Why Should You Set Goals?
Wonder why some people could not even achieve an inch of what they dream of becoming? Blame it on pure dreaming and lack of setting goals for achieving their dreams.
Setting goals is a very significant part of success and positive accomplishments. It is like scaling a 20 feet building and marking early on what feet you would like to reach at this specific period.
People who set goals literally create a map of their target achievements in life, marking where they should begin, where to pause, where to delve a bit, and where and when to stop. Once this map is created, it allows the map drawer to check where he is in the scheme of things and whether or not he is making some achievements that will take him closer to his/her goals.
By setting goals, people will know how they are doing and what they should be doing to achieve their targets or dreams in life. They will know if they can relax or if they have to double their efforts when they are falling short of what is expected of them.
Goal setting means a person is proactive in dealing with challenges that may affect his/her plans. Being proactive means one is able to outline possible difficulties that may occur as well as the solutions to these difficulties. By doing this, a person is not easily scared or defeated when challenges occur because he has already prepared for them. He knows they can happen and he has prepared a solution or strategy when that time comes.
Setting goals will enable people to track their progress in whatever endeavor they have set out to do. It will help people become more confident in themselves and more motivated to achieve their plans.
However, goal setting is not enough, as this should be accompanied by a positive outlook and self-discipline. A person may have a blueprint of where he wants to go, but if he does not have the necessary discipline to carry out the plan, then nothing will come out of it.
To be successful in goal setting, the goals that one has set for himself should be realistic and based on his/her capabilities, as well as selected and important external factors. Being too ambitious in setting up goals can make the goals unrealistic and difficult to achieve. However, do not also set goals that are too low because this might discourage one’s vision instead of achieving it.
It is also necessary that the person setting the blueprint for his/her direction should also include a time frame within which the goal will be achieved. This way, he is able to determine if he has to fast track his/her strategies or to slow down a bit. Goal setting will also help a person check if he is performing within his/her plans or if he is doing things towards the achievement of his/her plans.
Once you have achieved something, even a little of what you hoped to achieve, then you should always give yourself a pat in the back to keep you motivated. But do not be too complacent with any little achievement, as this may cause you to backslide.
Setting goals can be used in any aspect of one’s life - from one’s personal or family life, to his/her career and finances. Goal setting can be as simple as setting a target weight when you wish to lose pounds or something big, like earning your first million.
When setting goals, it is always important to set standards that would suit your present situation, your capabilities, and other factors that may influence the achievement of your goal.
How Self-Esteem Impacts Our Confidence Levels
Our belief in self has a profound effect on our confidence and on the quality of both our lives and business. Today our focus is on business. If person A believes that he lacks the basic skills to solve problems, ex. marketing, networking, sales, etc. then he may lose heart and give up. In contrast, person B, who may have less ability yet strong self belief, stands a much better chance of being successful. This is because his belief in self gives him the confidence to try and try harder again.
Think back to high school or college. Have you ever wondered why only a few students in a class asked questions? Could it be because the remaining students understood all of the critical points made during the lecture? Or is it because they lack the confidence to ask a question? More often than not, it is the fear that stops students from asking questions. In other words, they lack self-confidence. The only way this confidence can improve is when they start believing in themselves.
This is why belief in self is so important, especially in business. It gives an individual the confidence they need to shoot for the stars. It overwhelms negative thoughts, and drives away the fear of failure. It is the best antidote against lashing out at yourself, which can turn several talented persons into under-achievers. It gives business owners the confidence that they have nothing to loose. On the contrary, they realize that they have everything to gain by asking a question, even if it happens to be a silly one.
Abraham Lincoln is a fine example of a man who believed in himself. He lost every election until he went to the Senate and stood for the post of the President. He did not allow his failures in professional and personal life to erode his self-belief. Had he done so, the history of the US would have been different.
Belief in self gives us the confidence to accept failure. It teaches us the importance of positive thinking. Those who have high self-esteem don’t talk about failures; instead, they try to find out why they did not succeed. They look for lessons that can be learnt from their experience. This is not a simple issue of semantics. It is the power of positive thinking, and it is available to only those who have self-esteem.
