Getting sick on work days as an entrepreneur can feel like a “make or break” moment.
Why? Because it is. There are many important lessons to be learned.
While you can’t always control when you get sick or how bad it is, you can control what you take away from the experience.
This week, I had a terrible cold that lasted for 8+ days.
While I still haven’t fully recovered, I did learn some valuable lessons that I’d like to share.
That way, the next time you’re sick and it interferes with your work, you can look at it from a different perspective––hopefully one of humility.
1. Taking a break from marketing isn’t the equivalent of slamming doors in people’s faces.
You know the feeling that you’re letting go of opportunities if you stop marketing?
Getting sick on work days can amplify that feeling to no end.
The truth is that no-one really notices when you have a slow week. It’s much more in your own head than on others’ radars.
I actually made the same amount of sales this week than I did last week, when I was healthy. Go figure.
2. Our Community is strong enough to withstand any ups and downs that each of us have.
After presenting a webinar that I considered cancelling due to feeling and sounding awful, I received this lovely email from one of my students:
It just goes to show that community matters. My students always appreciate it when I’m authentic and just say it how it is.
After all, navigating all of the ups and downs of life is one of an entrepreneur’s greatest strengths. And that’s something I pride myself in teaching our students in real time.
3. You honestly cannot put a number on how valuable it is to have the freedom to say “no”.
Getting sick on work days can also totally mess up your schedule, which can be stressful.
I’ve lost count of how many meetings I cancelled or rescheduled this week due to feeling like cr*p.
Where younger me would never resort to such a thing, mature me recognizes that this is the exact flexibility that led me to want to be self-employed in the first place.
Did anyone get mad about it? Nope.
Was it easy? Nope.
Would I go back and do it again? Absolutely.
4. Getting sick on work days reduces pressure on non-urgent tasks.
Man, it’s tough to say “no” when my brain wants to say “yes” but my body is broken.
I’m sure you can relate.
When I was sick, the best thing I could do for myself was take it hour by hour.
If I couldn’t concentrate, I watched TV or took a nap. I prioritized like hell so that my schedule was 80% lighter than usual. And I let that be ok.
And do you know what? The world didn’t end.
5. There is so much more to life than work.
Before my cold started to rear its ugly head, I hadn’t spent much quality time with my partner for weeks. There were always other commitments in the way.
This week was completely (and refreshingly) different.
We bonded, talked, and cuddled at all hours of the day and night. It was wonderful.
What with my schedule and routine out of the window, it freed up more time for us to connect where we usually wouldn’t have had the time.
“Don’t confuse having a thriving business with having a fulfilling life. They’re separate entities that can be intertwined thoughtfully.”
This week was proof that anything is possible when you have the skills to handle what comes at you, that a strong brand doesn’t fall apart when you take a step back or a breath of fresh air, and that resting and slowing down is totally ok.
Our students still felt supported and there was actually a lot of good to come out of being sick on work days.
When was the last time you took a step back? What did you learn?
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