What Is A Virtual Assistant? (And 3 Signs You Might Need One)

Ask pretty much anyone on the street whether or not they feel like they have enough time in the day, and I guarantee you that a large majority of them will say "no".

We are busy people doing lots of busy things: we work, we tend to our family relationships, we cultivate friendships, we care for our home. In addition to that, many of us are pursuing dreams that are separate from our current careers.

But doing all of those things in a day while also actively taking care of your health (like getting enough sleep) is nearly impossible. So, when you inevitably have to choose which tasks get done and which one's don't, it's often our dreams and passions that get put on the back-burner.

And that's where a virtual assistant is helpful!

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is someone you hire to do any online tasks that are important, but are distracting you from your main goals. This can be anything from checking your emails, answering them, and cleaning out your inbox, all the way to editing your new Ebook about why Poodles are the Bomb-Diggity. 🐩 

VA's can be hired to schedule out all your social media posts, or can be hired to manage specific accounts (i.e. a Pinterest VA, a Facebook VA). VA's can be hired to work every day, once a week- really whatever is most helpful to the client.

A virtual assistant's job is to make your life easier so that your dreams can become reality.

But how do you know if you REALLY need a VA? Should you really spend your money on one? Keep reading for 3 signs you might need a VA.

Your Social Media Pages Are Always Empty

If your Facebook page never has anything new being posted, if you go days on end without tweeting, or you always forget to pin anything strategically on Pinterest, your social media accounts are sure to suffer. If this is you, you are missing out on a lot of potential growth, and a lot of potential clients. People aren't going to stick around if there are metaphorical crickets chirping on your social pages.

A VA can be a huge asset in this area because you can hire them to manage and/or schedule out those accounts for you- giving you the ability to grow more quickly without you having to find more hours in your day. 

Hiring someone for 2-3 hours a week can be a very affordable, smart, and beneficial option.

If Your Ebook Has Been Sitting Around Unedited

If you've been wanting to publish a book, ebook, or another written product but it has been sitting around needing to be edited for a while, hiring a VA for a one-time project might be a good idea for you.

They can edit it in an agreed-upon amount of time, you get to move forward with your goals for you book/product, and you'll probably save money by hiring a VA rather than trying to find a seasoned editor. Look for people who have degrees in English, Literature, or Writing and I feel confident you will be happy with the results.

If You Frequently Find Yourself Thinking "I Need Help"

If you have big dreams and goals that you keep avoiding because you feel far too overwhelmed to accomplish them by yourself, a VA can help.

Whether you want someone by your side full-time, part-time, or just a few times per month, if it helps you get started on your dreams, it's going to be worth it.

Have them handle your social media, your graphics, email management or marketing, editing product descriptions, typing up your monthly newsletter- whatever! Let them help you so you can find the courage to pursue what matters most to you!

Hiring a VA might be just what you need to help your blog or business get to the next level. If you've found yourself falling into the descriptions above, it may be time for you to consider it. And if that's the case, I'd love to come along side of you as your virtual assistant. I offer competitive, affordable rates, and I take pride in doing a good job and truly helping my clients succeed. To learn more, take a look at my rates and my expertise or email me with any questions you have at thepeculiartreasureblog@gmail.com.

When Your Dreams Seem Unreachable ( + How to Keep Going)

Do you ever just feel tired? I mean really, truly, overwhelmingly tired? Tired of the struggle. Tired of the uphill battle. Tired of feeling like you are behind everyone else. Tired of unreached goals, unmet expectations, and the anxiety that comes with feeling like a failure?

Ask pretty much anyone and I guarantee you they'll tell you that they've felt these things before. Some may have only had a small time with these struggles, while for others, it's been a lifetime. But regardless of how long they are felt, these feelings cut deep and can become incredibly stifling if we let them.

I think a lot of people just stop once they feel this emotional exhaustion. They decide it's better to just settle in to "their lot in life", instead of continuing to fight against the exhaustion. And believe me- I get it. I get the tears, the frustration, and the seeming-hopelessness. I get what it's like to feel you'll never make it to your goals. I get what it's like to not know what to do next.

But friends, there is so much more to life than giving in, giving up, and succumbing to the exhaustion. And just because our dreams *feel* unattainable, doesn't mean they are. So if you want to know what to do when your dreams feel unreachable and you feel tired in every way imaginable, keep reading. Today's post is for you!

Remember Your Why

I've said it over and over again, but this first point will never be outdated! Remembering your why when you feel like giving up is a complete game-changer! It's one thing to work hard at something that we feel like we want at the time. It's another thing entirely to have a true purpose to what we are doing- a purpose that goes beyond taking the easy road or giving up after a few months.
Knowing our why is the thing that will give us momentum and keep us going even when we are at our weakest. When we truly know our "why", dreams that feel unreachable won't stop us from getting back up and continuing to work hard.