Once again it is self-esteem that gives us the confidence to enter a new group, and become a part of it. Those who lack self-esteem are very reluctant to approach a new group. They don’t want to expose themselves to the ridicule of being seen as shy, nervous or ignorant. They would instead prefer to stay in their corners.
In fact, lack of self-esteem stands out like a sore thumb at parties, meetings, conferences and social or official functions. Individuals with low self-esteem avoid introducing themselves to others. They prefer to stay in the shadows, away from the sights of others. However, their colleagues who enjoy high self-esteem dominate the discussions. They are sought after by others for information. They are also invited to other meetings and parties — all because their self-esteem gives them the confidence to open up before a group of strangers. It is the same student syndrome that is reflected in an individual’s working life too.
Lack of self-esteem is one of the greatest myths of introversion. Typically the business owner will blame their introverted personality on the fact that they just “can’t get out there.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Introversion is just that, a personality trait. It is not the deciding factor in who we are and what we offer the world. If this describes you, then you most definitely need a self-confidence boost.
Nothing will change in your business life until you have self-respect, and the self-belief that you are as good as others. You must realize that you are not the only one who has strong and weak points; others too suffer from the same defects. The only difference is that the others project their strong points whereas you may project your weak points. All that you need to do is refocus your priorities. If you do this, you will find the elusive self-confidence.
Are you struggling with self-confidence or introversion issues in your VA business? Is your business where you always dreamt it would be? If your VA business is suffering in any way, we are here to help you make it into the “im-possible” dream. The Virtual Assistant Revolution is just that a REVOLUTION. We want to help you change the way you think about yourself and your business. Our goal is to show you that there is more to the current state of your VA business. If you want to introduce a new product, gain the skills to offer a new service or if you want that six-figure VA business, it’s yours for the taking and we want to give you the tools to make it happen.
The Power’s Out!
Do you want him?
He WOKE.ME.UP! to tell me “we don’t have any power!”
And then the rains came, and came and came!
This, after we’d spent the day wondering if the many tornadoes spotted on the weather radar were going to touch down on us, or how high the water would rise.
We happen to live in an area of the country that is unfortunately being ravaged with an over-abundance of rain. Flooding and the inability to use water for drinking, bathing and other bathroom needs, as well as for washing clothes, for who knows how long are compromised. Restaurants have been shutdown by the health department for “hygiene’s” and “safety’s” sake, and city-imposed curfews during the overnight hours manage to cause pretty much of a hardship all around.
Much worse for some than others!
I heard on the news yesterday that people in a neighboring state saw a dog “sucked up into a tornado funnel cloud, tossed around and then set down—or dropped is more like it”! City officials of the city in a town near us recently struck by a tornado have described how they’ve spent considerable time searching “around the town” for the City’s computer hard drives so they could begin to resume City business!
All this aside, the “searching for a hard drive after a tornado” comment really resonated with me, enough to get me wondering how my business would fare if I were to experience a natural disaster such as that. The flood waters rose so fast and so high here, those in the flooded areas said they had no time to grab anything other than maybe a change of clothes. One man did manage to snatch his insurance papers.
Tornadoes often swoop in during the night when most everyone is asleep. Again, not a great scenario for gathering computers, printers, or the office books! Families–kids and pets—are more apt to take precedence.
Many of us have our Plans: a Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Operations Plan and the like; I hope we’ve also thought to include a “back up” plan that specifically consists of a “disaster plan” targeted toward natural disasters.
Making arrangements to have someone assume a stand in, lead position in your business in a “vacation” role or at the time of an “unexpected illness” is a fantastic idea. But regularly backing up your files to an external hard drive, thumb drive or disk is an even greater action not to be overlooked. Of course, it’s necessary to make sure it’s in your plan and that that’s what goes with you first, after the family and pets are accounted for and out the door.
Prior to these recent natural disaster incidents any thoughts I entertained about “back up” plans were only associated with computers that might crash, not computers that fly up and away ala Mary Poppins or ET.
