Financial independence is having the freedom to support yourself through your own efforts. Here are seven fundamental habits that will help you achieve and maintain financial independence.

1. Express Gratitude

Financial independence begins with gratitude. Set aside a daily period to offer a sincere thank you for every blessing in your life. Include people, places, possessions, talents, and memories. Offer gratitude for your future dreams as though they were already in your possession.

Gratitude will allow you to attract the blessings you want. When they arrive, protect them from the thieves that could rob you of your financial independence.

2. Liberate Your Future

Debts of the past are thieves of the future. If you want financial independence, live a simple life style that does not create unnecessary personal debt. Living with class does not require being extravagant. If you are conservative most of the time, you can be extravagant at the right times.

Do not allow credit card companies to hold your future hostage. Take control. Seek professional help to get rid of credit card debt that robs you of high monthly interest payments. Borrowing is a tool that should produce a return on your investment, not cost your future security.

3. Commit to Wellness

Your health is also an asset that you need to protect. Wellness allows you to manage and enjoy financial independence. Get regular physical checkups and maintain a sensible physician-approved exercise program. These can help to minimize illnesses and maximize the rewards of a productive life.

Maintaining wellness requires an ongoing commitment. Another area of commitment that is equally important to financial independence is one of personal financial discipline.

4. Develop a Saving Discipline

A financially independent future requires saving, and saving requires discipline. As credit card debt diminishes, savings can begin to increase. An emergency savings fund of six to twelve months living expenses is a wise idea. However, you will want major long-term savings plans for such goals as education and retirement.

Do not expect the government to take care of your financial future. If you want to remain financially independent, take ultimate responsibility for every chapter of your financial life. That responsibility begins with wise investing and respect for money.

5. Invest Wisely and Respect Money

My father taught me to have several investments that produce an ongoing, passive income. This, he said, would allow me to remain independent if I were to become physically disabled. These investments are like "feeding geese that lay golden eggs". Passive income streams also provide additional capital to place in other financial growth investments.

Respect for money is the beginning of saving and investing. Respect for a dollar begins with respect for a penny. You will always have dollars if you take care of your pennies. Even the smallest of assets and investments need protection.

6. Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

In the article, Ten Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs, I wrote that one of those traits was making a commitment to protect the welfare of your family and loved ones. Ensuring the safety of your financial assets is part of doing this.

Adequate insurance coverage for your life, health, and property is a wise investment. You should also use professional legal, financial, and security services to help protect your business, property, and all the things you have worked to acquire.

7. Design Your Financial Independence with Qualified Help

Seek qualified professionals to help you design your financial future. You do not need to be a financial expert to become financially independent, but you must become financially literate. Seek professional guidance from experts in financial planning, taxes, and accounting. These people can work with you to help you realize your financial goals.

Begin today by seeking out professionals that can help you achieve your financial goals. Become financially independent in your own mind. Express gratitude for the blessings you will receive as if they were already in your possession. Avoid and eliminate unnecessary personal debt, and live a healthy lifestyle. Save with discipline, invest wisely, and respect your financial assets. Protect the assets you have worked to acquire, and you can enjoy the financially independent lifestyle that you have envisioned.