My friend Rochelle Veturis (@rochelleveturis) inspired me to update and republish this post. In a Twitter conversation, Rochelle mentioned striving for balance in 2010; whether you are striving for balance or harmony as you start a new year, being in the moment should be part of it. If we think back several years ago, being in the moment meant you paid attention to your surroundings; you gave the surroundings, the person, the place, or the action you were involved with your full attention. Do we do that now? I think in a lot of instances, we do not. We cannot drink a cup of coffee, walk down the street or have a conversation without an electronic device in our hand, diluting the ambiance.  There is even an app available for the iPhone that let's  you type on the screen, while activating the camera so that you can see what is in front of you while you walk.  Some people would say that I need this application... A friend occasionally reminds me to be in the moment; its good advice because we are more connected now with more opportuniites to be distracted. With Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email, Internet access on our phone and YouTube videos in the palm of our hand, it is easy to forget about what else is around us. When was the last time you hiked in the mountains with the cell phone turned off? When was the last time you stretched out on the beach with a book, and left the laptop in the hotel room? Maybe take a cruise without the international plan on your smarthone?  When was the last time you just paused, took a break and looked at what was around you?  These moments pass by us, and we can never recapture them; once they are gone, they are gone forever. How can you Be In The Moment? Here are some ideas: 1. Take notice of the world around you. No matter what you are doing, take notice of the beauty that is around you. It could be something minor, but take time to notice it. 2. Focus on whatever you are doing. Stop multi-tasking and focus on what you are working on right now. Enjoy it, focus on it, live in the moment. 3. When you eat, just eat. Enjoy a meal without Twittering, checking email or talking on your cell phone/working on your laptop. If you are enjoying a meal with someone, they should be the most important person on the planet at that point in time. 4. Be still and listen. Turn off the electronic devices, the music and other noise makers, you will amazed at what you will hear and how it can refocus you. 5. Practice. Like any life skill that you want to improve, it takes practice. 6. Use resources to make your more efficient; schedule tasks, employ the services of a Virtual Assistant, plan to work and plan to relax. So are you practicing being in the moment? Like me, can you stand some improvement? Does Social & Digital Media make it harder for you to be in the moment? Let me know what you think!

This is the last of our series from Suzie with Ace Concierge; providing an in depth look at what a Virtual Assistant can do for you. Please read and pass along! Here are some real life examples of virtual requests: 1. A client needs a hotel conference room for a seminar and telephones a VA to do some research. The VA contacts several hotels in the area to find availability of the date, size, and specifics of the seminar. The VA obtains written quotes from the hotels that can accommodate the request. The VA reviews each quote for completeness and reports the findings to the client. 2. A client travels frequently and needs a VA to coordinate air travel, car rental and hotel reservations 3. A client needs to confirm sales appointments made for the week. The list is faxed to a VA. The VA calls the appointments and notes who is confirmed and who must be rescheduled. The list is faxed back to the client. 4. A client is preparing a report and needs the draft copy to be formatted. The client sends the document via email attachment to a VA. The VA edits and formats the document and returns the finished report via email attachment. 5. A client is going on vacation and doesn't want to miss important email messages. The VA downloads all email and notifies individuals the client is out of the office. The VA contacts the client with urgent messages. 6. A client records an online audio interview requiring transcription. The VA downloads the audio file, transcribes it, and sends it back via email. 7. A client has prepared a manual that needs to be edited. A VA can type, format, proofread, edit, spell check and grammar check documents. 8. A client receives a daily listserve email containing pertinent details to create a database for mailings. Client forwards emails to VA who harvests the names, emails and other contact information to be input into a spreadsheet. The information is saved and then merged for a hard copy mailing. 9. A client would like to automate some of their social media sites. The VA is provided with the login data and creates an automated platform, enabling the client to focus on the more personal aspect of the tool. 10. A client has an upcoming meeting and needs to create a PowerPoint presentation. The VA receives the details of the slide deck, searches the information on the web, and emails back the completed project. Think about how much time these clients saved by outsourcing these activities. Consider what they were able to achieve while their VA was managing each of these tasks. Even if it is just an hour or two of time, that may be the most valuable time you have-you could close a million dollar deal, appease a dissatisfied client, enhance customer loyalty, show gratitude to your other hard working staff members; hence working ON your organization and its vital mechanics. Virtual assistance is a cost effective method for achieving your administrative activity. Once you learn the art of delegation, you will continually look for tasks to outsource to your valued Virtual Assistant. It is powerful. Susan Poirier Ace Concierge, LLC Enhancing YOUR life, one task at a time. www.aceconcierge.net www.nhvirtualassistant.com www.twitter.com/aceconcierge

This is the third part of our series from Suzie with Ace Concierge; providing an in depth look at what a Virtual Assistant can do for you. Please read and pass along!

Steps to Effective Delegation

1.    Know what you want or can delegate 2.    Clearly express your objectives 3.    Set expectations 4.    Have confidence in the "delegatees" abilities 5.    Communicate and follow up Wouldn't you rather spend your valuable time on revenue generating activities, while we manage your other business details? Think about what is on your desk at this very moment.  Go ahead, look at it. What do you see?  What are you working on right now that is preventing you from speaking with clients, keeping you from your personal life, or otherwise taking up your valuable time? Is there any paperwork, blogging, letters or correspondence, internet research, editing, or other administrative work that you have on your desk, but you would rather spend time making money?  The service solutions a Virtual Assistant will provide are innumerable, only limited by your imagination.

A Better Use of Your Time

When you are looking at the list below, think about how much time you have spent on any of these activities. Did they generate income for you?  Probably not.  What would have been a better use of your time?

• Appointment scheduling

• Blogging

• Bookkeeping

• Business correspondence

• Calendar management

• Creation of office forms

• Database management

• Dinner reservations

• Electronic newsletters

• Email reminders

• Gift purchases

• Internet research

• Mailings

• Order supplies

• PowerPoint Presentations

• Project coordination

• Select and manage event vendors

• Travel arrangements

• VIP greet service

• Website updates

It is not just merely what tasks or projects your Virtual Assistant manages for you; it is about what you stand to gain. You have a dynamic partnership with a professional who is fully vested in your success and interests.  We are working with you to facilitate all of the finer details of your project management and oversee each task to completion, enabling you to focus ON your business, rather than IN it. Susan Poirier Ace Concierge, LLC Enhancing YOUR life, one task at a time. www.aceconcierge.net www.nhvirtualassistant.com www.twitter.com/aceconcierge Come back for the final part of our series: Examples of Virtual Requests.