June O'Neal's Diary

I'm June O'Neal, a virtual assistant living in Georgia. Here's my diary of experiences with the VTP and AssistU while I was in training. At the end is an update on my experiences since graduation. Enjoy!

:: Early March, '02 ::

Today I find myself poised in the middle of my own life. I am both reflective and hopeful at the moment. I look back one month ago and remember the joy and excitement I felt when I received that wonderful email from Beverly Jones telling me I had been accepted into the VTP. I felt such a rush. Such a sense of pride and accomplishment. I worked my fanny off through the thorough application process and sat on pins and needles as I awaited word; then the email arrived. Finally the wait was over. My prayers had been answered. I had been given the opportunity to pursue my dream and change my life forever.

What to do now? Class doesn't begin for another month. What do I do with all this giddiness and pent up energy?

I know. I'll get my home and myself organized.

It just makes sense that in order to succeed, I need to succeed in getting things in order. I love making lists. I'll begin by making a master list of large tasks that should be done, and then I'll break them down in to smaller "bites." I'll go through the list and systematically eliminate any organizational barriers that might get in my way. That's it! What a plan!

Okay. I'm organized. Probably more organized than I've ever been at home. My office is spotless. The rest of the house is spotless. Well, at least for a couple more hours until the kids get home. Even my toilets are spotless. Now that's saying something! Okay, my physical environment is orderly. Maybe I should take a look at my inner-environment and make sure I've got the right mindset for what's ahead of me.

I started my morning by making a list of all the things I wanted in my life. Then I made a list of what's keeping me from those things. Then I paired down the list to my most essential “can't-live-withouts” and have a good idea of what my focus should be. I even started a “Dreams” scrapbook and cut out a few pictures and sayings from old magazines that depict what I'm going for here. That should be a fun thing to work on for a while.

Whoo-hoo! Tomorrow's the big day. Orientation begins at 10:30 a.m. I have read and re-read the Virtual Training Manual. I've made a list of questions I want to make sure I ask during our time together. There's nothing more to do in preparation. It's 12:30 a.m. and if I don't get some sleep, I won't be at my best.

But how's a person supposed to sleep the night before the day her life changes for the better? ;-)

Finally!

Wow! It's here! I'm finally doing this. Really, really doing this. No thinking about maybe possibly someday getting around to thinking about doing this, but actually DOING this!

Today's Orientation class went really well. Stacy is this wise, witty, wonderful person who seems to believe in my ability to participate and succeed in the VTP even though my ability to believe in myself seems to sway to and fro lately.

Our hour and a half together was spent reviewing the Orientation material from the manual. We also discussed that the format in which I was doing the VTP (one-on-one with Stacy) meant that we could be flexible about the dates and times of classes, and reschedule if either of us had something urgent happen in our lives. I love the freedom that gives me. Stacy also gave me some great ideas and additional information that will be useful throughout the VTP. I was excited to receive the name of my alumni buddy and my user name and password that would give me access to the private area of the AssistU website (that has proven to be a virtual treasure trove of information).

After class, I spent some time “trying on” some of the technologies Stacy suggested. I was happy with the way things went today and look forward to next week. One week down, 19 to go! :->

I'm a little more tired than usual as I write this.  It's not that I had too much to accomplish for training this week; it's just that… well…  It's strange actually.  It seems that I get these sudden bouts of narcolepsy just as I settle down to do some intensive reading or TPOP (Thought Planning on Paper -- something I do for myself when my mind goes all non-linear on me. TPOP helps me keep focused on my short-term goals.  Anyway, I digress…).

I know what it is.  I've read too many self-improvement books not to recognize it for what it is.  It's fear and self-doubt sneaking up on me.  I 'm changing my mind and my life and the “old me” doesn't like it one bit. So to dissuade me, the “old me” says I need to go take a nap and forget about all this cerebral stuff.  But you want to know what's interesting? The “new me” is getting a voice.  I notice her getting stronger and louder and more self-confident little by little each day.  The “new me” is starting to get tough and tell the “old me” to take a hike.

