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STARTED PROGRESS THREAD HERE: EXECUTION - [PROGRESS THREAD] (23 y/o) Sick and cognitively impaired for 2 years... Doing the work anyway
Background:
I'm 23 years old. Recently moved to Scottsdale, AZ. I love business and have been pursuing that since college after reading TMF and realizing I did not want to work in Finance. I hit rat-race escape velocity before graduating in 2021 and have been an entrepreneur since then.
I was previously very physically healthy and sharp. I would eat clean foods and spend a lot of my free time rock climbing, weightlifting, and hiking at high elevations for 10+ miles in a day.
More than all of that, I love business. That is my true hobby and passion. I would work 10-hour days out of joy, not necessity.
I have two businesses:
The Situation:
In November 2021 I developed post-viral syndrome which I am still dealing with to this day. I now deal with constant fatigue, vision issues, trouble breathing, and, most significantly, cognitive impairment.
My creativity and critical thinking skills are gone. I have short-term memory loss. I have difficulty communicating (worse communicating via phone or in-person, but also struggle to write). During my worst period (late 2022), I couldn't read. I would forget the first half of a sentence before reaching the end of the sentence. I am also living in a constant dream-like state. The cognitive impairment is similar to being in a concussed state.
I've only been able to work 2-3 hours per day, despite my desire to work much more than that. My body and mind will shut down for hours, days, or weeks if I push myself.
I have made some improvements and can now work 4-5 hours per day on average, but unfortunately, those hours tend to be low quality as my creativity and critical thinking skills are not there. I also have trouble seeing the big picture of my businesses. I can only work in very short bursts, followed by extended breaks.
The Problem:
I have been able to continue my businesses and have seen slight, steady growth, but I am worried that it will fall apart.
I need to get moving faster within 12 months so I can continue to afford to live and take care of my health. I have higher-than-normal expenses because I have to eat a very specific, expensive diet. I also have medical costs and a health coach that are required to keep me on track.
And of course, it's very frustrating that I have been missing out on my passion, business, as my ventures just began taking off in a positive direction right before I got sick. I feel like I want to run, but my feet are glued in place.
If I was forced to get a job, it would not be an option. I can only work in short 15-minute bursts and cannot do physical labor.
My Current Approach:
I am in a tough situation here. I have high personal expenses due to my health and my income is not quite where it needs to be. I have 12 months before my expenses will go up even more.
I can't devote more time and hustle my way out of this. My brain will stop functioning and it will only make my health worse.
My best approach so far is hiring others to help grow the businesses. However, my expenses are already very high so this crushes me even more. I also struggle as a leader and visionary because my creativity and communication skills are drastically hindered.
How the hell do I manage and get myself out of this situation?
I am not looking for health advice, as I have plenty of resources on that and spend most of my time on my health. However, if you've dealt with something similar and might have something that could be helpful, please feel free to PM me.
This was very difficult for me to write, but it's been something I've wanted to put out there for a long time. I really appreciate your responses.
Background:
I'm 23 years old. Recently moved to Scottsdale, AZ. I love business and have been pursuing that since college after reading TMF and realizing I did not want to work in Finance. I hit rat-race escape velocity before graduating in 2021 and have been an entrepreneur since then.
I was previously very physically healthy and sharp. I would eat clean foods and spend a lot of my free time rock climbing, weightlifting, and hiking at high elevations for 10+ miles in a day.
More than all of that, I love business. That is my true hobby and passion. I would work 10-hour days out of joy, not necessity.
I have two businesses:
- Website management/maintenance service (not my preferred option to scale as it is very difficult for me to keep up with client communication. Profitability is not quite there for me to outsource all communication and client management.)
- Automotive media company (primarily written blog content)
The Situation:
In November 2021 I developed post-viral syndrome which I am still dealing with to this day. I now deal with constant fatigue, vision issues, trouble breathing, and, most significantly, cognitive impairment.
My creativity and critical thinking skills are gone. I have short-term memory loss. I have difficulty communicating (worse communicating via phone or in-person, but also struggle to write). During my worst period (late 2022), I couldn't read. I would forget the first half of a sentence before reaching the end of the sentence. I am also living in a constant dream-like state. The cognitive impairment is similar to being in a concussed state.
I've only been able to work 2-3 hours per day, despite my desire to work much more than that. My body and mind will shut down for hours, days, or weeks if I push myself.
I have made some improvements and can now work 4-5 hours per day on average, but unfortunately, those hours tend to be low quality as my creativity and critical thinking skills are not there. I also have trouble seeing the big picture of my businesses. I can only work in very short bursts, followed by extended breaks.
The Problem:
I have been able to continue my businesses and have seen slight, steady growth, but I am worried that it will fall apart.
I need to get moving faster within 12 months so I can continue to afford to live and take care of my health. I have higher-than-normal expenses because I have to eat a very specific, expensive diet. I also have medical costs and a health coach that are required to keep me on track.
And of course, it's very frustrating that I have been missing out on my passion, business, as my ventures just began taking off in a positive direction right before I got sick. I feel like I want to run, but my feet are glued in place.
If I was forced to get a job, it would not be an option. I can only work in short 15-minute bursts and cannot do physical labor.
My Current Approach:
I am in a tough situation here. I have high personal expenses due to my health and my income is not quite where it needs to be. I have 12 months before my expenses will go up even more.
I can't devote more time and hustle my way out of this. My brain will stop functioning and it will only make my health worse.
My best approach so far is hiring others to help grow the businesses. However, my expenses are already very high so this crushes me even more. I also struggle as a leader and visionary because my creativity and communication skills are drastically hindered.
How the hell do I manage and get myself out of this situation?
I am not looking for health advice, as I have plenty of resources on that and spend most of my time on my health. However, if you've dealt with something similar and might have something that could be helpful, please feel free to PM me.
This was very difficult for me to write, but it's been something I've wanted to put out there for a long time. I really appreciate your responses.
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