If you don't know your "why", now is the time to re-evaluate. Are you on the path you are on for a reason? Do your dreams and goals have a higher, more important core? Or is this just a whim that you could easily replace with something else and be just as happy?
If the answer is the former, I think you will realize why you need to keep pushing forward. If it's the latter, then maybe you should take the time to find your something that does have a higher purpose.

Stay Disciplined

My friend Marsha of Faith and Fitness with Marsha Apsley said it well in her Instagram post a few days ago, that the truth of the matter is, knowing our "why" is only half of the puzzle. Knowing our why is the reason we should keep going, but we still have to take action and actually move forward. Knowing our why but not taking action will mean staying right where we are- in a hopeless, "I can't reach my dreams" state- for the rest of our lives.

In order to reach those dreams and goals that mean so much to us, we have to put in the effort. We have to take the next step, even if the next step is small. We have to put one foot forward and keep taking action on top of our why.

Maybe you haven't been taking action for a while because everything was feeling oh-so-very-pointless. But if you really want to reach your dreams, and your "why" really matters, then it's time to get back up off your butt and start taking action again. You will only reach your dreams if you work for them.

Don't Conform

The truth of the matter is, everyone's dreams look a little different.
I want to be a blogger like millions of others do, and yet my "why" is very specific and requires me to be myself and to utilize the gifts and quirks that God has given me. No matter how many people out there want to blog full-time, I still have to be me.

Conforming to other people's goals will not get us where we want to be. We can (and should) take advice now and then, and we should always be willing to learn, but at the end of the day, we have to stay true to our calling- not someone else's.

It can be tempting to cut corners, do what everyone else is doing, or try to find a "quick-fix", but when we know our "why" and decide to take action, it will often be very clear what directions, methods, and tactics we should and should not use.

Do not conform to how everyone else thinks you should be achieving your dreams. Be open to wise advice, but don't let advice from others be the only thing that matters. Stay true to your dreams and your why, and take action in ways that align with that purpose.

Friends, I know it is so tough to keep moving when all your goals and dreams feel like they are standing still. And I know that it would be easier in a lot of ways to just quit. But guess what: if you love what you do, have a deep passion for your goals, and have a clear "why" attached to them, it's going to be really tough to get those dreams off your mind. And personally, I would rather work hard for what I love than spend my time fighting off and trying to stifle a passion for the dreams I've chased for so long. But you have to choose for yourself- no one can do it for you.

You Can Do That Thing You've Been Wanting to Do! (Mug-spiration Monday)

It's that time again- the time where we shuffle out of bed to the sound of our alarm, sleepy-eyed and yawning. Our day holds so much potential for goodness, but all we can think about is coffee....or is that just me? 😜

Once we get our coffee going and wake up a little, it's time to really start the day. We can't predict for sure what type of day it will be. With all the unknowns in life, there's only so much we can control. 

We can't control the weather, we can't control the traffic, we can't control our co-worker's attitudes, or our boss' mood. We can't control that the drive-thru line at Wendy's took up half of our break, or that the car in front of us on the way home is driving 10 under the speed limit.

But today I don't want to talk about what we can't control. Instead, I'd like to talk about something you can control.

I know that it sounds simplistic, but no matter what is going on in life, you can still chase after your dreams. You can make decisions that lead you closer to where you want to be. Whether it be a choice to take the stairs instead of the elevator to aid in weight-loss, choosing to read before bed instead of watching Netflix for the third hour in a row, or dedicating 30 minutes per day to work on your novel, you can work towards those goals.

Sometimes life get's really, really tough. We can go through so hard things and feel like we can't keep our heads above water, but even then we can take baby steps. We don't always have to take huge strides in order to be achieving something.

From something as small as an unkind word from a co-worker, to something as tumultuous as losing a loved-one, we don't have to give in even then. Obviously, a more extreme circumstance like losing a loved-one may require taking a little break. But no matter what our life holds, we still have little choices to make every day.

We can choose to do our best in everything we do.

We can choose productivity over laziness.

We can choose to look for the good when all seems bad.

We can choose to chase our dreams when they seem impossible or far away.

Remember that you are strong and can overcome difficult situations.

Remember that God's power works within your weakness.

Remember that you are talented.

Remember that you are passionate about your dreams for a reason.

Remember that failure doesn't mean you have no talent- rather, it's an opportunity to learn and grow.

Remember that you can't get where you want to go unless you take the first step.

Remember to actively chase your dreams. Why? Because you can. Because you should. Because you are able. And because you have the freedom and privilege to do so. So stop making excuses. Stop putting it off. You can chase your dreams. So go do it.

Wishing you had more encouragement in your life? Or wishing you were better at encouraging others? I've gotcha covered! Sign up for my weekly newsletter and you'll receive my free, 3-day devotional that's all about becoming a more encouraged and encouraging person!

