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When you approach something as though it’s yours, you take it seriously. #vatip 
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In Words:
Well, hello and welcome to episode number 100 of The Business of Being a Virtual Assistant. I’m your host, Tiffany Parson, and today I’m going to talk to you about being consistent even when you don’t feel like it.
Today, I was, you know, leading up to episode number 100, I was really pumped and excited because it is episode 100. But I’ll be honest, today, I do not feel 100% myself. However, I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to bring you into my world and how do we push when our energy level is just not there?
Normally, I would say get some rest and just kind of relax. You know yourself. You know your body. You know what’s going on. Yeah, I could do that as well, but I know that this podcast is not even a full 20 minutes. So my reward for myself is getting it done, the fact that I can just use my own personal experience as content for the podcast, and just to encourage you when this type of thing happens. It doesn’t happen all the time. Every now and then, it may come up.
Here’s the deal with me. If I did not go ahead and record today’s podcast, while I was lying down getting rest, it would still be playing in my head because it’s like, hey, it’s not even a full 20 minutes. There’s a couple other things that I have to do today and cannot just let it go, so why do that with my thing, my podcast? The reward in all of this is once it is done, it is done. I won’t have to think about it anymore.
Now, this week, something really, really good happened. I got the greatest compliment any client could possibly give you as their virtual assistant. My client let me know that I was absolutely the best virtual assistant that they had ever worked with. Y’all, I’m telling you, it meant so much to me. Not because it was a huge compliment, but the genuineness of it, and you know, people don’t have to give those types of compliments.
I enjoy working with their company and I treat everything that I’m responsible for as though it were for my own company. You know, that’s my approach every single day with that, and I take it seriously. When you approach something as though it is yours, you take it seriously. You’re more thoughtful in it. You’re more strategic. You work to be efficient. You work to be excellent. All those things in that to make sure it’s not just done right, but done exceptionally well, and it gets noticed.
I wanted to share that with you. One of the things that I do know is that potential clients are out there and they do have a hard time finding really good, reliable virtual assistants. Part of that goes back to commitment.
In my early days of starting Virtual Hired Hand, I brought on a few subcontractors, and one of the things that I noticed right away was the lack of commitment. I can remember getting excuses about not being able to meet deadlines because, “I’m going on vacation.” “I’m going home this weekend.” “I’m sick.” I’m this; I’m that – lack of commitment.
When you take on something and you agree to do something and there’s a set deadline, you are responsible for it regardless of what happens.
Let’s say I have a deadline now. I’m not feeling great, but I have to figure out what is the best approach. What is required of me? Does it require me to really think, or is it just a matter of doing steps one, two, three and get it done?
For example, one client, I set up their monthly webinars and make sure all that is good to go. That doesn’t require a lot of thought. If there’s something, you know, going on, I just make sure, oh, let me get this done right quick. It requires, again, no more than 20 minutes to get it done and it is done.
So it really depends. If you’re writing, you’re editing, something that’s more involved and may require you to think a little more, then it may make sense to see if you can push things back. But if not, I say get it done and then get your rest on, right.
Not really what I expected for episode number 100, but I like to bring it to you as though we are sitting at a coffee shop, just me and you, and we’re talking about our business. You know, things happen like that. Maybe that’s how you’re feeling right now as you’re listening to this podcast, or maybe you’re feeling a little frustrated with how things are going. Just evaluate what is really going on with me? Sometimes you’ve got to talk to yourself.
There are times when I’ll go from Facebook to Twitter to Instagram to Yahoo looking at the news and other places and this and that. I stop and ask myself what am I looking for? What am I looking for? Sometimes it’s conversation. Sometimes it’s because of procrastination. Sometimes it’s because of boredom. You have to ask yourself what am I doing and why? Then, get yourself back on track, whatever it’s supposed to be.
I feel a sneeze coming on. It’s just not coming just yet, but I feel the little tickle in my nose. All right, so if it comes, you’ll know. [Laughs]
Oh, man, you know, just talking to you is really actually making me feel a little better here, so that’s a good thing. That’s also a testament to why you kind of stick to – you want to stick to your commitments, because you never know. Just working through what you have to do may make you feel better in the long run.
Now, if you have overscheduled yourself, that is a whole other issue.
Overscheduling because you’re excited, you just got started in your business, or maybe you’ve been doing it and now, you know, the clients are coming in just left and right, left and right. If you are not feeling the best because of overwhelm, reel it back some. You have to or you will crash.
I know what my max number of tasks that I can do in one day is. It’s important to find out what that is for you.
One way to identify what the max is, is paying attention to how you respond. When I get to the third task, I am ready for it to be over. You know, those are my three things. Uh, I’m like, okay, I’m maxed. You have to know what your max is. I started paying attention to the pattern, and at first I didn’t realize why that was the case.
But then I learned it’s just how I am naturally designed to do a certain amount of things and then I need to refresh myself and then come back again another day, which is cool because I know how to manage my schedule. That’s something else is knowing how to manage your schedule so you’re not feeling overloaded, so there’s room for a not so good day, or you can get one, two, three done and then just chill, right.
All right, so I don’t have any major tips or anything today. But just know that every day won’t be the best day. You won’t always feel like doing it. But if you absolutely have to get it done today, get it done. Get it done. You know, tell yourself – you know how long it’s going to take you. It’s only going to take this long and then I’ll be done, and then reward yourself for pushing through it. Who knows? You might feel a little better as a result of going through it and pushing yourself and getting it done.
Just like how I’m feeling with today’s podcast episode. I know there’s a glare because of my glasses. But I want to make sure that I’m looking right at you. If I take my glasses off, I’m not sure what will work out as far as making sure I’m looking right directly at you.
For those that are listening to the podcast as well, thank you so much for listening all this time. Up until episode number 94, it was all audio, and then here recently, in the last six episodes, I have gone to video as well. I have to remember I’ve got listeners and viewers also.
If you’ve been a long-time listener, I’m curious to know if you’ve checked out the video, if you’ve watched that as opposed to listening like you normally do. Let me know. Share with me. I’m over on Facebook every day. You post a comment there; I will respond. I’d love to hear from you. The last couple of episodes have been listener questions – really, really good questions. Keep those coming and I will be working a couple of projects for you that I’ve talked about as far as getting the eBook together with the most popular episodes.
For those of you that are joining me for the very first time, thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you so much for listening. If you’re wondering where should you start, you’re thinking about being a virtual assistant, you’re researching, maybe you found me in a Google search or a search on iTunes or whatever your favorite podcast is (we’re on ITunes, Stitcher, and YouTube) and you just happen to stumble upon it because of your search, I always recommend that people start with Upwork.com.
That is where clients are looking for you, and that is where you can set up a profile and show off what you know in addition to having your own social media platforms as well as your own blog to do that as well.
I’ve got a 21 Day Guide or it’s a 21 Day Upwork Challenge Guide to help you if you’re not sure exactly what to do. You can find that on my website at TiffanyParson.com. Just look under Courses and you’ll see it there.
Anyway, thanks again. Thanks so much for listening and for hanging out with me. I will be back next week with a whole lot more energy and something special for you in episode number 101. I’m going to have to get used to saying 100 and something. Very, very cool.
Stay consistent. Stay committed. Your clients will notice.
You have a wonderful and fabulous day.
Thanks so much for tuning in. If you like what you heard, stay tuned. We’ll be back. Tell me what’s going on with you. Come on over the Facebook page: facebook.com/tiffanyparsonbiz, or if you prefer a little shorter message, come on over to Twitter: @tiffanydparson.
See you next time!
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