Virtual Personal Assistant Blog

Brilliant Ways to Encourage Productivity for Your Virtual Personal Assistant

On average, a typical VA spends around 8 to 10 hours working each day. Most of the time, this is more than the 6 to 8 hours of sleep they get daily (sometimes even less). This means that a full-time virtual personal assistant spends more time communicating with you and working on your tasks than accomplishing their own personal tasks. Therefore, how you treat them in the workplace can make or break their mood and, consequently, their overall productivity.

A highly-motivated VA can provide not only outstanding output but also an energized aura that can be contagious for your entire online working space. The positive ambiance this creates can lead to more opportunities for growth and can encourage creativity in performing their tasks. In this article, we will tackle some techniques to help you become more of a leader and less of a boss for not only your VA but your entire team.

Always have their best interest in mind.

To better put this into perspective, treat them as family in the sense that you will never abandon them no matter what. Allow them to know that even if they make a mistake from time-to-time, you will always be there for them without prior judgment. If you make them feel safe from day one, they will most likely have your back and will be willing to help you in any way they can. In a way, this is your VA’s way of expressing gratitude.

Affirm them for something awesome that they did.

That something may be a higher number of answered e-mails, a commendation from your client because of their work, or just a thoughtful note that helped you increase your sales in a day. It doesn’t matter if that something is small in the eyes of others. If it’s an achievement, it’s worth celebrating.

A simple but good way to do this is to acknowledge how their work ethic makes the workplace a little brighter. Even just a short e-mail or a quick chat message on how well they did will surely brighten your VA’s day. Most VAs who receive affirmations perform even better when they are shown appreciation.

Curb the urge to micromanage.

Frustration sets in when meddling with the work they do. Resist the urge to scrutinize their work. If someone were to do this to you, you would surely become frustrated as you are trusted to know your timeline and how to do your tasks. The same is so for most seasoned VAs.

Let your VA take ownership of what they do. Let them handle their time and resources as they see fit. Just ensure that these are within reasonable means and you’re good to go. If you hired a self-starter, you should allow them to set their own pace. Asking your VA for updates around once or twice a week is a good frequency.

Communicate clearly.

Aside from the initial orientation and training that your VA has to go through, you have to be clear with the outcomes you expect with each assigned task. Encourage two-way communication in your virtual workspace. Allow them to reach out to you if they need to ask questions or to simply raise a concern that’s on their mind. They will surely appreciate the openness and perform at their best.

As with work discrepancies and errors, never resort to blaming. This will not only lower your VA’s morale but can create a negative impact on their output, not to mention, they will have lower confidence in what they do.

Support your virtual personal assistant in every possible way you can.

Provide them with learning resources they can use to further improve in their role in your company. If possible, you may discuss the materials with them and obtain their insights. When you do this, you get to train and retrain them – even update their skillset in some cases. In the long run, as you supply them with more knowledge in their respective field, you also boost their confidence

However, make sure you know where to draw the line when supporting them. Ensure that you avoid spoon feeding to further encourage their sense of independence. By doing so, you do not only mold them to be a more productive professionally but help them grow as a person.

Provide incentives when they deserve it.

The incentive can be monetary or otherwise, depending on the current budget of your company. If possible, discuss the incentive system in your company, if there is any. This will give your VA an additional goal to keep in mind. It isn’t actually about the reward itself but about having an additional healthy challenge to take on. Just make sure that the prerequisites to get the incentive are not outrageously difficult or downright impossible. If you do this, you discourage productivity. Why would anyone shoot for something they know is impossible to attain.

There are times that your VA will not feel like working. To be fair, we all have those days. If you treat them well and sincerely from the get-go, they will still choose to log in their hours without feeling as though they are dragging themselves into work. The main difference lies in how you see them and how you make them feel as your virtual assistant. As the saying goes, take care of your employees, and they will surely take care of you and your business. This is possible if they are productive because of high motivation and morale in the workplace.

Practical Tips that can Make You Effectively Delegate to Your Dedicated Assistant

No matter your intention, delegation is easier said than done. It doesn’t just mean you have to distribute work that you hate to your dedicated assistant; in fact, how you delegate is sometimes considered an art. When delegating is done correctly, it can pave the way to more tasks getting done within a day without you technically completing them yourself.

Why Delegate to Your Dedicated Assistant?

One common mindset business managers have with delegation is it’s simply passing off random pieces of work to their VA. When done this way, delegating becomes a constant cycle of trial-and-error. Here are some benefits that you and your company may have if you master the art of delegation:

- You save more time and resources because your dedicated assistant does not have to figure out how a large chunk of the task should be done.
- It makes everyone’s workload more manageable, thus reducing stress levels for everyone on the team.
- Delegating provides you with precious opportunities to teach your VA. Not only will this improve their skillset, but it will also sharpen your communication skills further.

