I was just curious to hear how you all keep from having your VA business take over your lives? Since I have started that's all I think about. I wake up at night (can’t fall asleep anymore) thinking of new ideas, things to do, how to do things, etc. From the minute I wake up, I'm on my computer and won't get off unless I have to. I read, research, and read some more. Am I obsessing over my business?? When I worked a regular 9-5 job, I got home and was happy to forget about work. Now, I just can’t get enough! My family is wondering why I won’t get off my computer! Anyone else in the same situation?

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Genevieve Lachance
VA Simple Services

Oh yes. I tried going to sleep lastnight, but I couldn't. I was obsessing over my website hits, why they have gone down, why I haven't had anyone contacting me as of yet, etc. I know it will come in time, but in the meantime I obsess and wonder about reworking my website. Especially since my target market are realtors and small businesses. Ah well. My husband and kids do pull me back to reality just to keep me sane Thank God I have them or I'd never get off here. It's sometimes hard to remember when you are getting started that the biggest reason for having an at home business is so I can be here for my family. I do know that once the business starts seeing a client or two I'll be able to relax about it all more.

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Serita Diana, the List 2 Close Assistant
REVA Academy

Originally Posted by executive_assist

Oh yes. I tried going to sleep lastnight, but I couldn't. I was obsessing over my website hits, why they have gone down, why I haven't had anyone contacting me as of yet, etc. I know it will come in time, but in the meantime I obsess and wonder about reworking my website. Especially since my target market are realtors and small businesses. Ah well. My husband and kids do pull me back to reality just to keep me sane Thank God I have them or I'd never get off here. It's sometimes hard to remember when you are getting started that the biggest reason for having an at home business is so I can be here for my family. I do know that once the business starts seeing a client or two I'll be able to relax about it all more.

Hi Serita,

Your life sounds like mine. I have three kids and my target market is also real estate agents and small businesses. I just started in December and I'm working with my first agent. I’m really enjoying it and I hope it works out!!

Nice to hear that I'm not alone.

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Genevieve Lachance
VA Simple Services

Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship! What you are experiencing is normal as you make the transition from employee to business owner. I began a year ago and I am still in the starting gate. I have had a couple of clients and when I don't I spend the time researching, reading and marketing. It is so exciting to realize that you are the master of your ship! Keep doing what you are doing. Everyday is a new adventure and you should be excited!

Best wishes,
Diana

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Diana Buchanan
When You Don't Have the Time

Your business will take over your life if you let it. Which is usually what happens in the honeymoon stage as you prepare to open your doors or garner your first few clients. However, if you keep up at that pace you are sure to burn out soon or loose focus on your business and family life. I know it is a fine line, as I have walked it too.

Now what I do is unplug at least one of the weekend days. I mean really unplug! Shut off the computer, business phone, IMs and social media and any other technical appendage you have. Then enjoy the day, whether it is with the family, friends, reading a great book, being a couch potato. Just unwind and relax. You will find after one of these days you are refreshed and refocused.

I often take Saturday and spend it with my family and friends. If I am away at my camp I am usually at an auction, winery, restaurant or sitting around a campfire with great friends. It was tough at first but I found I am usually in no hurry to return on Sunday and when I turn everything back on I am much more productive and focused. I also take the down time to catch up on reading from classes I am taking or books I am reading. This way I can really concentrate on what I am learning and if it has an interest for me to continue to pursue.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

My husband and I both run our own home based businesses and 18 months ago we moved into a new house and when we did we renovated on single car garage into office space. We did this so we can get up in the morning, walk downstairs open the office doors and go to work. At the end of the day we close the door and shut down for the day.

Our computers stay in the office, they don't come with us and if we need to do other work we go back to the office. Having that distinction is great, it helps us to mentally separate work from home and has helped tremendously.

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Renee Shupe, Become a Techie Virtual Assistant
eMail Marketing & Aweber Training Starts May 15! - Save 50% using VAFAweber

LOL, Genevieve! Isn't it great to be so excited about something?

The other night, as I rolled over in bed, I had an idea how to fix an annoying little problem with my website. "In the morning," I said to myself, but of course, my mind was racing & I could not get back to sleep. So I got up & fixed it. It only took 30 minutes or so & I knew I wasn't going to sleep until I tried my idea out. My husband just rolls with it. He can sleep through anything!

You are still in the beginning phases of your biz, right? I suspect once you feel things are more in place, you will relax some & start engaging in your private life more. I hope you're family is happy to see you so enthused about your biz!

Lezly

My husband is, my kids don't care one way or the other (because I will always stop what I am doing to listen to them, give a hug, referee a fight lol), and my mom doesn't understand computers, so she has no comprehension. She's just lonely since my dad died last February and since she is staying with me until her house sells I really have nothing new to talk about, except of course the business I'm starting that she just does not understand! lol. Even withstanding her lack of understanding though, she will take the kids upstairs and keep them quiet while I am on a webinar or teleconference. Mom's are great, even if they have no clue what it is you are trying to do

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Serita Diana, the List 2 Close Assistant
REVA Academy

Although I'm taking some time off to renovate the house before launching in my new City, I'm never really "off". I read the forum twice daily, read/research around the web, note or bookmark anything I want to read later, keep up with old colleagues and contacts and take notes on things that occur to me in my daily travels. I know, I'm weird!

Lynne

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The Wordpro Wizard
www.wordprowizard.com

I'm in the same boat too. I love to work, work and work some more.
It is addictive. I think Lee has it down to a science now and sets a good example. I got into my business to make my life easier but all the extra hours I was hoping to use for recreation are spent working. I keep hoping one day this will pass. I keep saying 'when I get done with this' I will have more time. But then I take on another task to replace it. For me it's about sticking to my business plan as much as possible. I drop off now and then but then I go back to it and make up a schedule that I can live with most of the time anyway. For my NY resolutions I included a few about work practices. I dropped the unproductive tasks and am concentrating on my studying which will make up my core services. I make sure I take time each day to exercise and do other things that need to be done. I have a desk set up in my kitchen just for things like writing bills. When I leave my office I close the door which helps the temptation to run back in. When I'm serious about a break, I put the computer to 'sleep'. When I'm away from work a while I actually like being away cause it feels good. But when I am working again it's hard to stop working. Right now I have to finish 3 courses I paid for and then I will be enrolling in several more. To me it is very hard and there is no magic pill. What really is important to me is keeping balance in my life whether it is work or personal and if one thing doesn't work then I will try something else. My personal belief is that I have to take care of myself or it will backfire and affect my health. Working at home is so much less stressful then working in the workforce but with all the extra work we seem to take on, there is still a lot of stress going on.

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JoCarole
http://www.shoreofficeservices.com