Today’s Quote: At the end of the day, we are accountable to ourselves. Our success is a result of what we do. – Catherine Pulsifer
Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today we are going to talk about accountability and the very important role in plays in your VA business.
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Getting things done is what we do, as Virtual Assistants.
For other people.
When was the last time someone asked you to do something (a client) and you didn’t do it?
Well, actually that’s not always the case – but in general – when a client asks you to do something, we give that thing priority, don’t we?
They are paying us, after all, and so we need to make sure that we do what they need done.
Motivation isn’t always that hard when someone else is requesting.
But what about ourselves? There are lots of things that we need to do in our business, or for ourselves – but because we are solopreneurs – we work alone – no one is there (proverbially) kicking our butt. Holding us to our deadlines. To our plans. To the things we say we need to get done. That we want to get done.
On our own, motivation can be hard.
With no one to push us, we can let things go by the wayside, and just think we’ll get to it later.
We can get distracted by many things. Our focus shifts to something else., maybe something more interesting, or maybe more fun, or maybe something that is less work.
There is a lot of pressure to do all the things.
When we worked in a corporate job, someone else was the one who was telling us what to do and when – and making sure that the team deadlines got met. We just had to do our part.
But we have to do that for ourselves now.
As a matter of fact, every single day I talk to VAs who are having trouble prioritizing.
What happens mostly is that they can’t figure out how to manage multiple clients – isn’t everyone’s ‘stuff’ a priority? How do we manage that?
That’s just one of the things that we have to think about in our business.
And it’s yet another thing that we need to learn how to do well.
When the things we need to get done are for us, it can be hard. It can be much easier to push them side.
Hello, procrastination.
As a result, we set goals that we don’t reach, we build bad habits and we generally are less successful because we aren’t doing the things we need to do in our business to reach the level of success that we say we want.
Accountability is about doing what you say you want to do.
Accountability is the actual act of making sure that something gets done. If you say it should be done, then it needs to get done.
How can we get things done better?
With accountability – having someone help you stay on track.
Before we talk about who can help you, let’s talk about the actual ‘things’ you aren’t getting done.
First you have to decide what you want to get done. It could be a task, a habit, a routine, a mindset shift – so many things.
Next you have to set in place the steps to get it done. When we are talking about tasks, we put them on a to do list. But it doesn’t stop there. For habits, we need to find out when is our best time to do it, and the frequency we need to do it (I always suggest daily!). For routines, we need to find a pocket of time in a day or supplemental things that fit with that routine. For a mindset shift, we need to check in daily, sometimes more often, and build new ways of managing or coping.
The steps are the thing that we need in place to know that we can get ‘the thing’ done. If we don’t know the clear steps, that’s where we need to begin. Find someone who can help you map out the steps but get them done.
Then you have to map your progress. And take steps to get to your goal, or complete the ‘thing’.
That’s what we need to do with everything – and somewhere along the way in these 3 steps, we go off the rails. Maybe all the time.
So the first thing we can do that helps is to tell someone else. It’s very documented that telling someone else about what you want to get done helps you focus on it much better than telling no one.
But getting accountability – which is what is even better – is what will help you get better at getting everything done.
We don’t need to do anything alone.
I highly suggest having either a person or a group to help you stay accountable in.
When we make the commitment to expanding our circle of trust, it is really awesome.
I personally prefer groups because you get the input of others – but I’d be lost without my accountability partner who I have had for many years. She has also become one of my best friends, but that’s another story!
I’ve worked with a few other accountability partners, and several groups. What you need to do before choosing someone is to vet them. Don’t just pick anyone because they are excited and offer.
This is an opportunity for you to find someone who will help you – not just listen to your woes.
So, interview people before you decide. Ask them. What have you done? What are your goals? how long have you been in business? How will our partnership work? You want to make sure you find the right person or group – not just anyone who is excited to get an accountability partner because they want to ‘support each other’.
Accountability is much more than just calling each other to ask advice.
It’s about making the commitment to be more productive, to implement your strategy, to move your business forward. It’s about getting your own support – and using it!
Many people will suggest a stranger, but you will get to know this person very well and they you, so I actually don’t think it matters – as long as you set the rules and you make sure you both stick to them.
But do the interviews. Don’t just say yes to the first person who comes along. You need someone to at least be moving at the same speed or in the same direction as you. And you need to push each other forward.
The more clients you have, the more important it is to get accountability support. If you are running a team, it’s important to get accountability support.
In a group you can work on regular habits, reprioritizing things, getting to the business stuff that you are putting off, managerial issues with your team – so many things. You can easily look after this kind of thing in my monthly mastermind group, The Virtual Circle.
So once you choose someone, how does it all work?
You make a schedule to meet regularly.
You write things down.
You ask for help.
You prioritize your plan.
You do not miss your meetings.
You are honest with what you have done and what you have not.
You look for solutions when you have not done something, not excuses.
You help the other person in the same way.
You do not let them off the hook.
You work with deadlines and lists and strategies.
You get feedback on stuff. You give feedback on stuff.
You seek out celebrations.
And you email or call when you need immediately help or have an immediately celebration.
It’s not all about hard stuff. It’s about the good stuff too, the progress, the good news, the revelations, the ahas, the more money, the more clients, the more productivity, the better business person you are becoming.
In a group you do exactly the same thing. Most groups have regular calls or sessions, and then a community group like a Facebook group for those time sensitive things between calls.
My accountability partner and I meet every two weeks.
My mastermind group meets twice a month and also has a coworking session once a month (talk about getting things done!)
Before long you will know more about each other, about each other’s business and you can give genuine, trusted help to each other.
When you have a confidante, a partner, it feels like the things you want to get done are more of a priority. They are given more value because you are sharing them with someone else who is cheering you on.
You will make fewer excuses for not doing stuff – no one wants to look bad.
It’s meant to be positive – not negative. If you are struggling with your daily tasks, reach out and get some support – a kind word, a resource, a pat on the back. It really helps!
What do you need help with?
strategy to get clients
your bookkeeping
processes
daily bad habits
daily good habits
There are a myriad of things that you can get done. Pick one, find your accountability partner(s) and start working towards it. Then pick another, and move towards that. Start creating better habits one step at a time.
You can do it! Every VA should have an accountability partner or group. Be one of those ones that do!
Need Some Help?
Getting things done is something we can work on together in The Virtual Circle, my mastermind group for Virtual Assistants. Check it out at www.YourVAMentor.com/TVC (the virtual circle) – I bet it’s exactly what you need to prioritize your stuff and start running a better business.
If you need some help with strategy, action steps, getting your marketing or business stuff prioritized, or managing your client or team workload, reach out to me at tracey@yourvamentor.com
I’ve helped hundreds of VAs through their challenges and got them on their way to growing their business through my private and group coaching. I’d love to do the same for you.
That’s all I’ve got for you this week, thanks for tuning in to learn to become a ridiculously good Virtual Assistant.