There’s just something about a traumatic event that forces you to look at your entire life from a totally new perspective.
That perspective can be revealing, depressing, sad. And in many ways it is also refreshing, eye-opening – an opportunity for a new start, a new outlook, a new way of seeing the world and your place in it.
I’m sitting in that place right now, having recently lost my (step) father – the man who was there for most of my childhood, and the only father figure I ever knew. He’s gone now. Things are different. There’s a gap, a hole to fill, in my life and in my heart. I’m evaluating what to fill it with, and how. Some things are going to have to shift around, and I don’t know what, yet.
What this Means for Business
There’s nothing like the death of a loved one to make you reconsider how you spend your days. Do I want to be inside on my computer writing articles and business plans all day, or prioritize more “outside time” for myself? Do I want to take on a full client load, or limit my client work to two or three people at a time, foregoing revenue in favor of passion projects? How long do I want to run this business? How do I want to spend the rest of my 30s, and beyond?
Maybe you’ve been through this before, and asked the same questions. I have no expert opinion to offer on this. These are only my thoughts, my curiosities, and my uncertainties, captured here in a public place for you to read just in case you might be going through the same thing.
I don’t have any answers about what to do yet. Those will come in time; that I know for sure.
For now, it’s business as usual. I’m writing posts I hope you’ll find useful and important, and I’ve got room for new clients (starting June 8; I’m taking off next week for a little me time).
Automation Helps
The clearer and more automatic your business systems are, the easier it will be to continue managing your business while giving yourself time to grieve, ponder, and plan a new course of action. An autoresponder sequence can manage leads for you. A Virtual Assistant can keep your company active on social media. A scheduling tool like Calendly can make it simple and easy to reschedule appointments that you need to postpone. Automation helps. A lot. You don’t realize it until you need it.
If I can offer one takeaway from this little post, it’s once again to stress the importance of systematizing your business – especially if you’re a solopreneur. You might think that systems aren’t necessary because you’re the only employee of your company, but the truth is, you need them more than any other kind of small business owner. You need them now, so you can rely on them later.
Think long term about your life and your business. Plan. Put the right things in place so you can live in the moment while knowing where you’re going. And when a sad event forces you to think in a different way, embrace it and grow with it. You’re always doing the best you can.