Before I had my son, I would often spend 12 to 14 hours a day at my computer working on my 
business or completing work for a client. After my son was born, I had to become more efficient in managing my time and I cut those hours down a bit. And then I started to get tonsillitis every time he got cough or cold. My productivity obviously took a hit whenever that happened and I didn’t enjoy being on antibiotics all of the time.
So, earlier this month, I made a tough choice to prioritize my health over making more money. I decided (with much trepidation) to get a tonsillectomy. Apparently, a tonsillectomy for a kid isn’t that big of a deal. But for adults, it requires weeks and weeks of recovery time and it can be a much riskier procedure. Still, I knew that I needed to take care of myself so that I wouldn’t be sick all of the time – to benefit both my family (my poor husband had to take care of my son alone every time I got sick) and my clients (who were nice enough to give me deadline extensions when I had to take a day off here and there). This meant that my revenue would take a hit in March. But I know that it was the right thing to do.
It has now been 14 days since I had the operation and I am so glad that I never have to go through that ordeal ever again! What I am even happier about is how supportive my clients were through the entire process. It makes me feel very fortunate to work with great people and I am thankful for the decisions I have made over the years to prioritize clients who I enjoy working alongside and who treat me with respect.
The lesson that I have taken away from this experience is that entrepreneurs and small business owners should never ignore health issues in favour of finishing one last client project, or making even more sales for their business. I urge you to consider what is most important in life. Over the long term, you are doing your friends, loved ones and your customers a favour by taking care of yourself. The money will always be there. But you need to maintain your health and well being in order to be the best entrepreneur that you can be.
Image source: By Stethoscopes (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons