Handling Life's Curveballs

When you work as a Virtual Assistant, your business depends on you getting the work done. When things are going well, it’s pretty easy to handle the day-to-day. But when life throws a curveball, it can be difficult to navigate.

Recently, life threw me several big curveballs – AND they all came at the same time. I was juggling an 18^th birthday party for my daughter, her high school graduation and party, and a family reunion, all in the span of three weeks. I was way out of my comfort zone and I was having trouble concentrating on my work.

Happily, I’m on the other side of it. Today I share 5 tips on getting work done when the curveballs come your way!

1. Prioritize your to-do list. Touching base with my clients is always on my list. But since that is more about suggesting new project ideas to them, I moved it to a later date. I made sure to pay attention first to the time-sensitive work.
2. Settle into your work. When there’s a lot on my mind and I need to get going, I start with easy, familiar work. That gives me a feeling of completion. When I have trouble focusing, I take a lap around the inside of the house and then sit back down. And I make sure my favorite music is playing on Pandora!
3. Stick with your routine. Although I was less productive during this stressful time, I still sat at my desk and kept going. I made a list of what needed to get done so I could move to the next job as soon as I finished the last. This helped make life feel more normal.
4. Communicate with clients. There were a few deadlines that I needed to move during this time, but for those that were at risk, I let my clients know well in advance. They were appreciative and we worked out new timelines that worked for both of us. The worst – worst! – thing you can do is wait to tell a client about a missed deadline until it is due.
5. Keep it to yourself. While our clients may love us, they don’t always want to know the details of our personal lives – especially when there is less than fabulous news. They may also respond by wanting to “take care of you,” a feeling which can translate into not sending you work. That’s the LAST thing you want. So keep your personal challenges private with clients.