The Virtual Wire

Numbers: 1701

“To boldly go where no one has gone before.” When Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered, a very different captain was in charge of the Enterprise, and the gender-neutral “one” replaced “man” in the introduction. Interestingly, the Enterprise had always been referred to as “Her” or "She" …

But I need to leave the subject of gender neutrality or preference to some other post! This post is about boldly going—even shaping—new frontiers.

Everyone has favourite quotes, or stories, or entire movies that influence or inspire them. As you’ve just seen, one of mine is Star Trek. Star Trek has always been about brave, bold, iconoclastic individuals who are unafraid to tackle the difficult issues in life, especially when confronting something new. I think that anyone who leaves the comfort of being dry-docked in a cubicle to flying solo in their own business qualifies as brave and bold. Such people are brave because they oftentimes leave a sure thing for something that may initially seem to them fraught with uncertainties. They are bold people because they made a decision and a commitment. They are individuals because they not only couch-surfed new frontiers, from a position of relative safety, but actually plunged into or helped forge new frontiers. These people are the sole proprietors or new business owners who are creating and supporting many wonderful adventures.

My decision to become a virtual assistant was based on several key things: I was inspired by one who had ‘gone before’, I was confident, I felt I could make a difference, I had something to share, I wanted to help people (and selfishly, be recognized for that), I was bold enough to make the leap, and perhaps most important of all, I wanted to be the one person who was responsible for my career. These factors, and more, should sound familiar to readers who similarly headed to their own new frontiers.

Being inspired doesn’t have to be a one-off: I know this from talking to many of my colleagues, my clients, and even to those who are thinking about progressing to the next liberating stage of their lives. Inspired is a state of mind. It is an idea. In those two things alone (and much more) it is indefatigable and unstoppable. It can be a constant force. And when it is, it further inspires.

Years ago I signed onto my own “1701”. I’ve been rewarded countless times, and I know that I’ve both earned the rewards and been praised by others who genuinely appreciate my work. There’s no end to new frontiers; if you haven’t already, it’s never too late to sign-on and to inspire others in the doing!

Happy 4th of July!

I've been away from the office for the last several days (albeit working on the road).  It's been great fun to get away and take time to enjoy some of the traditional summertime activities - picnics, family reunions, BBQs, and such.  I've enjoyed it immensely, and look forward to more of what the season has to offer. 

As the 4th of July approaches, however, I wanted to be sure and take time to reflect on the significance of this historical holiday. 

Thanks to Wikipedia.org we can find a good overview that begins with: 

"In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 ..."

"Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States."

(The summary continues with a bit of historical background.)

Part of the reflection for me includes remembering those who serve our country in the military and those who have sacrificed much (past and present).  I am grateful for their lives. 

Here are a couple famous quotes that I enjoy: 

“What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom “to” and freedom “from.” ~ Marilyn vos Savant

“We stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves; that is our only commitment to others. ”  ~ John F Kennedy

I wish you a wonderful time of reflection and celebration on this Independence Day 2009! 

Selling ... do you hate it?

The opening lines of this article written by Tim Berry caught my attention:

"You know who you are. You hate selling, but here you are, making your way as entrepreneur, having to sell or sink. 

Oh yeah, I'm part of that crowd!  The "I hate selling" mantra has been heard from my lips many times. In fact, that was the biggest hurdle for me as I prepared to go out on my own and launch a micro-business. I did not want to "lose" my real self, which is what I had witnessed from some. 

Tim titled his article, "5 Points on Selling without Selling Your Soul."  I appreciate each point!  It is a list of fundamental principles for effectively developing a solid business. 

Each, too, is characteristic of good, strong interpersonal skills.  Skills we have likely (hopefully) honed as professionals - active listening, empathizing, truth telling, problem solving, and persistence.

You may find that you're implementing each of these points already.  This read will serve as a great validation, then, of your savvy selling skills!  I found it refreshingly relevant. 

Another quote to remember

I love the message found in these words:   

The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny ---- it is the light that guides your way.

-- Heraclitus

I trust you appreciate the sentiment expressed here, and I hope it brings some encouragement your way today.

Laughing moments

Another busy-crazy-hectic week has found me! And, I'm stressed.  Okay, I know, I know, I'm responsible for my life-management-stuff.  Sigh.

Well, let's not, however, forget about that small matter of control.  Ahem, yes, I mean, now really, how much control do I have over the multitude of events, people, activities, and other life-happenings around me that do eventually touch me in some form?  Hmmm?  Maybe that's a little too theoretical for this venue, so I'll not take up any more of your/our time on that subject right now.

I will share the good news. I've found in the midst of the crazy-busyness much to laugh about. Oh, little silly things I've encountered throughout my daily activities evoked rounds and rounds of belly laughing. It's not in the details, so I won't share them - it probably wouldn't strike quite the same chord. Suffice it to say it's been a lifesaver for me - this laughter has!  I can make it through this week, after all! LOL

I ran across this quote and thought it oh-so-timely:

"[Humanity] has unquestionably one really effective weapon -- laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution -- these can lift at a colossal humbug-push it a little-weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand."

        - Mark Twain, "The Mysterious Stranger, ch. 10", 1916

Now, I really "got" that message firsthand this week! 

Here's wishing all of us more of that great medicine -- moments of laughter in our daily lives!

Fighting feelings of isolation

Since beginning my VA practice and establishing my home office, I knew I would need to develop plans to ensure I would not easily become overwhelmed with feelings of isolation.  I confess, I was quite diligent in those early months, and found ways to meet my need for interaction with others. It was working beautifully!

