5 Virtual Worker Habits You Should Break Today
Working as a home based virtual assistant after holding a nine-to-five job for ages can be difficult. The transition from working regular hours to being free to fix your own schedule can be challenging. On top of that, there are certain habits that you might have developed that won’t work when you’re working as a full time or even a part time virtual assistant.
If you want to make a career providing virtual assistant services, you have to make sure that you get rid of any negative habits that can affect your work. Here are 5 virtual worker habits you should break today.
Playing fast and loose with your salary.
Being irresponsible with money is something that both regular office workers and virtual assistants can fall victim to. However, not keeping track of finances is doubly dangerous for a freelancer. Without help from an accounting department, you have to manage your taxes, health insurance, and other important expenses on your own.
Many new virtual assistants fall into the trap of treating their entire salary as money that they can spend however they want. Plenty forget that they still have certain expenses that they need to set aside a budget for. To avoid this, save a percentage of your money for such expenditures, and make sure that you have a decent finance tracker so you always know where your money is going and that you have a positive cash flow.
Working too much.
In a typical office job, employees work a standard eight or nine hours each day. They also usually take regularly scheduled breaks that allow them to leave their desk for a few minutes every now and then.
Working from home might make you forget sticking to a similar schedule. You might be too engrossed in your work that you forget to take breaks or sometimes you work non-stop for more than 12 hours a day. Don’t spread yourself too thin. As tempting as it is to work continuously and accept any and all job offers you get, you have to keep in mind that logging on several hours of work without rest is very bad for your health.
Not working enough.
While some tend to work too much, others tend to be too lax when it comes to taking on jobs. Freedom to choose your own schedule can entice you to give in to the joys of more downtime. Rest is an important part of life, but resting all the time will halt your career progression. Too much of a good thing, right?
Procrastinating.
With your schedule in your hands, it’s easy to fall into the trap of procrastination. But putting things off for later does nothing but pile up your work and force you to stress yourself out and work yourself to the bone just to meet your deadlines. Remember, no matter how long you put things off for, you will still have to tackle them eventually. It’s best to just deal with your tasks head on and get them out of the way promptly.
Not leaving your house.
Being able to make money from home is a novelty that doesn’t wear off quickly. Your freedom to work at home might result in you forgetting to actually leave the house every now and then. Staying inside for days on end is damaging to your physical, mental, and emotional health, so make sure to break this habit. If possible, don’t allow yourself to fall into this habit at all.
Breaking a habit takes a lot of work, but it’s essential to put a stop to the harmful habits mentioned above before they get worse. Don’t put it off. If you’re guilty of any of the habits above, exert an effort to break them off as soon as you can.
Next: Virtual Assistance 101: How To Turn Your Skills Into Services
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Give us a call at our toll free number 1 (443) 856-4882 today!
