WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START

Early on in my career, I worked as a receptionist. I might be biased but I’m a firm believer in anyone starting out in the administrative profession cutting their teeth as a receptionist.

Personally, I learned so much in this role. I learned how to stay calm and courteous under the pressure of visitors and constant phone calls. I learned the importance of knowing the delivery guys’ names and the nuance of sorting mail. Most of all, I learned how to field requests from multiple people, guests, and coworkers alike, simultaneously.

This was not without stress! I remember feeling frequently overwhelmed (dealing with this emotion is also good training) and immobilized by a list of tasks needing to be done immediately.

Since this time I’ve been a part of numerous conversations with fellow assistants who have found themselves in a place of overwhelm and panic. First of all, let me just say that I don’t think there’s an assistant alive who hasn’t dealt with this feeling… not one! We have all been there.

Check out this video where I’ll go into detail on what to do when you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start: