Many International Virtual Assistant Association members will be off to the annual VA Summit in San Francisco in a couple of days and will find renewed vigor for their work in the stimulating company of colleagues. Unfortunately, not all of us VA’s can attend the Summit this year.

Meanwhile, there’s a great discussion unfolding over at the IVAA’s listserve right now… but that’s a private discussion list for members only. I’d like to broaden that conversation so that members and non-IVAA members can chime in about what you do to keep your focus when life and work challenges you.

One of my favorite solutions is to go for a walk with my dog Chester, using a colleague’s (Michele PW) suggestion to view things from a different perspective. So in my case, I take the trail route in reverse. Michele originally suggested that as a creativity exercise, but I find it helps both to calm and refocus my mind.

A second solution that’s been very helpful in recent months is just to take a visit to Simple Life to review Beth’s weekly simplicity tips. I keep them handy throughout the week.

Everyone battles fatigue, overload and burnout on occasion. Finding a cure may not be possible, but having a strategy for coping can become an important component of your company’s risk management plan. For more on that, see this earlier post elsewhere in Loosely Speaking.