If you're your own boss... Make sure you're a good one.

7 Ways to Be the Best Boss You've Ever Had

1) You need to be tactical AS WELL AS strategic. Your work can be granular, but it is extremely valuable to have defined and measurable goals, as well as an overarching mission statement.

This keeps you going -- especially in the tough times.

2) Your competition is yourself. You are not longer a party to office politics, which is awesome, but a sense of healthy competition against yourself can be a powerful motivator.

3) Make sure you're ENJOYING your work. One of the best things about freelancing or being a founder is that you can pursue things you actually love to do.

If you aren't enjoying it, something's wrong.

4) You're responsible for your own work/life balance. You need to find the happy medium that allows for optimal productivity, as well as thoughtful decompression.

Work and life are both vital to each other.

5) You can work from anywhere, yes, but consider making your immediate workspace as zen and distraction-free as you can.

It truly makes a difference in your mental space.

6) Don't flood yourself with to-dos. Examine every object that you could work on for the day, pick out the 3-5 highest ROI activities, and do them.

If you still feel like continuing afterwards, knock some other things off the list. But focus on the high-ROI activities.

7) Network. Not for an ulterior motive -- just for a community of others in your situation. Freelancers, founders, etc.

Make friends before you need a favor.

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