"I Used to Love Being A Virtual Assistant!!"
Start by identifying what’s making you feel overwhelmed & overworked? Do you have;
- Too many clients?
- Too many different tasks?
- Unclear priorities?
- Lack of Structure?
- Poor time allocation?
Your first to solving the problem is finding what’s causing it. Only once you’ve done that, are you ready to find…
" I Don't Know Where It's Coming From!"
What all does it affect? What are you seeing as a result?
- Decreased productivity?
- Lower quality of work completed?
- Increased stress levels?
- Burnout coming up?
- Strained Client Relationships – (this is scary, ya’ll!! Get something done!!
"How Do I Fix It?"
Whatever you do, remember to solve the root in the long-term, or you’ll just be reading this article in several months despairing about the same issues!!! Here are several things to consider that might break down the problems a bit.
- Break your big tasks into manageable chunks. Don’t allow yourself to work all week on the same big thing. There are so many small projects within the big thing, so break it down into sizeable chunks, where you still feel the feeling of accomplishment!!! When it doesn’t feel as though you’re getting much donw, you just don’t work as enthusiastically!!
- Prioritize the most important tasks, based on urgency &importance. Make sure those are completed by their deadline. Lesser important things should be the ones who hurt, if something has to suffer.
- Set realistic deadlines for each task & allocate enough time for each task, so you aren’t constantly behind schedule.
- Delegation- What could be delegated to someone else? What could be automated? Could you collaborate with other VA’s or subcontractors?
And Where's Your Personal Life In All This?
- Great Question!! Your life, mental & emotional state of well-being is still more important than any work you have to do!! Don’t compromise on the time you need for yourself!!
- Set clear boundaries – how much time will you work & how much time do you need for yourself? Set clear boundaries & stick to them!! “I only work x amount of hours per week on other people’s work.”
- Prioritize your self-care – what can you do everyday that boosts your well-being? Something that truly lights you up? What can you do that will bring meaning to your life?
- How often are you taking breaks? You need that getaway sometimes, whether it’s just every weekend, logging out of all accounts & staying offline, or it’s spending a week at the beach every year. It’s important to follow what’s most important to you & what makes you personally feel refreshed!
- Have you considered using productivity or time management apps?
- Toggl – this app tracks your spent on 100+ websites that you visit & sends you a report of where you’re spending your time!!
- 1-3-5 -this app helps you organize & prioritize tasks by breaking them down into 3 smaller things & then into 5 steps.
- 30/30 – this app lets you set a specific time to a task. Totally free!
- Evernote– this app helps you keep track of your thoughts, ideas, videos, links, lists, images & audio recordings.
- Plan – Simple & powerful way to Time-Block. Calendar & To-do list all in one!!
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