Tips for Time Management and Organization as a Virtual Assistant

Being a virtual assistant can mean wearing many hats, so to speak. Some days you’re a secretary, answering messages and relaying information to the boss. Some days you’re meant to clean up the cloud drive and schedule a trip to another city.

Wearing too many working hats can become overwhelming (heavy is the head that wears the crown, after all), which is why managing your time and keeping yourself as organized as possible is important to maintaining a balanced work environment, whether at home, on your patio, in a coffee shop, or anywhere really. In this blog, we will go over helpful tips for managing your time and keeping things organized while working virtually. From taking breaks to simple gestures, there are plenty of ways to stay on task and increase focus.

Unleash the Power of the Pomodoro Technique!

Constantly checking the clock can make time feel like it's crawling, adding unnecessary stress. Instead of being clock-watchers, let's embrace the Pomodoro Technique. Set timers throughout the day for breaks, light exercises, tackling new tasks, or even enjoying a social lunch break with friends. These gentle reminders will guide you through your day, keeping you aware of what needs to be done at each moment. And guess what? You can have fun with the alarm sounds too! Choose unique and enjoyable tunes, like your favorite dance track or a soothing ambient melody that transports you to outer space. Let these delightful sounds uplift and energize you without any sudden shocks.

Keep Your Desk(top) Clean

Working from virtual offices likely means for many that the majority of the work to be accomplished will be conducted on a laptop computer or mobile phone. Without a more permanent office space regularly used, the idea of clutter moves from desk to homepage. In other words, what’s on your screen can become as much of a mess as a standard work desk.

Be sure to periodically toss superfluous documents and images into your computer’s trash bin, and run as few browser windows and tabs as possible. Like on a restaurant menu, having too many options can take too much time to decide on what’s most important. During work time, keep the screen on business as much as often possible.

And keep up the fun with a nice wallpaper design on your computer too. It’s good to look at those happy things every once in a while, such as kittens playing with each other or a favorite movie poster. Adding splashes of color will add vibrancy and excitement that you’ll look forward to every time you open the screen.

Having children around can be a job of its own, so an organized space is all the more important. Milrich explored the challenges and benefits of working from home as a parent in the blog “The Key to Working From Home With Kids”. It emphasizes the significance of organization, time management, and fostering a team approach within the family to succeed in a work-from-home setup. Those recommendations, along with the above tips, will help keep you on task and on time.