Self Discipline is the art of motivating yourself and keeping at the job when nobody else is around to tell you what to do.
Being your own ‘boss’ literally means that you have nobody that make sure you are in the office at 8:30, that you put in a productive 8 to 10 hours and that you take your breaks.
You are in total control. That is a great feeling, but not everybody can handle that freedom with the same ease, though I’m fairly sure that given enough time everbody can learn how to do this.
The following things may help you:
Set that alarm! It is the simplest thing to do and it pays off right away because it will force you to stay in a rhythm. Get up as though you are going to your work, because, really you still are.
If you’re not working then you should be trying to find more customers. Try to spend 8 to 10 hourse every day in some way that furthers the goals of your business. Don’t over do it unless you get paid a ‘stress factor’ (this is excellent money but it also means that you will be paying the price in a let down afterwards), and don’t slack either.
Constant productivity is the key to being a successful entrepreneur, you don’t need to work yourself to a burn-out in three months, but not having a boss is no excuse for sleeping in either.
Work 6 days per week. Use that saturday to work on things that are harder to do during the week because of interruptions.
If you’re a news junkie (like me) use the news to reward yourself for completed tasks. Set yourself a goal for the day, then don’t rest until you’ve achieved that goal. Take a break, then set a smaller goal and keep doing this until the day is finished.
If you have to spend time in public transport bring a book. And not a fantasy book, a book that teaches you something about the field that you are working in. Try to use time that would go to waste in a productive way, and you have a competitive edge over those that do not.
You can use your mobile phone to keep track of what your customers are up to, there are always reasons to stay in touch (for instance because you’ve seen what one of their competitors is up to or to ask how a piece of work that you delivered to them a while ago is performing).