Last night, I told my therapist I feel like I’m walking a tightrope these days. My body is recovering slowly from a recent flare but my mind hasn’t caught up yet. Even though I’m capable of pushing myself a bit harder by doing the longer yoga class or taking on more of the housework, my mind is constantly worried about making myself feel awful again.
This is the exact same process I go through every time I scale my business.
I’ve been getting a steady stream of leads over the last month (which is the BEST way to grow your virtual assistant business). This is amazing, but there’s only one of me and more work than I can handle on my own. Logically, I know something has to change if I want my business to keep growing…but my mind hasn’t caught up yet. Even though I’m capable of pushing myself a bit harder by hiring a team member or changing the type of clients I serve, my mind is constantly worried about making myself feel awful again.
(Also, anxiety is a bitch.)
The thing is that I’ve dealt with this amazing problem over and over again as an entrepreneur so I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help me cope.
Here are three things to do to grow your virtual assistant business without the overwhelm:
Don’t rush the process. Nothing has to be decided at this moment. You’re allowed to take the time you need to make the decision that feels right to YOU. Realize that this choice might not be what able-bodied people would make. Your family and friends might try to talk you out of it. You are the expert on what you need and you can be trusted to make the best decision you can with the information you have right now.
Have a plan…but be prepared the throw it out the window. Once you’ve made a decision, know what your next step should be. Take the time to figure out in advance how you’ll cope if you can’t work for a week or if you’re admitted to the hospital. But also know what you’ll do if everything goes right and you’re ready for step two. In my experience, worrying about step six isn’t productive because your health will probably change three times between now and then.
Don’t regret the two steps back you WILL take. Every time I take a big step in my business, I backtrack a bit before I actually make forward progress. I’ve come to accept that this is part of the process. My body and mind need to understand what the change actually feels like so I can readjust to make things work for me. This shift in how I view change has made a world of difference in how I’ve scaled my business.
Also, it’s impossible to grow your virtual assistant business without support. Find a group of women on the same journey as you to talk about the ups and downs. Find a therapist to help you learn to cope with your anxiety. Ask your family or friends to help you with basic tasks like laundry or housework so you can have the mental (and physical) energy to focus on your business.
…And don’t forget to get your boundaries and to take care of yourself! You can do hard things one step at a time.