I woke up sick today.
I haven’t been sick in years.
Right now I’m running a fever, my nose is clogged up, I’m nauseas, and if this keeps up it’s looking like a trip to the doctor tomorrow.
All I feel like doing right now is slamming some Nyquil, curling up in my bed and sleeping until this all passes.
In fact, I’m using that as my “incentive” to write this email.
One of the downsides to being a freelance copywriter is you can’t change deadlines. I have to deliver to my clients when I promised I would, barring disaster, I’m making sure that happens, sick or not.
And I have to write a daily email, because that’s a promise I made to myself.
Writing isn’t real high on my “I feel like doing right now” list at the moment.
But it’s #1 on the “this is what I do for a living so I need to do it” list.
And that’s the lesson here.
When you decide to make the leap to ditch the job and be your own boss, you’re making a commitment to yourself.
You owe it to yourself to create products, write content, generate traffic or whatever it is you do that makes you money.
That stuff is easy when you’re fired up about a project…
It’s the times when you don’t feel like working – But you do it anyway – That’s when things get tricky.
Sometime it takes that “gun to the head” mentality, that “if I don’t get this done right now, I could lose everything” feeling to get through the day.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt like “not writing” more than I do right now.
On the bright side, if I can still get things accomplished when I’m at my worst, I shouldn’t have any problems getting things done when I’m at my best.
Is this the best email I’ve ever written? Not by a long shot.
Will it accomplish more than if I did nothing at all? Absolutely.
It’s Friday.
Enjoy your weekend!
Now where’s that Nyquil… It’s self-induced coma time.
-Scott
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Scott,
Sorry to hear you’ve fallen. Sleep and liquids.
I write full time, and I know the feeling of getting sick. I got food poisoning about 3 months ago from a restaurant and was out of action for the entire week. It really screwed me up pretty good. I couldn’t write at all.
That’s why I’m working on some affiliate marketing sites – when I have time. My plate’s currently pretty full with writing, so the other projects are moving at blinding glacial speeds.
Hope your weekend’s decent and see ya next week.
Ken
Hi Scott,
Rest is incredibly important under normal circumstances but especially when one is under the weather.
BUT, as you say and as Jack Nicholson said playing Jimmy Hoffa –
“I gotta’ do what I gotta’ do”
Hey, I think I just motivated myself!
P.S.
Thanks for that viral script – it’s excellent!
Thanks guys.
I’m back to 100% today after a long weekend.
Jimmy, you’re welcome! Use it, and if it works for you I’d love to hear about it.