Preparation Before Task Distribution

Preparing does not mean you just have to list down everything you want done. Preparation requires discernment to determine which tasks you can definitely allow your dedicated assistant to handle. To distribute tasks easily, you have to realize that you can’t do all the tasks yourself. To help determine what tasks can be managed by your VA you may use the following tips:

- Build rapport with your VA. Delegating tasks helps to build a long-lasting and harmonious relationship with your dedicated assistant over time. You have to do this for you and your VA to develop trust before you assign anything to them.
- Consider their skillset before you give out the tasks. Also, consider their interests before you assign tasks as well as the current workload. Also, determine their success in taking on similar tasks, how they work on those tasks, and how they deal with pressure when working on these things.
- Explain why you need to delegate the tasks to them. At this point, you may also consider telling them about the bigger picture – how this task can affect business operations. If applicable, you may also tell them how this can affect them as a part of the company.
- Set your expectations. Set timelines and milestones to further enforce commitment on the project. Specify the delivery and check that they understand this as well as the terms laid out.

The Art of Delegation

Here are some important tips to check out when you decide to assign the tasks to your dedicated assistant:

- Develop trust and accountability. This goes both ways. Show them that you place your faith in their skills and how they can help you in the long run. Never be overbearing even if you feel the pressure to meet an urgent deadline. Doing so will sap the productivity out of your VA even more.
- Clearly communicate the tasks. Make sure to specify how you expect the task to be done. If the task does not require a rigid process to complete, you may instead inform your VA of the outcome you expect to have by the end of an agreed working period. Encourage them to ask questions and seek clarification to ensure that you’re on the same page.
- Devise a project plan and discuss it with your dedicated assistant. You may include how you prioritize the tasks during this phase. Consider the urgency of the project and the length of time needed for completion. When devising the plan, be realistic about the goals and expectations.
- Use relevant tools and equipment, if applicable. You may also conduct a short training or provide materials and resources to reinforce the skills they can use to finish the project. Thoroughly review the materials that you’re giving your dedicated assistant to ensure that these are up-to-date and relevant to the tasks.
- Document crucial information such as workflow, tracking systems, relevant project data, summaries, and endorsements.
- Make sure to be available if ever they have questions or problems as they work through the project. This will help further improve their efficiency with the task. If you can’t be available all day, make sure to set a specific time slot each day when they can easily contact you for any concerns. Your availability is important to resolve conflicts as soon as possible instead of learning about them a few days or hours before the deadline.
- Provide constructive feedback. Try using the sandwich method when giving feedback to your dedicated assistant. This involves presenting them with some positive points at the beginning then gradually introducing points for improvement. Cap everything off with some more positive feedback based on how they performed so far. When providing feedback, remember to give credit where it’s due. Always show gratitude to your VA for a job well done. Show sincerity and genuine appreciation for their help. To show your gratitude even more, point out the things that they did really well during crunch time. The gesture will not only warm their heart but will also improve how they see you as a leader and as a person.

While following these tips, remind yourself that when you’re on good terms with your dedicated assistant, they will do all they can to do well with tasks so your project will be successful. Be sure to match this level of enthusiasm with your own passion so you can be successful.

Capping It Off

Delegation is a good way to keep your hands off simple and monotonous tasks while you do other things to help grow your business. To do this effectively, you have to remove the mindset that only you can do everything correctly. Learn when to seek help and where to look for assistance. In this case, we can help you by providing you with high-quality services through our brilliant virtual assistants.

The Power of Delegation: How to Live a Fuller Life

To live a truly meaningful life, you need freedom of time. What’s the use of having money if you don’t get enough time to spend it on the things you enjoy doing? Sure, you have adorable kids and a loving partner. Then again, do you have enough free time to cherish their presence? Whatever it is that matters to you, you need time to fully enjoy it.

Everyone gets the same number of hours in a day. But not everybody gets the same value out of it. The key is to develop the skills that will allow you to take control of your time … and win in life!

In his ‘triarchic model’, the American psychologist Robert Sternberg classifies intelligence into three parts: analytical intelligence, creative intelligence, and practical intelligence. He emphasizes that there is more to success than just traditional intelligence, or what generally falls under the category analytical intelligence (what we recognize as academic-problem solving).

Practical intelligence, for one, helps us with our everyday tasks. And this goes beyond just getting things done. Managerial success, for instance, is determined less by academic knowledge than by a shrewd ability to effectively manage yourself, your tasks, and other people. As a matter of fact, business executives who score high on practical intelligence tests tend to receive higher performance ratings and earn bigger salaries.

One of the key skills that determine a person’s practical intelligence is his ability to delegate tasks and responsibilities.

Leadership and delegation – What successful people are made of

Succeeding in life requires stepping into a leadership position. Whether you are trying to run a business, manage a household, or get through college, you need to have the leadership skills to tackle everyday tasks and reach your goals. Leadership is about taking the initiative, holding the reigns, and getting things done.

People who meet outstanding success are those who make one of the most difficult transitions for leaders – that of taking the shift from doing to leading. This translates to learning to delegate effectively. Delegation allows you to be in two places at once. It lets you cultivate and make use of other people’s talents, skills, and time. It also enables you to tap into the power of synergy, where ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’.

