I recently heard someone talk about changing our “I shoulds” to “I coulds.” It resonated with me on a personal and professional level, as it seems so easy to get caught in the trap of stressing about everything I “should” do. When we think of things in terms of “I should,” we exist in a pressured state of feeling forced to do something. Thinking about what I “could” do shifts us into a mindset of choice—I am deciding in this moment whether to do this thing. It not only sounds different, but it feels different to phrase options from the perspective of “I could” instead of “I should.” There is an internal mindset shift that occurs when we do this; and it allows us to move forward with trying to do the things we could, instead of getting stuck in the mode of pressuring ourselves to do what we should.

As parents, we have the opportunity to think about our children and families in terms of “I coulds.” Instead of making lists of all the things we “should” do, why not think about all we could do and accomplish? Here are some simple ways we can apply this thinking to our parenting and the relationships we have with our children:

• I could spend a few minutes of 1-1 time with my child each day.
• I could have my child help me with a chore I need to get done.
• I could plan a simple activity that our family can all do together each week.
• I could get the playroom/bedroom/office/garage organized.
• I could be more consistent with my response to the negative/inappropriate behavior my child exhibits.
• I could read that book/journal/blog I find interesting.
• I could be more patient with my children.
• I could set limits for how much time my children spend watching television and playing video games.

How about you? What are some of the “I shoulds” that have been hovering over you and your life? Take a few moments to write down all the “shoulds” that come to mind – jot them down in whatever order you think of them. Your list might include household chores or projects, such as doing the laundry or repairing something that’s broken; personal ideals such as losing weight; activities with your children, such as a weekly game night; time with your partner; etc. Once you have your list, go through and read each one using the phrasing “I could…”. Notice how you respond mentally and physically to thinking about each item on your list as a “could” versus a “should.” When these things arise for you on a daily basis, focus on shifting into the choice mode of “I could” instead of the pressure mode of “I should.” Notice the impact this way of thinking about things has on your relationships with your children, your productivity during the day, and your personal sense of accomplishment. Here’s to more “I could’s” and less “I should’s”!

Whether you plan ahead or do a last-minute scramble to the store, it can be tough to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. If you’re trying to think of something that your loved ones will actually use, this year think outside the gift-wrapped box and instead consider giving them a subscription to an online productivity tool or service. While it may seem somewhat uncommon to give a gift that’s not an actual “thing,” if you can make someone’s life a bit easier, believe me, they’ll remember you for it, way more than for giving them a traditional gift. Here are a few great online tools to consider giving:

Evernote Premium – This is a great tool that will let your loved one capture everything they find out in the world, on the internet, and on their computer, and integrate it all into one central spot. From there, they can organize their stuff to their heart’s content, as Evernote Premium lets you include virtually any file type into its database and then lets you search, sync, and share what’s inside across every device. It’s awesome, and awesomely useful.

ReQall Pro – For the frequent forgetter, ReQall can be an indispensable tool for capturing, transcribing, and organizing to-do’s, notes, and tasks. Set your loved one up with a Reqall Pro account and they’ll be able to use their voice to keep a record of the important details of their life and their work, and then access that information from any computer and many smartphones. It even integrates with Evernote!

Shoeboxed – Does your love one suffer from “paper scraps syndrome,” with crumpled receipts and mangled business cards stuffed at the bottom of their desk or buried in their briefcase or purse? If so, sign them up for Shoeboxed, who will send them a pre-paid envelope every month to collect all their scraps. Once it’s sent back to Shoeboxed, they’ll scan everything and put all the scraps into a searchable online database, making it easy to find every bit of information.

OfficeDrop – If your gift recipient has stacks of paper on their desk and no visible means of making them go away, OfficeDrop will make short work of the stacks by scanning every document and integrating them into an online document manager. Every bit of text on each document is indexed, making it super-easy to search for those important records, without creating a tornado of paper in the office.

Most of these tools offer a “gift subscription” or a way to purchase these for someone else. Giving the gift of organization and productivity can be really meaningful, as the recipient’s life can be improved every single day if they are using the right tools. As a bonus, they won’t have to find space on their shelf for that decorative plate you were considering giving them!

Guest Writer – Joshua Zerkel

Custom Living Solutions, the premier Professional Organizing & Productivity Consulting service for the San Francisco Bay Area, is dedicated to bridging the gap between the way you live and the way you want to live.

We focus on helping small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches and consultants find easy ways to cut clutter, manage paper and email, get control over their time, and enhance productivity – all of which can help boost your bottom line. Custom Living Solutions provides measureable results and maximum return on your investment in organizing.”

Author: On Demand Virtual Assistant

As an entrepreneur, you wish to be successful; you want to increase profit and productivity. Where can you get the resources and time in order to do this? Hiring a VA can be the solution but how can I choose the perfect VA for me?

Listed below is a checklist of how to find the best VA for you.

1. Specifically, what are your business needs?

Are you in real estate that needs part time assistance with the listing coordination? Do you need full time assistance with all of your office needs?

2. Measure up you business needs with the capability of the Virtual Assistant’s service.

3. Consultation

Clearly, your search will yield a lot of results. Most VAs will give a free consultation. Once you receive a reply. Here are some few points you should consider:

- Did the Virtual Assistant respond in a timely manner?

- Did the Virtual Assistant respond professionally?

- Is the Virtual Assistant prepared for the call?

- Is there a follow up as they promised?

- Do the services they offer match the ones you need?

- Do you have a clear knowledge of processes and how they will mix in with your business?

- Do you think and feel that the Virtual Assistant has confidence?

