by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Feb 17, 2014 | Personal Concierge, Productivity, Time Management
Are you feeling more like a mere mortal than a superhero at work? Could it be that your work-life balance is out of whack, and you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? It’s like you’re a tightrope walker juggling chainsaws while trying to keep your cool, and before you know it, you’re burning the midnight oil instead of enjoying time with your nearest and dearest.
But don’t surrender just yet, there’s a solution! It’s time to ditch the tightrope and seek balance in your life. So long, circus act, and hello to a happier you!
A scream is acceptable at this moment. Life can be so overwhelming and exhausting. I know the feeling.
- On average, how many hours per day do you spend on personal business that may divert your time, energy, and focus away from your daily business operations?
- Do you ever feel stressed trying to balance your personal and professional life?
- Do you wish you had more time in your day to squeeze it all in?
- Does your workload make its way to your family time?
- Are you always connected and listening for notifications?
Work-life balance seems to be an elusive term these days as the line between professional and personal time seems to have become blurred with the advancement of technology and always being turned on. Some employers have come to expect 24/7 availability from their staff, which leaves little downtime for personal business and life. There needs to be a better separation, and more defined lines of business and pleasure before we completely tune out all that matters in life and living to the fullest.
WLB can mean different things to different people. It could represent more of a “fit” versus a balance, but no matter how you want to define it or enjoy it, it is off-kilter. You need to learn how to determine the different roles, times, priorities and activities and their importance in your life. How can you learn to co-exist with all of your daily responsibilities harmoniously to ensure your greatest contentment?
“Organizations across the globe continue to ask their employees to ‘do more with less’, leading to increasing dissatisfaction with work-life balance. Tactical solutions like telecommuting options or flexible work schedules will not be enough to successfully address these mounting concerns. To address work-life balance issues and lessen the workloads of top employees, organizations need to develop fundamental solutions to enable their current workforces and think strategically about which key roles need to be supplemented from the outside.” Mark Royal, Hay Group.
Achieving or maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a key driver for employees. They want to be able to have a life outside of the office and be able to continue to support their personal and family needs. In a Hay Group study, comprised of 5 million employees in more than 400 companies across 65 countries, more than 39% of the respondents felt they did NOT have a happy work-life balance. This dissatisfaction or feeling of lack increases stress, reduces productivity, distresses family life, and can create health issues in addition to increasing depression, employee burnout, and turnover. It is a big problem that needs to be addressed.
Navigate Your Work-Life Balance
- Work-life balance should be a priority for you, your staff, and your family.
- Schedule breaks throughout the day to refresh and energize.
- Set your priorities at the end of the day.
- Create your space and time boundaries for work and play.
- Schedule “ME” time.
- Address deadlines and deliverables with clients and employees.
- Understand that a balance for you may not be the same for others.
- Commit to work hours and time off.
- When you are with your family and friends, turn off notifications and be present in the moment.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Pick your battles.
- MAKE time to exercise.
- Take a vacation.
- Learn to say no. It’s okay.
- Utilize “Corporate/Personal Concierge” services (just ask Ace)
Whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee, establishing a healthy balance or “fit” is important for your physical and emotional well-being. You are always on and giving it your all, but eventually your engine can give out without the proper fuel and recovery time. If you don’t make yourself a priority, then other parts of your life will begin to suffer. Don’t wait until you are exhausted and completely burnt out. Take the time NOW to access your goals and what is most important.
“How do we reject the expectations foisted on us to excel at everything in work and in life, to drive ourselves to the limit, while we try to be happy, healthy human beings?” – Tanya Selvaratnam
What steps are you ready to take for a happier and healthier balance in your life?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Feb 4, 2014 | Productivity, Small Business, Time Management
You can’t “manage” your time but you can learn to better manage yourself. “Time management” takes discipline and commitment. There are many hindrances to time management but they all relate back to how you regulate your life and productivity levels. It is a matter of the daily choices you make and how you set your priorities. If something is that important to you, then you will get it done; otherwise, you will make excuses. Your success depends on getting the most out of each day.
We seem to think we have so little time to effectively manage our days and have some semblance of work life balance. You too want to get more things accomplished while the clock keeps ticking and more tasks seem to pile up. It can take all of the discipline you can muster to tune out the influx of information coming at you. Time can be an elusive mystery when you are in a constant struggle to find more of it, so it is up to you to invest in your time, in your life, in your business.
“People are always trying to find ways to save more money, but saving time may be the true mark of success.” Geoff Williams
Get a handle on your time, your interruptions, your distractions and your data overload. The first step toward success is to be cognizant of the level of disturbances which you allow into your day. It could revolve around the daily notifications you receive regarding text messages, emails, news alerts, phone calls or any other immediate disruption that diverts your focus from the task at hand. Learn to be fully engaged with whatever you are working on and give it 100% of your focus, otherwise, it may only get half done or be done inefficiently. Decide what is most critical and stop multi-tasking. It diminishes your productivity, may change your brain chemistry and increase your error rate.
