Why do we do this to ourselves?
'I feel shitty.'
The text said from a friend who had just tested positive for COVID.
'Well yeah, you have COVID; you are supposed to feel shitty,' I texted.
'Don't get me wrong, I have a massive headache all the time, and I feel tired,' he texted back, 'but that isn't why I feel shitty. I feel shitty because I have not done anything this week to drive my business forward.'
Long pause on my end.
'It is understandable you feel shitty. You're very driven, and not doing anything can make you feel that way. It is also good to recognize what your body needs and what it is telling you, too,' I texted.
For context, my friend left his sales role, which he was very good at, about a year ago to pursue a passion and start a business.
He is clear on his vision and very disciplined and super driven.
So it makes sense that he wants to fight through COVID and not let it impact his day-to-day, personally and professionally. But he is not alone in feeling this way. I bet we all feel this way when sitting at home recovering from an illness.
But why do we do that to ourselves?
Why don't we listen to our bodies when they tell us they need to rest and recover? Is it because we feel the pressure to 'produce' at all times regardless of our physical and mental state?
What about professional athletes? They are arguably some of the world's highest-paid people, with millions expecting to see them 'show up and play' on gameday. However, they will take time off to heal, even for something they can fight through and play with.
But they know the tradeoffs of doing that. One, they could spend two weeks fighting through and only be at 50% both of those weeks, or worse, get hurt more.
Or, the alternative, take a week completely off and come back the following week at 90-100%.
I am getting at that we all know our bodies and mental health better than anyone.
So, have compassion for yourself, and don't be afraid to listen to your body and mind.
I coach Financial Advisors on:
Filling the funnel through Client and COI referrals
Their sales process, the questions they ask, and the ‘pitch’ they make
Communicating investment concepts and answering client questions