The Importance of Delegation

1. Efficiency

You achieve greater efficiency when you are able to transfer duty to people whose skills better match the responsibility. This way, tasks will be done more effectively and at a faster rate. You get to save on time, a highly valuable commodity. Moreso, allowing others to carry out routine tasks lets you focus on the big picture. You get to expel more time and energy on planning and strategizing for your next crucial steps. Before you know it, you will be meeting your big goals.

2. Relief

One of the greatest problems in this modern world is that people are spreading themselves too thin. Trying to tackle too many things can keep you on the edge. Just looking at your to-do list gets you overwhelmed, and your stress levels shoot up. Our body deals with stressful situations the way it does with danger, it releases hormones like epinephrine and cortisol. Such elevated levels of stress hormones lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure, and to a generally revved up nervous system. While this bodily reaction helps us properly deal with dangerous situations, it can cause problems when it persists. Prolonged stress has been linked to several physical and emotional disorders, including stroke, hypertension, heart attacks, asthma, sexual dysfunction, depression, and anxiety.

Learning to properly delegate allows you to unload several tasks, and have more space to just sit back and relax. You may not realize it, but this could be the greatest gift you give yourself.

3. Development

Leaders often have skills and abilities that are worth passing down to others. Delegating tasks lets you do just that. Beyond just helping others develop their own skill set, delegation also lets you work on your own personal development. One of the best ways to reinforce your own knowledge base is by teaching others. More so, there’s value in nurturing your mentoring skills. Mentors and coaches tend to gain professional and personal satisfaction as they share their expertise with other people.

Delegation also lends you more time to learn new skills and extend your knowledge base. Many of the greatest success stories involved a lifetime of nonstop learning. Legendary personalities embrace lifetime learning, or the ongoing and voluntary pursuit of knowledge for both professional and personal motivations. It’s what the likes of Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg have in common – they love reading and learning.

Go ahead and embark on your own journey to success. Your idea of success can be as simple as having more time for your family or as big as building the next unicorn startup. Whatever your goal may be, feel free to embrace available resources. From using productivity apps to hiring a virtual assistant, your possibilities are endless.

Team Productivity: 6 Effective Tips to Help You Improve

No matter how great your team is right now, you can still do something to further increase everyone’s productivity without sacrificing their health and sanity. There is no exact science on how you can do this. However, if you know your team and its dynamics well, you can do something to further boost their productivity with ease. The following are just some tips on how to improve team productivity:

Set goals with the team.

Every team is unique so you have to set goals that will work towards everyone’s interests and vision. Set both long-term goals and short-term goals. Long-term goals are usually those that you want your team to accomplish within at least six months to a year. While some may go as far into the future as five or ten years, this is not recommended as you can always review the goals after a few months and revise them accordingly.

As for short-term goals, you may set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. While you’re formulating these targets with your team, make sure to explain in detail how these short-term goals translate within the long-term goals you created with them. Also, speak with them about how these goals will affect them and the company as a whole. Discussing these goals will help everyone appropriately align their motivation to be productive.

Be a good example.

Self-discipline is a good way to go. You don’t have to be the perfect leader – you just have to do what is expected of you. When your team sees you persevering, this causes a ripple effect. Little by little, they will start imitating your example, consciously or otherwise. The end result of perseverance is increased productivity within the group.

Understand the process of creating team expectations.

If possible, you may also teach them how it’s done. To teach them the process, you need to have prior mastery of the skills that you want to impart to your team. Create visual aids and other similar teaching materials to make it easier for you to show them the ropes.

Schedule a meeting appropriately as a sign of respect for their time. If the training can’t be completed in a couple of hours, consider dividing the concepts into smaller parts and teach them in a series-like format.

During and after discussions, encourage them to ask questions. Be open for clarifications and allow them to discuss with you and each other what they think of the process and if they think more suggestions are in order.

Give them free reign to be creative.

They will appreciate the gesture. If possible, allow them the freedom to have flexible work schedules. This is important because no two people have exactly the same “productive time slot”. By allowing them to work during their most productive times, you allow them the chance to make the most out of their creativity by permitting them to be “in their zone” every time they work with the team.

At some point during the work day, they will need a break and that’s okay. Allow them time to regroup, and they will surely feel refreshed and may even return with new ideas that they can share with the group. However, sometimes, patience is key. Creative ideas cannot be forced, so, it may take some time before they have one or two good breakthroughs.

When they do have suggestions, make sure to listen to them without judgment. Never judge suggestions or ideas even if you think the idea is not good at the time. Take note of the idea. You never know when this might come in handy.

Provide everyone with feedback.

Initially, you may give individual feedback in private, then as a group. You may even ask them to give you feedback on how you fare as their leader so far. If you’re planning to do this, assure them beforehand that anything they tell you will not affect how you see them as a team member and as a person. If possible, you may even conduct a survey of anonymous respondents so they will feel more comfortable sharing their insights. The important key here is to discuss the type of feedback system that works best for everyone.

Conduct motivational sessions before crunch time.

It can be somewhere between 5 to 15 minutes. You may also treat this as a short session to check on each member in order to assess how they are doing as a group. For sessions like this one, you may share a quotation or an anecdote and relate this with the current situation that the team is facing. You may also encourage them to share their experiences and relate to them. Discourage team members from judging each experience and provide a supportive environment for everyone.