Another substantial detraction from your efficiency level is the organization of your office space. When you create a more structured environment you become more efficient and effective. You are no longer scrambling to locate important papers, files, emails or even your keys. Your time management increases as does your personal and professional productivity. Your setting is not just about physical space but mental as well. If you reside in chaos or mayhem, it does transmit into your work habits and daily living.
Being busy, doesn’t equate to being productive. You could be wasting your time and energy doing menial tasks or simply procrastinating. Focus on real work that gets you closer to your goals. Ask yourself, “Does this serve my goals? Is it getting me closer to completion?”
“When we’re busy, we see that as being productive, when productive is really narrowing down what we need to do.” Cathy Sexton, time management specialist.
Time Management:
When you learn to manage yourself, you will better manage your time.
- Turn off notifications
- Set priorities and goals
- Don’t procrastinate
- Time block your day and schedule
- Organize your data
- Institute systems and processes
- Develop a routine
- Set boundaries
- Use your calendar for appointments and To Dos
- Use action steps for items on your To Do list
- Stop multi-tasking
- Keep your workspace orderly
- Use news aggregators for your RSS feeds
- Automate social postings
- Schedule time to engage in social media and stick to it
- Check email at specific intervals
- Learn to say no
- Get appropriate amounts of sleep
- Know your most productive time of day
- Delegate
“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.” Victor Hugo
What steps are you ready to implement in order to become more productive and manage your time? Sound off!!
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jan 13, 2014 | Productivity, Small Business, Time Management
Nope, you won’t find them in this post but you can read more in: Don’t Die by the Deadline. The title promised you help on how to lasso your hankering for procrastination.
There are no real tips in this post, except: GET IT DONE.
You have a choice in every aspect of your life and with every choice there is a consequence. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, it is something you essentially choose. If you choose to put off what needs to be done, then you will pay the price. Can you afford it? When you invest in your time, you invest in yourself and your company. You are highly valued. Make sure you realize this.
You may procrastinate for a host of reasons, but ultimately it comes down to you doing or not doing something and when. If it is all that important and has a deadline, I would imagine you would attend to it with a little more immediacy than letting it hang on until the last moment. Usually, the final product of the rushed job leaves a great deal to be desired. It isn’t worth it to do something with only a fraction of your attention and interest.
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Lord Chesterfield
Consider the outcomes and “penalties” when you need to tackle a project or task. Your driving motivators should come from within because it is important to you not because you are making someone else check in on you to ensure you completed your alleged mission impossible.
Most people don’t have a problem finding time for the things they want to do, but once a task is presumed challenging, time consuming, or boring, procrastination takes over.
You have priorities. You have goals. Accomplish them. Light that internal fire and be accountable to yourself. Own your lists and To Dos. Yes, there are some things that present more of a struggle or personal challenge for you, but that is not an invitation to walk away or leave it on the back burner.
Things people say:
- I can’t get started.
- I don’t know where to begin.
- It is too hard.
- I need more help.
- I don’t want to do it.
- I don’t want to do it alone.
- It is frustrating.
- It isn’t fun.
- I just don’t feel like it.
- I have more time.
- What are your tips?
- It isn’t due yet.
The whining list is infinite. You have said some of these and honestly, I have too. The drama of I can’t, won’t, I don’t feel like it gets as old as the “stuff” I found in a lunch baggie inside my beach bag from this summer. It isn’t pleasant and accomplishes nothing but increased frustration and dissatisfaction.
If you have something to do, deadlines or not “Just Do it.” You don’t need help or special tips. You need to set your goals and priorities.
Important things get done.
- You can do them now.
- Prioritize your list.
- Create actions steps.
- Delegate.
- File.
- Discard.
Just take action! Real action!
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Dec 23, 2013 | Communication, Organization, Time Management
The expansion of the digital global office is not just working in your pajamas and drinking coffee all day. It is an efficient and productive place of business to business operations. There has been a constant increase in the number of remote or work from home opportunities and it will only continue to escalate. It gives your business the benefit of assembling a top notch team of professionals, working in a variety of time zones, contributing to your growth and success.
At last count, that amounted to some 3.3 million people working remotely (not including the self-employed or unpaid volunteers), or 2.6% of the U.S. employee workforce. Global Workplace Analytics
Operating a virtual office can be simplified through utilization of many of the online/open-source productivity and collaborative tools ensuring a connected global workforce. Creating a virtual team is a cost effective and productive avenue to manage your business, maintain a low overhead; thereby increasing your profit margin.
