Start with the most important stuff – money-making tasks. You've heard the saying, “Pay yourself first.” The same goes for setting your schedule. Start by setting aside time for the activities that will add to your bottom line. That means product creation, partnership/affiliate efforts, and marketing. Sometimes, this is the stuff you don't want to do, or that seems to be less pressing, so it falls to the bottom of the to-do list. But by slotting it in first, you will assure you don't run out of time for this critical element.

Don't overbook yourself. We can be tempted to fill our schedule to the point where if anything goes wrong, it throws our whole day off. Build in buffers of time so you have the room to recover if things go awry. That could mean giving yourself an extra day to complete a report, or giving yourself an extra 15 minutes to get to your destination. If you don't need the extra time, you can relax, catch up on reading, or return phone calls.

Keep a running list of 15-minute tasks. Have a ready list of to-dos that take 15 minutes or less to complete, and when you find yourself between projects, knock a few of these off. They could be maintenance items, like filing papers or cleaning off your desk, or they could be research-related, like checking out a few blogs or reading an article.

Protect your time. “Time vampires” will gladly suck away all your free time, if you let them. They'll have you babysitting their chihuahua, listening to their boyfriend woes, and accompanying them to the home show to check out the latest and greatest improvements in fertilizer. The solution: Just say no! Sure, any one activity won't take up too much of your time – but soon you'll find yourself spending more time watering their plants or helping with their time sheet than you do on your own projects. Don't let it happen by cutting it off early on.

Review your day. At the end of the day, go back over your previous work hours. What was time well-spent? What felt critical in the moment but ended up being completely wasted or unimportant? Figure out what went right and what went wrong, and make adjustments for the next day.

Time is your most precious asset. Setting a schedule that supports your long- and short-term goals will help ensure you invest this precious resource wisely.