The Virtual Wire

First Friday pep!!!

It is the beginning of the month again, and it is my duty to share something inspirational to o help you start off your July with a stronger stride in your step.  Also, of course, for my American friends and colleagues it is a highly celebrated holiday weekend - Your Independence Day.  I was reminded in a conversation this week about the desire and need for individuality, and it reminded me that I have always been one to encourage others to walk their own path, as well as tried for forge my own.  So in that vein I looked for inspirational items on independence and individuality, and this is what I found that I liked:

“Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.”  Stephen R Covey.

I love this quote as it reminds me that I make the choices in my life, and if there is something I don’t like, I, and only I, have the power to change it.  And change is not only negative, it could also mean that if I like something and would like more of it, then I still need to make the change to get more.  I looooovvvveee having the power to change things!  What will you change in your practice this month?   

So for me I was thinking about doing more and getting more from the client relationships I really like, and I came across this quote:

“No employer today is independent of those about him. He cannot succeed alone, no matter how great his ability or capital. Business today is more than ever a question of cooperation.”  Orisen Swett Marden

Although this quote refers to employees/employers, I believe it speaks directly to the VA industry, and the possibilities of a successful VA/client relationship.   Need I say more???  You know just like with any relationship the tasks, activities and sheer volume of work can get in the way of building your relationship with your clients, but finding the time to further enhance and do more in this relationship is essential to it's success. In the month of July find the time to further enhance your relationships.  Show your client(s) how much you care about their success and wellbeing.  As Stacy Brice said this week “the 'juice' is in the relationships.”

Happy July to you and yours, and a fantastic Independence Day Weekend!

What's your main message?

In a recent conversation with my friend (and fellow teacher) Cynthia, she told me she had come to realize that she was a "bridge builder". Where she could, she tried to forge bridges and connections between people (who should be connected). I liked that. I'm an ardent--some might say intensely passionate--proponent of communication and personal connections. I thought about what she said, and then was able to tell her what one of my main messages was.

I am a barrier breaker.

I try to diminish or 'destroy' barriers that are in the way of effective connections or communications. A similar take on Cynthia's message? Yes, I think so. In describing this part of my personality, I'd say that when barriers become clear to me--barriers that have or will cause distance between two or more people--I seek to dismantle or disarm them. It's frank; granted. It's sometimes intense. But the only way to do it is to acknowledge there is a barrier, and then directly confront it. One can do so compassionately, and I'd like to think I'm in that category.

So what are your main messages? What major benefits, canny or uncanny, do you freely bring to the world and the people in your world? Let us know ... that would be nice.

Say it out loud

There are so many sometimes funny, sometimes useful, and sometimes poignant truisms about what we should or should not, can or cannot do in life. One of those that has popped up for me recently is the just ask rule. Ask the universe and it will answer.

Did I say that out loud?

Asking isn't the same as whining or complaining. I've lived quite long enough, thank you, to learn that rule over and over again. Wait a tick; if I've had to learn it more than once, maybe I haven't lived quite long enough! Asking isn't the same as hoping, though hope is sometimes a good start. Asking isn't the same as demanding, or as being pushy or arrogant. Nor is asking the same as being insistent. Yikes: I've really gotten myself into it this time. It seems I know quite a few things about what asking isn't, and haven't nailed down what it is.

Asking, for me, has become a process with several logical, thoughtful steps. First, I have to admit to having a need or a desire. That has been tough--very tough--for me at times. Not that I'm without my selfish side, but rather, I guess I've been available to the many, and sometimes unavailable to me.

So my process begins by admitting to a need; a genuine need. Then there's some work involved in determining the length and breadth of that need. I guess I'm defining it at that stage. Then there's the acid testing, sometimes doubt-infested stage of the process, where I wonder if it really was or is something legitimate. Is it even important? If I get past that stage (and no, that stage doesn't always appear in the process), I then need to define and expand upon the need. What is it, exactly? Could I define or explain it if I had to? Then I ask myself, before saying it loud (after all, I may not need to say it out loud), if it's anything I can do for myself. Do I have the power within me, or the talent, or the raw ingredients, to just do it for myself? If I do, by any conceivable manner, then the process is over and I go off and do it if I can.

