Every month, Virtual Assistant Forums challenges their members to blog about a given topic. Volunteers select the best entry, and the winner receives a brand new business or VA book of their choice from the VAF library. I had intended to enter last month, when the topic was “Success As A Virtual Assistant Is…” but March just seemed to slip away, as months often do, and I missed the boat. Although I’m too late for the contest, I have given the subject a lot of thought, so I’ve decided to go ahead and blog about it anyway.
In my opinion, success as a virtual assistant, or in any other endeavour, is in the eyes of the beholder. Some measure success by the amount of money they have in the bank, or that they bring in each month. For others, success is equated with being well-known. I’m inclined to agree with my online friend and former POC colleague, who said,
Success is what I want it to be, what I’m happy with.
Jacki Hollywood Brown
When I left my job in 2005, my goal was to earn enough money from my business to make a living without going back to outside employment. Since I have achieved that, I consider myself successful, even though I don’t live in luxury or wear the latest designer fashions. Although I certainly wouldn’t object to making 6 or 7 figures, it’s not really important in terms of what I want to achieve in my business and in my life.
The winner of the March Blogging Challenge agrees:
Success as a Virtual Assistant is whatever you want it to be. If you love what you are doing and are doing it every single day…than as far as I am concerned, you are indeed successful.
Darlene Victoria
How do YOU define success?
My personal definition of success is pretty simple: moving toward a goal. As I’ve aged my definition of success has changed. I no longer think that the person who scores the highest on a test or earns the most money is destined for a “successful” life. It’s now about setting goals and taking steps toward the goals.
Geralin, do you think just moving towards the goal constitutes success, or do you need to actually achieve it?
Yes, the way I think of it, moving towards a goal is success.
A commitment to a series of successes leads to an accomplishment or a goal being met.
When I started using this explanation with clients, it shifted the way they viewed themselves and their goals (in a good way.)
Very good post, janet.
For me, success is having the freedom to do what I want with my family, in life, etc. Financial freedom, physical freedom and so on.
My word – the one baby likes this topic – it’s moving all over the place!
I definitely define success on my own terms. When I traded careers, some people felt I traded “down”, moving from the fast-paced (read: insane) world of television to being self-employed as a professional organizer, but my satisfaction with my life has increased exponentially. Everything I hated about my professional life before (chafing over ethical arguments, financial growth limited by factors outside my control, etc.) has been jettisoned, and the past 8 years have been filled with joy.
Others might judge your life (or mine) as lacking, but they don’t have to walk in our shoes. Define success your way, be open to REDEFINITION, as well, and let’s all live on our own terms.
Geralin, thanks for the clarification. I agree that taking any action towards a goal is an achievement – so many people don’t. (If they did, Alex wouldn’t have much to blog about, would he?)
It sounds like those of us who have chosen self-employment all feel that success is about living the life you choose. I wonder how our colleagues in the corporate world might answer this question?
Having been on both sides, 12 years in a dog eat dog banking career and 5 years running my own show, I have to say that the past 5 years have been the best. I found a quote recently that sums it up for me . “Stop chasing your pension and start chasing your passion”, I don’t know who said it but it rocks. My addition to that quote is ” and you will live your life with freedom to be the person you were meant to be, not what someone else thought you should be!
Thanks for sharing, Elaine!
I’d still love to hear from someone who has chosen the corporate route… but maybe they aren’t reading my blog!