Seven reminders for chronically ill business owners

Because if running your business feels harder for you it's probably because it actually is...

Photo credit: Unsplash

This has been the hardest year of my health that I’ve ever navigated.

After a flare in autumn of last year where I collapsed and had to go to hospital for an emergency brain scan I have navigated flare after flare - so much so that it feels less like flares now and more just like my new normal - all whilst raising a toddler and running my business too.

Now here’s the thing: two things can be true at the same time.

It’s been the hardest year of my health that I’ve ever navigated and life has continued to be beautiful and wonderful along the way too.

Being a human in a chronically ill body is damn hard most days and as we head into the final weeks of the year I feel both deeply grateful for my loved ones and their support each day and that I’ve been able to continue to steer the ship that is my business this year and also a little sad looking back at how challenging this year has been health-wise too.

And I know that I’m not alone in navigating the messy road of entrepreneurship alongside a chronic illness and today I want to share with you the seven things I remind myself of often in this journey just in case they can be of some encouragement to you too if you’re also walking this road alongside challenging health circumstances.

1: You don’t have the same type of 24 hours in the day as everyone else

If it feels like you have to go a lot slower than others in your business it’s not because you’re lazy or not good enough - it’s because you have circumstances out of your control that demand you navigate this journey at a slower and gentler pace.

You don’t have the same type of 24 hours in the day as the people you’re comparing yourself to so don’t waste time trying to keep up with them.

2: You’re allowed to pursue your goals slower than you see others do

It’s okay if you’re moving forward towards your goals at a wildly slower pace than you see others do, if eating the elephant one tiny bite at a time is the only sustainable pace for you in your business.

I’m right there with you, reminding myself each day that I’m not running anyone else’s race but my own (and I’m choosing to gently walk mine instead!)

3: It’s okay to need more margin and flexibility in your business

It’s okay if you need more flexibility in your schedule than you see others choose for themselves, if you want and need to take on a smaller workload, if you need longer than others to bring a project to life.

Remember: you don’t have the same type of 24 hours in a day as the people you’re comparing yourself to.

4: Sometimes health has to come before growth, money, and opportunities and it’s okay if that feels frustrating

Some years I’ve chosen to earn a little less so that I can prioritise the needs of my health. I’ve grown slowly and gently instead of fast and furious so that I can navigate my business at a gentle and sustainable pace, and I’ve said no to opportunities and collaborations because I needed to honour the reality of my limited capacity and time.

Has this felt frustrating at times? Of course, I’m only human. But I also know that I have no other option than honouring the pace my health needs me to go at so I try and root into acceptance of the cards I’ve been dealt too.

5: We’ve got to shape the foundations of our business around the needs of our humanness

My business expects me to have needs, to have flares, to need flexibility and space to work around my health each week.

And it wasn’t always like this, for a long time I didn’t know that I had permission to shape my business in this way, but the only way I’ve stayed in the entrepreneurial game for close to a decade now is by putting all of my humanness on the table and shaping every piece of my business around those needs so that I can do my best work in the world in a way that works best for me too.

I also walk you through the process of exploring what a simple and spacious business that honours your humanness looks like for you through my deep dive kit this way (it’s 100% free!)

6: If business feels harder for you it’s probably because it actually is

If it feels like it takes you longer than others to execute a goal, if you feel like you need more rest to recharge from the demands of your business, and if it feels like others are zooming ahead whilst you’re gently eating the elephant one bite at a time just know that you’re not alone.

Living with chronic illness is damn hard so of course it brings with it unique challenges when running our own business too. Don’t waste time comparing yourself to people who aren’t living with the same challenges as you.

7: Taking care of you is how you take care of your business

This is the biggest lesson of all that I’ve learned: taking care of myself is my business superpower.

The more I pour into myself, the more I prioritise rest, recharging my tank, and filling up my own cup, the more I have available to pour into my clients, customers, and marketing too.

My business is doomed to fail if I bypass my own humanness in my work - putting all of my needs on the table and exploring how my business can be built around them, even if it’s wildly different to the choices I see others around me making, is the only way I’m able to stay in the arena and do this work alongside the challenging realities of my health.

Running a business alongside a chronic illness can feel really messy some days.

We’re finding a way forward with imperfect circumstances and balancing the needs of our business alongside the needs of our health each day too.

I hope you know that you’re not alone, that you celebrate your courage and resilience each day, and that you know how damn awesome you are even if you have to go at a slower, messier pace.

And one more thing: its okay if you also relate to this list but you don’t live with a chronic illness. Whatever your circumstances, if something resonates with you here that’s more than enough of a reason to let it be a permission slip for you too.

Until next time,

Jen