Despite any setbacks, you should place team member welfare above everything else. Make sure that in the process of doing your part in the project, you will not get so caught up in the job that you eventually forget to see your team members as people from different walks of life. Career growth is important, but, always remember to care for team members. You will surely not regret this.

Efficient Ways to Have More Free Time

A typical office workday has its employees working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This 8-hour grind is not a magic number, sadly, but a product of an outdated workplace concept. On average, each employee is expected to have increased productivity during a 40-hour workweek – sometimes even more! However, studies show that expectations are meant to face disappointment because an increase in working hours does not necessarily translate to better output, and this is in terms of both quality and quantity. More free time is the latest hit!

Why is it having a shorter work week popular these days?

In a nutshell, working shorter hours within the week gives people extra time for things that mean more to them, may it be a hobby such as gardening or volunteer work that requires teaching kids at least 5 hours in a week. Hobbies and other meaningful work helps to give meaning or purpose to our lives and can even aid in fueling out passion and overall satisfaction at work.

How do I get started in getting more free time?

First off, you have to consider the tasks that are urgent and important. List them down and prioritize them according to when it is needed and how massive the task at hand is. You may then proceed with the following tips:

1. Set a workweek “budget”.

If you’re reading this article, it most likely means you want to work less than 40 hours a week. In this case, you have to set a realistic yet comfortable number of hours that you can’t be disturbed. Depending on the nature of your work and responsibilities, it can be somewhere between 15 to 30 hours a week. Make sure to stick to it for the rest of the week. If you change your mind and realize that you have to render more or less time, go for it the week after.

Suppose you picked 15 working hours for this week, determine the number of days you can work on your tasks for that week. If you need to be present online for most days of the week, perhaps a 3-hour work day for 5 days of the week is a good call. Just make sure that when you work, you will anticipate the distractions. If you still don’t have an idea how to manage distractions, don’t worry. We also have a separate article for that.

2. Determine a limited working time for each task.

This is known as “time boxes”. Usually, people have the tendency to stretch the length of work time depending on the amount of time allotted for the task. Therefore, if you give yourself the entire day to work on a task, effects can be detrimental as you’re prone to distractions such as other side tasks that are not as urgent or as important. Set at least one hour to finish one task. If you’re having trouble completing it within this given time-frame, consider breaking it down into smaller chunks of work.

For example, if you’re working on an illustration for your company’s poster, break down this large task into these smaller ones: Creating the rough sketch, smoothing out the lines, coloring in the image, and working on the finishing touches. It seems almost impossible to work on that illustration within just an hour (unless you’re super fast and talented allowing you to whip up an image within a very short span of time). Therefore, we can break down the smaller tasks into 30-minute or one-hour increments depending on the complexity of the poster that you intend to complete.

3. Master the art of setting boundaries.

This is a problem if you’re too hardworking and you don’t want to place the burden on anyone but yourself. While it’s a sweet and thoughtful gesture, keep in mind that you can’t do everything – and you don’t have to! Check your list of tasks and see if only you can handle it. If you think someone else may be up for the job, you may politely decline the task and recommend another person for consideration. Doing this will not only avoid bad blood in the workplace but can also help promote teamwork in the long run.

4. Dedicate a specific time slot for bulky and monotonous tasks.

One of the most common tasks that can really be exhausting is answering e-mails with similar content. Before you know it, this will burn you out even before the day starts.

If you don’t have to answer all the e-mails at once, it may be best to pace your e-mail tasks. Consider distributing the task for the entire week. If you’ve dedicated a 3-hour session for each day, allot 30 minutes of that to e-mails.

5. Never touch work when it’s not within schedule.

The rigidity will help you stay focused because of the limited time you need to spend on it. Aside from helping you reduce distractions, this will help you reduce the frequency of errors. In effect, this increases your overall efficiency.

6. Outsource the rest of your tasks.

If you have little experience working on a task, ask for help from experts. If you need some help looking for a virtual assistant under your niche, we can try to help you.

Where do I go from here?

The main point of reducing your working hours is to make time for more meaningful things. These may be in the form of quality family time, a hobby, or a charity movement. If you manage your time wisely, you may even be able to accomplish all three at once! At the end of the day, working will not define who you are. There’s so much more to life than that!

Proven Ways to Reduce Distractions that You Need to Know

In a world full of people with fast-paced lifestyles, distractions are on the rise. In fact, it has been rampant in different types of industries, and it potentially decreases productivity levels by a hundredfold if not timely and accurately addressed. Fortunately, distractions can be minimized, if not completely obliterated. Find out more in this article about how to reduce distractions.

Prioritize the tasks at hand.

Contrary to popular belief, you should not only list down things you need to accomplish but also take note of things you should not do while you are working or trying to finish tasks. This is important because listing down things that you should avoid while working will help you set boundaries for those things that take time away from your work productivity. In effect, this will help you get things done much faster.

Divide the work into smaller chunks.

