The virtual assistant occupation is for someone who is constantly motivated and passionate about managing time and meeting deadlines, which are some of the most important abilities in this profession. Most clients will hire applicants who are organized and able to complete tasks promptly. We have come up with ten tips to help you organize workloads and meet deadlines.
Try time blocking
Time blocking plays a crucial role in determining a virtual assistant’s level of productivity as it consists of dividing agendas into manageable chunks. For example, some virtual assistants only attend meetings on a specific day to not break up work when doing other tasks. It is important that you stick to your schedule; otherwise, time blocking will not work.
Prioritize your tasks
Creating a to-do list can be something you do as you time block. Do so by identifying and listing tasks and then organize them based on priority. Prioritizing tasks allows you to focus on tasks that are more important than others and be more efficient.
Take breaks
Being productive does not mean you should not rest. We know you want to focus and work until client goals are met, but doing so when you are exhausted and mentally tired only creates obstacles. Find a balance and take breaks when you can while staying productive.
Find a good place to work
Today, most virtual assistants work remotely, which is great because it allows them to spend time with their families. However, your home might be full of distractions from your kids to your dog or even the TV. So, the best thing you could do is find a space where you can comfortably work without distractions.
Use tech tools to help you
Many tools can help you stay organized and focused. Some of the tools you could try are time and task management apps. Time tracking will help you evaluate how much time a specific task will take to complete and find ways to expedite them.
Avoid sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation can cause terrible damage to your physical and mental health. Do not deprive yourself of sleep – take all the time you need to rest.
It does not matter if a task is urgent or not – your fitness always comes first as fatigue impacts your ability to complete tasks. A little organization in life will ensure sleep deprivation does not happen.
Forget about procrastination
Delaying finishing tasks is a virtual assistant’s worst nightmare. Avoid procrastination as much as you can.
The first thing you want to do to stay focused is get rid of distractions. Turn off your phone and stay away from the television. Also, ask family members to collaborate with you, so they do not interrupt. Second, stick to your goals, do not set unrealistic ones. And finally, create incentives because they are a great motivation for staying focused.
Manage meetings effectively
Often, meetings can be unproductive or even counterproductive if they’re not organized properly. Attendees may have little focus and participation, wasting valuable time and costing the company money.
You need to find ways to manage meetings so that they’re valuable and productive for all team members. One way to do this is to use a meeting management system, like mForce365, to ensure all meetings have the outcomes you want.
Interruptions
Interruptions are inevitable. It can be hard to stay away from distractions. Learn how you can effectively deal with them. The first thing to do is turn off your phone notifications and let people know you will be busy. Either attend to unexpected irrelevant requests quickly and get back to work or let people know you are unavailable.
Keep in mind that not all interruptions are negative. Some could be an urgent message from your boss with something that helps you complete a task faster or avoid making a mistake.
Coordinate with your boss to set realistic deadlines
Sometimes clients can have unrealistic deadline expectations. Your job is to coordinate with them to ensure a task can realistically be completed under a deadline.
Failing to do so could result in you not accomplishing a task with satisfaction. Know that communication is key. If you approach your client and let the person know how long it would take to complete a task, you both might agree on a realistic deadline.
Conclusion
Read our top ten tips for organization and meeting deadlines above. If you have more time on your hands as a result, consider learning new skills that will help you in your role as a virtual assistant.