It was a sad week for the Virtual Assistant community with the passing of one of our very active leaders and participants in the Virtual Assistant industry. That lady was Janet Jordan, who was very well known amongst most of the VA chat forums and to many other aspiring VAs as well. Janet founded a training organisation to assist new VAs in the development of their businesses and many, many owed Janet so much. I never met Janet personally but had spoken to her via web conferencing (using … [Read more...]
What you think about!
A member of a VA chat forum mentioned that he was looking forward to going virtual fulltime and hoped it would happen by the end of this year (2006). His comment took me back about 14 or so years ago, to a mentor in my life who was also a doctor in psychosomatic medicine outside of our business connections. He taught me about the RAS. The reticular activation system (RAS) states that our minds are drawn towards what we think about. Have you noticed how when something in particular is on your … [Read more...]
It is the World WIDE Web!
I often have to remind people I converse with via email and chat forums, or perhaps those who write articles that are meant to be read widely, that we are in the WORLD Wide Web and not the Country Wide Web. In fact, I've kind of made it my personal quest so I hope in reading this it prompts you too, to think about this. What do I mean by that? Writers frequently forget that readers may be in a different country when they refer to a number of things such as currency, dates, temperatures, … [Read more...]
Happy New Year for 2006
Well, I've spent several (quiet) days exploring the world of blogs and a little the wiser now. I've added more links to the right of this blog and I also welcome those who have recently subscribed - please do let me know if you have anything you'd like to know about being a VA or using a VA. I've also started a family blog - for those of you who know me and/or members of my family. Or, perhaps you're just a bit curious about my life outside of my business. Anyway, I hope you've spent the … [Read more...]
Love/Hate Relationship With Quiet Times
Why is that when things are so hectically busy I long for a quiet time to start that new project or idea and then end up starting it anyway because I can't wait? It often means I'm on my computer till midnight to get it up and running, and then not being able to switch off my mind when I finally go to bed. And then when the quiet time does come (usually between Christmas and New Year, or just before the end of the financial year when people don't want to spend any more money) the 'new project' … [Read more...]
Blogging for the general public – TAMT
I've been learning about Blogs for a couple of months now and joined a chat forum to learn more about it (see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ezinesandblogs/ if interested in joining). I want to see the Blog I write to be one that will assist those learning about the Virtual Assistant Industry to understand it better, what it is, how people can become a VA or how a client can use a VA. The chat forums available for VAs are very useful (see http://www.allianceforvirtualbiz.com for a list of VA … [Read more...]
Spirit – Of Adventure & Achievement – TAMT
I have a collection of cards that are meant to be topic stimulators in meetings and I find them great for posts to this blog. The topic this week is: Spirit - Of Adventure & Achievement What does Spirit - Of adventure & achievement mean to you? To me it means having the spirit to venture forth and try things out, to be willing to have a go at something for the sake of adventure but also for the sense of achievement after that thing is completed. To know that even if you are not fully successful … [Read more...]
110% – Give Your Best – TAMT
What does it mean to give 110%, to give of your best? I believe it means taking something further than most people would. I believe it means to give or do as much as you can for the task at hand, and then a little more too. In this day and age of rush, rush, rush, people tend to take short cuts and say 'that will do' when often it barely meets the client's needs. As VAs it is important we demonstrate to our clients that we are prepared to give 110% - that we will treat their business as our own … [Read more...]
These Are My Thoughts, or TAMT
One of my team wrote me about a man named "Bill Caudill, an eminent Architect (AIA Gold Medal recipient) who, between 1964 until his death in 1983, put out a regular memo to his people titled "This I Believe" or TIBs. He used to write his thoughts and send them to his management as a Memo and before long, they were being pinned on the noticeboard for the entire office to read. They generated so much interest that Bill continued this practice on a weekly basis. " Today they're available weekly … [Read more...]