A guest blog by Emily Eynon
Career paths are like shoes – one pair of shoes can’t fit everyone. This is why we are so lucky to live in a time where there are many different career paths to try on. You just need to be patient to see which career path fits best.
After graduating with my marketing degree from Montana State University, I found myself eager to dive into my professional career – but not quite satisfied yet with my fulfillment of travel and adventure. While sitting between what felt like a fork in my life where I had to choose one path or another, I was lucky to stumble upon the opportunity to work remotely.
While working as a server at a popular brewery and pizza joint in Montana after I graduated in 2016, I saw an opening for work at the establishment that didn’t require me to physically be on site. It dawned on me one day that the restaurant’s social media presence was lackluster and in need of some TLC. I approached management about allowing me to overhaul and run the social platforms, after working pro bono to prove I was serious and had the skillset to do so, the position of Social Media Coordinator was born and I officially became a remote worker.
It is now nearly 6 years since I began working from home, and my healthy work-life balance is undeniably attributed to my remote work and WFH lifestyle. I’ve always felt the pull to harness my gift of communication to my work – which is what ultimately led me to become a content creator and copywriter working from home.
While the 9-to-5 schedule is a good fit for many people, it was a career path that simply didn’t fit my lifestyle. One thing that truly makes me happy in life is flexibility, and it’s difficult to achieve flexibility with a set and repetitive schedule. The flexibility that comes along with remote work is where I found the key to my work-life balance.
- I’m able to work on regular cleaning tasks throughout my workday, which wouldn’t be possible if I was in an office – which gives me the key to a clean and welcoming home.
- I’m able to cook nutritious and healthy meals in the comfort of my home, giving me the key to a nurtured body.
- I’m able to take myself and my dog for walks when the weather is just right, giving me the key to an active lifestyle (and access to sunshine!)
- I’m able to create my own schedule, giving me the key to a healthy social life and schedule visiting with friends and family.
- I’m able to work from wherever I have my computer and a wifi connection, giving me the key to travel and explore little unique nooks in the world.
- I’m able to say “no” to clients and jobs that I don’t align with, giving myself the key to setting healthy boundaries.
- Most of all, I’m able to create a lifestyle that will ebb and flow with the inevitable different seasons of life, giving me the key to peace of mind.
With the flexibility of remote work comes the need to be disciplined as well, which I have found is my key to empowerment.
I was born with a creative drive, but I never found I was able to apply my creativity through physical art – I’ve finally found my creative outlet in creating digital content and writing. I also love the excitement that comes from these ever-changing social media platforms. It keeps my job from ever becoming stagnant – the job truly offers something new every day and I find it so refreshing.
What I love most of all about working in social media is hearing the journey of small business owners. Learning each individual story is something that continuously inspires me.
I strongly feel that if a job is directly negatively affecting your life balance, it may ultimately not be the career path for you. Whether you work remotely or onsite, continuously check in on yourself to analyze your work-life balance. While WFH may not be everyone’s key to work-life balance, it is mine – and if you are still searching for your key, I encourage you to consider a WFH lifestyle.
Your key to a healthy work-life balance is an opportunity that is always on the table, you just have to reach out and grab it!
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Emily Enyon is a professional freelance writer. After graduating from Montana State University, Emily carved out a career path for herself in social media management for small businesses. She loves to bring her wealth of knowledge and a fresh eye to level-up tired social media accounts! Emily can be reached at [email protected].