Do What You Love to Love What You Do

My name is Chantel, I am a Personal Assistant and Safety Manager by profession. I have been trying to balance two full time positions. One would say that I have spent the last 29 years doing what I like and not what I LOVE! Does this sound familiar to you?

Well as little as 4 years ago I was forced into making a life altering decision. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a crippling disease which affects several people, If left untreated, one is in agony 24 hours of every day.

So, as I mentioned I was forced for health reasons into making a change in my working style, my working environment and the duration of a typical work day for me. My work day was literally halved so to speak, so that I could rest in the afternoons to recuperate from the effects of working a 5-hour day. I ended up trying to do the two full time positions mentioned previously, in half the amount of time.

That work life balance conundrum

This worked well initially, however slowly but surely, I began to feel the pressure of trying to balance my new lifestyle with my work load. I fell behind in my work, which wasn’t like me and I started having guilty feelings about my lack of completing any task to the full. I forced myself to rest in the afternoons. This was no easy task, as my style is one of being in control and completing tasks, being efficient and meeting deadlines.

I slowly became bored with my own company. One can only watch so many episodes of series so to speak and because of the type of person I am, I decided to do a little admin work in the afternoons, both for my morning job and as a Virtual Assistant for one or two small companies. This took place some 2 years ago that I decided to change this path in my life.

The bottom line is becoming a Virtua Assistant was the best move of my life. I could manage my time and work around my illness restrictions. I began having faith in myself again. Working in such a positive and encouraging environment.

I got a taste of what my working life should be like, ie doing what I love. In my “afternoons” I continued to grow as a person. I started to feel my old self again, I felt inspired.

One would say that it is very confusing doing two similar “jobs” and having two totally opposite results. One being, miserable and sad and the other inspiring and uplifting.

After some time, I realised that, doing what I LOVE, helped me with my chronic disease. I started by being able to cut down on my medication and also was able to start exercising again. I felt alive and well.

Old habits seem to die hard

During the course of the next few months, I fell back into my bad routine and put myself under huge amounts of pressure again. I once again tried taking on too much, and I wasn’t feeling appreciated for my expertise.

I became distant and withdrawn by the fact that I was so unhappy. The choice was clear, I had to make a change. One cannot continue doing what one is doing an expecting a different result so to speak.

I there and then, some 6 weeks ago, after the dark place I had been in, decided that I was the master of my destiny, I was the ONLY one that could make a difference in MY life.

Do what you love

I chose to “do what I LOVE”!!

Since making this very tough and life altering decision, I have finally begun to see the light in my darkest days. I felt that there was hope. I felt that I was worth something.

My last words to you are, “Do What You LOVE, in order to LOVE What You Do!”

VA CONNECT has a team of Virtual Assistants just waiting to be of service to you, to lighten your load! To FREE up some of your time!