Can eating frogs really change your life for the better?
Even if you’re not a fan of the French delicacy ‘cuisses de grenouille’ (frogs’ legs), metaphorically eating frogs will literally change your life.
So, what is a frog?
We’ve all got that one task we’d rather avoid... the awkward email, the nerve-wracking phone call, the hideous spreadsheet. THOSE ARE YOUR FROGS!
It’s that painful task lurking on your to-do list, quietly judging you.
Why do I have to eat it??
Eating the frog essentially means doing it first. Getting that horrible task out of the way and off your plate before the day runs away with you.
Tackling your toughest, most fear-inducing job before doing anything else.
It doesn’t need to be big - even a tiny frog will do!
It doesn’t even need to be a massive task - an email you’ve been putting off would tick the box. Or finally tracking down those mislaid receipts.
How will this help me?
In sooo many ways. Think of it like reverse-procrastination.
You’ll feel smug by 10am and the rest of the day will be an absolute breeze (or at least slightly less chaotic).
A strong sense of accomplishment sets you up for a day of success. Eating the frog first boosts productivity, builds momentum and boosts confidence, as well as reducing procrastination, guilt and overwhelm.
Eating the frog is also a fantastic way to get motivated when you struggle to start, or you don’t feel in the right mindset for taxing work.
And it’s a really valuable tool for anyone who suffers from busywork syndrome (filling their day and getting a lot done but not actually making progress on the important stuff).
Get it done = feel amazing, and feel lighter. Sweet relief.
How do I do it though?
It’s not rocket science - write down the 1 thing you’ve been avoiding, and do it first. That’s it!
Identify your frog, gobble it down, repeat daily. A frog a day keeps the to-do monster at bay.
Refreshingly simple. Small win = big relief.
Why a frog though??
The Eat the Frog method was popularised by productivity consultant Brian Tracy, but the concept can be traced back to Mark Twain, who said:
“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.”
Ready?
Embrace that frog - it won’t turn into a prince, but it will transform your day.
Download our free guide to help you get started.
Need a hand?
Here at Leva, we absolutely love frogs - can’t get enough of them. So if you’d rather hand all your juicy amphibians over to us, we’d be very happy to polish them off for you.
Let us lighten the load - get in touch.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
FAQs
Everything you ever wanted to know about Virtual Assistants (but were afraid to ask!) - what we do, the tasks we cover, how we help you and your business, how to work with us, and how much we charge.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
If you’re running a small business, juggling multiple projects, or simply looking for ways to free up your time, a Virtual Assistant (VA) could be just what you need. But what exactly is a Virtual Assistant, and how could a VA help you grow your business in the UK?
A Virtual Assistant is a skilled professional who is expert at administration and organisation, and provides business support services remotely. Instead of being on your payroll and based in your office (with all the business overheads that entails), a VA works independently - typically from their own home. VAs deliver flexible pay-as-you-go admin support, customer service, social media management, diary organisation, email marketing, and more. Here’s a full rundown of our services and packages.
The beauty of hiring a Virtual Assistant is that you benefit from the skills of a reliable team member without the costs that come with hiring an employee - such as pensions, holiday pay or office space. And you simply pay for as much or as little time as you need.
What are common Virtual Assistant tasks?
Every Virtual Assistant offers slightly different services, but common VA tasks usually include:
● Administrative support – managing emails, scheduling meetings, organising files.
● Customer service – handling enquiries, responding to messages, following up leads.
● Social media management – creating content, scheduling posts, engaging with followers.
● Xero bookkeeping support – invoicing, expenses, and financial admin.
● Email marketing - from complete setup through to content creation, scheduling and sending.
I provide all these services, as well as graphic design, Inbox Detox, accountability and planning, and Etsy shop builds.
What are the benefits of hiring a Virtual Assistant?
The advantages of hiring a Virtual Assistant usually far outweigh the cost. The key benefits of having a business VA include:
Cost savings – you only pay for the hours you need, and you get all the efficiency savings (without the overheads) of a payroll employee.
Cash flow - invoices go out faster (on time!) and are chased consistently. You’ll finally be on top of your bookkeeping and keep your accountant happy!
Flexibility - scale the hours up or down depending on workload - highly efficient with zero waste.
Productivity - you can get so much more core work done, and focus on business growth, when someone else is taking care of the admin. Switch your attention to long-term goals, innovation, learning new skills, or developing new offerings.
Expertise - the best Virtual Assistants bring a wealth of skilled expertise, as well as improving your business processes. Tap into a broad knowledge base - covering everything from admin and finance to communications and digital marketing.