I enjoyed my monthly networking meetings, and made engagements with other business owners to meet at a nearby cafe' or enjoy lunch together.  I regularly visited hot spots and worked from my new local library branch. My first client was local, and we regularly met together, sometimes at her office. 

Additionally, during those earlier months, I was engaged full-time with caring for my elderly parents, and that ensured lots of time out at various doctor's offices and provided occasions to simply be 'out and about.'  Another helpful practice has been to engage a few favorite colleagues and regularly interact via chat and sometimes a phone conversation does the trick.  Staying connected with a couple of industry-specific communities and forums has been helpful as well.  Joining a local ladies' oriented fitness center was a good idea, too.

As life and business progressed, circumstances changed.  During this past year, I realize now that I've not been as diligent about this matter.  As a result, feelings of isolation have crept up.  It's been a struggle for me lately. 

I'm working on making some adjustments, and will follow through with my plan to "get out" on a regular basis. It's a good self-care practice, too, and definitely worth the effort.

I'd love to hear from those of you who, too, fight this fight.  New Ideas and perspectives are welcome!

Procrastination, the thief of time...

Thought I'd share a thread from my twitter community.  It started with a quote:

@TheSCICoach "Procrastination is the thief of time"

So I asked the question:  WHY do we do it?

@Eagleblade shared an insightful comment:

"we procrastinate because it is more convenient to believe the lie that we have the ability to do more and better in less time"

As a virtual business owner, can we really justify the expense of procrastination?  The cost is often not calculated in dollars and sense, but in the sacrifice of credibility because of not meeting deadlines, not moving forward or keeping your commitments.  Ask me how I know:).

Here is a short video that cracks the surface on what it is and how to break the cycle:

If you really want to dig into this, then take the 30 minutes and review this video. It was great! It seems to discuss the "science" of procrastination.  I had no idea there was really a reason!

Okay, now for 3 tips to help all of us kick the habit:

1. 10 minute rule: Break big goals down into smaller, manageable tasks.  This approach should help with the feelings of being overwhelmed and stuck.
2. Answer 3 critical questions:  Where are you?  What do you want to do?  How will you feel after doing it?  While writing down what it is you want to do, you'll envision yourself doing, which is what's needed to move you in that direction.
3. Balance the ultimate goal vs. immediate desire. Shifting our focus from what is immediately in front of us that may satisfy us to what it is we really want to accomplish (the ultimate goal) provides a strong call to to action.

So, what is working for you?  Please share with us in a comment below.

Are you going to be a winner in May?

So here we start a brand new month.  The month of May is great in the UK because we have 2 public holidays, on the first and last Monday on the month.  Spring is starting, and it is nice to enjoy these long-weekends and hang out with family/friends or go away for a short break.

It is the first Friday of the month and continuing in my theme of providing you with some pep talk to start your month, here is a double quote for you:

“To be a winner believe you're a winner, act like a winner, talk like a winner, feel like a winner & then... guess what?” I am not sure who quoted this, but my client tweeted it recently. 

To me this quote is all about the law of attraction.  It is pretty self-explanatory isn’t it?

So what’s the second part?  Well the next quote is the above quote, in action!

“I always thought I should be treated like a star” ~ Madonna. 

She believed it, acted it, talked it, and felt it, and what a way it worked for her!!!!!

So are you going to be a winner this month?  It is your choice!

Words that inspire action

"The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts:  to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, 'I was wrong.'"

by   Sydney J. Harris

Those are truly powerful words - especially when acted upon.  In fact, they require consistent, regular action from each of us for their power to be revealed.

 

Don’t you agree?

Clarifying your vision - how to get a clearer picture of your offline success

Do you have a vision of what the successful you looks like? If not, perhaps it's time you started looking at your personal and professional goals through clearer lenses. A trendy new offline strategy called vision boarding can add some clarity to your sight so that you can start actualizing both your personal and professional aims.

What is vision boarding? It all ties into The Law of Attraction. With all the hype surrounding Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" in recent months, you're probably already familiar with this concept. For the uninitiated, The Law of Attraction states that whatever you focus your thoughts and attention on will be magnetically drawn to you. So, for example, if you decide 2009 is the year your business is going to reach a profit milestone, you would begin thinking something like, "This is the year my company is going to earn $XX million." And if The Law of Attraction held to its claim, by December 31, 2009 you'd have reached your earning goal.

If it all sounds a bit new age hokey to you, it's actually not. If you think about it, The Law of Attraction is really a thinly veiled technique that is designed to steer your attention away from all those useless time and energy drains in your life and re-center them on what you actually want to achieve. So many people get caught up in their fast-paced everyday lives, however, that they have trouble envisioning precisely what it is they want to achieve. That's where vision boarding comes into play.

Writer Tristan Loo defines a vision board as "a simple yet powerful visualization tool that activates the universal law of attraction to begin manifesting your dreams into reality." In essence, it's a tangible blank slate (such as a poster board, a cork board or a scrapbook) onto which you adhere visual representations (like cutout images, written expressions and/or hand-rendered drawings) of your life goals.

"By selecting pictures and writing that charges your emotions with feelings of passion, you will begin to manifest those things into your life," Loo explains. The concept is catching on like wildfire, with real-world vision boarding groups forming across the country. The power of these groups lies in their collaborative incentive. It's sort of like having multiple swimming buddies or workout partners who not only cheer you on to success but also help you better define what exactly it is your want to accomplish in the first place.

Vision boarding meet-up groups afford you the opportunity to hobnob with locals who are interested in practicing the science and ideology of The Law of Attraction. Their mission is to help you attract the abundance and prosperity you're craving.

These group meet-ups, however, also serve a profitable side benefit. Vision boarding groups are just one of the ways in which you can promote your expertise offline to generate thousands of dollars in free publicity.