Who doesn’t like a list? I constantly have lists going on for various things. At the moment I have an app on my phone for keeping track of the Christmas presents and how much we’re spending. I have a list in my phone notepad of my husbands presents, this needs to be separate from the other list! I have a separate shopping list for food, drink and cleaning items. Then there is the list of other items needed for Christmas, such as wrapping paper, gift bags and relative specific cards. Those are the ones just for Christmas! As you can see, I like to have everything set out so that I can look at it and be able to pick out what still needs to be done.

Along with planning for Christmas, I also have a nearly 3 year olds birthday party to think about. So there is yet more lists going on for that, a potential venue that needs booking, invitations that need writing and sending, party bags that will need buying and making up. This is a very important job that needs completing to ensure a happy birthday girl. So I am of course putting a lot of thought in to what I do and where we have said party!

Life in general has a tendency to be disorganised, which I find frustrating but I do my best to remedy this and maintain order wherever possible. Keeping track of appointments, social gatherings and classes is one way I try to make sure that I am prepared for the upcoming weeks and months. By having those things already arranged and planned, it means that any unplanned things which crop up are easier to deal with.

My work life takes a lot of organisation. For my day job I generally have a task list to work from, which is created for me by my line manager. This helps me to structure my week accordingly and ensure that everything that needs completing, gets done in a timely manner. My most recent business venture into selling make-up has meant that I have needed to create a new system for keeping track of customers orders, checking up on parcel progress and keeping up with who has made payments. There are some tools provided to us by the company, which mean that we can keep track of how much money we are making, our taxes etc. I like to have my own physical order book at home to keep track of each individual customers orders. This means that I can track who orders what and how often, that way I can see which customers are repeat purchasers. Keeping track of all my orders, payments etc is very important for this, so that I know how well I am doing with my new venture.

My VA business started out in a similar way, with lots of different lists. I researched insurances, website creating platforms, what paperwork I needed. I made lists of all of these things so that as each part was complete, I could tick it off and know that my business was progressing along as it should be. Any work that I have undertaken so far as part of my business, I have made sure that I have checked through any relevant task lists. This is how you complete a job efficiently and ensure that nothing is left out or missed. Lists are great for aiding organisation and planning. This is a staple part of how I keep track of everything and I will continue to use this method, whether it is in the form of a written list or something saved onto a phone, laptop or other electrical device.

Yes, this time I am actually quoting a line from a Queen song. We went to see the Bohemian Rhapsody film this past weekend and it was such a great movie. There were several things I had never known about the band, that I learned from watching the film. I never knew that Brian May was an astrophysicist, or that Roger Taylor studied dentistry at college. I had no clue that Freddie was born with extra teeth, which is what gave him a wider mouth and as such a better vocal range. A very interesting film for any Queen fan and the casting was spot on.

The whole band was so experimental with their music and that is what made them the global phenomenon they are today. Freddie Mercury was truly one of the greatest performers ever. His singing ability was incredible, but his showmanship is what made him such an amazing figure on stage. He wasn’t afraid to test boundaries and make people gasp. There was always something new that he was willing to try, in an effort to further the band’s career. By making small changes to their look and sound as they went on through their career, Queen were able to stay relevant and amass a worldwide fan base.

The willingness to try new things and not be afraid is one of Freddie’s best qualities in my eyes. This quality is something which I greatly admire and it is a quality that I wish I had myself. I have only recently come to realise that trying new opportunities isn’t something to be afraid of. We should not be scared to go outside of our comfort zone sometimes. I have never been one to really put myself out there, in any aspect of my life. However, recently I have found that it can be necessary to change your ways of thinking if you want to change your path in life.

I found myself doubting my abilities and wasn’t sure if I actually had the capability to further my business. So I took a leap of faith and tried out something completely different, in a bid to try and change my mentality. My newest business opportunity provides some great training processes, to help maximise your potential. I’m learning new skills every week and how to promote myself to others. The confidence boost that this new opportunity has given me makes such a huge difference. The support network within the business is amazing and there is so much genuine encouragement from across all levels. Everyone wants everyone else to be successful. That is such a powerful motivator.

Being able to try out new things and expand my skill set has been such a great turning point for me in my new business venture. I feel like I really have the potential to make something amazing happen for myself and that is a great feeling. So I definitely don’t want anyone to try to stop me anytime soon!

Now this question is something I find myself asking multiple times a day. It’s not limited to within my day job, although that obviously is part of my job description. I find myself using it to communicate with my toddler as well. Sometimes the constant “mummy, mummy, mummy” can become very grating and I have to resort to a more formal tone with her. Generally when I ask her this, she realises that the ridiculous requests are a bit excessive and she then comes out with a more reasonable request. It helps to calm her down when I use this question and it’s a good technique that means I don’t have to actually resort to telling her off.

It’s a question which I use during my working days when I’m in the shop as part of my standard customer service skills. Generally I find that people respond better to a “how can I help you” directed at them when they show signs of looking unsure about something, rather than “do you need help”. The simple change of wording can make all the difference and it opens people up to giving you more information about what they need. If you ask someone “do you need help”, you’re giving them the opportunity to say no. Whereas asking “how can I help you” means that the person(s) responding to your question will, generally, be more forthcoming and give you the opportunity to aid them with what they need. It also means that, in the case of my day job, it often gives me the opportunity to offer them alternative options if what they want isn’t available. Also it can lead to additional options, which in this instance means add-on sales and extra money in the till at the end of the day.

This question is a great way to start a conversation with potential clients. I have multiple services which I offer, so I need a way of ascertaining which of these services a single client needs. They may not necessarily know which of my skills they need, but instead by me asking how I can help them they can respond with “I need help with…”, then I can work out what I would need to do to help them with their problem.

It can be a great tool to use in day-to-day life as well. Especially when trying to deal with people who may be having a tough time. Again with people who may have recently suffered a loss or trauma, asking them if they need help, often they will say no and think they can cope by themselves. When you ask them how you can help them, they are more likely to respond. Even if it’s something as simple as, “Actually, I need milk & bread from the shops but I really don’t feel up to going out”. Be that person to help them out by doing the small things to help. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, sometimes the smallest gestures make the biggest impact.