Lesson 19: Really enjoy what you do!
Remember why you got started in your practice. It could have been because of childcare needs; elder care; disability; a desire for more freedom or to be your own boss; or as a means for re-entering the workforce. But if you don’t enjoy it why do it?
Life is too short to slave away at things that make you miserable.
I never wanted to be a secretary. I finished high school at a time when girls could really only be hairdressers, nurses, teachers, flight attendants, or secretaries. My father refused to consider me going to university – in fact he fired up when I went to business college when he had to buy textbooks. I went to business college to – as my mother put it – have something to fall back on.
However, whilst I never wanted to be a secretary, my experience after graduating business college meant that years later, when I was faced with unemployment after maternity leave, I had skills I could utilise to actually create an income.
Being able to choose who I work with, the variety of my clients, and the variety of the industries and countries they work in means that whilst I still hate the idea of being a secretary, I actually love working with them! And after all, now I’m way more than their secretary and they certainly also view me as more. As a job being a secretary can mean you’re under appreciated – those of you who worked as secretaries know exactly what I mean! As a VA business owner my clients value me, my time, my input and my partnership with them. They view me as an equal.
And that helps me to really keep enjoying what I do!