For instance, if you are required to arrange ten large boxes of office supplies and eventually stack them neatly on top of the other within the week, doing it in one go may be really exhausting for you. For some people, just thinking about this task will be really tiring. Worse, they may abandon the task altogether. To help prevent this, you may break down the task in such a way that you will only be required to work on one or two boxes per day. Just make sure that everyday, you work on a small part of the larger task to get things done in time.

Do the tasks when other people are not available.

Take note of your quieter times when no one is around to interfere. Usually, early morning is the best time for productivity because few people are up at that hour. In essence, opt to do the opposite of what other people are doing. Therefore, if most of your companions are up and about by around 7 in the morning, make sure to start working on your most important tasks by around 5 in the morning. Also, assess the times when the distractions are least present. Check out what times during the day are mostly quiet for you, as well. This is proven more effective than conforming to preset working hours.

Learn to say no.

It’s alright for you to decline the demands of other people around you. This is especially important if your tasks are crucial at the time and their requests are not. By doing so, you can save time. You may use this extra time to focus more on things you need to do. Also, their reaction when you say no can tell you how important you are to them as a person. If you feel bad about saying no, perhaps you can make a compromise to help them once you are finished with what you need to do.

Only set two or three tasks at a time.

If you have to do at least 10 tasks in a day, you may have a hard time doing that within a day. To help deter distractions, have two or three tasks lined up for the day. Make sure these are the most important tasks you need to finish.

In this context, you can prioritize your tasks using these two main guidelines:

1. Urgency
Segregate your tasks according to its need to be finished as soon as possible. Needless to say, if the due date is within the day or anytime within the week, list that down as a priority.

2. Expertise
There may be some tasks that you find difficult to work on and asking for help is not a bad idea. This provides the opportunity to enlist the help of a virtual assistant. Delegate your tasks and be more productive while accumulating more free time.

Hiring a virtual assistant can help you save time because you don’t have to figure out concepts that are confusing for you. Instead, you can look for an expert who doesn’t have a hard time working through your current hurdle.

In some instances, even one task for the entire day is fine as long as you see it through. By doing so, this can not only help you be productive throughout the day but will also bring about the great feeling of accomplishment once you finish the task.

If you do not understand a certain task, skip it for now.

In case there is an important part of the task that you do not understand, just leave it be for the moment then just come back to it once some of your other tasks have been completed. As much as possible, complete things you can do without any problems. Aside from helping you work faster, this will ensure you can maintain a certain level of momentum which will assist in helping you to move forward onto other tasks.

If you need to have these tasks done as soon as possible, consider getting help from experts, such as VAs. Not only can they help you save a lot of time, but they can also contribute to better output because they know their craft well.

Use your learning style to your advantage.

For visual learners, consider using sketches and colorful lists of tasks to help monitor the progress. Creating a systematically colored checklist may also provide the same benefit. If you are an aural learner, check out audio books about the topics that you have to study to. This will help you learn the material easily and ace your examination without being too hard on yourself.

If you need to take a break, only go for active breaks.

This can work even with incomplete tasks. This is important and is closely related to how you can keep your momentum up while working. When you subject yourself to active rest, you are not working on the tasks at hand. However, this will shift your mind to something related to it. One example is reading one current-event article while on a study break. You are still reading, but you are temporarily keeping your mind off the lessons that you are studying.

It is perfectly understandable if you cannot readily perfect the art of shutting out distractions. However, this should not make you want to slack off more, either! In using these techniques, just take one baby step at a time. You do not have to rush things, just remember to be consistent in applying the tips.

4 Amazing Exercises to Boost Productivity

When you exercise, you spend a part of your time each day to complete the routines. Based on this premise, you’ll spend time doing other activities that should be allotted for your work to boost productivity. That seems counterproductive, right?

Wrong. Studies show that when you exercise regularly your mind becomes sharper and your mood significantly improves. The blood flow to your brain increases, thus improving its efficiency. These, in turn, help boost your productivity by at least 20% more. The World Health Organization recommends exercising at least 30 minutes in a day. You may set one 30-minute session or break it down into smaller chunks throughout the course of the day.

Except for breathing exercises, activities should be a bit difficult than what you’re typically used to (breathing exercises focus more on rhythm, so, this is not applicable in this case). Also, your heartbeat should be slightly elevated when doing these activities.

One easy way to know if you’re exercising hard enough is using the “talk and sing test” which includes the following:

If you can exercise while talking or singing that means the exercise is too easy for you. In this case, you need to speed things up or make the weights heavier.
If you can exercise while talking but can’t do it while singing that means the exercise intensity is just about right for you.
If you can neither sing nor talk that means you’re working out too hard. You need to slow down a bit or lift slightly lessen your weight load.

