Do you ever wish you could write faster?

You see other people producing content day after day, while you just stare at the blank page you opened an hour ago.
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What’s their secret?

How do you write great content, faster?

​I've been listening to a podcast about the value of getting help when you’re feeling overworked, overwhelmed, or stuck.

The show, hosted by Orna Ross and Sacha Black of The Alliance of Independent Authors, focuses on author-publishers, but their advice applies to everyone running a business.

Orna said something that really resonated with me, something that I don't think enough people realise:

Read time: 5 minutes

If you follow @Adm1nAngelsUK on Twitter, you might have noticed that I was busy helping out with #SelfPubCon last weekend.

The Self-Publishing Advice Conference is a twice-annual event run by the fantastic Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). It’s a 24-hour conference for indie authors and writers, packed full of advice, support, workshops and talks from 24 top industry speakers.

Sadly, the free SelfPubCon period has now ended, but you can get yourself a pass by visiting the website, which also gives you access to all previous conferences.
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This time around, the conference was all about the Top 100 Tools for Indie Authors, and I was asked to provide three of my favourite tools. 

​It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone hates micromanaging!

If someone was micromanaging you, you might feel like they're looking over your shoulder, like they don't trust you to do your job. 

And let's face it, the hourly check-in emails and daily progress calls only serve to eat into your productivity. 

If you're the one micromanaging, you'll likely be frustrated that you're wasting time chasing someone else when you'd rather be doing something more productive. 

In this way, micromanaging is un-helpful, un-productive and stifles creativity and morale. 
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So, what can you do instead?

Are you new to working from home?

Finding it difficult to ‘switch off’ as you used to when you left the office?

I’ve been working from home for 7 years and, believe me, there are still times when I find myself working well into the night.

It can be hard to step away when you’re itching to get things finished and checked off your to-do list.
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But then what? 

Without music, life would be pretty dull.

I'm listening to it right now (and I won't lie, it's a song from Frozen 2!) 

Why? 
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Because I am almost ALWAYS more productive when listening to music than when I'm not.

You don't NEED a virtual assistant. 

You also don't NEED to be able to put your feet up at the end of a long day and revel in the fact that all your tasks were completed on time. 

But it sure is nice, isn't it?

I recently read, and shared, an article claiming that ‘Nearly 1 in 10 small business owners haven’t taken a holiday in 5 years.’

What about you? When was the last time you took a holiday?

Do you fit into the above statistic?

I do.

I haven’t taken a ‘holiday’ from my business since before I started Admin Angels UK back in 2013! That might sound a little extreme but it’s what suits my lifestyle, and my business, right now. I don’t take block holidays, but I do enjoy A LOT of days out with my family. I’m also a stickler for taking breaks over the holidays and on birthdays.
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So, while I haven’t found the time for a week or two’s vacation in 6 years (eesh!), I do find other ways to avoid burning out and I’m here to share my top tips for those of you who’re running low on steam. 

​How many times have you uttered the words, “it’s easier if I just do it myself.”

We’ve all been there, whether it’s something as simple as helping your child get dressed in the morning when they’re refusing to do it themselves or writing a new blog post for your website because the idea of handing the task to someone else is a little terrifying.

There are usually two main reasons people choose not to delegate:

“I can do it myself. I don’t need any help.” – Translation: “I don’t want anyone to think I can’t manage. I don’t want to feel like a failure.”

“I’d rather do it myself.” – Translation: “What if they get it wrong?”

Both are understandable mindsets, and trust me, as a business owner and especially as a Virtual Assistant who’s used to being delegated to, I still find it difficult to let go of certain tasks and responsibilities to someone else.