This is something you'll need in good supply if you want to work without a boss. It's sometimes called 'self starting' or 'being a self starter', which is you doing things without being told. You can be given the best of plans and buy all the best tools and information about how to go about it, but if you don't do anything with them, it will be money wasted.

There are no people to hound you into performing if you work for yourself. You have to find ways to make yourself do what is required to succeed. It may take you a while to get into the mindset of a self-starter (it certainly did me), but in the end, you'll find this way of thinking very worthwhile.

If you find yourself running short of initiative or in need of a reason to go forward with your plans, here are a few things I've found work for me.

• Keep your eyes on the prize. Think of all the good things that you'll be able to do or have if you actually start on a plan and accomplish it.
• Do something you love. It's much easier to make money for yourself if you're monentizing a hobby, or doing something you enjoy. Then it stops being work, and becomes just paid fun which is easy to do.
• Remember the things about your current circumstances that most anger or frustrate you and why you want them to change. You should use this technique sparingly, because anger is only useful in small quantities. Getting angry will motivate you, but being perpetually angry will stall you out and insure you are doing nothing but remaining angry.

There is no self-employment without initiative. You must keep yourself motivated, because no one else will.

Ryan Ambrose is the webmaster for Financial Self-Reliance, a web site about ways to actually make money with your computer. The Proper Mindset Section which contains this and more articles can be viewed directly from here. Copyright 2006, Ryan Ambrose