Yesterday (November 11) we worked in the yard. There was a nice break in the virtual professional tasks that let me help shred and shred and shred leaves. They have carpeted our yard. This was the third time we had tackled the task this fall; by far the largest, yet we haven’t even begun to tap the leaf supply. We have declared that the rest of the leaves will be blown down into the swale where the wild things live.
I left off thinking about the video I had been working on for Bar JD and of my network at VAnetworking.com where other virtual assistants were working hard on supportive tasks for clients. I just raked leaves onto a tarp with Richard so we could carry them to the Big Leaf Pile for the final shredding. Then, I used a handy broom to sweep them from the Big Leaf Pile toward him so they could be scooped into the shredder.
The day was just nice bright; not hot. Mid-sixties so a sweatshirt felt good, but not too heavy. The leaves were wonderfully crunchy and fluffy. The dog and the kittens all had a great time in both the shredded leaves and in the whole product before the leaves were shredded.
Working virtually means you get to be your own boss. That doesn’t mean you can always drop everything to go play in the leaves all day. An LEAF day has to come at a time when the client tasks are accomplished or there is a break in the assignments. But, being your own boss AND virtual does mean that you have the privilege of getting up very early to work on a project, then being able to slip a LEAF time into the day. Or being able to arrange the chores so you can enjoy the garden, care for family, feed the animals, and get in a morning walk while still being able to meet clients’ needs. Because the flexibility works so well for the virtual professional, some often suspect we are sitting on the couch, watching soap operas and munching bonbons. Essentially doing nothing. That is absolutely a myth. Virtual professionals and their clients know what an outrageous myth the bonbon story is. In the end, the only ones I have to impress are my clients who know their work is delivered the way they like it BECAUSE I am “at their side”. They either do not mind or do not care that the work was accomplished at unusual office hours…BECAUSE, then, I am not “under their feet.”