Because of the rude reminder that in natural disaster events there is often no time (or even no thought) to grab essentials, office or otherwise, I’m convinced now more than ever that my purchase and use of Carbonite (www.carbonite.com), an internet backup service, was an excellent decision. They say, “It is easy to install, set up takes just one minute and it’s completely automatic. As soon as you add or modify a file Carbonite automatically backs it up to their secure servers.”
You may remember I commented on Carbonite a month or so ago. However, with the nation-wide recent turn of weather events, it just seemed like this is one of those things that begged to be repeated. In fact, because I’ve experienced this first-hand, it resonated closer to home more this time than it might have at another time.
Experience is the best teacher!
I do feel that with Carbonite on my computer, if I’m unexpectedly awakened to another “the power’s out” missive, I will, of course, be concerned initially. Because I will wonder if the food in the refrigerator will be all right. But I’ll quickly go back to sleep knowing my “business and files” are in good hands.
And easy to get to when I’m ready!
Are You Charging Enough?
As a new Virtual Assistant, we spend the most amount of our time trying to determine the best price for our services. We worry if it’s too high or too low, we worry if the price will attract clients and we worry if we can create a thriving business based on that price. Here are some of the mistakes we make, as Virtual Assistants, when setting our price.
Undervaluing Expertise
We often look at our price and think “no one will pay that”. I know this is especially true for many Virtual Assistants as we worry that we will be judged by others in our field and not for the expertise we provide. Especially since there is so much talk about outsourcing to those in countries where $5-$10 per hour is a huge amount of money. Remember, if you have numbers of years in the field of your business and or an expertise that is in demand, you can feel justified in setting your price higher - especially if you are offering a service that not all Virtual Assistants are able to offer.
We Can Do it Faster
Many of us base our price on how long it takes us to finish the job. After years of doing the task, we become very fast at completing this task. Instead of pricing based on how long we take to complete a task, we should be looking to industry standards (or at the least thinking about the time it takes the average person to complete the task). As a tip start quoting prices based on the actual project- When we tell someone that our fees are $40.00 per hour (for example) they are thinking in their head how long the job takes them to complete. They might be thinking … I don’t have $200 to complete this job because they are thinking that they take 5 hours to complete the task. They forget that because of our expertise we can probably complete the job in 2-3 hours so quoting $75 - $125 will yield you the same amount, but they won’t be as scared by the numbers. Don’t be afraid to offer some average times it takes you to complete different tasks together with your pricing sheet.
We are Running a Business
We have overhead costs, unbillable time and other hidden costs that need to be factored into our price. For example, hiring an in-house assistant may cost $10-$15, but you can guarantee that the overhead costs can easily double or triple that cost. The comparison to our price as a business owner and the price of hiring staff needs to take these things into account. What we charge per hour is not all going into our pockets.
The biggest thing to remember is that in order to ask a price and receive it, you must be confident … it is easier to convince a pending client to work with you and pay your price when you are confident in it. Otherwise a person is likely to think that they can “talk you down”.
Revolutionary Spotlight - Dawn Riley: VA In Paradise
Owner: Dawn Riley
1. How long have you been in business?
My virtual doors have been open for 7 months; however, I have been offering administrative support virtually for 3 years now.
2. Why did you start your business?
I wanted to have the flexibility to be home for my family and still generate an income.
3. What types of businesses do your service?
Currently I am supporting a few businesses within the Construction Industry and also a few Mid-level Executives.
4. What is your niche?
Small Businesses/Busy Executives
5. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since opening your virtual doors?
You have to set good boundaries with your clients.
6. What resources can you not live without?
My laptop, cell phone, Microsoft Office and my air card. With these I can work virtually anywhere!
7. What’s the best part about being a VA?
To me the best part of being a VA is the flexibility that I have to be here for my family when they need me.
8. What’s the greatest thing you’ve done for your business?
Without a doubt hiring a designer for my website.
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself with just the right amount of clients so that I have financial freedom in 5 years.
10. What the biggest obstacle you face in your business?
My biggest obstacle in the beginning was marketing. I was not satisfied with the website I had initially created. How did you overcome it? I hired a designer to create a website for me and now I feel more confident directing potential clients to my site.
