Guest Blog: Oh The Tedium… Virtual Assistant Jobs That Drive You To Distraction
12 Ideas to Help you Focus on What is Good
You started out your business as a Virtual Assistant and over the first few weeks or even months, you took on jobs at a low rate just to get you started. These jobs have continued to provide you with a dripping tap of low hourly rate, but money each week. Some of these jobs may now be driving you to distraction and it’s easy to forget how glad you were of them when you were starting out.
Here are some tips to help you see what you’re really doing when you’re bored and distracted.
1. Imagine an upturned egg timer, the sand sifting through grain after grain becomes pennies or cents and gradually fills the gaps in your business account.
2. Think back to the beginning, re-feel the feelings and re-member the memories of the excitement of having your first client.
3. Remind yourself that you must be doing a good job, you still have your first client.
4. Make yourself a book of testimonials, okay on the Internet if you have to. Re-read this book when you’re wondering what the hell you’re doing.
5. Yes, make it, it may sound like a waste of your time and it is good to reflect on what you’re doing well and how your clients past and present see you.
6. Okay, now remember back even further to when you were dancing to someone else’s tune. Think about how you felt each morning when you got up for work and struggled in whatever the weather and however you were feeling. Then remember all those moments in the working day when you wanted to scream. And breathe………
7. Add up how many hours per day you’re now working and subtract from the hours you were working. Now subtract your total travelling hours. How does that look? If you’re getting this right (and it might be early days so let’s not get carried away) then the hours you spend commuting and working away from home should exceed the hours you now spend working.
8. Now consider your health and physical well being. For instance, when did you last have a headache? What about tension across your shoulders. Consider any other health related symptoms you have experienced and measure whether these have improved.
9. How many cold/flu germs have you been in contact with recently? How many cold and flu germs would you already have been in contact with were you still commuting/working away from home.
10. How are your relationships with the important people in your life? Are you seeing more of them, is the time you spend together more plentiful and does it have more quality?
11. Food, how is your diet now? Are you eating more healthily? My guess is you have more time to cook, and need processed and takeaway food less often (but that’s a guess).
12. So, next time you’re feeling bored to distraction with those tedious jobs that earn you very little, check out this list and your book (you know the one you made) of testimonials and remember how much happier you are.
