# How to be your own boss when you’ve never done it before
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-02-15
Category: BUSINESS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business
Meta Title: How to Be Your Own Boss: Self-Management Advice
Meta Description: Learn how to be a great boss to yourself with tips on self-management, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and setting SMART goals for personal growth.
URL: https://financedigest.com/how-to-be-your-own-boss-when-youve-never-done-it-beforehtml

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One of the strangest parts about being your own boss is that there’s no one to hold you accountable for your personal and professional development.

No one, that is, other than you.

Being your own boss is more than just running the numbers and choosing your hours. You have to be a good _manager_ to yourself, too. You have to know how to push yourself to grow, because without [personal development](https://www.financedigest.com/the-baby-personal-care-market-gloat-over-organic-development.html "The Baby Personal Care Market Gloat Over Organic Development"), your motivation will die away.

“One of the things we see new business owners struggle with the most is self-management,” says Andrew Cooke , Strategic Director at co-working and workspace provider [Bruntwood Works](https://bruntwood.co.uk/about-bruntwood/works/). “Some people struggle to focus without a [manager to report](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-named-a-market-leader-in-research-in-actions-partner-management-automation-report-and-in-g2-winter-reports.html "impact.com Named a Market Leader in Research in Action’s Partner Management Automation Report and in G2 Winter Reports") to, while others find they can’t switch off because all the responsibility is on their shoulders.

“The [businesses that we see succeed all share one thing:](https://www.financedigest.com/taking-the-leap-at-50-five-things-i-learnt-from-starting-my-own-business-at-50.html "Taking the leap at 50 – Five things I learnt from starting my own business at 50") they’re all run by people who know how to be a great boss to _themselves_, first and foremost.”

Here’s how you can be the best boss you’ve ever had — even if you’ve never done it before.

### **Map out your strengths and weaknesses**

When it’s just you, there’s no one else to carry things when the road gets rough. It’s crucial that you identify your strengths — and, more importantly, your weaknesses — as early as possible so they don’t trip you up later on.

The problem? When you’re your own boss, it’s difficult to give and receive feedback: after all, you’re incredibly biased.

The best thing that you can do is get in [touch with someone you’ve worked](https://www.financedigest.com/two-americans-win-medicine-nobel-for-work-on-heat-and-touch.html "Two Americans win Medicine Nobel for work on heat and touch") with in the past. It [needs to be someone you can trust; a friend that pulls their punches won’t help you change](https://www.financedigest.com/scams-have-eroded-digital-trust-banks-need-to-do-more-to-combat-the-industrial-scale-of-scams-in-the-uk.html "Scams have eroded Digital Trust – Banks need to do more to combat the industrial scale of scams in the UK.").

If you’re finding it difficult to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, here are some starting points:

- Your level of self-discipline
- Your time-management skills
- Your communication skills
- Your ability to focus
- Your ability to prioritize

Go through each of these points and ask your friend to be brutally honest in their assessment. Your biggest [weaknesses are the ones you don’t see](https://www.financedigest.com/stanchart-sees-asia-middle-east-as-bright-spots-in-weak-global-economy.html "StanChart sees Asia, Middle East as bright spots in weak global economy") in yourself, so if you think you’re a good communicator but your colleague disagrees, you need to know ASAP.

### **Set goals**

Once you’ve got all your strengths and weaknesses mapped out, you need a game plan to work on them. It’s not enough to [say “I’ll work](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-minister-says-government-will-work-with-obr-on-economic-forecasts.html "UK minister says government will work with OBR on economic forecasts") on my time-management skills”, because there’s no clear next step. Instead, you need to set a goal.

Goals are vital in [business because they provide a benchmark against which to measure your progress](https://www.financedigest.com/global-lycopene-market-outlook-business-challenges-investment-opportunities-progression-status-revenue-expectation-and-forecast-2022-2029.html "Global Lycopene Market Outlook Business Challenges, Investment Opportunities, Progression Status, Revenue Expectation and Forecast 2022-2029").

The best way to create a useful goal is by using the SMART method: they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

When you’re first starting out, the best goals you can set are those that address your [personal weaknesses while helping your business grow](https://www.financedigest.com/should-you-take-out-a-personal-loan-to-start-or-grow-your-business.html "Should You Take Out a Personal Loan to Start or Grow Your Business?"). Here’s an example of a SMART goal that does both:

_By 1st April, I will improve my public speaking skills by delivering a presentation on my specialism to an audience of [business leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/how-business-leaders-can-adapt-or-replace-covid-related-perks-to-the-post-pandemic-world-while-keeping-employees-on-side.html "How business leaders can adapt or replace Covid related perks to the post-pandemic world while keeping employees on-side")._

The above goal allows you to work on one of your weaknesses — in this case, communication — while creating new [opportunities for business](https://www.financedigest.com/electric-vehicle-transmission-market-emerging-growth-analysis-future-demand-and-business-opportunities-2027.html "Electric Vehicle Transmission Market Emerging Growth Analysis, Future Demand and Business Opportunities 2027") relationships; that is, in the audience you’ll be presenting to.

And since you need to achieve it by 1st April, it’s time-bound, too.

### **Review your progress**

There’s no point in putting goals in place if you aren’t going to look back and assess your progress. Schedule check-ins with yourself; if you’ve set quarterly goals, make them monthly so you can see how much [progress you’ve made](https://www.financedigest.com/sweden-finland-and-turkey-have-made-progress-on-nato-membership-sweden-says.html "Sweden, Finland and Turkey have made progress on NATO membership, Sweden says"). That way, you’ll spot if you’re [falling behind](https://www.financedigest.com/behind-ftxs-fall-battling-billionaires-and-a-failed-bid-to-save-crypto.html "Behind FTX’s fall, battling billionaires and a failed bid to save crypto") with plenty of time to turn it around.

If you don’t achieve your goals, don’t worry. Focus instead on the progress you _have_ made. The fact that you aimed for a goal will usually stretch you, so regardless of whether or not you achieved it, you’ll [see some development](https://www.financedigest.com/the-next-upcoming-years-to-see-the-dental-lasers-market-develop-on-an-organic-note.html "The Next Upcoming Years To See The Dental Lasers Market Develop On An Organic Note").

The biggest win that comes out of reviewing your progress is that it boosts your self-esteem. Starting a [business is beset with failings](https://www.financedigest.com/why-start-ups-fail-5-barriers-to-business-success-and-how-to-overcome-them.html "Why start-ups fail: 5 barriers to business success and how to overcome them") and difficulties, and dwelling on them can eat away at your will to push on. But seeing the [small ways](https://www.financedigest.com/4-ways-small-businesses-can-save-money-while-outsourcing.html "4 Ways Small Businesses Can Save Money While Outsourcing") in which you’ve grown is sometimes the boost you need to replenish your motivation — and achieve that next breakthrough.

### **Be the boss you always wanted**

Becoming your own boss can certainly be daunting — but it’s also liberating.

If your list of things your bosses could have done better is as long as your arm, now is your chance to do it the way you always thought it should be done. You can make the decisions your previous employers didn’t. You can prioritise areas of your personal development that, in the past, weren’t seen as important to others.

So go out there and be the best boss you’ve ever had!


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