11. In your opinion, what’s the best feature of the Revolution?
I love the fact that the Virtual Assistant Revolution is a small community full of experienced and successful VA’s who are willing to share and coach you along to meet your goals.
I’ve Got Spirit…How ‘Bout You?
I was asked a while ago why I wanted to be a Virtual Assistant and if being a VA is truly where my passion lies. While I have interests in many areas, I reflected on why, when looking for ways to work from home, I settled on the daunting task of opening my own business rather than going to the work-from-home Web sites to look for a “job.” Why would I go out on such a big limb and take a huge chance when I could easily do the same thing for someone else for a steady paycheck?
My answer? I’ve got spirit.
Entrepreneurial spirit, that is. I didn’t really know it though until that conversation. When I was working in the corporate world, I always felt as if there was something more for me. I enjoyed what I was doing, but never felt completely settled and, therefore, I moved around quite a bit. I used to think that I was hurting myself because employers would not see longevity on my resume. I now realize, however, that I was merely setting myself up to own my own VA business. By working in many different environments and industries, I gained a lot of experience that helps me offer varying services and adapt to numerous industries. What a positive spin on something the corporate world considers negative!
I know there are others of you out there that were like me and countless other VAs out there. You’re at your desk each day, wondering why you’re doing what you’re doing…besides that it’s a steady paycheck. You want something more for yourself. You’ve got the spirit, too. I can’t lie to you, there will be resistance, either from your own fear or others telling you it can’t be done. Don’t let fear or others get in your way. Part of the spirit is knowing not to listen to them but to listen to yourself. You know you can do it, so give yourself a chance.
I’ve got spirit. Yes, I do! I’ve got spirit…how ’bout you?
Anything you can do…I can do better!
Notwithstanding their bent toward grandiosity, these words (from an Irving Berlin 1946 tune for the “Annie Get Your Gun” Broadway musical) easily set the stage for the argument that as a Virtual Assistant (VA) you really can do many if not all of the things (just as good as or) better than those performed by an “in-house” administrative assistant, executive secretary or similar personnel.
No, you can’t.
Yes, I can!
Of course, there are many factors, occurrences and mechanisms that must be in place in order for this to be achieved. However, if you have the skills, the knowledge, the experience, the technology, the wherewithal, and especially the sticktuitiveness, there’s really no reason why you can’t accomplish a good many of the tasks like those of your “brick and mortar” counterparts.
No, you can’t.
Yes, I can!
If given half a chance.
Yes, I can! Yes, I can!
In fact, in many ways a VA can surpass the accomplishments of her onsite equivalent.
In addition, as a VA you have the “luxury” of performing the work from home on your schedule. You also have the opportunity to work for many different factions, learning new things and keeping abreast of cutting edge technology as a result. And, you can choose what work (or tasks) you want to do. You “set the rules” so they meet your needs and wants. And you can say how much.
Sooner or later…I can do anything
With opportunities like these, the end result is that you provide quality service to your current clients and those yet to be.
And, in the long run you really can do it for them–for less.
Anything you can do, I can do better…
Failure is not an Option!!
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” ~ Robert Schuller ~
I love this saying, but it wasn’t until the other day that it really brought it’s true meaning to light for me. As business owners, we often worry about taking a chance and going out on a limb. We worry about the repercussions of trying a new service, changing our target market or trying a new marketing idea. However, the majority of those with truly successful businesses are the ones that believe that failure is not an option.
I recently attended FoVA (Forum on Virtual Assistance) and when there I was surrounded with Virtual Assistants, both new and veteran, as well as aspiring VAs. Many of these VAs were all leaving with new ideas that they couldn’t wait to implement into their businesses, however I wondered how many actually would “put their money where their mouth was”, so to speak, and actually follow through on those plans that day.
We often times get these great ideas in our heads and then we do nothing to follow through and implement these ideas. We become complacent with the way that things are going and never think about “stirring things up” and taking a “leap of faith”.