And the “new me” wants to tell you about Class 1 with Stacy.  Put simply, it was a *blast*!  Now let me admit that starting with the basics sounded, well, boring to me at first.  Remember when your mom warned you against jumping to conclusions/judging a book by its cover/never wearing red lipstick with a pink blouse…  Oh, sorry.

Now here's my point.  I thought I'd pretty much figured out the definition of a VA and understood this thing about “partnering”.

I found out quickly I have much to learn.

There are so many levels to this Virtual Assistance field that I'd given no credence to.  Stacy even told me today that *I* was completely within my rights (and even expected) to set standards and boundaries for myself and my practice like business hours for example.  Funny.  The thought of having the right no, the power to do something like that never occurred to me. I thought I needed to be a the beck and call of my clients and work *whenever* they needed me.  Ha!  Not any more!  How unbelievably liberating!

See?  It's those little bits of information I glean while working with Stacy that strengthen the “new me” a little every day.  My traditional mindset has been set on its ear and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Here's to next week!

It's a few days after class and I'm having a hard time putting my enthusiasm into words.  I've actually started this entry over several times, not feeling like I've captured the “spirit” of what I want to say this week. Having no success in coming up with poignant prose I'm pleased to have produced, I decided to just shoot straight from the hip.  Here goes…

I've been struggling with feeling down and out for the past several weeks. Everything got me down from memories of the job I loved and was laid off from, to the ever-present question of “what the hell am I doing with my life?”  Starting this program went a long way in filling some of my idle time (and thoughts), so I'm not spending as much time “downing” myself.  But still - I was still feeling rather blue.

During my training with Stacy last week, I suddenly started to feel differently.  I can't put a “word” on it, but something sort of “clicked”. We were covering several different topics during our conversation and really covering some ground I'd been interested in finding out more about.  Several times, Stacy mentioned that my life would be very different in a few weeks than it is now.  Just the utterance of those encouraging words ignited something inside me.  Something inside me began to glow.  The warmth spread over me and filled me with a renewed sense of confidence and pride in my ability to succeed.  I trust Stacy.  If she said so, I'll take a step out of faith and believe her completely.

The rest of our time together we covered some important start up issues as well as the importance of support teams and coaching.  She was explaining these options I had available to me that just sounded too good to be true. But I trust her implicitly and feel secure in the fact that she knows her stuff.  In this case, if it sounds too good to be true, it really, really is true!  It's just hard to wrap my mind around it at the moment.

After our conversation, I was on a high I hadn't felt in a long, long time. I worked on my assignments.  I made some important (yet scary) phone calls. I felt empowered!  I thought for sure this euphoria would wear off as soon as my house filled back up with family at the end of the day.  To my surprise, it didn't.  There was a bounce in my step as I worked in the kitchen preparing dinner that night.  My whole evening routine ran more smoothly and I found myself filled with profound appreciation for all the little things I've been blessed with.  When my head hit the pillow that night, I fell asleep peacefully, recounting the first really, really great day I'd had in a long time.

Strangely, I woke up a little earlier than usual the next morning and without an alarm clock jarring me back into consciousness!  I puttered around the house for a while before needing to wake the kids.  I was filled with a newfound sense of peace.  I was calm and felt in control.  Ready to take on the day and make it a great one.  But why?

I dunno'.  I just went with it!

Our morning routine is usually one of a lot of frantic running around and last minute “Mom, I need you to read this and then sign it” kind of stuff. Not this morning.  My inner peace seemed to extend to my kids.  Even my husband was a little less harried than usual.  Once everyone was out of the house, I just sat there and drank in the wonder of it all.  I am finding my direction.  My purpose.  And I'm confident I can be successful with the right set of tools.  That's why this program is so important to me.  To my success.  To my life.  The VTP is my roadmap to success.  It's up to me to follow the directions correctly.  Knowing Stacy is there to keep me on track is a wonderful assurance.  I'm beginning to feel what it's like to really, really be in control of my life.  To take the lead in its direction rather than react to it.  And I like it.  A lot!

