Gratitude Practices for Virtual Assistants
Gratitude practices for virtual assistants is just that – a practice. Gratitude as a practice means that you are applying action to a belief or an idea.
Gratitude is more than being thankful. While you are likely to be very thankful, gratitude is also the readiness to show appreciation and return kindness. It’s as if gratitude was designed for assistants. Yet, where many VAs fall short is in showing gratitude to themselves.
As virtual assistants, we are always our first clients so that is where we must start.
1. Show appreciation for yourself.
What do you appreciate about yourself? Don’t worry about being conceited or sounding too “braggy”. These aren’t things you have to share with anyone unless you want. Knowing what you appreciate about yourself will help you attract others who also appreciate and value this about you.
Your appreciation doesn’t have to be part of your services as long as it’s part of your being. If you appreciate how thoughtful you are, how detailed you are, your ability to laugh instead of cry, your resilience, your grittiness, etc. you’ll naturally attract others who do as well. The appreciation you show yourself will allow you to more fully appreciate others too.
2. Return kindness to yourself.
It all starts with you. When you are continuously filling your cup and you’ll be able to give more of yourself without draining yourself. Remember this is for your business and your personal life. Being a VA is a lifestyle business. Even if you have really strong boundaries between your business and your personal life – you are still only one person. You can’t beat yourself up in business and expect to be kind to yourself personally.
Here are a few simple ways to show kindness to yourself daily:
- Listen to yourself and your body. What is your gut telling you? Does your body need rest? Return kindness to yourself by not ignoring your needs.
- Stay connected. Are you isolating yourself as punishment or because you have unrealistic expectations for yourself? That is not being kind to you.
- Compliment yourself. You’re an awesome and completely unique person. That is to be complimented! Don’t wait for anyone else, compliment yourself as an act of kindness.
3. Expect good things to happen.
Would you tell your best friend or child to expect the worst and share negative thoughts about the future? Of course not. While everyone comes across bumps in the road, good things are always just around the corner.
The expectation of good and positive things happening in our lives raises our gratitude frequency. The anticipation of what is coming allows us to be grateful for things we don’t have yet. Plus, we also gain pleasure from the possibilities of imagination.
Gratitude practices for virtual assistants are something to incorporate into your daily routine. Think about adding them to your morning and/or evening routine. It’s a great way to bookend your day. You can also find a VA like you who wants to practice gratitude for themselves and keep one another accountable. In this case, it’s not that practice makes perfect. Rather gratitude practices will ensure you’re embracing the not-so-perfect days and fully enjoy your best days.
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