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Quick and Easy Tips to Organize Yourself

The single most important trait of any good assistant are good organizational skills. ThinkstockHaving systems and following through with them alleviates your mind and remedies needless anxiety. Let’s face it, you have enough to worry about.

When you are moving every minute of every day, responsible for hundreds of details, managing others and making sure your boss is not encountering any hiccups, do you really want to stress over remembering where you put that phone number on that slip of paper? How many of you have woken up in the middle of the night sucking in all the air in the room because you just remembered something you forgot to do?

Here’s are my personal Top 5, Cannot Live Without, tips to stay organized:

Tip #1: Write down everything. Use the same book and keep it with you ALWAYS. This way there is no doubt where your notes are. I recommend a book that fits into your laptop bag or purse.

Tip #2: Make yourself an end-of-the-day plan for the next day. Make this list while your priorities are fresh in your head because I guarantee you, there will be new “surprise” items to deal with in the morning. This will keep you from forgetting those holdover items.

 Tip #3: Before quitting time, transfer your daily notes into your appropriate systems. Phone numbers written down hastily in shorthand that only you can read should be put into your contacts or onto call sheets with their full name; to do’s should be put on the list for tomorrow; and tasks that were completed should be crossed off.

 Tip #4: A status email should be sent to your employer at the end of the day. This should include calls they still need to make or return, appointments for the next day, vendors who may be working at their home the following day, papers to be signed; and anything else important you were not able to communicate to them during the day. This list is a big help to you as well. Note—Never assume it got read by your employer, but you can read it to them in the morning and it’s a great CYA move.

Tip #5: Keep a “hot” folder that has all the paperwork you need to deal with immediately. Even if items carry over to the next day or week, you know where to put your hands on those that are most urgent.

While the brain is an assistant’s most valuable asset, give it some much-needed help! Trust in your processes so that when you cannot remember, you know where to look.

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No Expectations?

A man friend of mine once said the best way to get through a relationship with a man was to have no expectations of him. Wait, hold up? Say what? Yes, I pondered that for about a nano-second, and then realized that is what HE expects from his relationships, and frankly, how selfish is that? How can you be in any type of relationship and not have expectations? I would expect my spouse to be kind, thoughtful, faithful, loving, and respectful, etc…or why get married?

Now when it comes to work as a personal assistant, there are some areas where it is best to have no expectations. You see it is easy to get used to being around fame and fortune. The private jets, the 5-star hotels, the amazing bonus checks, trips to Hawaii, brand new iPhones or Chanel hand-me-downs are all things I’ve been lucky enough to experience regularly. I have also been given a car, a necklace from Van Cleef and Arpels, whole gift baskets from the Academy Awards (yes the ones valued at ridiculous amounts) and so much more.

But to expect gifts, to expect a monetary bonus when you are already paid for your work, to expect to always fly first class, for example, is a recipe for disaster. After all, you agreed to work for a price, perform those services, and get paid.  Anything extra is gravy!  So I tell you, don’t expect the perks, you’ll be so much more grateful for them when they come and will not have animosity when you don’t get something that was never promised in the first place.  What you should expect from a client/employer is to be treated with respect, appreciated for your expertise, and to be willing to work towards mutual trust.

The real lesson is to enjoy the experience and take from it what you will want to manifest for yourself. There are very few people who get to intimately witness firsthand how the very wealthy live so to be able to experience it and learn from it, is a very “rich” experience. Very few people go to work in sprawling estates. I know it’s not all bells and whistles. I was 9 months pregnant with my 3rd child and had to walk a four-story 20,000 square foot residence during a construction I was managing. I hated it then. I appreciate it now for what I learned about the process of building an estate from scratch. And while I’m on the subject of those with extreme wealth, it may surprise other assistants to know that there is not one person I have ever worked for that I would change places with.  Don’t get me wrong; I work to build a residual income stream so I can have the luxury of time that financial freedom brings. But I have seen and experienced that while money dissolves a whole lot of problems, it also brings a different set of challenges with it.  Like everything in life, enjoy the experience and opportunity and learn all you can.

Sue McGaughey says it best in this link:  http://uflifestyle.com/2012/10/08/living-a-rich-life/

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Confidentiality, Confidentiality, Confidentiality…and did I mention Confidentiality?

You know, the quickest thing to get you fired in this business is a breach of your employer’s confidentiality. The quickest thing to get appreciation is keeping your employer’s secrets. Common sense right?

Your job as an assistant to a celebrity draws a lot of attention to you. People are curious and have questions. And there are plenty of magazines willing to pay you for those secrets you keep. Have you ever heard the phrase, “you’ll never work in this town again?”  Well remember it. Not only will your fellow assistants want nothing to do with you if you are a blabbermouth, no employer will ever want you within 5 miles of them.

Remember, all that attention you’re getting is not about you. Be careful who you speak to and especially who you let into your employer’s home. The simple, easy, and truthful response to curious people is, “I cannot discuss my employer. I have confidentiality agreement.” The insatiable media and curious questions will always be there and remember, it is insatiable. So don’t go down that road and you won’t find yourself regretting it.