From early on in my life, I always had a plan for myself. It went as follows:
- Pursue higher education
- Secure a fulfilling job
- Get married
- Acquire a home
- Have children
In my mind, by following this plan, life would effortlessly fall into place. However, my second child, my son, decided to come into the world at just 25 weeks, weighing a mere 15 ounces. Needless to say, this was an extraordinarily tough situation. The exact opposite of effortless.
This occurred before the era of remote work brought about by the pandemic; therefore, working from home wasn’t an option at that time. Still refusing to deviate from the “plan,” for months I tried to juggle staying on top of my obligation at work, raise my five-year-old at the time, commute to see my newborn baby too medically fragile to come home, settle into a new home, and not neglect my relationship with my husband. It was A LOT. Something had to give. As much as I was trying to stick with my plan, I wasn’t giving 100% to anything that I cared about – husband, daughter, house, job, or myself. So, I elected to leave my job to concentrate on getting my son home before his first birthday. That became my new plan.
It wasn’t easy, but my husband and I learned to manage, and eventually, as my son started to improve medically, I decided I wanted to go back to work. However, the conventional “9 to 5” no longer suited our family, but I missed working. Thus, I ventured into freelancing—an unexpected blessing. Collaborating with remarkable entrepreneurs and small business owners exposed me to diverse aspects of marketing and business. It was an experience beyond what my days in a corporate environment had ever provided. Most importantly, this journey taught me invaluable life lessons:
- Flexibility is key; plans may require adjustment when circumstances change beyond our control.
- Self-care is paramount. Prioritizing my well-being was crucial, as neglecting myself affected those depending on me.
- Time is a precious commodity. Without it, you cannot concentrate on the things that are most meaningful. Working from home enabled me to spend precious time with my family. That’s what mattered to me.
Now, with almost 10 years of experience as a virtual assistant, I want to help you regain precious time, allowing you to focus on what truly matters to you.