Tomorrow I’m off to Montreal for the ICF conference.  Although I won’t have the time to take in the sights or even the sessions, I’ll be there purely in the work capacity, I am looking forward to the change of setting.

I have to say, I really don’t get out much.  I’m what you might call the “recluse VA”. Ask anyone who knows me well; it’s very rare that you’ll find me attending anything outside the home front.  I guess this is one of the downsides of working from home, the lack of “venturing out.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve put most of this on myself, 10 years of working from home, you get so immersed in your surroundings that going out actually becomes somewhat of a chore.   I literally have to push myself to get out of the house.  So you can imagine what this conference is going to entail for me.

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I can hear the groans now!  Can you believe that it is only 51 days till Christmas?  Where on earth has the time gone?  It feels like I just packed up last year’s Christmas decorations and now I have to unpack them all over again.   Okay, well maybe not right at this moment, but it’s definitely something I’ll have to think about in the next month. 

Christmas is always something I have on my mind a few months ahead of the occasion.  In fact I’m one of those individuals that actually start shopping in September.  I know, I know, shoot me, but I have a big family and with 30 family members to buy for there is no last minute shopping for me. 

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The other day a song came on the radio and my son said “oh, that’s mine and Nikki’s song” Nikki being his girlfriend of all of 6 months. Talk about blast from the past!  His declaration immediately brought me back to my years in high school when music played a much larger role in my life than what it does today.  Back then everyone had a song, a representation of a relationship, a personal dilemma, an obstacle overcome.   These were personal theme songs, a song that spoke to us so intensely we would listen to it over and over and over again.   

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Why do we find it so difficult to write about ourselves in a glowing light?  In the 4 years that I have been teaching and in the 6 or so years that I have been mentoring and coaching new VA’s this always seems to be the most difficult task -writing about the great qualities they possess.  Those qualities that not only make us great VA’s but make us who we are!

Don’t get me wrong, I can absolutely relate to the difficulty surrounding this.  I’ve always found it extremely hard to sit down and think about all the “great things” I can do and then put it down on paper. When I first started my business, writing a bio was probably one of the most difficult pieces for me to write about.  Ask me to write about anything else and I’d have it done in no time…writing about myself, a totally different story.

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If you work on a computer as much as I do, which means approximately 40+ hours a week, you really need to be practicing good computer ergonomics.  How many times have you thought your wrists were just about to melt off? Are your shoulders and neck so sore; you’re starting to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame? 

If so it may be time to put in place a computer ergonomic plan.  Ergonomics is the fit between the people, the tools they use, and the physical setting where they work.  A favourite definition of mine is… it’s about fitting the work to the user instead of forcing the user to fit the work.

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Whoever came up with the idea of a MUTE button, in my opinion is an absolute genius!  That person should have been given an award.   Seriously, that little mute button has saved me from total embarrassment on more than one occasion.  

For me, a phone with a mute button is a must have for anyone who works from home (thank the heavens that most phones, if not all phones incorporate this little life saver now a days).   I know, I know in terms of “tools of the trade” a phone with a mute button couldn’t possibly compare to the importance of a computer, internet, printer, etc, etc.  I get it, and years ago I probably would have agreed with you.  But as a mother of a 2 ½ & a 15 year old with two dogs,  who is currently in construction hell right now (if you didn’t read my post Working from Home -not that easy take a look, you’ll get the picture) I wouldn’t trade that mute button for anything. 

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