• A Note From Cindy
• Feature Article: Overwhelm: What It Is and How to Move through It
• Cindy Recommends

Hi !

Happy September! For those of you in Canada and the United States, did you have a nice Labor Day? My mom arrives today. Yeah! We are still getting a few things done and ready for her 10-day visit, but I'm *sure* we'll be ready by the time her plane touches down (fingers crossed!). LOL While mom is here, Michael and I are heading up north for two days to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Mom has agreed to cat-sit for us while we are gone. I promise I'll share some pictures in the next ezine of mom's trip and our trip up north.

One other thing I want to share with those of you who are Virtual Assistants: Are you looking for another way to obtain clients? If so, head over to this website: http://www.multiplestreamsteam.com/join/. Andrea Lee and her team are putting together an RFP system to connect potential clients and Virtual Assistants. This is a no-cost service. Go join now! Andrea and her team ROCK! These gals are on top of things, and you all know I don't recommend people/programs unless they are top notch.

And finally, now that fall is here and the kiddos are back in school, it's time to work on your business. Don't forget ChatsOnDemand.com is here to help with that quick business question.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks, and I'll be back on the 24th...

A big welcome to those of you who are new subscribers. I'm excited to have you onboard with me!

To your success,

Overwhelm: What It Is and How to Move through It
by Cindy Hillsey

Picture this: It's a Monday morning and the phone is ringing off the hook. It's not even 9am yet. Your inbox looks like something blew up (things are scattered everywhere), and your to-do list doesn't fit on one piece of paper anymore! What's a savvy entrepreneur like yourself feeling at this particular moment? Do you want to run? Do you want to cry? Do you want to take the day off and deal with it later? All of the above? Or do you want to clean it up once and for all? I vote for cleaning it up once and for all!

Overwhelm is not a productive place to be. In fact, it is very unproductive because it blocks the necessary actions we need to take to do the things we need to do. Yet, many of us fall into overwhelm very easily. Let's look at what overwhelm really is. To feel overwhelmed is to feel unable to do. The root of overwhelm is an acute sense of loss of control. Often, the difference between being productively busy and being overwhelmed is simply a feeling of control. For example, when *I* am in charge of my activities I feel busy and productive. When I feel like someone else (client, spouse, friend, family) is in charge of my activities I begin to feel overwhelmed. This suggests a cure to being overwhelmed, right? Be in control, or have some control over what you are doing.

Let's take a look at how we can be in control so that we are not constantly in an overwhelmed state, ok?

Following are some examples of how easy it is to become overwhelmed and how we can move out of overwhelm:

#1: Are you in control of the decisions that affect you? What I mean by this is: If someone asks you to do something do you automatically say yes because you think, or feel, you should? Or do you participate in the decision and then say yes (or no)? Huge difference. The former takes away your control due to your passive behavior. The latter implies control because your behavior is active in the process.

#2: Do you have standards and boundaries concerning your time? If yes, do you enforce those standards and boundaries, or do you let others bend them? If you do not have standards and boundaries, it is easy to understand where overwhelm comes from. You are letting others dictate your time, and thus your energy. If you have standards and boundaries and are not enforcing them, now would be a good time to start! If you don't have standards and boundaries, now would also be a good time to create some! Remember, *you* are in control of *your* business.

#3: Do you have a difficult time separating essential and non-essential tasks, activities, emails, requests, etc? Do you find you lose your focus rather easily on these items? If so, the remedy is to have a system in place that allows you to make a decision on the relative importance of each item. This system does not need to be complicated! On the contrary, the system should be simple and straightforward so that you are able to use it without feeling like it's one more task. In its simplest form, the one question you should ask is: "What is the one thing I want to accomplish this year/month/week/day?" Based on your answer, all decisions you make should support this statement. If what you are being asked to do does not support this statement you need to reschedule, reframe, or refer!

To wrap this second phase up, the best thing you can do to support yourself and your business is to be in control. I know. Easier said than done sometimes, right? If that is how you feel, then I would encourage you to think about hiring a coach to help you move through this process so that you can be the effective, efficient entrepreneur I know you to be!

Want to comment on this article? Have a thought to share? If so, you can post it on my blog.

Are you ready to hire a coach? Want to explore the possibilities? If you would like to schedule a 20-minute pre-qualifying call, please email me at cindy@virtualpartnering.com

or

If you just need that quick 30-minute laser coaching session, head over to http://www.chatsondemand.com and get signed up! "Chat" with you soon. ☺

Below are some of the products and services I've used in my business. I highly recommend each of them, without hesitation. Please check them out and see how they can benefit you and your business!

Internet Resources for the Busy Entrepreneur - This Guide provides 800+ useful websites broken down into 10 different sections and is designed specifically for those who work on-line.

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AWeber - I use them for my ezine and for autoresponders. Highly recommend them.

Ali Brown - The Ezine Queen. If you are looking for help on how to put out an ezine, Ali wrote the ebook!

Robert Middleton - He's a Marketing Guru. Excellent information on marketing, and how to put together a website that sells.

Alicia Forest- Want to learn how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, and make more sales? Take a look and see if she can help you!

VA Classroom - Are you a VA who wants to learn more about Internet Marketing or Social Media for your clients? If so, check these guys out. Excellent materials at an affordable cost. They offer Certified Internet Marketing VA training and Social Media Marketing Specialist training.

I am a Small Business Specialist Coach, and I *love* to work with Virtual Assistants, Coaches, and other Solopreneurs who are either in the start-up stage or have been in business a few years. As the founder of Virtual Partnering, my passion is to be: able to brainstorm with you on those terrific ideas, a mentor/coach who has been there and knows what you are going through, someone you can strategize with in a safe place, and keep you accountable while simultaneously moving forward toward your goals.

Have questions, or just want to reach out to me?
cindy@virtualpartnering.com
877-215-5661

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