Love your observations, RR.  Regarding the first, to be frank, it IS possible that others may take advantage of authenticity. But, in my opinion, it’s good to find that out as quickly and as easily as possible to get rid of those types of people in your life.

And there is real power in authenticity. As I ask and talk about in the weekly Monday Morning Motivator’s thread, there is real power in being transparent about where we are in life and asking for the help we need.

It’s not that others will always help. Sometimes they won’t. But NO ONE can help us… if they don’t know what we are facing.

Our best chance of getting support and encouragement is talking vulnerably about where we are and what we need ❤️

But dig deeper with me, RR. From the article: if you’re willing, tell me about your work environment. Do you have a dedicated office space? Reliable Internet access? Do you have privacy and an environment that supports you in focusing on income producing work? Do you have social networks that support you in building your business, including marketing it and finding new clients? (What is your main business, by the way?)

Next, list each of those and brainstorm or list what you would need to improve each of those items. Don’t hold back, the question isn’t “what are you currently able to do to perfect each of those?” The question is “What would you need to do to improve or perfect each of those?

Super curious to hear your answers, if you care to share them and would be willing to work with you right here in the community to begin perfecting your environment for success!

Your Partner in Success,
~ Mark

RR Wrote:
That’s why I’m here because this community allows me to express myself in ways I don’t always

Profound, RR. I am so happy to hear that as that is my deepest wish for this community.

I saw you mention in another thread that part of why you work is to support your mother, is that correct?

And the way you’d do that is by looking for clients for your VA business? You also mention spending time learning, but I’m not sure towards what? What do want to learn (and why do you want to learn it)?

If that’s the goal, since we’re talking about designing environment for success, and you said “you have a decent workstation but dream of making it better” is it safe to say that improving your environment would help you work more and more efficiently?

And that if you worked more and more efficiently you would earn more money?

If yes, let’s continue examining your environment.

Office Space: (Please list what you would need to improve – e.g. support your focus on income – in your office space Do you need dedicated office space? Privacy? Equipment? Reliable Internet access? Remember: if you have a really efficient office you can take on a LOT more work and do it much more efficiently, so list every way you would like to improve your office space!)

Second, you astutely mention your social network environment (which, absolutely IS an environment!), mentioning you need more opportunities. Opportunities for what!?

Then please list what you would need to improve your social network to -support your focus on income? Knowing more people what had specific needs that you can fulfill? Just new relationships to personal support? People with money to invest in you? For you to know people that wanted to hire you? For you to know people that could introduce you to people who want to purchase from your? People who know business and can teach you?

To the degree you answer these questions and know the *specific* help you need, is to the degree you will find what you have the power to change and what you don’t; and THAT will tell you where to focus your limited energy.

Can’t wait to hear your answers, RR!

rrmelecio wrote:

Yes, Mark, I am working hard to support my mom and family.

I have so much respect for you!

A quick aside. You said:

rrmelecio wrote:

I’m also spending time learning more details, processes and new skills to be fully equipped as a VA since the skills needed will depend on my client’s needs. I want to enhance my skills so that I can keep my job.

I, actually, have an idea of helping train VAs. What do YOU figure the top 5 skills are every VA should have? Your answer would help me know what trainings to offer.

Back to you: Brilliant work on your answers!

Perfect Your Environment:

• Office chair
• Another monitor

Desired Opportunities:

• Opportunities to improve my skills and work experience.
• Opportunities to learn and grow.
• Opportunities to be surrounded by people with the same mindset as mine—to be successful and earn more.
• Opportunities to be around people who are knowledgeable about the industry that I’m working in. They could help me improve and get more clients.

I’d offer that simply by belonging to this community you’ve begun “Opportunities to learn and grow” and “Opportunities to be surrounded by people with the same mindset as mine—to be successful and earn more,” yes!? Those are EXACTLY the mindset of this community, so you’re partially already there!

Then, let’s think more broadly about perfecting your environment. Would a cost-efficient, automated system of obtaining new clients benefit you? Would an automated system of finding new referrals benefit you? Would a system of easily learning the top-sought-after skills while being paid to do so benefit you?

If yes, what brainstormed possible ways of initiating such systems can you think of?

Lastly, RR, we’ve got a BRILLIANT beginning to a thread of your own, detailing your own personal goal to Perfecting Your Environment and building income. Do you mind if I split this thread, placing your posts into their own thread, making it easier for you to track your own action and progress towards those goals?

Your Partner in Success,
~ Mark

Awesome, RR, thanks, I’ve moved your replies talking about “Designing a Perfect Environment for Success” to this new thread then, so that you have a thread dedicated to this goal!

Use this thread to document your ideas, direction, decisions and action you take to design your perfect environment for success!

Let’s use THIS thread to design your perfect environment for success!

So I didn’t see your answer to my question, RR: If we think of your environment supporting your success what thing or things would bring the largest step forward towards your goal of supporting your mother financially and your own success?

Would a cost-efficient, automated system of obtaining new clients benefit you?

Would an automated system of finding new referrals benefit you?

Would a system of easily learning the top-sought-after skills while being paid to do so benefit you?

Is there something else that would be a larger help?

Brainstorm or name which of the above or what else needs to change to support you in your dream of succeeding in your VA business and supporting your mother?

Feel free to ask questions if that doesn’t make sense or you don’t understand what I mean.