In the picture above, you’re looking at someone who was finally able to get her first chiropractic adjustment/therapeutic massage in about six weeks at the point when this picture was taken. I wish I could say it was being too busy working or playing in the sunshine that kept me from some vital self-care. But that’s not the reality of the situation.
This blog started as a LinkedIn post, but it got enough positive feedback that I realized it should also be on my business blog. I had debated whether I should share this picture and the related message but decided that if I’m going to teach authenticity, I need to remember that part of my brand is being transparent about being a solo entrepreneur living with chronic illness. Even if those words don’t describe you, I know that as a human being, you’re going experience drama or chaos at some point, so these lessons are also applicable to you!
Reality Check
The reality of the situation I described above is that I went through two months straight of trauma drama that was either directly related to life with chronic illness, or the stress from “normal life” stress was compounded by chronic illness. In that time, I had a three-week-long reaction to a new treatment, followed by a related infection that lasted a week, my husband got Covid (his third time), I got Covid (my first time, and I was out for eight days plus a week of recovery from my recovery), my cat died, my dog was diagnosed with cancer, we had an out-of-town funeral to attend, and I had an intense, week-long business trip (it was delightful but exhausting). On a professional level, I was also dealing with sources, and some clients even ghosted me, so it made getting my work done even harder. Just typing all of that makes me tired!
As a solo business owner, I don’t have co-workers or employees who can pick up the slack when I’m down and out.
Lessons Learned
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned or been reminded of as I raced to the finish line with about three weeks’ worth of work to complete in one week. I’m pleased to say that I didn’t miss any hard deadlines, although I had to do some negotiating to get a few things moved to later.
Grace-Give yourself grace to be human. I know the weight of the world might be on your shoulders, but you still need to give yourself the ability to not be at your full level of performance at times.
Prioritize-Have a method of prioritizing work, both the catchup and current work.
Communicate-Considering what I do for a living, it’s horribly ironic that communicating when I need grace is the part I’m worst at. But many people understand when life gets awry. If you’re usually reliable, clear on the circumstances, and focused on getting caught up, most people will be willing to work with you.
Margin-This word is going in my new book about powerful life words. Margin is giving ourselves some wiggle room. I know that life gets messy, so I work to not push myself into burnout, where I don’t have room to catch up. It’s the same idea as leaving a few minutes early for when someone decides to drive 35 in a 45. I know this is easier said than done, but I can’t say I’m an expert yet. But it’s an important lesson, and I would be less than truthful if I hadn’t included it.
What lessons have you learned about life and business intertwining that you can share?