When I graduated from college, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I had a degree in journalism, but honestly, reporting did not really appeal to me. I hoped to find some freelance work with a company and eventually get signed on full time to the 9-to-5, health insurance and paid-leave lifestyle. However, in the interim, I needed a paycheck.

To make my rent, I took a virtual assistant job. It seemed like the perfect transition from my carefree, parent-paid college days to the real world. I could work from home, and a lot of the responsibilities that I had, like answering the phone, I figured I could do from just about anywhere since all calls went to my cell. I was excited to get started on this liberating career path, and thought I might just VA forever.

However, I soon found myself bogged down with work. It was not because the job was more than I signed up for, but rather because I just was not putting the effort in to keep my responsibilities under control. I would put things off all day, sleeping in, going out for coffee, jogs and lunch dates with friends, reassuring myself that I would just stay up late to get things done. It didn't seem that much different to me than pulling an all-nighter for an exam, but after multiple weeks of this, I found myself burning out fast.

I got out and got a regular job, and loved it. Then, I got married and pregnant. I wanted to stay home, but we didn't want to give up my income just when we were adding a new baby to the mix. I decided to give VAing another try - this time, with my priorities straight and my gameplan in place.

I have an office separate from the rest of the house, and I work regular, part-time hours (in my case, a pleasant 10am to 2pm). During that time, I do what I promised to do: work. And when it's over, I'm done. I don't work late, and I don't play until I'm done with my office-time. So far, it's working out perfectly. I know that when the baby arrives things will change. For starters, the office is the future nursery, and I may need a more flexible schedule. I think I can make it work, though, and it means that I'll get to stay home with my little one until I'm ready to go back to work in an office - if that ever happens!