1. Breathing Exercises

This is the foundation for all the other exercises that you will perform. Therefore, you need to master how to do this. This can help boost productivity by encouraging your body to supply more oxygen to your brain. Remember, oxygen is a precious commodity for your brain. Low supplies of oxygen can make you feel sluggish and lethargic, thus decreasing your chances to perform better at work. Examples for breathing exercises may include:

The 4-7-8 breathing pattern: This is an activity that you can do each time you feel stressed out. Sit on a chair with your back straight. Place your tongue against the upper palate, specifically, where your upper incisors meet your gums. Rest your tongue against that area for the entire activity. Quietly inhale through your nose, count up to four, hold your breath for seven counts, exhale through your mouth for eight counts, and then make a whooshing sound while you’re at it. Do this slowly so as not to constrict your airway. Do this three or four more times.
Breathing with meditation and/or mindfulness: This is a bit similar to the 4-7-8 breathing activity. The main difference is that this has progressions. For this exercise, you need to sit upright or lie down first. Closing your eyes can help you avoid distractions so you can focus more on the breathing pattern. Perform the 4-7-8 pattern for 15 minutes. When you’ve mastered breathing while sitting or lying down, progress to meditating with your eyes open, then while walking, then while doing your usual chores.

2. Strengthening Exercises (resistance exercises)

These can help bulk up your muscles. It can help improve your productivity levels by increasing the rates of pumping blood around the body. This is especially evident in the calf muscles. Aside from that, this can help correct postural problems and eventually get rid of pain and discomfort due to poor posture. You can do these exercises 3-5 times a week. Start off with 2 sets of 10 repetitions each. These exercises may include:

Lower back: Bridges are good exercises to begin with.
Abdomen: Fortunately, crunches are not the only way to go (these are good exercises, though!). Other variations are double leg lifts and planks.
Hips: Single leg lift exercise is a good start. Progress this by incorporating ankle weights.
Shoulders: Dumbbells or kettlebells are your friends.

3. Aerobic Exercises

This type of exercise mainly focuses on the cardiovascular system. Thus, it can help promote better blood circulation while improving your tolerance for prolonged physical work. If your work becomes easier for you physically, it helps you accomplish more chores without getting tired easily. You can do these exercises 4-6 times a week. Go for a minimum of 15-20 minutes and progress until you reach one hour. Aerobic exercise may include:

Walking: No, your usual walking will not normally cut it. If you’re just starting out with this entire exercise thing, you can prolong your walking time. When you get used to that, switch to brisk walking.
Running: Heck, you can even do continuous training so you can take part in marathons.
Swimming: If possible, make sure the water is a bit warm when you exercise.
Dancing: May it be video game dancing or some classic dance classes, get your groove on. Jamming with friends is highly recommended!

4. Flexibility Exercises

Most of the activities under this exercise type aim to improve the range of motion of your muscles and joints. This also helps relieve tension in different muscle groups. As a result, it reduces your stress levels. You can do these exercises 5-6 times a week. Start off with 3 repetitions with a 30-second hold of each muscle group.

Abdominal stretches: Get in a prone position. Prop your arms up and hold the position for 30 seconds. This is equivalent to one repetition.
Lower back stretches: While in a long sitting position with your back straight, stretch out your arms in front of you and reach for your toes.
Shoulder stretches: Sit up straight and place one arm behind you. Using your other hand, tilt your head to the opposite direction until you feel a stretching sensation at the side of your neck.

It’s best to perform these exercises alternatively for two good reasons: First, this can help your major muscle groups take a break while other muscles are worked out for a specific day; and, second, this will prevent boredom. The latter is more important because this will tell if you’ll be in it for the long haul. If all else fails, be accountable to someone else (i.e., trusted friend, gym buddies, close family member) so you’ll adhere to your routines more efficiently.

Boost Productivity for Your Dedicated Assistant by Setting Your Schedule Right

If you have a lot of major tasks laid out for the entire day it can really be overwhelming especially if those tasks need to be done within the day. In some instances, you may even find it hard to get started. One way to help counteract this problem is to set up a routine for you and your dedicated assistant. This routine, when carefully planned out, can provide much-needed structure. This, in turn, can lead to systematic completion of tasks without stressing you out so much. Read on to know how you can implement proper scheduling in your routine.

Determine the number of working hours.

As much as possible, allot the average number of hours that you work in a typical day for the scheduling. Include meetings and calls in your total computation. If possible, make these activities short and sweet. Going for this approach helps everyone get to the point because of the limited time. This eventually helps you save more time.

Decide on your working approach.

When you set blocks of time for the tasks, try to set them in 30-minute intervals. During this period, make sure that you will only focus on the task set out before you. After this period, allot 5 to 10 minutes for a break in between tasks. After two hours of working on a large task, take a longer break that lasts for 15 to 30 minutes. By using this technique, you can stay productive without taking a toll on your body.

A word of caution though: If you intend to approach your tasks using this technique, make sure that the time slot where you will place the task will indeed be uninterrupted. This is a technique that does not allow you to pause in between and just return when you feel like it. If you do this, it defeats the purpose of this approach.

If you are not a fan of this technique, you may also go for a 90-minute interval work period. In this approach, you will be asked to work for 90 minutes with minimal to no interruptions. After that, you may rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. The intense work session during the 90-minute duration is set at that length to ensure a good attention span. If you try to extend the working period beyond this, your productivity levels will most likely go down.

List the tasks that you need to complete for the week.

