This time, It’s a bit different.
I’ve been working as a medical clerk at a pediatric clinic for about six years now.
At first, I was a full-time employee working five days a week, but after some changes in life, I shifted to a four-day workweek.
That means I now have three days off every week.
Back in my late 20s to early 30s, I worked in outpatient reception and as a secretary in the pediatrics department of a university hospital.
I quit when I got married, then returned to the medical field after giving birth, working at an ophthalmology clinic.
After my divorce, I got the chance to work at a tax accountant’s office—my first time doing accounting work—and ended up staying there for seven years doing both accounting and general affairs.
Eventually, I found my way to the pediatric clinic I’m at now.
On top of that, for the past three years, I’ve been doing part-time accounting work twice a month for a general incorporated association started by a pediatric professor I used to work with.
It’s a small side job, but it helps me keep my accounting skills fresh.
Until now, I’ve been putting my daughter first, sacrificing my own time to be there for her.
But next year, she’ll start high school.
And it suddenly hit me—“Wait… am I about to get some of my time back?”
Honestly… I have no idea what to do with that time.
For 14 years, I haven’t really thought about hobbies or doing things just for myself.
I’ve forgotten what it’s like to do something purely because I want to.
What if I get bored?
Besides, people are living longer these days.
It’s becoming normal to live into your 80s—but at the same time, pensions are shrinking.
The dream of a relaxed retirement seems more and more unrealistic.
Thinking about that made me realize—I need to start preparing.
Not just for my daughter’s future university expenses, but also for my own life down the road.
So this past March, I went to a job interview at a nearby company looking for part-time accounting staff.
The interview went well, and they said they’d consider me.
But when I started thinking practically—what days I’d work, how I’d manage everything—I realized it wasn’t realistic.
Giving up more of my time off and physically going to another workplace just isn’t sustainable at this age.
And if I cut down my clinic hours, I’d lose my social insurance, which would be a big downside.
Even if I managed to do it, it wouldn’t be worth the energy I’d have to spend.
I’d just end up burned out—and that defeats the whole purpose.
That’s when I discovered something called “online assistant” work.
It’s remote, flexible, and allows me to use tools like AI to work smarter, not harder.
It lets me make use of the skills I’ve built over the years and work in small windows of time throughout the day.
I thought, “This might actually be it!” and started doing a lot of research.
I’ve started using ChatGPT, playing around with Canva for image and video editing, and trying Notion for task management.
I’m testing out all these new tools by actually using them myself.
To see how much English I still remembered, I took the TOEIC exam for the first time in 24 years.
To my surprise—I scored even higher than I did back in college. I got 800!
Even though I barely had time to study, between work and exhaustion, I still hit my goal.
Now I’m thinking… maybe I could aim for 900 next time?
As I explored different side hustles, I came across Kindle publishing.
I found out that anyone can do it—and it’s free to publish!
You write your own book, make the cover, upload it…
I’m now learning how to do all of that, with a little help from ChatGPT along the way.
There are a few more things I want to try, too.
I’ll keep moving forward one step at a time—
Hoping that a few years from now, I’ll be able to earn a steady income from side work,
and continue working well into old age—as long as my fingers and brain still cooperate.
The journey of this 46-year-old woman chasing new challenges is far from over!
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