Someone recently asked me if there were any specific habits that I’ve developed that have been helpful in my VA journey. The answer to that is a big, fat, YES! Are you ready to hear about the ONE habit that has driven my business success as a Virtual Assistant?
The Habit
When I was in the very early stages of building my business and booking clients, I began the ritual of handwriting a to-do list every night. I would list everything I needed to get done the following day, and developed my own little system of starring and underlining items that I needed to prioritize and even writing down the time of day that I wanted to accomplish these tasks.
Even if it was midnight when I climbed into bed, I would grab my notebook and make my list. Every single night, for more than a year now, I’ve religiously made my to-do list. There is a cascade of actions that I have taken (and not taken!) that have taken me from stay-at-home-mom to full-time-entrepreneur, but I can honestly say this might be the most important action I’ve taken.
Author and entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” If you plan to rely solely on the high of that ‘new business smell’ – you’re setting yourself up for failure. Motivation fades. What’s going to keep you in the game when you have a hard day?
Why It Works
I keep lists everywhere. Email lists, Trello lists, goal lists, long-term goal lists, lead lists, content lists – my Google Drive is loaded with detailed lists for practically every client and project I’m working on. So why does this little handwritten list matter? How has it been so critical to my success?
The Brain Connection
I’m about to get all science-y on you for a minute. When you write something by hand, it activates a group of cells in our brain called the reticular activating system (RAS). Fancy, right? And guess what the RAS does? It’s our brain’s natural prioritization system. When we write something by hand, we tell our brain that this is something important and it needs to pay attention. In other words, if you write something down, instead of typing it on your phone or computer, you’re not only more likely to remember it, you’re also more likely to do it. Totally amazing.
Prioritization
Speaking of prioritizing, this list is one of the first things I look at when I start my work day each morning. Because I took a few minutes to write down all the most important tasks, I know exactly where to begin each day. Writing my list at the end of the day (instead of in the morning) allows me to reflect on my day while it’s still fresh and identify the “must-do’s” for the following day.
Intentionality
I’m not going to lie. There are mornings that I wake up and I’d rather just…not. I’d rather not have a business, I’d rather not deal with clients, I’d rather not locate breakfast for three hungry tiny humans.
I certainly don’t always pop out of bed every morning with energy and excitement. This business has been built on purpose. With intention.
My list is my lifeline on those mornings when everything that can go wrong – does. It’s also a great tool when life happens and you have to quickly determine what you can get done with the little bit of time you have. Without my list, I’d be way more likely to spend an hour lost on social media before I do anything productive. My list forces me to acknowledge the work that needs to be done and to be intentional about accomplishing each task.
Make it Work for You
If you’re interested in harnessing the power of “the list”, here are a few practical tips to get you started:
Start with 3-5 tasks. Don’t make them too involved. “Finish my website” would be much too broad. Something like “Choose a hosting service for my website and register my domain” is a much better item. It can also be as small as “Reply to Client X”.
Give yourself a “gimme”. Always write down something that you probably would have done anyway, even if it wasn’t on the list. Bam! Something you can easily cross off and start your day with a win.
Rewrite uncompleted tasks. This isn’t about beating yourself up for things that don’t get done. It’s about reminding yourself (and your brain!) that this task is still important and is still on the agenda. If it’s something that you keep leaving uncompleted, consider breaking it down into even smaller micro-actions. If “Choose a hosting service for my website and register my domain” feels too big, how about “Research hosting services”?
Make it non-negotiable. Every night. Every single night. On the weekends, even if you don’t have work scheduled, you can keep the habit alive by listing household errands or chores that will make your weekdays run more smoothly.
Are You Up For the Challenge?
Habit-building can be difficult. It requires willpower, motivation and grit. But it’s worth it. Like creating a new path through a forest, each pass you make through new territory will become easier and easier. Before you know it, your new habit will feel like putting on a comfy sweater. Easy, familiar and satisfying.