At this point, you don’t have to think about priorities and sequencing. Just go ahead and list your tasks as they occur in your mind. After listing them, place them in clusters. There isn’t a hard and fast rule on clustering. Just make sure that you group them according to how you will work on them and how urgent these tasks are. For instance, you may group them according to the nature of the tasks. E-mails and correspondence go together, meetings and phone calls can be clustered, and so on.

Block out specific times of the day for specific tasks.

Plan each day at least one day in advance and assign specific hours to certain tasks. There are two main types of time blocks.

Reactive time blocks are those that you can allocate for tasks that may be interrupted. Some tasks that may be placed under this category include spontaneous meetings and answering automated e-mails.
On the other hand, proactive blocks are used to pave way for important tasks that may not be interrupted. Some tasks under this group include creating a business model and drafting important documents.

Be accountable for the time you spend on each activity.

If you are having a hard time keeping track of the time you spend on each task, have someone else help you do this. Tell them of your intent to boost your productivity while keeping tabs of the time you are supposed to spend on each activity. You may even go as far as to report your progress to this person.

Dedicated Assistant Tip: Include personal time in the your of priorities.

Now that you have plotted your average working time for the week, the rest of the time for that week should be spent on your personal life. Unlike your working schedule, you don’t have to go for rigid structure. Just allot a personal activity for each day or block out one or two days in a week and you are good to go.

Take note that when you set up a routine, you need to be consistent with what you planned out. At the same time, you need to be ready for urgent events that may spontaneously arise during the day. Aside from the tasks that you need to complete within the day, you should not forget to incorporate some rest periods in between demanding activities. That way, you will not burn out. Remember, you are following a routine, so expect that most days are structured according to your planned schedule. In the end, your schedule might as well be an enjoyable one.

Make the Most Out of Your Vacation Through Personal Assistant Services

Traveling can help you get some much-needed fresh air and disconnect from the daily hustle. When planning for a trip, using an application alone may not cut it. A better choice is to seek the help of experts who specialize in personal assistant services. These people know their way around booking trips and taking care of similar tasks. In cases like this, enlisting the help of a virtual assistant is one of the best ways to go.

What are the benefits of getting personal assistant services for vacation planning?

While you prepare for your vacation, let your VA do the research. Some tools that you can use for planning include Google Flights and Expedia. Here are just some benefits that you may reap if you decide to get some VA help:

They can keep you updated with business matters even if you are away.
Virtual assistants can assist you with the logistics of your trip to include booking tickets, planning out the itinerary, taking care of luggage check-ins, and knowing the basic facts on how to get around not only the airport but the general vicinity.
While you are on your vacation, your VA can also help take care of your tasks.
You may also enjoy a stress-free experience after your trip.
If you are still a student and you just need to plan out your trip for an upcoming break, a VA can help you maximize your relaxation time while worrying less about how you should take care of the technical arrangements for your trip. Some of these arrangements include booking a hotel and looking for a company that offers great vacation packages without breaking the bank.

How do I get started with planning my vacation?

If possible, inform your assistant at least one month before you plan to travel for your vacation. For major events like weddings and birthdays, a notice period of 60 to 90 days is reasonable, as well. This will not only physically prepare them for the tasks but will also serve as a thoughtful gesture on how you value their time as you do yours. Spend this time discussing the tasks that need to be completed and train them, if needed.

Set some “rules” before you head off.

This will mostly revolve around how you will communicate with your VA while you are on vacation. Would you prefer purely no communication or some correspondence throughout the day? In setting up the communication rules, consider the following:

How many days do you intend to be away?
Is your itinerary filled to the brim or do you have a lot of room to take it easy?
Are you comfortable taking care of business matters while you are away?

If you intend to be away from work for more than three days, consider communicating with your VA at least once every two days. This will somehow give you a hint on how things are going and how you will deal with them for the meantime and once you get back. In case you are expecting more pressing issues to surface while you are on vacation, increase the communication to at least once per day.

Prioritize your tasks.

Do this before and during the notice period that you gave your VA. This way, the tasks will not be compromised even if you are not available.

List all of your tasks. In this context, just list the tasks that you are supposed to do during your absence. It does not even matter if you will delegate the task or not. Just jot down whatever comes to mind then take care of these during the next few steps of prioritizing.
Distinguish the urgent from the important tasks. Urgent means that the task should be done as soon as possible. On the other hand, the important tasks are those that need to be completed but can still wait. Next, you should inform your VA to complete the urgent tasks as soon as possible. For the important ones, set a due date for each task and plot them in your business calendar accordingly.
There is a chance that not everything on the list will be accomplished. In this case, sequence the tasks in the “important list” according to the due date. If you have other ways to determine which of these tasks should come first, this is the part where you can implement them.

Delegate your tasks.

Instead of checking your e-mails while you are away, you can readily delegate this task to your VA. The VA, in turn, can check your e-mails at least once a day and notify you if something urgent comes up. Otherwise, you may instruct them to just take care of the matter on your behalf.

You do not even have to allocate all the tasks to them, just the tasks that you are comfortable assigning to other people. This way, you can save more time while maintaining a certain level of productivity for your business.