- Does the Virtual Assistant really pay attention to what you need and doesn’t interrupt?

- Does the Virtual Assistant ask about your business too?

- Do you have a good link with the Virtual Assistant?

4. Experience.

A VA should have wide background executive or administrative assistant experience. Now, a Virtual Assistant could’ve obtained this experience working out of his home or at the same time being a Virtual Assistant. Some of the questions to ask about are:

What was your experience previous to being a Virtual Assistant?

How many years of practice do you have?

What is you ability level?

5. Training

As an owner of a business, you may not have point in time to learn some new software. You need somebody to who’s trained and very capable to take your assignment and run with it. Be sure to ask specific questions that are related to the project to guarantee that the Virtual Assistant is capable in that specific feature of the software.

6. Pricing.

The rates of a VA are ranged between twenty five dollars – eighty dollars per hour. It may seem very high but when you take into explanation that your business is not paying for vacation, sick, leave, you are safe in the long run.

Also, as an owner of a business, you won’t lower your costs for clients. You want to deliver an outstanding product and you’d know those customers who expect that you’re willing to pay for the price. To deliver that outstanding service, it does take some money. To deliver a substandard product, it doesn’t require a big amount of money.

I am hoping that these points have been a great help to those who are looking for the right VA to assist them in their business and guide it through success. If only you would take the time to look for a quality Virtual Assistant, it surely will become a positive asset in your business.

“Written by OnDemandVA.com , the best place to hire a virtual assistant. OnDemandVA.com is the global leader in providing Virtual Assistant Services to busy professionals and SMB. Visit www.ondemandva.com and Hire your Virtual Assistant straight away at the price which no one in the industry can touch.

www.ondemandva.com

Skype – ondemandva

Email – Sales@ondemandva.com”

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/do-you-have-any-ideas-what-qualities-to-look-for-when-hiring-a-virtual-assistant-370747.html

About the Author:

“Written by OnDemandVA.com , the best place to hire a virtual assistant. OnDemandVA.com is the global leader in providing Virtual Assistant Services to busy professionals and SMB. Visit www.ondemandva.com and Hire your Virtual Assistant straight away at the price which no one in the industry can touch.

www.ondemandva.com

Skype – ondemandva

Email – Sales@ondemandva.com“

Author: On Demand Virtual Assistant

Many kinds of industry or business can get a help from the services offered by a virtual assistant. You can find great use of a virtual assistant even your business is a traditional or an online business. In any kind of business whether your business is small or big, you can increase your manpower without paying a fulltime employee. No benefits or taxes to be considered if getting a virtual assistant, same with your employee hired in your business virtual assistant is dependent on steady referrals and customers and will give you its loyalty. Let’s eliminate the need for outsourcing and temporary employees. Virtual assistant are reliable when you need their service and will give you the service you want and need with a reasonable price.

Compared to a full time employee, a virtual assistant is less expensive and can help you assist your business with basic support needed for your office or in specialized tasks such as marketing, webpage design and many other fields depending on what particular skills you choose from a virtual assistant. Generally, a virtual assistant is skilled in the use of computer, reliable, hardworking and they have a huge range of skills. From data entry to tax preparation and bookkeeping, a virtual assistant can help your business complete any traditional tasks that a full time employee must handle.

You don’t have to pay a salary or an hourly wage when you hired a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants are paid by the hours they worked at the time you need them or per job done. There are no expenses for benefits such as holiday pay, taxes or you don’t need an office space because virtual assistants are working on their own office and they are using their own equipment in their office. They are a perfect solution for the owner of a small business who needs an employee but cannot afford to hire an employee that is regular. Not only small businesses but large businesses too can also get benefits from a virtual assistant. Scanning, word processing, scheduling, and incoming phone calls can be assigned to the virtual assistant, saving a lot of money and time for the business.

A virtual assistant can do many of the routine tasks that are usually done by a full time employee, but for a lower cost in performing the tasks that are done by the virtual assistant in her or his own office. Those qualified virtual assistants work independently or as a member of an organization that will match them with clients, it depends on the needs of the client and the needed skills of the virtual assistant. There are no taxes to be paid in hiring a virtual assistant and the business who will hire a virtual assistant will only pay for the actual hours spent for the work on the tasks given. Usually a virtual assistant is working in a high level administrative capacity and can be depended upon; they give top quality services at a very reasonable cost.

“Written by OnDemandVA.com , the best place to hire a virtual assistant. OnDemandVA.com is the global leader in providing Virtual Assistant Services to busy professionals and SMB. Visit www.ondemandva.com and Hire your Virtual Assistant straight away at the price which no one in the industry can touch.

www.ondemandva.com

Skype – ondemandva

Email – Sales@ondemandva.com”

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/blogging-articles/reasons-why-you-must-use-a-virtual-assistant-367802.html

About the Author:

“Written by OnDemandVA.com , the best place to hire a virtual assistant. OnDemandVA.com is the global leader in providing Virtual Assistant Services to busy professionals and SMB. Visit www.ondemandva.com and Hire your Virtual Assistant straight away at the price which no one in the industry can touch.

www.ondemandva.com

Skype – ondemandva

Email – Sales@ondemandva.com“

Having the resources available to get a project done immediately without taking a class or reading a software manual has been one of the most rewarding services we offer our clients. This service has been a benefit to professionals that have been tasked with producing graphs, charts, data analysis and data management in short time periods with the expectation of maintaining the integrity of databases and spreadsheets.

Networking with computer professionals and software developers with experience in multiple business environments provides us with the references you need to set up these projects and consultation services to you and your staff.

Visit JSoft Computer Sales and Service

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