Why I Love My Job

Back in 2013, two months after I gave birth, I returned to an office-based job. I would leave the house at around 7:30 in the morning, battling my way through the MRT rush hour just to get to work at 9am. Then at 5pm sharp, I would rush to leave the office and get home at around 7pm (when traffic is not so bad). In between, I found it hard to concentrate at work. Instead, I would look at photos or watch videos of my daughter almost half the time, wishing time would run faster so I can get home to my little girl. Barely two months later, I left my job. And it turned out to be one of His many brilliant plans, a redirection to a much better path.

It was not until about three months later, when my career as a work-from-home mom began. I felt the sense of urgency and purpose to earn good money to be able to support myself and my daughter. Yet I was unwilling to go through another period of leaving-for-work-and-rushing-to-get-home-while-terribly-missing-my-daughter all over again. After spending some more time training to become a real estate agent and realizing that I am not cut out for it, I knew then that I must look for another way—an office-based job nor a sales career just isn’t going to make it. As a single mom, I needed something that offers a fair level of stability with a ton of flexibility. Then the inkling of working from home came to mind and just like that, doors, even windows opened for me. I secured my first ever remote-working/home-based contract in 2014 and I haven’t looked back since.

So, what is it about working from home that made me fall in love with it? Here are 5 reasons why I love my job:

    1. I have more time for what matters. I get to spend precious time sleeping or savoring my morning coffee (or even satisfying my Korean drama fix) instead of wasting it off on long commutes; I can get a quick kiss and hug from my daughter in between tasks; and as soon as I’m done for the day, I can instantly switch to mommy mode.
    2. I get to be the hands-on mom that I want to be. Especially last year when my daughter started schooling, the flexibility of my work has allowed me to be involved in all her school activities. With planning and good time management, I am able finish off my tasks while at the same time get my daughter ready and take her to school.
    3. I can work anywhere. Wherever there’s internet connection and as long as my laptop is charged or there’s a socket—a workshop room, an Airbnb unit in another country, my daughter’s classroom, the school waiting area, a coffee shop or restaurant, a village clubhouse, a moving car or even just walking around the mall while holding my tablet or laptop—any place can be my work station.
    4. I actually enjoy what I do. It is only when I started working from home that I had the chance to explore, learn and master different design software programs and consequently discover my innate flair for design. Currently, I am mostly involved in graphic designing which I love and am confident of doing. And being the tech savvy person that I am, I can say working online is simply perfect for me.
    5. It is a win-win situation. The flexibility of working remotely and the stability of getting a monthly paycheck, it’s like hitting two birds (or even more) with just one stone.