If I can't do it alone, or need assistance, then comes the hardest part. At that point, I better consider asking, or consider abandoning my 'need'.

Perhaps the real need is to ask?

I may still be left with choices, but the choices are sublimely and subtlety easy: I can "ask the universe", or I can ask someone I know. Chances are, I do know someone who I could ask, and who might even have it within her power to answer, or better still, to help. Even if the help means a lot of hard work for me, it's still help; and it's powerful. Ask turns into action!

I'm getting much better at asking "out loud" ... whether of the universe, or of a person I know. In turn, I'm gaining clarity and insight, and yes; answers and help, followed by actions.

It’s that fantastic first Friday feeling!

How will you juggle your balls and strive for balance in June?

I fell in love with this article today because it was all about how a business owner worked with her VA to free up her “to-do” list to allow her to be more productive, and creative – cool huh!!!  That it is all about!

The other great thing I loved about this post, which is why I am sharing it with you on my traditional First Friday pep is this great quote

 “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.” --Brian Dyson, former vice chairman and COO of Coca-Cola

Pretty cool huh?! 

I think I am getting a theme here, because I always try to go for a couple of quotes that compliment each other.

How will you develop your work in June so that it makes more than just a living?

Stacy Brice tweeted this quote the other day and I thought it was pretty cool, and links quite nicely with the quote above

"To make a living is no longer enough. Work also has to make a life." --Peter Drucker

So when you are striving for balance, also remember that the rubber work ball needs to be a resource that gives you a life, be it in a flexible schedule, money, and personal growth. 

Positive and negative mindsets

I am not sure about the purpose of this article, but I just wanted to talk about the strength of negative or positive mindsets.

I interviewed with a client recently who wanted someone to manage her radio show and social networks.  She said to me more than once in the interview that these avenues “do not make money for me” and that if she spent time doing them she would have to allot herself time in her schedule as if she was her own client, and “she wasn’t prepared to do that.”  Now I am not saying that either of these statements are wrong, but it is the approach and the mindset that sounds off.  

For instance social networking activities are supposed to eventually increase revenue, so although they don’t make money now it is an investment that reaps rewards down the line.  Maybe she was partly thinking that, which is why she wanted a VA, but that is not what she said!  Also I agree that she should not be doing this work because she should be working with her clients, but to say that she is “not prepared to treat herself as a client,” again illustrates that she is in the wrong mindset.  

I remember coming away from this conversation thinking that she would struggle to get success with her social networking because of her mindset and subsequent energy that she was putting towards it.  I would confidently say that her mindset needs to change, wouldn’t you?

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!

The invaluable benefits of really knowing ourselves

Much of my attention this week has been focused on this topic.  As well, I had a heightened awareness of the fact that so many individuals, unfortunately, have not yet spent adequate time and work in making these amazing and necessary discoveries about themselves. A good while ago I blogged about this here, and titled it, "Discovering the best in you!" 

I think it's worth re-reading, and thus the reference and link here.

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.

Business ownership and moms

I've written here about Women Business Owners a couple of times, and each time I read through the statistics, I'm amazed. 

As we approach a day set aside here in the USA to honor a special group of women, Moms, it's a great time to recall these facts about women who own and operate businesses. 

Many of these women mentioned in that report are moms, too.  The term "mompreneur" has sprung up as a result of that growing number of mothers operating their own businesses.  That's a big deal!  Receiving that kind of PR and recognition for the role women who are mothers and business owners play in our society today is astonishing to me.

If you're reading this and you are playing the role of business owner and mom -- why not take a moment (okay, more than a moment, if you're able) to reflect on your wonderful and amazing achievement!  Not only are you loving and nurturing a child (or grandchild), you're nurturing a business, too! That's huge!

Something to celebrate, don't you agree?

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?