achieving goals Archives

What Have You Done For YOU Lately?

October 23, 2016 By Alicia Jay 2 Comments

This weekend, I successfully walked my second 5K of the year. If you had told me this time last year that I’d walk a 5K, I would have laughed at you.

So, how did I get here, crossing the finish line of another 5K?

While I’ve been working on my health for the past couple of years, I never thought of myself as particularly “athletic.” When I think about a 5K, I picture thin women with long legs, wearing all of the latest high-tech runner’s gear.

I don’t match that description—AT ALL.

But last year during my journey to better health, I decided I wanted to find my “thing” when it comes to fitness and moving my body. You know how there are CrossFit people, tennis people, spin people and runners?

Well, I really wanted a thing of my own. So I tried a number of different kinds of activities.

Among the things I tried, I started walking around my neighborhood a couple of times a week. I love being out in nature and moving my body. So, walking was a great fit for me.

I realized that I had found my “thing!” I didn’t need to fit into any particular category—I just had to do things that I really enjoyed doing.

Why did I want this so badly?

Because it was for me. Just for ME.

I really felt it was important to do something for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love being there and doing things for my son, husband, family and friends.

But I know that, if I don’t take care of myself and do things for me, I won’t have anything left to give to others.

So, in order to push myself out of my comfort zone and do something for myself, I started signing up for local 5K events. I found out that there are definitely people who walk them instead of run, so I didn’t feel as intimidated.

Then, after completing my first one, I realized how much I loved it! I loved pushing myself, crossing that finish line and proving to myself that I could do it.

Ah-mazing!

Here’s a short video of my experience:

So, what have you done for YOU lately?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting your virtual assistant business, but things keep getting in the way. Or, more accurately, you keep LETTING things get in your way.

Is it something you really want for yourself?

Then, please stop putting yourself last.

If you’re ready to do something for YOU then I invite you to join me in the VA Biz Foundation Group Program.

–>https://www.newvaadvice.com/va-biz-foundation/

In this 5-week group program, we’ll work together to help you build a solid foundation for your virtual assistant business.

We can work on things like:

::Your mindset, going from employee to confident entrepreneur

::Deciding on your services

::Narrowing down your target market

::Configuring your rates

You’ll step out of this program with confidence and clarity in your business. And you’ll be ready to rock it!

So, if you’re ready to do something for YOU, let’s get started! Click here for more info about the VA Biz Foundation Group Program.

3 Strategies to Help Reach Your Goals

October 4, 2016 By Alicia Jay 1 Comment

I can’t believe we’re so close to the end of the year! Are you where you want to be in your virtual assistant business right now?

Did you set goals at the beginning of the year, only to tuck them away and never look at them again?

If that’s you, don’t beat yourself up about it. Today is a new day, so course correct and start working on what you really want your business and life to look like.

Here are 3 ways you can start working on your goals right now:

–1. Set Goals

I don’t believe it’s ever too late to create goals and a plan to achieve them. Yes, some people do like to take some time at the end or beginning of the year to work on their goals (I’m one of those people.) If that’s you—or you want it to be you—read this to help with your own plan:

How I Plan My Year: Business and Life

But there’s really no “right” time to work on this kind of thing. I think it’s less important when you do it and more important that you just do it, get started and keep checking in with yourself along the way.

That’s how I like to tackle it. Yes, I create goals for myself at the beginning of the year, but then I keep them somewhere I can see them every day. I work on tasks that will make those goals happen. And then I regularly check in to see if I’m making progress.

–2. Start the Day with Intention

I have a quick and easy way that I start my day so that I’m in the right mindset, and sticking with tasks that will help me reach my goals.

I’ve always wanted to be that person who starts their day out with meditation and then takes 20 minutes to journal, sitting in a quiet space with a hot cup of tea.

But let’s face it—that’s not my life. I have a little one at home, and my mornings consist of getting him up and ready for school, making sure he eats and gets dressed, making his lunch, feeding the dog and taking her out—you get the idea.

But then I found something that does work for me. I might not do it as soon as I get up, but I figured out how to get my morning “me” time. After I get the little guy on the bus, I head straight to the gym. When I come home, I shower and dress for the day.

Then, before I start any work, I take just a couple of minutes and practice this exercise. It’s a short and sweet quote that I found from Jack Canfield, and it’s really been working for me:

In case you can’t see the image, it says, “Decide what you want. Believe you can have it. Believe you deserve it and believe it’s possible for you.

And then close your eyes every day for several minutes, and visualize already having what you want, feeling the feelings of already having it.

Come out of that and focus on what you’re grateful for already, and really enjoy it. Then go into your day and release it to the Universe. Trust that the Universe will figure out how to manifest it.” ~Jack Canfield

If you need a little more helping switching your mindset around to that of a successful entrepreneur, you can try this:

Shedding the Employee Mindset

–3. Believe That You Can

If you want one more way to really tap into making things happen for you, I highly recommend Denise Duffield-Thomas’ awesome and free Manifesting Formula.

I don’t want to get too woo-woo on you, but I believe success comes from having a good mix of the right mindset (knowing that you deserve things) and taking action towards the goals that you want.

Click on the box below to tweet this:

[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@newvaadvice”]Success comes from having a good mix of the right mindset & taking action towards your goals.[/tweetthis]

And Denise’s products have always helped me in this department. This free course will help you to clear your mind of any blocks, get CRYSTAL clear on your goals, infuse every part of your day with positivity, take inspired action and learn to receive.

(Note: Affiliate links are used in this post. I only recommend people and products that I trust!)

Denise Duffield-Thomas Manifesting Formula

You can learn more about it here:

https://www.newvaadvice.com/lbmc

So, here’s a quick recap. Set goals. Work on them daily. Start your day with intention. Believe that you CAN achieve your goals. What are your thoughts? Have you tried any of the strategies above? Leave a comment and let me know what works for you.

And if you need a step-by-step process to create your own plan and work on your business goals, check out the Ultimate VA Business Planning Blueprint. It’s filled with checklists, worksheets and instructions to get you on track.

Strategies for Setting and Achieving Goals in Your Virtual Assistant Business

July 4, 2015 By Alicia Jay Leave a Comment

You know that setting goals for your virtual assistant business is important. You may have set goals for things like choosing your services, setting your rates, getting your website set up, deciding how much money you want to make and how many clients you want to work with.

And you’ve probably heard of the SMART goal strategy.

But what about follow through? Are you checking in on your goals? Is the SMART strategy all you need? Are the goals you’re setting really right for you?

Lisa Birnesser of Transformations Massage and Wellness Center brings up a really great point:

It’s easy to fall into the trap of setting a goal because you think you should, not because it is a priority for you. To achieve a goal, you must find a way to let your brain know that this goal is the number one thing that has to get done.

Read her latest article to find out more, as well as her other awesome tips for making your goals a reality: Five Goal-Setting Tips You May Not Have Thought Of