Dooley Noted: 2/5/2015
My Midwest roots are deep.
It’s in my genes to outwork most people around me.
So, moving to New York was an easy choice.
Everyone I meet here is fiercely driven. Many are entrepreneurs, working much more than the standard 40-hour work week.
It’s not like they can use a sick day. If they’re sick, they lose business.
Since they’re entrepreneurs, many of them don’t even request a sheet from me for insurance.
They work hard to stay healthy, making non-negotiable commitments to sleep, nutrition and exercise.
They know the power of prevention.
They know health can’t be bought.
They see me infrequently to build strategies to help themselves.
The non-entrepreneurs I meet tend to get paid less, but they have health benefits.
So they may be working a job that stresses them out, terrified of the thought of losing their health benefits.
They skip workouts to do more work.
They make poor food choices.
They end up sicker. Good thing they have those benefits!
If you can’t buy health, then you have to maintain it as much as you can.
I learned this recently and have committed to making better decisions.
I hope you can benefit from some of these tips.
1. You can hire people to help. Just because you can do it all doesn’t mean you should.
2. You schedule in health appointments and workouts as non-negotiable. They are not to be skipped. They are standing appointments. Sometimes you may have to schedule them upon waking to get them in. It doesn’t matter.
They must be done.
It’s the health mortgage you pay with your effort and time.
3. When you do get sick, you must cut back hours. You must ask for help so you can fully recover. Being half-sick for weeks will compromise your business and you future health.
4. When you’re an anchor to others, sometimes you drown. Yes, people need you, but put up boundaries. Takers won’t. You must.
They can wait for you. You come first.
5. If you’re gifted free time, take it. It’s okay to conserve some energy. It’s ok to be amoeba-like every once in a while to recuperate and avoid irritations.
You can’t buy health. But you can put into the savings account so you put more in than you take out.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley