I've been doing research for my business as I work on my business plan and I'm feeling overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. So much information to process, and yet I don’t feel that much of it is helping me at all. Also, it seems I'm over qualified and under qualified for what I do for a living and I find that very frustrating.
When I was young I wanted to be a lawyer. Then I wanted to be a college English Literature teacher. Then I wanted to be both. Those are still things that would, I think, make me feel fulfilled in my professional life. Yet, when I was about 22 I came into the real estate world by working at a real estate school. It seems that is where I am to be planted instead of in the English Lit and Law world.
I have worked in a property management company where I ran the company managing over 160 residential homes across Utah, then I worked for a commercial real estate company as an assistant to 20 commercial agents, then I was a leasing director for a commercial real estate company where I leased kiosks in a mall and helped with in-line leasing, and then I was a stay at home mom for 10 years. When I knew I would have to go back to work I wanted to do something different but ended up working at an HOA where I once again fell in love with all things real estate. When I left the HOA I went to work as an office administrator for an international real estate company where I basically assisted about 30 real estate agents.
I like real estate. I understand it. It has always made sense to me. Whenever a new task is given to me it seems that I just instinctively know what needs to be done. Doing paperwork is something that I have always enjoyed. Working on a computer comes easily and naturally to me. I am a people person and I like to help other succeed in what they do. I like to be the person they can come to, drop something on my desk, and walk away knowing I'll take care of it. Or the person they can brainstorm with to come up with how to fix a problem.
So, why am I so frustrated with my business? Why am I struggling to find clients? Why am I having such a hard time writing a business plan so I can get a small loan to get my office set up and working smoothly?
Honestly, I think there are several things that are holding me back right now. One of them is that I feel like there are so many things I need to know more about, like technical stuff, that would make me a better virtual assistant. The most important thing? I would love to move into the world of construction. Weird eh?
Not really, since my father was a builder, my brother is a builder, and my husband is a superintendent. Building things has always fascinated me. Do I want to do paperwork all my life? Yes! I love it! Do I want to work from home for the rest of my professional career? Yes! That would be awesome! But, I also want to travel, watch homes and buildings be created, be involved from the purchasing of land to the final handing over of the keys. I want to be a part of it all.
When I worked for the commercial real estate developer I was there from the beginning of one of his large projects. Many acres of a business park surrounded by a golf course were developed with my attending each weekly meeting, ground breaking (I even have a gold shovel!), planting flowers, deciding on how many and where to put parking, who to lease the buildings to, invoices, architect meetings, oh how wondrous it was! Maybe I need to go to school to be a project manager. That would be awesome!
Maybe what's holding me back is that fact that I want so much more than what just being an assistant will give me. Maybe I need to do something bigger? But how? Where? When? And certainly, how much will it cost? So many questions to work out.
Tonight, in my written journal, I'm going to write down what I define as success. What would make me happy? What will make me feel successful? How can I help others become successful? I could create jobs! Help others learn and grow and be as excited as I am about something.
Sorry, that was sort of a freak out on my part. It has been a long day. Tomorrow...What is success?
What is success to you?
When I was young I wanted to be a lawyer. Then I wanted to be a college English Literature teacher. Then I wanted to be both. Those are still things that would, I think, make me feel fulfilled in my professional life. Yet, when I was about 22 I came into the real estate world by working at a real estate school. It seems that is where I am to be planted instead of in the English Lit and Law world.
I have worked in a property management company where I ran the company managing over 160 residential homes across Utah, then I worked for a commercial real estate company as an assistant to 20 commercial agents, then I was a leasing director for a commercial real estate company where I leased kiosks in a mall and helped with in-line leasing, and then I was a stay at home mom for 10 years. When I knew I would have to go back to work I wanted to do something different but ended up working at an HOA where I once again fell in love with all things real estate. When I left the HOA I went to work as an office administrator for an international real estate company where I basically assisted about 30 real estate agents.
I like real estate. I understand it. It has always made sense to me. Whenever a new task is given to me it seems that I just instinctively know what needs to be done. Doing paperwork is something that I have always enjoyed. Working on a computer comes easily and naturally to me. I am a people person and I like to help other succeed in what they do. I like to be the person they can come to, drop something on my desk, and walk away knowing I'll take care of it. Or the person they can brainstorm with to come up with how to fix a problem.
So, why am I so frustrated with my business? Why am I struggling to find clients? Why am I having such a hard time writing a business plan so I can get a small loan to get my office set up and working smoothly?
Honestly, I think there are several things that are holding me back right now. One of them is that I feel like there are so many things I need to know more about, like technical stuff, that would make me a better virtual assistant. The most important thing? I would love to move into the world of construction. Weird eh?
Not really, since my father was a builder, my brother is a builder, and my husband is a superintendent. Building things has always fascinated me. Do I want to do paperwork all my life? Yes! I love it! Do I want to work from home for the rest of my professional career? Yes! That would be awesome! But, I also want to travel, watch homes and buildings be created, be involved from the purchasing of land to the final handing over of the keys. I want to be a part of it all.
When I worked for the commercial real estate developer I was there from the beginning of one of his large projects. Many acres of a business park surrounded by a golf course were developed with my attending each weekly meeting, ground breaking (I even have a gold shovel!), planting flowers, deciding on how many and where to put parking, who to lease the buildings to, invoices, architect meetings, oh how wondrous it was! Maybe I need to go to school to be a project manager. That would be awesome!
Maybe what's holding me back is that fact that I want so much more than what just being an assistant will give me. Maybe I need to do something bigger? But how? Where? When? And certainly, how much will it cost? So many questions to work out.
Tonight, in my written journal, I'm going to write down what I define as success. What would make me happy? What will make me feel successful? How can I help others become successful? I could create jobs! Help others learn and grow and be as excited as I am about something.
Sorry, that was sort of a freak out on my part. It has been a long day. Tomorrow...What is success?
What is success to you?
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