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The seven habits that will make you effortlessly independent

I’ve spent most of my life abroad.

I am continually on the move, living in a new country by myself every few months.

I am at ease as an ‘outsider,’ and there is much I have internalised about the independent life.

Here’s what I know:

1. Independent people are OK in their own company.

I spend a lot of time alone and yet don’t think I can remember a time when I felt truly lonely.

I have nurtured a comfort in going out alone and being in my own company. Independence requires this because when you can be OK alone, you have options and your actions are not dependent on others.

You’re also much less susceptible to taking on external opinions that are not your own.

Many couldn’t live a few minutes without being close to another, and that’s fine, but they can’t ever be truly independent.

2. Ensure they are depended on.

This may seem counterintuitive, but those who have the most freedom and flexibility are needed by people.

For example, if you provide a useful skill that not many others can emulate, you become indispensable.