How in the world are you ladies able to accomplish so much in a day? Do you have an extra few hours in a day that I don't know about? Do you ever sleep?

I have sooo many ideas and directions where I want to take my business, yet I don't have time to develop them..I want to really look through this forum, read blogs, get caught up on articles, etc.

I want to do podcasts, be proficient in twitter, facebook other social media, rebrand myself, follow up on prospects, network, get certified in Microsoft 2007, etc etc etc...

I'm seeing everyone finding the time to continue learning, being innovative with what new and exciting in the world, finding time to watch TV and even have babies. HOW DO YOU DO IT?? I tell myself that I am great with time management, and I do think I'm pretty good. But there is sooo much I want to do that I don't have the time to do... How do you ladies do it? and can I drink some of the juice?

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Tamika R. Johnson, MBA, Principal
administrative partners, llc
www.administrativepartners.net | http://adminpartners.blogspot.com

Tamika,
I cannot speak for everyone else but i know some days are great and others are so overwhelming I could pull my hair out. First thing you need to do is schedule time (acutally put the block of time on your calendar like a meeting) and decide which thing your really want most. I do this all the time. My day is scheduled and on days like today when the hubs is home or the kids are around throws me all out of whack.

I require little sleep and on my insomic nights I get so much accomplished. I am a little OCD so I am probably more regimented than most.

Hang in there, you probably just have so much on you me wish list that it seems like nothing is getting accomplished.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

Hehe, what I always try to remember is that some people have been doing this for a very long time. I think I'm trying to cram 6 years of experience into 2 weeks! Best to just breath and try to tackle one thing at a time. Want to learn Twitter? Take a few hours just to play around with it. Catch up on articles? Take an hour or two and just find some great blogs to follow, add them to an RSS feed and read when they update. You get so much more done when you group tasks with other similar tasks...

Now to work on taking my own advice!

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Originally Posted by Administrative Partners

How in the world are you ladies able to accomplish so much in a day? Do you have an extra few hours in a day that I don't know about? Do you ever sleep? I have sooo many ideas and directions where I want to take my business, yet I don't have time to develop them..I want to really look through this forum, read blogs, get caught up on articles, etc. I want to do podcasts, be proficient in twitter, facebook other social media, rebrand myself, follow up on prospects, network, get certified in Microsoft 2007, etc etc etc... I'm seeing everyone finding the time to continue learning, being innovative with what new and exciting in the world, finding time to watch TV and even have babies. HOW DO YOU DO IT?? I tell myself that I am great with time management, and I do think I'm pretty good. But there is sooo much I want to do that I don't have the time to do... How do you ladies do it? and can I drink some of the juice?

That is exactly where I am right now!

I decided to take a break and re-evaluate everything at this point in my business and develop, what I learned recently, a professional and life balance while working at home.

In hindsight, I see where I went off balance and began concentrating more on some areas of my goals and left other areas totally abandoned. Even recreation took a back seat to everything else. Although I would also like to pride myself on being quite the organizer, I had to research what was missing and how to fill in the gaps--to find that balance again.

It was difficult actually putting away the huge portable In Box I bring to my bed every night, along with my laptop and laptop caddy long after my "office hours" were over, and seriously re-visit my present and future plans. It isn't easy, but oh so necessary. I feel relief already having taken this first step.

Two great tools to help me with this were delivered today by mail. I have already delved into both books with eager anticipation. One book was reviewed in this forum by Tammi entitled “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen. The other one I found through research entitled “The Home Office Solution” by Kirsten Lagatree. Great books in my opinion. It’s refreshing to know and understand what is going on and the baby steps I can take to manage these changes.

Tamika, I hope to you find your way either through the help of the forums, books, a coach—whatever works for you. From where I sit, you are looking pretty good as a business. But you are on the inside and know how you feel and what needs adjusting.

Either way you go, I wish you success!

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Delilah Smith
Caliber Virtual Services

I am also feeling overwhelmed by the 'thoughts running through my head'. Actually, last night I made a commitment to myself to try and focus on prioritizing and focusing on the task at hand, which at the moment is studying to take the NYS Notary exam. Next is starting the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers certification courses on my own at home. At work my boss is paying for the QB Proadvisor program. I dont have a business up and running yet so I am going to really focus on education right now. Once these courses are through I will move to the next phase of officially starting a business plan.

Don't feel bad...I think we all struggle with finding the time to get everything done. I know I do...I wake up every morning, excited with the prospect of a full day ahead of me to get X, Y, and Z done, and by the time I take care of my daughter, finish some client work, etc., it's 9 p.m. and I only got halfway through X! It's very frustrating, and I too wish there were more hours in the day.

Getting Things Done really is a great tool, and I'm trying to find the time (lol) to implement the author's suggestions. I think it will really help me organize my life so I can get more done!

In the meantime, if anyone finds the magic productivity juice, please share!

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

Will all the VAs with dirty dishes in the sink and/or dirty laundry piling up please raise your hands?!

LOL... I don't have a good answer for you but let me tell you I am not running around perfectly coiffed, I am no Betty Crocker [though I never did cook - takeout has always been my friend ], I do not care if the bed gets made [like it better rumply, in fact!], and I have hired someone to clean my bathrooms and kitchen [poor girl!].

I also walk around with the assumption/trust than the universe isn't going to pile more on than I can handle and so far, so good

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Also, Tamika, there's a certain quality of tension associated with the internet ... It's up close and right now in a new way, and tends to make you feel like you have to stay current with everything or else! Isn't that why there are geeks and Facebook fanatics and Twitter maniacs? They don't want to miss a thing.
But it's sort of like reading the newspaper, which can get you all wound up, but then you stop reading it for a few weeks, and when you start up again, it's the same news. So you can be involved or not, and life will go on.
What I'm trying to say is that we should guard against pressure from the internet, and take it in measured strides. It's only a tool, after all. Even for us VAs.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

Tamika, I feel your pain, really, yesterday I felt so overwhelmed but at the end of the day I took some time to organize for the next day and today I feel much better. Everything I needed was at hand and as I had planned dinner the night before that was even easier. My husband saw what was taken out for dinner and went ahead and started the meal so lucky me.

What do you want to do, what do you NEED to do. Make a list, put down all the things that you need or want to get done, prioritize.

Put a timeline on the tasks, set aside time (make yourself and appointment) to do research on your ideas. Some things will have to be done first, start on those and rest knowing you will be able to get to the end of your list. If you don't get a task done during your allotted time, use a Bring Forward File and bring forward that task at a later time.

There are many good books and I am sure blogs out to help you and I am sure everyone here at VAF are willing to help too.

Bernice

Quote:

I also walk around with the assumption/trust than the universe isn't going to pile more on than I can handle and so far, so good

These are my thoughts exactly. You do what you can Tamika and when you start to lose your focus you take a step back to regain your purpose.

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Dawn Riley
A Virtual Assistant in Paradise
Our business is about making yours better