Prioritisation - this is something many business-owners struggle with, as we’re all spinning so many plates and wearing so many different hats on any given day. A talented Virtual Assistant can help you get to grips with prioritisation - helping ensure you’re always spending your time focused on the most important and valuable tasks.
Professionalism - when a Virtual Assistant manages your emails, social media and customer communication, it adds a layer of polish to all your interactions. This enhances perception of your business and boosts your know-like-trust factor.
Accountability - one of the toughest things about running your own business and being your own boss is that you’re not really accountable to anyone. You might have obligations to customers and suppliers, but who’s helping you to stay motivated and keep your eye on the prize? I’m a rare Virtual Assistant who offers an Accountability service in the form of my Business Buddy package - to keep you on your toes and make sure you’re getting sh1t done!
What can a Virtual Assistant do for me?
Been wondering ‘do I need a virtual assistant’? Well, here’s how a Virtual Assistant can help you and your business:
● Give you back time - by taking painful admin and routine financial tasks off your plate, you finally have time for that strategic work. A brilliant Virtual Assistant is really invaluable if you’re ready to grow your business.
● Manage your inbox - emails can be the biggest distraction of your day, so let me help.
● Manage your diary- hand your calendar over to an organised and efficient superstar - not only will you reduce mental clutter, you’ll make sure you never miss anything important.
● Improve processes - a talented Virtual Assistant will be able to spot opportunities to improve efficiency, and recommend ways to streamline and integrate workflows. They’re also up to speed with the latest apps and tech tools. All this will help your business to run more smoothly even when s/he isn’t around.
● Liaise with customers - clients are your bread and butter. A good Virtual Assistant will help you keep on top of quotes, leads, and bookings, so you can rest easy that nothing’s getting missed and there’s a healthy pipeline of work coming in.
● Digital marketing - from designing graphics to posting and engaging across social media on your behalf, Virtual Assistants offering digital marketing services can help to actively grow your business while taking another stressful task off your to-do list.
Should I get a Virtual Assistant?
Could it be time to hire a VA? If you’ve been wondering if you need a Virtual Assistant, you’re probably feeling constantly stretched and frazzled, spinning all the plates but never quite getting on top of things. You might be missing opportunities because of admin overload, at risk of missing HMRC deadlines, or you just feel you need more balance in your life. If any of this rings true for you, hiring a Virtual Assistant could be the perfect solution.
Likewise, if you have a specific project but lack the skills and expertise in-house, hiring the right Virtual Assistant can be a really valuable way to level up when you need to.
Whether you need a few hours a week or ongoing daily support, we can transform the way you run your business - helping you achieve more and stress less. Get in touch.
How do I know what to give to a virtual assistant? Which tasks should I delegate to a VA?
People ask us this all the time - our top tip is to monitor and list the tasks you complete over the course of a week. Then put them into 3 columns with the following headings: Can’t, Shouldn’t and Won’t (or Do, Dump and Delegate).
This will quickly and easily help you to clearly identify tasks that you can pass onto a Virtual Assistant, and you’ll also spot jobs that you don’t actually need to be doing at all.
You can then send this list to your VA - freeing you up to focus on what you’re best at.
If you’d like more help with working out which tasks to hand over, we’re happy to help . Get in touch.
Do I need an ongoing VA or just a one-off to get on top of things?
Ongoing Virtual Assistant support means greater efficiency, smoother operations, consistent service and improved client communication. Although there’s a monthly cost, your long-term return-on-investment is far greater, and you benefit from cumulative, compound improvements. The better we get to know your business, the more opportunities we spot and the more improvements we can make for you. This all saves you more money through efficiencies, in the long run.
A one-off Virtual Assistant can be valuable if you need to get on top of a backlog of paperwork, launch a product or service, or set up a new system. The risk is always that you might fall behind again without ongoing support. But that’s the beauty of a Virtual Assistant - you just book as much or as little time as you need. And if you need to scale it up, just do it! Zero risk or overheads for you to worry about. Get in touch and we can discuss what you need.
How much does a VA charge per hour in the UK?
Like anything, Virtual Assistant prices vary. Some charge by the hour and others work on a daily rate.
Our standard rate for ad-hoc work is £40 per hour, whether you need 1 hour …or 100!
But we also offer a range of packages to make life easier if you only need specific things - from an Inbox Detox to Email newsletters, Canva help, Social Media management, Xero bookkeeping, or even graphic design.
Get in touch - once we find out more about what you need, we can tailor a quote.