It's almost been two weeks since my last class.  Stacy has been out of town and I've been left to my own devices.  I began to feel a lot of negative energy and guilt every time I sat down in my office to “work” or study.  I've been so consumed the past few weeks with concentrating on my studies and really absorbing the material in the VTP that I've let myself drift away from being the kind of mother and wife I want to be.

Part of this week's class material is about setting standards and boundaries for my practice (and my *life*).  I started to reflect on my values and the things on my Absolute YES! list and found I hadn't been honoring the most important people in my life as I want to lately.  So I made a decision to take as much time as felt “right” and do nothing work-related until I could come back in my office sans guilt.  I used the time to do some really great end-of-school-year and Memorial Day holiday activities with the folks who are the reason I breathe my family.

I sit here now, in my quiet office long after everyone has gone to bed, and I can honestly say I feel lighter.  Freer.  More committed than ever and re-focused on the reasons I wanted to become a Virtual Assistant.  I feel like things are back on track and I'm ready to roll.

Getting back to class with Stacy was the shot in the arm I needed. I was excited to discuss the remaining material for Class Modules 4 & 5.  The concepts discussed and the information provided were perfectly in line with what I needed clarification on.

I love words like attraction, abundance, capacity.  I'm chomping at the bit for more.

Through the VTP, I'm crafting this new workstyle/lifestyle that I can't wait to try on.  It's like making the perfect little black dress that's tailored just for you and makes you look fabulous.  You choose the fabric and the style that suits your personality and needs, then tuck and hem it so it fits you like a glove.  That's what I feel like I'm doing now.  I'm creating the framework for a career that fits me perfectly.  One that is perfectly tailored just for me - not some off-the-rack dress that is mass-produced and made to approximately fit the masses.

My dreams are finding their footing.  It's hard to believe.

This week's class was exceedingly helpful and enlightening.  Stacy and I discussed some real “nuts and bolts” issues around my VA practice.

eFax:  Stacy explained the value in signing up for this *free* service in which I am able to receive incoming faxes while speaking on my dedicated business line.  This eliminates my need for a second dedicated home office line to leave open to receive faxes.  I marvel and the neat tools available via the Internet and the way they can be incorporated into my practice to help me become more efficient for my clients!  I signed up immediately.

Although I don't have the need *yet*, Stacy and I discussed the services offered by 800voicemail.net.  I have bookmarked this great site as a VA resource and know where to find it should such a service become necessary (and I hope I become so busy that it DOES!).

We also discussed some of my fieldwork assignments from the previous class.  One thing we talked about was my list of things I love to do vs. things I will do vs. things I hate to do.  Stacy gave me some great advice about the latter of these topics.  She told me an effective VA should be a one-stop-shop for her clients so when people come to me with things I can't or don't want to do, I can refer them to someone who does.  I should figure out how to get that sort of thing done for them instead of crying, “I'm sorry, I just don't do that.”  I plan to take the list of things I hate to do and the things that don't jazz me and find alternative contacts so that these things can get done seamlessly for my clients without me actually having to do them!

We talked about Welcome Packets and signed Agreements.  At first, I was all for the Welcome Packet, but not so sure I would include a client contract/agreement.  Boy did Stacy turn my thinking around on that one!  I am so glad to have her guiding me through the creation of my practice.  Her practical, real-world advice is invaluable!

A really great topic we discussed was around client trust.  That is, that it normally takes about 30 days for a new client to really trust their VA.  Trust is one of the most important issues in client relations because building the partnership is fundamentally based on it.  I have a new perspective on the value and importance of the VA-Client trust concept.

Our discussion on invoicing went a long way in fortifying my belief that my current way of doing it is okay.  It is efficient and it works for me.  Hooray!  I'm feeling more competent/confident already!

We discussed at length the advantages and disadvantages of Retainers vs. PAYG.  Because my VA practice will be based on ongoing partnerships with my clients, I see the real value in retainers.  I have a clear understanding of how the two fee structures are engaged and billed and can now employ either of them as necessary.  I was a little confused about retainers before this class.  No more!  Also discussed were problematic issues around setting, maintaining and raising fees.  I now feel like I have a good understanding around the strategy of pricing my services and can manage and/or change them effectively.  And the best phrase Stacy uttered during the discussion of this topic?  “You DESERVE to get paid.”  What a confidence booster!

