People say find one thing you are passionate about and pursue it. But what if you have more than one thing you are passionate about? Would you forbid yourself from pursuing those? They might be things you won’t get rich from, but you still love them.
For example, I am someone who is a natural caregiver. I love helping people and making them feel special and happy. That makes me a wonderful family person and virtual assistant.
However, I love music as well. I love to sing and dance. I’m certainly not talent show winner material, but I’m not bad either. Music has been part of my life as long as I can remember. I danced for almost two decades and have been part of many choirs for about ten years.
When I gave birth to my twin daughters I stopped working and singing altogether. That was necessary at the moment. They were seven weeks premature, so tiny and fragile, and needed my absolute attention. My husband and I were walking zombies for a good portion of their first year, with no side help, so working or doing anything extra never came into question.
Once they got stronger, I slowly got back to work and found my first freelance client. At that point, I worked and took care of our babies. It felt very good. But as things were getting back to normal and we were not in a survival mode anymore, I wanted the things I enjoyed back in my life. Plus I wanted time just for myself outside of my family and work. This may sound selfish, but I needed (and still need) it. Singing in a choir was a perfect choice as practices were just once a week.
I joined a female local choir with a cheerful repertoire and friendly atmosphere, and boy, I was right! Singing with them made me relax. It lifted my soul up. It gave me positive energy to face all the challenges in the week ahead. It also gave me an opportunity to bond with other women. Some of them are still my dearest friends. Anyone who sees me sing tells me that the joy is evident on my face.
So I have this to tell you:
Be sure to make time for yourself and the things that make YOU happy.
Do you love gardening? Spring is almost here; time to get dirty and make your yard or terrace bloom.
Do you love painting? Get yourself a new canvas, some paint, brushes and set your hand free.
Or perhaps you love knitting, working out, hiking, camping, reading non-business related books, or something completely bizarre?
Pursue your unique hobbies and be proud of them. Don’t tell yourself you have no time, as they will recharge your batteries and actually make you more productive.
I’ve got to go sing now.
Nada Pupovac is a Project Manager at No Bounds Digital. She is also the founder of Remote Pal, a support zone for virtual assistants where she shares tips, advice, and stories based on her experience as a VA as well as the stories of other successful VAs.
You can connect with Nada on the following platforms: