Hi I'm Najah, and I'm an email addict

I have been trying to work on my time management so I started logging how much time I spend on each task. Wednesday I spent a total of 2.5 hours check email!! I couldn't believe it, that is absolutely ridiculous...I only work 6 hours a day (ideally anyway, I always go over, but I'm working on it).

I find myself being worried that I might miss something. Whether it's a consultation request, a response to an email, or a really good article; I want to get it as soon as it gets to my inbox. Like I'm afraid it'll be deleted if I don't get there soon enough.
Needless to say that is the first activity that I'm going to address. That's 12.5 hours a week, I could pick up another client!

I completely understand the importance of staying in contact with clients but I think I've gone a little overboard. So I'm try this batching technique. I am setting a time limit and specific times through out the day to check my email. A half hour first thing in the morning, another one after lunch and one more time before closing.

Today was my first day. I actually got few more tasks checked off my to do list than usual. But I thought my head was going to explode because the amount of effort it took NOT to check my email every time I thought about it (I guess it's called withdrawal), hopefully tomorrow will be easier.

OMG I think I need an EA meeting!

Be Comfortable Being Yourself

When I was researching the Virtual Assistant industry I came across tons of site telling me what task I could and could not do to be considered a true VA. While I understand wanting to create consistency especially in a field as new as ours new but some were restrictive and judgmental. "If you offer services that are not strictly administrative in nature you are not a true virtual assistant. Do I call myself a business consultant because I enjoy helping business owners create and implement plans to help their business grow, or a Web Designer since I like building websites. What it boils down to is I enjoy virtually assisting businesses reach their goals, so I am a virtual assistant. In this article, "Finding the Authentic You", Rob Wallard takes you through his journey of being himself verses what he thought people were looking for. Just be yourself and they will come.

Finding the Authentic You

When I began teaching yoga, I was determined to succeed. I thought part of success was acting and looking like a yoga instructor. While teaching, I would speak in an odd voice that I thought sounded yogic and authoritative. I imitated phrasing and anecdotes from successful teachers and passed them off as my own. I began to dress like a yoga teacher (imagine Kane from Kung-Fu!). I abandoned my old buddies and only hung out with yoga teachers. I listened to yoga music (yawn!). I attempted to transform myself into what others thought a yoga teacher should be.

Everything looked yogic on the surface. But man, was I drained! I spent tons of energy trying to be someone I was not—what I refer to as, “Image Management.”

The unhappiness and stress of trying to live disingenuously eventually forced me to revisit my assumptions and choices - and it holds valuable lessons as you try to figure out your life plan. Soon, I let go of who I thought I should be and returned to being much more of who I really am. I developed my own authentic teaching style and lifestyle based on what I valued—of course, in the process, I rediscovered my loves for punk rock, German beer and people from all walks of life!

Sure, it feels safer to mold your image so you fit in. But in personal relationships and in business, others don’t want imitations—they want the real thing. I’m not advocating that you tone back your ambition to grow, to achieve, or to have material things. On the contrary, I believe it’s perfectly healthy to want nice things, like a beautiful home or fun car. The point is to evaluate your desires carefully and be certain of what you truly value. It’s only when materialism is motivated by unhealthy or false motives that it begins to undermine your personal happiness and potentially your business success.

The Authentic You

When you’re operating from a more authentic space, great things begin to happen:

• People will trust you more and put you in positions of trust.
• Business relationships will be more fruitful and honest.
• You will cultivate a “down to earth” climate in all your interactions - which is infectious and healthy.
• With more straight shooters in your life you will save time, money, and avoid hassles.

You will find that by embracing who you really are, rather than trying to project an image, you will feel a new sense of ease and confidence. Things will flow more naturally for you. And you’ll spend your precious time and energy working towards substantive - instead of hollow - goals. Getting clear on what you really value may take some serious introspection and honesty, but as youre thinking about your own life plan it’s well worth it.

Rob Woollard teaches yoga full-time. He provides mind-body-soul coaching and shares smiles, humor and epiphanies every chance he gets.

Spoon Fed Entrepreneurship

I alway have try to read the books on the "suggested reading" list for entrepreneurs, I start reading the books , get all inspired, put the book down, and despite my all of my best intentions hardly every complete the book. I even tried to schedule some time just for reading..that lasted all of a week and a half. So far audio books have worked the best for me. Well I the other day I came across an offer in one of my newsletters to have daily installments of "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill sent to my inbox daily. How cool is that?! Instead having to make time to find a quite place (which is a feat in itself with a husband, an 8 year old and a 3 year old) and read, all I have to do is check my inbox.

Today's chapter was on desire. I picked a couple of gems that really spoke to me. Enjoy!

This poem had no title or author but it tied in perfectly with the topic of desire fueling the creation of wealth.

"I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store. .
.
 "For Life is a.just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
.
 "I worked for a menial's hire,
 Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid."


The method by which DESIRE for riches can be transmuted into its financial
equivalent, consists of six definite, practical steps, viz:

First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not
sufficient merely to say "I want plenty of money." Be definite as to the
amount. (There is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be
described in a subsequent chapter).

Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money
you desire. (There is no such reality as "something for nothing.)

Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you
desire.

Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at
once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you
intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you
intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan
through which you intend to accumulate it.