Ask for notes of events that transpired while you were away.

To achieve this, ask your VA to create a database for you where you can check the details of the follow-ups and concerns that you may have missed while you are away.

In general, travel arrangements are not easy to accomplish, especially if you have little experience with tasks such as these. Aside from helping you save a lot of headaches in the process of making travel arrangements, hiring a virtual assistant to do the tasks can help you save a lot of time. In turn, you may use the extra time to take care of other tasks that you cannot readily delegate. You may also use this time to recharge or prepare for your vacation ahead.

7 Tips on How to Keep Work Off and Enjoy Days Off

Having a day off from work should mean exactly that. A day far from normal working day schedule and should be very different from other days of weekdays. Unfortunately, with persistent bad habits and technology, it has been a challenge for most people to enjoy days off from work. Numerous individuals have not mastered the art of having fun and letting go off work during these important days. From time to time, you get some days off and it is during this time that you should rejuvenate and re-energize. To others, days off seem like working days continuation due to their normal routines. However, to some, days are spoilt by calls from work to come and assist. This is your day off, the day’s routine should also change. Below are some useful tips on how to enjoy days off. You will also be enlightened o how to step in for urgent tasks during your days off without really stepping in. Here you go.

7. Keep off from normal day schedule

When it is your day off, your daily routine should change. For example, do not be up too early. This is your day to relax and if possible, take your breakfast in bed. It should be a unique day where everything is different from a normal day. If you carry out activities as usual, you will not embrace or appreciate the day. This is the day where you should refresh yourself, treat yourself and do some offbeat. You should, therefore, be creative in order to ensure that your days off are special and thoroughly enjoyed.

6. Take your time

During normal working days, everything is rushed and done in a hurry. This is to meet deadlines among other things. This is now the world of technology and information and for this reason, demands are higher. Hence, productivity requires more efficiency. This translates to workers working at faster rates than it has ever been done. If you handle tasks slowly, you become less competitive and you risk getting sacked anytime someone potential shows up for your role. This is why it is important to handle things slowly when the time allows. During your days off, do not do things the way you do them. Days off are days to be more relaxed and calm enjoying and appreciating every minute that passes. Whatever you engage in during this day, whether it is shopping or treating yourself, ensure that you take your time. Give every activity ample time to enjoy days off and the experiences that come with it.

5. Hiring a virtual assistant

Being your day off does not mean someone from work cannot call you and ask you to step in for urgent assistant. This happens almost every time simply because there are those who will view days off as wasted time. These people will, therefore, assign you duties all over sudden and they cannot wait for you to come back. They need you during those days when you are free. In such a case, should you wait for urgent tasks to go beyond deadlines and lose clients? No, this is where you step in without really stepping in. You do this by hiring a virtual assistant. Virtual personal assistants will help you to handle tasks that are light. You can later attend to what needs you when you have time to do so. They ensure that urgent tasks have been attended to prevent things from going wrong when you are on your day off. However, in this case, you only need to hire the best.

4. Plan ahead

There are those few individuals who will do things well without planning. However, majority of the people lie on the other side. Those that need to have a to- do- list in order for them to carry tasks out well and in order. If you do not have a plan, you will end up doing things randomly and at the end of the day, you will be tired, having enjoyed nothing. It will be better and more helpful to have a list of things that you will engage in in order to enjoy days off.

3. Disconnect from work

It is through the PDA’S, blackberries, internet and laptops that we keep track of our working progress. These devices help us to connect to our tasks 24/7. This is very positive when it comes to productivity. However, for a day off, they will not give you a chance to keep off and refuel your creativity and energy. It is for this reason why you should avoid anything that can bring your work closer to your day off. They are the devices that will take you to work mode when you need an off mode. Anything from your job should be shut off completely if you want to enjoy days off.

2. Treat yourself

A day off should be a rewarding day. It creates perfect time to spoil yourself. Pamper yourself a little like dining at a favorite restaurant, getting a massage, little shopping and such like things. With so doing, you will not only miss your day off, but also increase the appreciation of such a day. It does not matter what treat you do to yourself, but if you associate your days off with rewards, they will be more productive. Working is fun and you might be in love with your job, but you should be in love with your off day even more.

1. Get fresh air

Unless you work outside in nature, the time employees spend in concrete buildings is astoundingly high if it were to be calculated. During your lifetime, much of your time is spent indoors and so you do not get fresh air as you ought to or as you would love to. This is perfectly the reason why a day off should be spent outside in nature. You should not necessarily be out throughout the day, but you can take a walk to the park or ride a bicycle for some change. Exposure to nature is important as this is when you get rid of anxiety and stress. This way you get to enjoy days off since they become unique and interesting. If you do your work indoors, you should not spend a day off watching TV or in front of a computer. Make a change, you do this adequately every day of the week.

The tips above are going to help you enjoy days off. They will help you make a difference between a normal working schedule and a day off. They will bring back the art of enjoying days off like you should. Relaxing, rejuvenating, and resting will bring even more productivity to your work. Days off are not wasted they might be the most important of your working days.