Also discussed were several payment methods that help speed up and streamline the payment process.  One very interesting resource: PracticePaySolutions.com

After class, I was left with the feeling that AssistU is not only nurturing the spiritual and emotional aspects of my new career as a VA, but also providing invaluable, practical advice on the day-to-day running of my business.  I cannot believe the wonderful things I have already learned.  I'm chomping at the bit for more!

I didn't feel as good as I had hoped last Friday, so I had to postpone our already-postponed class.  This week, it's Stacy who's out of town traveling, so she's kindly agreed to pick up when she returns (the first week of July).  It's hard to believe our last class was June 4th!  It's been such a long time and I'm worried I'm not making fast enough progress toward my goal of officially launching my practice in September.  I can only hope I've got enough sense to slow down and simply put one foot in front of the other and order my steps.  I always rush toward and into everything that excites me.  And the results are disastrous most of the time.  That's why I really want to pace myself here and do it the way it's supposed to be done. The thing that really worries me right now is that my unemployment checks will be ending in September and then it's like I've REALLY been cut adrift.  I've felt a little more secure knowing those checks are coming in every week.  I don't know what I'm supposed to do come September when they stop and I don't have any work coming in.  That's a concern that kind of looms out there on the horizon and worries me constantly on a sub-conscious level.  The closer we get to September, the more it's going to invade my consciousness and eat at me even more.  I wish there was a fast and easy way to procure wonderful clients and just get to work.  Alas, I suppose that's the price you pay for being in business for yourself and having the option of freedom.  Uncertainty is evidently the price you pay for such luxuries.

This week's class was somewhat short, but certainly direct.  Stacy and I discussed the importance of succinctly describing your business and the importance of developing and *perfecting* your “elevator speech”.  I was intimidated at first when I realized what the next class was going to be about.  I was actually intimidated right up until the time of our phone call.  But as usual, Stacy put me at ease with the subject matter and by the end of class, I actually was *looking forward* to developing my own “elevator  speech”.  But that will come later.  For the time being, I'm to memorize the two speeches provided in my training manual.  They're really quite good and I found it easier than expected to get them down pat after only a couple days of practice.

As a matter of fact, I had a few great opportunities to practice them the day after class.  It was July 4th and I attended a huge Independence Day gala thrown by the firm in which my mother-in-law works.  There were lots and lots of introductions being thrown around and the several times I was asked, “What do you do?” I was able to form some semblance of an answer using the “memorized” version I had been practicing.  I can see where it's important to be able to “spit out” a speech-like version of your job description.

You just never know when you'll be talking to a potential lead or client!

Oh…
…my…
…Goodness!!!

You are *not* going to believe the events of this past week!  Even though Stacy and I weren't able to have class this week, I was “put to the test” nonetheless!

I woke up Thursday morning as my phone rand and rang in the other room (I hate waking up to a ringing telephone, don't you?).  It was my mother calling to tell me she had a lead on a “real job” (her phrase, not mine.).  She gave me the details in rushed tones and wanted to get off the phone quickly because “she's going to call you in a few minutes to set up a time to talk with you.  You know.  An interview.  Isn't this great?!”

Yeah.  Just peachy, Mom.

I won't bore you with the details of what the position actually was, or the way I justified in my mind being pushed around by my loved ones enough to bite and go speak with the interested party.  All you should know about the whole ugly situation is that my resolve…  my fortitude…  my conviction and commitment to living MY authentic life were all tested in the span of 48 hours.

And I came out a CHAMPION!

You see, hindsight being what it is, I've replayed the whole ugly scenario over and over in my mind a thousand times over the last few days.  Now that it's all over, I'm wondering how in the hell I got so wound-up, worked up and stressed out.  Actually, I've realized why.  I'll tell you why.  Because for a moment in time, I let what *the others* in my life think I should be doing drown out my own resolve and take over.  Thank God the insanity was only temporary.