Working remotely offers a more versatile environment, increased work/life balance, varied working hours, reduced stress, no commute and enhanced knowledge of technology.
While members of your virtual team may not meet face to face very frequently, they do regularly interact online for discussions, brain-storming and training sessions, requiring a variety of tools to enhance communications, collaborative efforts and teamwork. Effective communications, transparency and feedback are the building blocks of your successful remote environment. Email and text are two of today’s most widely used “communication” tools but remember, a phone call or video chat offers more of the personal nuances and relationship builders within your virtual community.
The applications shown below are just a minute sampling of the available basic online solutions, helping you to manage your remote office. Source the ones that best suit your present needs as well as those that will support your corporate growth and future goals.
JUST THE BASICS: 14 Tools for a Productive Virtual Team
- Google Docs: office suite of online collaborative tools to create/share documents and forms
- Google Calendar: Web-based calendar to share and collaborate with your team
- Genbook: online calendar scheduling allowing colleagues and prospects to schedule appointments directly with you instead of continual back and forth emails
- SKYPE: VOiP for live chats, video or IMs. Also offers low cost calling options
- Viber: free calls, text and file sharing to other Viber users over WiFi or 3G. They also offer low cost calling options for non-Viber users
- Google Hangouts: group calls, video conferencing, file sharing, share on YouTube
- Mighty Text: simple tool to text from your computer and have all messages sync to your phone and other technologies. It even alerts you to incoming calls
- Ring Central: cloud based phone system – nationwide calling and fax
- JoinMe: screen sharing, send files, and share control
- Free Conference: set up free conference calls up to 150 attendees with call recording
- AnyMeeting: full featured online FREE meetings up to 200 attendees, video broadcasting, screen sharing, ext surveys, recording, invitations and more
- DropBox: free file storage, share with colleagues/friends. Simplifies sending or sharing of large documents that most mail clients are unable to accommodate. They offer two-step verification as an added security measure
- TeamBox: online project collaboration/management to streamline conversations and documents, keeping them in one central location.
- Awesome Screenshot: take full screen or partial screenshots: edit, annotate, save or send
Just do your due diligence to ensure the features and benefits match your goals and collaborative requirements.
- Work smarter, not harder.
- Embrace the cloud.
- Stay connected with your team.
- Foster a community of trust and openness.
- Remember to check-in weekly.
- Don’t simply rely on texting and emails.
- Use chat tools.
- Create online communities for your team
- Continue to research and review other collaborative tools.
When working with your virtual team:
What tools or applications do you find most effective?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Dec 16, 2013 | Social Media, Time Management, Virtual Assistant
Social media marketing is not fading away. As 2013 comes to a swift close, SM Marketers are looking back at the year in review and projecting some potential future trends for the coming year.
Brian Solis: “This year marked social media’s move into the mainstream. Social media is now part of our fabric of society, like mobile phones and computers — it’s a staple of our everyday life.”
SMM continues to expand exponentially and you should be on board with the 2014 trends; otherwise you may just be shouting noise with a plugged up megaphone or simply lost at sea. Since its inception, SMM has exploded the opportunities and platforms for both B2B and B2C. The online digital office provides YOU with a GLOBAL reach but only with the right strategy and planning for your brand. It is a mandatory tool for businesses of all sizes. You can’t NOT have a presence if you want to be found, talked about, and grow your revenue. You will want to be “linked in so you are not left out.”
2013 offered a great deal of tools, tips, platforms, and innovations, but what still stood out?
Content Marketing! It is a must have, must do, in your marketing arsenal. Uberflip’s infographic clearly outlines the trends and potential for CM. Remarkable content reaches your audience. It is shared. It is talked about. It has the potential to reach pain points and have an impact on your buyer. As one of the main 2014 trends, you need to consider how YOU will bump up your efforts, your blogging, your website and all of your content, to seize the attention of your audience. If you don’t, your competition will be serving the entree.
In a recent study by MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute their results demonstrated that 93% B2B organizations now use content-based tactics for their marketing promotions and 73% specified they now produce more content than the previous year!
Other projected social media trends
Justin Pearse:
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Brands will start investing in the people, processes and technologies to deliver truly compelling content.
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2014 will be the year job titles such as head of content and content director become common at brands, both B2C and B2B.
Juliet Stott:
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2014 will see more brands embracing social media as an integral part of their content marketing strategy.
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There will be a race for engagement on social across all the channels.
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Brands that delight and reward their followers and harness the invaluable (user generated) content they create will be the most successful.
Ben Barone-Nugent:
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Businesses and agencies are going to more formally recognize distinctive types of content strategists.