So this brings me back to the quotation that I shared with you. Fear can be a very powerful force if you let it. It can stop you from achieving great things. So this is my vow for my business in 2008 … I will not accept failure as an option and I will not let fear stop me from moving forward. This year I am going to take those leaps of faith. I am going to be willing to try new things and to be open and honest and more importantly when something is not working I am going to figure out how to make it work before I accept failure.
Register for the Online International Virtual Assistants Convention
If you are unable to attend industry conferences and forums this year, don’t fret! OIVAC is right around the corner. For 3 days, Thursday, May 15 through Saturday, May 17, 2008 (US), 8 a.m. to 12 midnight EDT, we’ve scheduled 38 seminars, conducted by professional VA and non-industry experts. Convention attendees can network with friends and even make new acquaintances; participate in the annual industry workshop and browse the exhibitor halls. In addition, visitors can join in the International Virtual Assistants Day(IVAD) celebration, witness the awarding of the Thomas Leonard Virtual Assistant of Distinction and Janet Jordan Achievement awards, and be eligible to win enough prizes and giveaways to fill a suitcase (if we were traveling, that is).
OIVAC 2008’s theme, “Pathways to Successful VA Practices: Using Communication & Technology to Enhance Business”, highlights various communication and technology resources virtual assistants can use to enhance productivity and increase profits.
This “live” yet virtual environment can be experienced from the comfort of your own home via any Internet connected computer. Imagine attending a world class event without incurring travel/ airport hassles, airfare costs, hotel bills, fatigue or exorbitant registration fees or most important, precious time away from your home, family and business!
And everyone is invited!
This year’s schedule includes topics both emerging and veteran VAs can benefit from. We’ve assembled experienced and knowledgeable speakers, offering informative presentations that can positively impact productivity and increase business. For example:
Jonathan Bailey ~ Dealing with Plagiarism: A Realistic Guide to Fighting Content Theft. An overview of how to protect your writing, images and other media on the Web including techniques for preventing, detecting and stopping copyright infringement.
David Beard ~ Insurance Guide for the VA. Participants will receive a how to guide to the essential insurance coverages required by professional VAs to make sure they stay in business and maintain their incomes when faced with the unexpected.
Anita Bruton ~ Creating a Company & Personal Profile that Attracts Clients. Learn five important points that will help create an engaging and polished profile as an effective, attention-grabbing marketing tool.
Jeff Herring ~ The Article Solution - Endless Waves of Prospects, Publicity and Profits. Discover how to write, submit and market your articles for endless streams of prospects, publicity and profits.
Christina Hills ~ How to Automate Your Business (or Your Client’s) with Autoresponders. Learn how using email marketing with Autoresponders and Broadcasting can help you automate your business by letting the computers do your follow up for you.
Annie Jennings ~ Create A Website To Showcase Your Talent, Land BIG New Clients & Build A Powerful Community. Annie Jennings shares the secrets of creating a website designed to propel you to the next level of success.
Andrea Kalli ~ Offering Podcasting and Audio Services to Your Clients. Learn why you should offer podcasting and audio services to clients for business marketing purposes and the various ways clients can use podcasting for their business.
Paul Wagner ~ 7 Smart Ways that Outlook Can Save You 4 Hours. This webinar will show you how to better serve your client by using more of the amazing power of Outlook to build and grow both your businesses.
Kathryn Williams ~ Providing Virtual Assistance to Corporate Clients. Participants will learn how to access the lucrative corporate market and practical strategies that they can apply in they own businesses.
And many, many more.
Visit the Speaker’s List for a complete breakdown of presenters and topics. Visit the OIVAC Seminar Schedule for dates and times.
OIVAC 2008 is right around the corner. Register now, you won’t want to miss it!
Top Mom Blog Site Seeks Virtual Assistant
5 Minutes For Mom is looking for a VA and put a public call out today.
If you’re interested, you can see more about what they are looking for and how to contact them here.
5 Minutes for Mom is a site run by twin sisters, mothers, and work at home business owners. I’m not sure how they manage at all with all the giveaways and the like, however, the time has come that they need to shell out a little more work to someone else.
Please head over there and check them out, regardless of whether or not you’re interested in the position. It’s an awesome site!
Until next time…
Heather
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