by The Happy WAHM
I’m a passionate person. Whatever I set out to do, I put my heart into it.
I’m also very career-driven. And that drive, combined with my passion, is oft-mistaken to be workaholism.
It is difficult to find the fine line that separates, or differentiates, one from the other. I know, because I am writing this piece to help me process which side of the spectrum I am actually in. Am I really just passionate? Or am I already a workaholic?
So I start out my day thinking about the work on my queue, and end it thinking about the work I will be doing the next day. I spend time on social media sharing and talking about my work, and maintain three other websites that are all connected to work. Are these signs of workaholism?
To some, it may sound and look like it. But I’d still rather say that I am simply committed to what I have set out to do. That I’m just being fair to the people who hired me to make things happen for them, to my husband who thinks I invented virtual assistance, to my children who all look up to me and expect me to be the best virtual assistant there is.
I’d like to believe that workaholism is just compulsive working, and there is nothing compulsive with what I’m doing. I don’t work for the sake of getting so beat I’d fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow. I don’t work for the sake of working. And I don’t take on just any project.
I always start with something I love, something at least I know how to do if not really very good at doing, something I can imagine myself to be happy with long-term. These criteria have to be present simultaneously, or I won’t be doing it at all.
Passion can easily get distorted to compulsivity, if you don’t have a clear purpose, if you are not clear about what your end-goal is. That’s why I still write my goals down, however taboo goalsetting has become to others. A written plan keeps me rooted to my purpose. It keeps me committed. It keeps me motivated.
So I think I’m just passionate. And I want to stay that way.
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by The Happy WAHM
DIY corkboard, anyone?
I’ve always been handy with thread and needles, so when I found my kids’ old corkboard just lying around, gathering dust, and almost rotting on the sides, I was inspired.
It still has its tag price at the back, and seeing how much money was spent for it, I just couldn’t find it in my heart to throw it away. So I rummaged through my old clothes, thinking that I could use one of my old shirts, or maybe an old housedress to refurbish the coarkboard. Instead, I found what was left of the scrap cloth from my DIY curtain. Back in September, a part of it was also used for my DIY yarn bag. I found two long pieces which I have sewn together, then stapled them at the back.
I still have some scrap cloth left. Who knows what else I can make from it? For now, I’m happy with what I was able to accomplish. My DIY corkboard is now proudly displayed in my office.
If you have an old corkboard lyng around in your house and want to give it a new life, you can also try old t-shirts, or printed scrap cloths to add a splash of color in it.
Have fun!
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
Pleasure on the job puts perfection in the work. – Aristotle
Enjoy what you do, do what you enjoy. Find pleasure in your work and you’ll get better results.
I’ve been a virtual assistant for nine years. And before that, I was in credit management for 12 years. I would not have lasted more than two years in each job if I did not find pleasure in them. The pay, while important, would have been secondary. Oh, maybe I would have done something that pays well but do not enjoy for a while, just to keep afloat, but not for long. I would either learn to love what I’m doing, or find something else. Fortunately, I’ve always managed to be in the right place at the right time with the right price.
It pays to know what makes you happy. For me, it starts with being at home with the kids. Then the fact that I don’t have to wake up earlier than usual to make allowance for traffic. Not having to think about what to wear, that’s a lot of worry taken out of my plate. Loving the challenges that clients present to me every day. Learning new things. And yes, being paid well for my efforts. All those things give me pleasure, and my job is easier because of the positive feeling I have towards it.
Some days, my work does not feel like work at all.
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
Courage is grace under pressure. – Ernest Hemingway
I’m doing my first courageous act for 2016: Starting a series that I hope (and the operative word is hope) to sustain for 365 days.
For the rest of 2016 (with my fingers crossed), I want to be able to share something inspiring, motivational, stimulating. It can be a quote, or a photo, or a thought. Ramblings that may inspire. Or maybe just a single word. Like today.
My first word for 2016 is courage. I’m going to need a lot of it this year. Courage to go through uncharted territories as far as my virtual assistance career is concerned. I’ve always been very conservative in my career decisions. always erring on the side of caution. I’m not saying that I’ll be throwing caution to the wind this year. I just want to be a teeny-weeny bit more aggressive (and a lot less shy) in putting myself out there. I have not done so in the past because I have always been profitably engaged with clients. But freelancing is volatile. We cannot put all our eggs in one basket. So I need to spread my wings just a little bit more, explore other opportunities outside our comfort zone, and try to live on a single income.
That’s the plan. And that’s a lot of pressure.
I’m not referring to being aggressive.
The pressure is actually on keeping up with the 365 challenge. Ha ha!
And right now I’m doing it with grace.
May the force be with me to see this through.
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
I have not blogged for over a month!
Reason?
I simply can’t find my writing mojo.
I used to be able to just decide that I want to blog, and in 15 minutes, I’d have something live.
But for weeks now, I simply have no desire to write. At all.
Maybe I was disheartened that I was not given an award in the past Bloggys ceremonies.
Ha ha ha!
But seriously, I’ve been opting to crochet than to blog lately. So there…
Anyway, tradition dictates that I at least have something to remember 2015 by, and to welcome 2016 with.
So, here goes…
I’m not going to overthink this one, or I’ll end up not publishing anything at all. I just want to round up my year as another unforgettable one. The outpouring of blessings and all the lessons learned overshadowed the challenges and disappointments. I’m grateful for my family, my friends, business partners and the communities I belong to. I’m grateful for the blessing of work, of skills, of time, of good health. I’m grateful for the opportunities and the eye-openers. And most of all, I’m grateful for meeting (most of) my goals this year. Some were missed, but I’m fine with that. I’m still happy. Everything’s fluid. Nothing’s written on stone. Goals serve as my guide, not a source of stress. 🙂
One major accomplishment this year has been the launch of my craft site, Crafted Crafts. I’m still tinkering with it, but this is how my business card will look like next year.
I miserably failed on my goal to finish three online courses. I did not even finish one! But that does not mean that I have not taken time to learn something new. I’ve taken to listening to audiobooks and loving it! You might want to try it, too! Get 2 free audiobooks for a 30-day free trial. You get to keep the 2 you already downloaded even if you cancel before the trial ends. That’s a good deal, yeah?
I don’t have any other tradition. I don’t have 13 fruits on our table. We have fruits, but I’m not counting. We buy what we plan to eat and that’s it! No coins, no rice, no red shirts, no circles. For 2016 to be awesome, I just need to stay focused on what I want to achieve, work hard, spend time with my family, stay away from stressors, always be grateful, and find the blessing in every hardship.
And with this post, I bid 2015 goodbye and with a happy heart, I say… Hello, 2016!