In my heart, I know what I want and need to do to live my *best life*.  I know I'm on the right path and that God put me here himself amongst Stacy and AssistU because even *He* thinks this VA stuff is a good fit for me.  So what happened?  Why did I allow myself to be so swept away by *the others*?

Maybe I wavered for a moment because I still go on autopilot when my mom (or dad) asks (tells) me to do something.  I've been so used to trying to please others my whole life that when she called me that morning, so excited she'd found me a “real job opportunity”, I automatically did what the collective *they* wanted me to do.  I caved.  I went.  I “interviewed”.

Maybe the lure of something “steady” in my life was just too much of a lure to ignore.  I stay worried all the time now.  I worry if I'll get any clients at all, much less *ideal clients* once I've finished the program.  Maybe the prospect of steady money and a sure thing tempted me because I don't have any of that now.

I dunno'.

What I do know is that after hours and hours of praying and meditating and talking to my husband (who surprisingly came through for me here), I realized that all the while I really knew I didn't want the “job” I was offered.  I know what I want and I'm sticking to it. I'm going to be a VA, dammit.  A good one.  And for one of the few times in my life, I put my wants and needs and ideas ahead of *the others*.  I turned “the job” down.

God, I hope I didn't make a mistake.

No.  No.  That doesn't feel right to me.

God, I *know* I didn't make a mistake.  Please help *the others* realize that, too.

Things have kind of gotten off-track with me over the past few weeks.  I think it has as much to do with the summer heat as it does the dramatic change in routine ever since the kids got out of school.  Even after going to the beach for a blissful week's vacation, I can't shake these feelings.  I'm just overwhelmed.  I go from feeling slow and sluggish and uninterested in anything to being fidgety and manic about the various projects all half-done around me.  It was getting really out of hand, so I decided to do something about it.  I buckled down.

In the last week, I've made private journaling, meditation, prayer, and creative visualization priorities in my life.  Somehow, getting my swirling thoughts down on paper and taking the time to just relax, reflect, and breathe are all helping me gain back my footing and putting me back on an even keel.

I've re-focused my expectations of and commitment to the VTP.  I now realize I've been too focused on worrying about the future and all the uncertain variables awaiting me as I try to get my practice off the ground upon graduation.  I had lost sight of the fact that focusing on the “now” part of my life should be my priority at the moment.

I've got a lot to do, understand, soak in, review, and study in the weeks ahead.  The positive effort and energy I expend in the “now” will come back to me in equal measure upon graduation from the VTP. Conversely, not doing the work will create equal measures of confusion and frustration.  I am feeling the importance of focus and commitment more than ever before.

Creative, “right-brained” types like myself tend to get sidetracked a lot easier than my levelheaded, linear-thinking “left-brained” counterparts.  Every now and then, my thoughts, actions and/or energies start spinning a bit out of control and it's up to me and only me to recognize this before things get unmanageable.  I feel really good about how much easier it is these days for me to recognize self-defeating behaviors and stop them before they've wreaked too much havoc in my life.  I never really focused this much on myself before embracing the extreme self-care principles I've learned thus far in the VTP.  I don't feel the least bit guilty anymore about putting myself first.  I am forever changed by this.

Attraction is looking pretty darned attractive!

This week's discussion was about the Attraction principle as perceived by Thomas J. Leonard.  Mr. Leonard?  You're a GENIUS!

Stacy has employed this principle in the VTP curriculum, as well as her entire business.  I admire and am grateful for that in immeasurable ways!  I would venture to guess she uses these concepts in her personal life as well.  I know I'm going to. Starting immediately!

This attraction thing is so huge and meaningful to me!  It means more to me than any other single “school of thought” I've studied about human behavior and “self-improvement” over the past decade.  I cannot believe I'm just discovering this material now.  I wonder how different my life would have been had I gotten my mind around this stuff years ago.  But I now believe I probably wasn't ready for this “years ago”.  This way of perceiving myself and my relationship to the world around me has found me at the perfect time in my life.  I don't believe in “mistakes” or “chance” anymore.  I believe in attraction and synchronicity and wonderful things like that!  :o)

I believe it was author Caroline Myss that said something to the effect of, “You are exactly where you are supposed to be right now in this very minute of your life.  All of your experiences and choices have put you right here.  You are supposed to be here, feeling what you feel and experiencing what you are experiencing.” Hearing that on the Oprah Winfrey show profoundly affected me. Shook me to the core.

