Last week’s post on productivity brought a question from Silvana, who said:
I’m a new VA and I just experienced losing my only client. I now have nothing to be productive for, and I know that’s mostly me feeling sorry for myself, but still, my mojo is gone. I am having a hard time even going into my office now, and I don’t know what to do about that. When I get over feeling this way, and since I have no clients, how do you suggest I think about productivity, most specifically with looking for clients?
You’re right, Silvana… I suspect this is temporary, or it will be if you want it to be.
In truth, you have oh-so many things to be productive around—marketing, learning, experiencing—being a new VA, the whole world is open to you and worth exploring! Removing things in your way so that you can be productive and get back into the work will help you do more of it in the time available to you. That’s how I would be thinking about productivity.
In case it helps, the single most productive thing you can do for your practice right now is keep your butt in your chair during your work hours and engage in work-related things. It might be beneficial to think of your business as a client you’re supporting because it’s tempting, when there’s no “real work” to be done, to blow work off entirely and do other things (I know you’re seeing that now). But the business of building your practice, of building yourself as a VA, of building your excitement and desire to be of use through your business and your work—well, it doesn’t actually get much more real than that.
Here’s the bigger thing. You’ve suffered a loss. And like with any loss (boyfriend breakup, death of a beloved pet or family member, laid off from a dream job, etc), there’s a period where your heart shuts down. When your heart is shut down, your soul has a hard time talking to you. It’s like it’s behind a closed door that it can’t open. And unless/until you open it, you’re going to be stuck where you are. You need your soul to speak to you, and to infuse your work with inspired action. So the hardest thing to know is what to do until you can open up again.
I’ve known that place well, from time to time, and here’s what I know works: you use your willpower to get you into your office to do the work now, so that your energy shifts and your soul can start talking to you and inspiring you again. Let your willpower be your ally in this so that you do things. Action is the key to getting your mojo back.
So get busy, girl! Get into your office. Market your business (spend the bulk of your time doing this!), and learn new things/improve your self and your skills, and get to know people (especially other VAs who have practices you admire), and make sure your standards, policies and procedures are where they need to be, and I suspect you’ll be right as rain in no time. Good luck!
