a way to work in pajamas....

There are ways and ways. Becoming a virtual assistant (or a VA) is one of them. Don't be fooled by the term assistant! It's no joke! It requires hard work. - a tremendous amount of back-breaking, mind-boggling, stomach-churning work. Sometimes I ask myself - "should I just go back to the corporate world?".

I could. But that would mean giving up my dream - of a simpler life, with lots of moments for pause and reflection, and a job that allows me to "go to work in my pajamas".


Sunday, November 27, 2011

my pajamas at work

It's been a long time since I've touched this blog.  One would think my pajamas went on a long vacation again.

Not this time.

This time, my pajamas went to work.  And my, what work!  The only difference from my corporate life is I'm home.  My work hours are the same - long, busy.

But wait!  How come the word stress doesn't even come to mind?  I work long hours but I'm not stressed?  And I have time to eat, exercise and do house work?  I even found time to have a room converted into a home office.  (I should blog about this).

There's something to be said about working from home.

Every morning I wake up, refreshed.  I get 6-8 hours of sleep.  A rare thing when I was employed elsewhere.

There's no morning rush.  So, I have time to stay in bed, feeling the morning sun seep in from the east and the cool wind from the west.  I have time to lay still and thank God for the chirping of the birds and the swaying of the tree leaves right outside my window.

Then, I reach out for my bible-for my spiritual nourishment.  I get up and I actually have time to make up my bed.

My morning ritual has gotten really simple.  No need to dress-up.  No need for make-up.  No hair dryers or iron plates.

Breakfast is leisurely.  Not the usual crackers and banana that you bite into while driving.

I've started to enjoy my bathroom rituals since I started working from home.  I actually have time to look at the mirror while brushing my teeth. 

You know what I love the  most? Getting dressed! Shorts and comfortable tees.  And pajamas!  Flipflops instead of shoes.  No need for a purse or a handbag.  All I need to do is cross over - a couple of steps, maximum three- from my bedroom to my home office.

How about work?  Well, this is the biggest surprise.  I thought I would have to give up my career altogether while working from home.  I thought the work-from-home career is for virtual assistants, writers and IT people only.  Big mistake!

After a really short stint as a personal assistant, now I'm doing (on line) two of the things I love doing the  most: recruitment and training.  Yes! Training.

Another wonderful surprise is the new friendships I've started to develop via Skype.  If you're a bonafide breathing, feeling human being, you just can't stay impersonal for long.  Somehow, the need for a more personal interaction comes into the picture.  No physical interaction-true.  But emotional bonding is possible. 

What is it to you?  Well, it's an option.  You're not trapped in your current cubicles.  You don't need to continue hating your life the minute you open your eyes from sleep (or the lack of it). 

I'm not going to tell you that you'll have time for family 24 hours a day.  You will be working.  You're just at home.  Just a shout away in case of emergencies.  With more free time because you'll save on travel and getting ready for work.

A lot of people still cannot imagine what I'm doing.  I'm at home but I'm working.  I get paid in dollars and the money goes straight to my bank account. I get paid while working in my pajamas.  And I get to learn while I work. 

Obviously, I'm quite happy with the way things have turned out.  Maybe it's time you start thinking about working from home, too.  Check out these sites to get started:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1336839
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351