Jayson DeMers:
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Investment in social media will become a necessity, not a luxury.
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We’ll see even more companies hiring social media strategists or full-time social media managers.
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Businesses who are finding themselves spread thin with their social media efforts will increasingly turn to Google+ as the closest thing we have to a ‘one size fits all’ social network.
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Visual content will increasingly become a critical piece of any solid content strategy, and social networking site.
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LinkedIn is positioning itself as one of the largest sources of content creation and curation for professionals.
TwinEngine
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Content marketing is the key to attract and retain customers.
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Images outrank words for engagement.
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Companies engage with consumers in real-time.
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Hashtags become a leading search tool.
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Mobile marketing surpasses traditional marketing.
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Digital exceeds a traditional marketing budget.
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Building relationships with inbound marketing is critical to long term growth.
WOW Isn’t that an extensive list of social media projections!? How can a business possibly manage to stay on top of the trends, research the current tips, tools and best practices, never mind maintain all of the social platforms? It sounds so painful and extremely time consuming when you need to run your business, attend to your clients, troubleshoot and every other day to day task. That is just way too much for one person to consider.
BUT what if you had a team?
A vested partner perhaps to help you:
- deal with the overwhelming social media trends
- with your social media plan for 2014
- to execute and manage ALL of it
- invest your valuable time where it should be spent
- become more productive and efficient
- scale your business!
While you are very cognizant of the FACT that social media is a necessity for your business, it may not represent the best use of your valuable skills and talents. It isn’t your core genius! Your passion! Your job! BUT it is a requirement to help promote your online marketing efforts and generate income.
CONTACT us today to discuss how we will kick off 2014 and make it a more profitable and productive year.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Nov 5, 2013 | Entrepreneur, Productivity, Time Management
image credit: spokesman.com
Time management is always a hot topic as we seem to think we have so little time to effectively manage our days and have some semblance of work life balance. You too want to get more things accomplished while the clock keeps ticking and more tasks seem to pile up.
What can you do? Get a handle on your time, your interruptions and your distractions. Thanks to technology and the digital world, we are always connected and being bombarded with data overload. Crush the chaos. It can take all of the discipline you can muster to tune out the influx of information coming at you. Time can be an elusive mystery when you are in a constant struggle to find more of it, so it is up to you to invest in your time, in your life, in your business. The best thing you can do is learn to manage yourself to better manage your time. “Choice management.”
We are repeatedly bombarded by data overload via our push notifications, social media notices, text messages, phone calls, e-mails, Skype chats and news alerts on a daily basis. It is marvelous to always be connected, in touch and just a mere keystroke away. You are never alone and continuously up to date in both your personal and professional life. But there is a hitch and that is the negative impact it has on our concentration and stress levels. It hurts our brains!!
As a technologically in-tune society, we must learn to filter the urgency of our incoming communications in order to remain devoted to the tasks at hand. The constant interruptions have a pronounced impact on our productivity and efficiency level, never mind time management. If we continue to allow outside distractions to compete for our time and focus, we are unable to give our absolute attention to our present moment and activities. Interruptions because of too much data in the workplace costs US businesses $650 billion a year!
Computerworld reports that we are now living in a world of “interruption technology.”
In a 2012 study by The University of California, Irvine and the US Army, it was found that frequent email checkers were less productive, less focused and more stressed. On average, these types of email users averaged 37 switched windows per hour compared to a non-email checkers who only switched 18 times per hour. The second group of workers engaged more deeply with teammates, were focused on their tasks, increased their productivity and were less stressed.
Limit Distractions
- Schedule time on your calendar to tune out and turn off
- Let others know you are “off limits” during certain working hours
- Close the door or put on ear buds
- Silence your Smartphone
- Just say NO to social media! (Facebook and Twitter updates are always accessible).
- Shutdown everything that notifies you of an alert, sound, or other announcement (your e-mail will still be waiting for you).
- COMMIT to your decision to focus and jump in with gusto
- Once your project is completed, come up for air, stretch, respond to voicemails, text messages and other communications.
- Grab an energy snack to refuel for your next session
- Hide your tech gadgets
Remember, being offline is an industrious act toward completing your projects, achieving your goals and remaining on task. You will see a considerable increase in your productivity as you continue to shield yourself from outside disruptions and digital noise or as Stewart Baines says: “infobesity.”
Turning off isn’t just for the business world. We are electronically tethered 24/7 and this crosses into our personal boundaries. It becomes too much when we allow technology to consume our time and energy away from the present moment, sacrificing the things that truly matter. In a consumer survey last year, Qualcomm found that 37% of people use their phones while attending a party, 36% do so while eating at a restaurant and 35% use their phones while playing with their children.
Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply. Thich Nhat Hanh