So has Thomas J. Leonard.

I loved the Attraction material I was reading in my VTP manual so much that I rushed to the library to see if I could put my hands on the book by Mr. Leonard that outlines this stuff in greater detail. It was there!  I couldn't believe it.  My small public library RARELY has any of the books I want or need.  It was “meant to be”. I knew I didn't have the money to buy the book in a bookstore, and viola!  It was there on the shelf of the library just waiting for me!

I deeply believe in the principles and theories behind the theory of attraction.  I will tell you that at first and second glance, I still don't fully understand every principle or every nuance of every principle, but I am going to be a faithful learner until I am able to fully integrate all of them into my life.

One principle that had me a little perplexed was about “unhooking myself from the future”.  I find it difficult at the moment to find words that adequately described the JOLT I got from a discussion about this with Stacy.  You see, at first, I didn't quite “get” what that meant.  Was I not supposed to have dreams, goals, desires, or visions?  Stacy helped me understand that I should quit looking so far forward and living in the future.  I should instead focus on the “now” and take positive, effectual steps in my present that will automatically PULL a great future toward me.  That's huge!  HUGE!!!!

In that one phone call last week, I realized that I have been doing many, many things the hard way!  I have been so caught up in planning and speculating on my future, but haven't understood the importance of NOW; that what I do NOW directly affects the future. Right now, I am concentrating so hard on changing those ineffectual patterns of the past.  This week has been PROFOUND for me.  I'm forever grateful.

Can you tell I'm excited?  :o)

I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things are getting serious.

Stacy and I spent this week's class time discussing marketing *attractively*.  I am more at ease with the whole marketing thing after learning about all the different ways to market my practice without coming off like a used car salesman, but there's still a problem.

I'm scared to death.

You see, we're nearing the end of the VTP.  There are only a handful of classes to go.  I've been so safe and comfortable in my “learning mode” for the past few months.  Now I'm realizing that the “real world” is out there waiting for me.  I'm going to have to face it sooner rather than later.

It's not that I don't already feel well equipped.  I do.  It's just that before long, I'm going to have to go out there and show 'em my stuff.  Never before have I wanted something so badly as I want to make a success of this.  Fear and resistance start to creep up on me every time I start thinking about “life after the VTP”. What if I don't get any clients?  What if I get clients I hate? What if I fall flat on my face in front of my family and friends after all these months of studying and learning?  What then? Will I be relegated back to the ranks of those poor working moms that commute an hour each way to earn only a sub-standard salary from a company that doesn't appreciate (much less encourage) their talents?

God!  Please!  No!

That thought panics me.  I (now) value my freedom far too much to be able to stomach that or any other similar scenario.  What am I going to do?!

Breathe.

Focus.

Stay in the present moment.  Perfect it.

Remember what I've learned.  Apply it.

Remind myself of where I was *before* I embarked on this journey and be proud of the person emerging now.

So, maybe everything *is* going to be all right.  I *feel* it in that place inside myself that knows.

Marketing made easy(ish).

Stacy and I have been discussing marketing techniques for the past couple weeks.  At first, the whole subject intimidated me and made me want to run!  Once again, marketing the AssistU way is far easier and far more attractive then methods I'd researched before.  I'm even strangely excited about implementing all the techniques I've learned because I'm just dying to find out which ones will be most effective and rewarding!  Oh, I'm still scared. Plenty scared.  But my studies have shown me ways to market myself that will compliment who I am and what I stand for.  I just can't say enough about how important that is to me.

Now that we're on the downhill side of training, I'm amazed at how the groundwork we laid at the beginning of the VTP has built such a great foundation for the remainder of my training.  I feel stronger as a person and more confident about my abilities to make this VA thing work.  I find it hard to put into words the impact this training has had on both my skills and my psyche.  No one should try to do something like this alone.  No one.  There is an immeasurable importance in finding someone you trust and admire to hold your hand and lead you through the maze to the start of your practice.

