Lowering the bar for the first project back after exit, sabbatical, and health challenges.
I started this year with a new business project (buildprofit.io), a blog revamp, a new email list, and best intentions. Last year I had taken a sabbatical to build a cabin in the woods while getting my health back up to scratch. I managed only the former of these two.
Almost 3 months into 2024 and I’m realising that ‘coming back’, post exit, and post health downturn, needs a bit more subtlety than bashing down the door.
To this end this week I started a new short experiment, a ‘warm up’.
It’s tempting to deny health or home situation realities. It’s tempting to hold on to your old ways and presume they’ll work as they always did before.
It’s counter to the general entrepreneurial narrative, but sometimes we need to let go of our expectations, go easy with ourselves, and trust that if we persevere compassionately, we’ll achieve what we’re aiming for. By being compassionate with ourselves, we might even enjoy the journey, rather than grinding ourselves into dust.
So despite the tantalising list of juicy startup ideas I have in my back pocket, I’m starting out simple. I’m making Burnout Nutrition.com. Nothing fancy. Not my life’s work. Practical, useful, and simple. Ad’s. Affiliate sales.
Scratching an itch. When I was deep in burnout, it made things harder that I had to collate disparate sources of information on the nutritional choices which might help me turn around my Chronic Fatigue. Collecting the notes and scientific papers together should make it easier for someone else.
Sometimes you have to just put the bar on the floor and step over it.
That’s okay.
I’ve got at least one decent business left in me. I’ve got my life’s work to reconcile and deliver. For now, given my state, I just need to take the first steps forwards.
And it feels good. Feels good to be writing little bits of code. To be alchemising good from those shit years.
This post is a reminder to those of you who are self-driven. If you’re impaired, if health or life challenges are swarming you; be compassionate with yourself. Yes we all know the value of committing to labour, to showing up. This isn’t about dodging work.
Perseverance pays off, but if it’s our only tool, it might not be sustainable. For me there are times it’s rational to not show up, or to set the bar low.
Trust yourself. Ignore whomever you need to. Heal. Once repaired, ease back in if you need to. This is the path to wiser power.
Be well!
P.S. I realised after writing this that there’s lessons I need to repeatedly re-learn. Fuck perfectionism. Fuck expectations. Fuck caring what people think. My needs matter. I trust myself that I’ll make epic shit. I commit to getting started, compassionately. I commit to making things which help others, without hurting me. LFG.
P.S.S. If you find this interesting, here’s what happened next after the warm-up:
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