Sixth. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before
retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ --  SEE
AND FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.
It is important that you follow the instructions described in these six
steps. It is especially important that you observe, and follow the
instructions in the sixth paragraph. You may complain that it is impossible
for you to "see yourself in possession of money" before you actually have
it. Here is where a BURNING DESIRE will come to your aid. If you truly
DESIRE money so keenly that your desire is an obsession, you will have no
difficulty in convincing yourself that you will acquire it. The object is to
want money, and to become so determined to have it that you CONVINCE
yourself you will have it.

Here is great blog post by Kim Babjack. Be sure to check out the video. If you have the time take a look at a few of the other segments, they are really informative and kind of inspiring.

“Bite Me Charlotte!” Overcoming your Nay-Sayers…

Imagine yourself on the CNBC show “The Big Idea” with host Donny Deutsch saying “Bite Me Charlotte” to millions of his viewers.

Donny then fires the question, “Kim, how did you overcome your nay-sayer Charlotte to achieve great success?”

The answer starts when my family experienced a financial hardship and I needed to seek employment to get us through a rough patch. Without a formal education, I was forced to seek anything that had a paycheck.

That job came in the form of being the French fry girl at my local Mc Donald’s. After graduating up to the prestigious cashier position, my nay-sayer appeared one day. Her name was Charlotte, an old grade school mate of mine.
In school, Charlotte was the nerdy girl who wore glasses and braces. I was the cheerleader who was deemed most likely to succeed.

There I was smiling ear to ear, toting my MD visor, and armed with a shaker of salt, “Hi, I am Kim, welcome to Mc Donalds, how can I help you?” Charlotte recognized me immediately and nestled her hands on her hips, cocked her head back, and snarled to me “I thought you would be the successful one, not flipping burgers for the rest of your life.” Chuckling as she walked away.

WOW! I stumbled around for something cleaver and sophisticated to say to her, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders and lower my head in humiliation. Was I really such a looser that all I was worth was flipping burgers?

Now, let me tell you, that is not me. I am very strong and opinionated. I am a confident, overly sassy sister who was brought down to my knees by a few insensitive words.

It was not that Charlotte said anything that knocked the wind out of my lungs; it was what she did say that made me doubt my worthiness. I rationalized that she must be right; I must have not amounted to much because who is standing behind this counter serving fries.

I felt small and ashamed of whom I was; and that geeky girl made me feel worthless.

I did not realize it then, but I was about to embark on a life changing decision to start my own business. I did not ever want to encounter that humiliating feeling again.

To add insult to injury, later that day my supervisor proceeded to pinch me in the arm so hard that she lift a big black bruise and all because I was talking too long to a customer. Boy, a double whammy in one day! It was too much for me to take. I knew then and there that I deserved more out of life than what I was getting.

Looking back now, I was the problem, not Charlotte. I allowed someone to make me question my own worthiness. In retrospect, Charlotte did me a huge favor that day. She made me realize that I was put on this earth for greater things.

Charlotte put that flame under me to seek out my true potential and not settle for a paycheck for serving fries. So, for this I thank my Charlotte, and so should you thank the ‘Charlottes’ in your life. Be grateful that your fire is now ignited.

Who is your Charlotte?

Have you experienced someone telling you that you cannot start and run a business successfully? Or the product idea you want to bring to market, will never amount to much?

Let me tell you, those words can stun someone right into a daze and make them retreat from taking themselves serious. My story of overcoming and beating my Charlotte is not unique, nor unbelievable. It happens all the time and you must learn to tune your negative influences out.

You must find the strength, courage and relationships that will support you and help you move forward.

The roughest part of dealing with negative influences in your aspirations of becoming self sufficient, emotionally and financially, usually come from within your own family or inner-circle of friends.

You know your mother or best friend that tells you that your idea is silly and that you cannot make a product that people will buy. Most of time your close allies do not even know they are being nay-sayers, for in their minds they are only trying to protect you and shield you from any kind of failure.

These nay-sayers should be dealt with diplomatically, lovingly but firmly.

They need to understand your dreams and that you need their support, not negativity. Tell them you love them very much, but your passionate about your idea and will do whatever it takes to achieve success.

After a while, you will most likely change their way of thinking by showing consistency in your convictions and determination.

Then there are the Charlottes! These are the people that really do not want you to succeed. They feel some sense of superiority over you, and they are threatened by the prospect that you would try and could accomplish your dreams.

They will try and interfere, at any cost. They are the ones most likely to end a long term frienship with you because of their own insecurities.

To those nay-sayers, it is OK to say “Bite Me”….. Charlotte!

Always DREAM BIG!

Kim B.

Insane Summer

So far, this summer has been crazy! I have so many great things going on; I have been really getting out and networking, spending lots of time with my family, find our first home (and hope the bank accepts our offer), working and getting ready for an interesting year as the PTA President, I am completely exhausted. Which is kind of ironic, seeing as last week at my Coffee and Contacts meeting I gave a really good (if I do say so myself) presentation on time management.

Now I finally have a week or two of down time. Well not really down time, time to get myself back together. I have all of these great new branding ideas that I am finally ready to put out there. I have some new content for my site (Thanks Ina!), a new feel for my website and a new logo, now it's time to put it all together.

BTW check out my most recent work:
www.get-refreshed.net