Live Your Best Life Now.
Sep 23, 2024Many of my friends are starting to talk about retirement. Since I’m 63, that makes sense.
But I find it interesting that many of them can’t wait to stop working. When they talk to me about it, I sense they’ve been looking forward to this next phase of life for a long time.
Retirement is not something I think about or long for, so I started wondering why my friends have such different relationships with their careers. And that’s when it dawned on me that the friends talking about retirement have jobs.
When I listened to them more closely, I realized what they look forward to in retirement is control of their days and how they spend their time. Lucky me, as a Virtual Assistant, I don’t have to wait until retirement to fill my days with activities I choose and enjoy; I get to do that every day of the week.
If you’re thinking about diving into being a Virtual Assistant or ready to take your VA Career to the next level, here are some tips to speed up your success:
- Jump in with both feet. Many new Virtual Assistants start by dabbling. That’s ok for a short period, but sustained dabbling causes burnout and disappointment. It feels like starting, stopping, starting, stopping instead of reaping the benefits of business ownership, like making good money and feeling satisfied when working steadily with clients.
It doesn’t matter if you want to be a part-time or a full-time VA; dabbling is all about mindset, not time investment.
- Ask good questions. Questions are a powerful tool in life for getting the answers that will help you ask questions that will lead you down the right path. For example:
“How will I make this work?” vs. “Can I make this work?”
The first question gets you into action. The second keeps you stuck.
- Be careful who you confide in. While I want you to tell everyone about your new Virtual Assistant business, I don’t want you to seek their approval.
When I started my VA business in 2010, my friends and family thought it was a terrible idea. They believed I couldn’t replace my corporate salary and have the time flexibility I wanted. They were wrong. Listen to someone with the success you want, not opinion-filled, well-meaning, Monday-morning quarterbacks.
I thank my lucky stars for choosing this path in 2010. I love being a Virtual Assistant.
And the best part? I didn’t have to wait until “retirement” to enjoy my life. I’m living it fully right now. Each day, I wake up with the freedom to design my schedule, choose the clients I work with, and focus on projects that light me up.
It’s the kind of life many of my friends dream of having “someday” — but it’s available to you right now as a Virtual Assistant.
So, why wait? If you’re ready to take control of your time, career, and future, becoming a VA could be the answer. Because the life you want isn’t something you have to retire to – it’s something you can create right now.