It's Never Too Late to Follow Your Dreams

Hi guys! It's Monday and I am coming off of another very busy weekend. And though being tired is worth it when you have a good time, I still need #allofthecoffee today, and I imagine I will the rest of this week too. The busy never ends.

Honestly, when the busy never ends, it's hard to feel accomplished.  It's hard to look at everything I have going on with clear sight when I too tired to see straight in the first place. But I know that working hard as a Christian, a nanny, a blogger, a VA, a wife, and whatever else I do will be worth it.

It'll be worth it because I am living and working towards what really matters to me. And I never want to lose that focus, because I am very thankful to have found what I am passionate about. Some people never quite figure out their passion. And some people know exactly what they would like to do, but they never do it because of fear. Some people have a lot of passions and they don't know which one to pursue, so they don't pursue any of them.

I know at least one person in each of those scenarios and it makes me so sad. I understand that life is harder for some people than it is for others. Life isn't always rainbows and unicorns, and I never want to be naive' or unrealistic. And yes, if I am honest, I actually have a pretty cushy life. But I still have to work long and hard on my dreams. They haven't just fallen in my lap and I have not "arrived" yet. But I know what I want to do, and as long as God continues to give me that passion, I am going to embrace it and run with it.

Do You Create Your Own Limitations? | Embracing that God Makes Your Capable

God has a plan for your life. For this plan, He makes you capable to accomplish what you have been called to do. Do you create your own limitations and set roadblocks up in your own paths? Learn how to embrace your calling, chase your God-given dreams, and recognize the limitations you've been putting in your own way today. 

Dreams and Goals: Slow and Steady

Hello, friends! How are you today? I hope you are well-rested, perky, and accomplishing great things. You are worth a whole lot, and you need to know that you can accomplish great things! Don't forget that!

It's pretty easy to forget, isn't it? I have all these dreams stored up in my heart. I truly believe I can reach those dreams and excel, but when things don't go according to plan or don't move along as quickly as I would like, it's easy to get discouraged. 

Good Things Really Do Take Time

But good things take time- sometimes a lot of time! And that's ok. Part of the journey is learning. And oh boy! Could I ever stand to learn to be more patient!

Just because things are going slowly, does not mean that something is wrong. Sometimes, slow is just right- even when we don't see it that way. 

And slow seems to be God's plan for me right now. I have a lot of goals that I am striving towards. Every single day, the longing grow. I believe those longings are there for a reason. But I must learn to be ok when there isn't instant gratification.

I have to be ok with "slow and steady" winning the race.

Today, I'd love to share with you a few things I am working on and dreaming about- I want you to know what's on my heart.

Current Goals and Ambitions

The Peculiar Treasure

If you've been following along with my blog for a while, then you know that I have a deep desire I be a full-time blogger one day. I would love to have the freedom to work from home and devote all my "working hours" to this space of the web. 

I'm not there yet. Not even close. But I have never been so ambitions about a career goal, and I believe I can do it. I am currently reading Ruth Soukup's "How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul)" and I hope to glean a lot from her.

I just submitted a guest post for a potential paid opportunity, and I am also trying to develop a killer sponsorship program. The sponsorship program is something that I would love to expand on, because it allows me to develop a friendship and community with other bloggers while simultaneously bringing in an income.

I love blogging more than I ever thought possible. I never knew what a blessing it could be, or how I could use it to inspire others. I also learn a whole lot about myself from blogging. I want those things to continue, to grow, and to make a difference (in others and in me).

Kristin's Treasures

You may have noticed one of my side bar adds: Kristin's Treasures. This is my Etsy shop. Right now, it is very small. But I hope to expand my shop. I want it to be a place of beauty. 

I love buying handmade items. I enjoy supporting other creative people out there and bringing unique pieces into my home. I offer the same, but I want to greatly expand my inventory. Right now, I make candles, hats, scarves, earrings, and downloadable prints (find them here). However, I hope to add in several other products within the next month. 

My mom and I have been talking about opening up a booth at a farmer's market or flea market. I'm not sure if that is going to happen or not, but I'd love to see our products out there.

Devotionals

When I was in 7th grade, I realized how much I enjoyed writing inspirational/Christian devotionals. It's what I've been wanting to do for years!

Here on The Peculiar Treasure, my posts tend to be a mix of inspirational and devotional, but I was talking to Taylor the other day, and I have decided that I would also love to write a short devotional series. I want to influence people for Christ. I want my writing to point people to the loving arms of Jesus.

More to come on that as I start making some headway!

Guys, I love this little space of mine. I love coming here and talking to all of you. I love being able to encourage you, whether you live 20 minutes away or are on another continent! 

Thanks for being a part of all of this.

What dreams do you have? Are you determined to keeping working towards your goals, or have you given up?