I look back several years ago to the time I attempted to start a home based secretarial service from my home office and am mortified at the mistakes I made then, yet thankful things didn't work out.  Yes, thankful.  Had I somehow managed to get that business off the ground, there's no way I'd be working with Ideal Clients or honoring myself with Extreme Self Care or learning and embracing Attraction Principles.  God works in great and mysterious ways, doesn't he?

How do I feel right now?  Strange is the only all-encompassing adjective I can come up with that attempts to cover *all* of what I am feeling now.  I am scared.  The VTP is drawing to an end and I'm no longer going to be safely in the midst of training where I can stave off my family's' genuine concerns of what I'm doing with my time.  It's been easy these past few months because everyone has seen me busy studying and "doing" something constructive with my daytime hours.  I've had tasks to complete and research to do and things to respond to.  Very shortly, I will be “cut loose” and will have to create my won tasks while trying to fill my practice.

There's also a strange sense of sadness over the loss of the person I *was*.  Don't get me wrong I feel stronger on the inside now than I have in years.  But the "old June" is gone and dealing with the “new June” takes a *lot* of energy.  I like her I'm just not used to her yet.

I'm also excited beyond measure at all the possibilities and experiences that lie ahead.  I'm finding myself chomping at the bit to be the fully engaged VA that I envision for myself.

Some days, I get really down and that negative self-talk just takes over and I hear myself thinking, "Are you crazy?  You're not disciplined enough to pull this off.  You need structure and routine and accountability.  Go get a *real* job!"  But all I have to do is close my eyes and imagine myself back in "that place" and I quickly realize that's not where I'm supposed to be.

It's been a little over 4 months since graduation from the VTP. As I sit in my office completing tasks for my clients (yes, that's client-s-!!! More about that in a minute) each day, I never fail to find myself reflecting back on my training with AssistU. I rely on my training in some way *each* day and can not describe the enormous value of being connected to the AssistU VA community. In the spirit of grace and generosity (that *is* AssistU, as it *is* Stacy Brice, herself), VAs support each other by sharing advice and answers to questions posed to the group on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure I could not do what I do without that resource. AssistU has provided me all the tools I need to go out into the world, do what I do best, help my clients achieve *their* dreams, and do it all in my own home office. How my life has changed in just one year!

Earlier I mentioned that I have clients (plural) as in more than one. That amazes me more than it probably does anyone else. But I'll tell you honestly - my biggest fear when stepping out in faith and committing myself to the VTP, was that at the end of all this training, the clients would not come. During the VTP we covered a topic that has profoundly affected the way I look at life. It is the concept of Abundance that has set me free from fear. I no longer operate from “that place” of scarcity. I have embraced the concepts of Abundance and Attraction. That, coupled with a strong Christian faith, has seen me through the scary parts into this world of work that leaves me in awe at the end of each and every workday.

When I was nearing the end of my training, and my official “start” date for my new VA practice was looming closer and closer, I would get reeeeeally nervous. Did I seriously think *I* had the stuff it would take to do this and be a successful Virtual Assistant? I had heard that once you get that first client, the rest of them just seem to come when they're *supposed* to - as long as you're doing what *you* need to do to market yourself, your talents, and your VA practice. I accepted this as fact, put one foot in front of the other, and right before my eyes, my practice started taking shape (and taking off!)! I followed the extensive marketing advice and procedures offered in the VTP. I focused on what I wanted my practice to be/look like and then I went out and looked for folks that fit my Ideal Client Profile. But what really happened was something far more powerful and serendipitous. My clients and I found each other! When you equip yourself with the right tools, get in the *right state of mind*, and believe in yourself and what you're doing - MAGIC happens. And when I think about all the mistakes I would have made had I *not* gone through AssistU's Virtual Training Program, it baffles my mind!!

Since graduation, I have been asked many times if it was "worth it." "Are you kidding?" I reply. "I can't imagine I'd ever be this close to achieving my goals without my training from AssistU!"