by Gary D. Novack, Ph.D.
President, Pharmalogic Development, Inc. | Guest Contributor, The Daily Anchor
Last week, there were reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was evaluating whether Apple violated the law in failing to disclose a material event – the apparently failing health of their CEO, Steve Jobs. I’ll let others evaluate this issue. However, it reminds me of an issue for the small business owner – your health.
It can be very exhilarating to run your own business, especially if your previous day job was one of dreary drudgery trapped in an office or cubicle attending hours of dull, endless meetings. Your emotions go up, they go down, they go up again, all in a single day. In thinking about cash flow and customers, it’s easy to forget to take care of your most important asset – you.
How much sleep did you get last night? How about the night before? When did you last breath outside air? Take a walk, a run, ride a bike or play a round of golf for pure enjoyment and relaxation? When did you sit down and eat an entire meal without thinking and talking about the business? That’s what I thought. You have to take a break. Humans cannot work 24 hours a day for very long without serious consequences.
How about your last physical examination? More than 12 months ago? And what did the doctor tell you then? Did you follow up on any of those recommendations?
Take care of yourself. It does no one any good for you to get to sick. You probably don’t get paid for sick leave like you did when you were at the big company. And who takes care of your customers, or your family and loved ones if you are ill?
Think about it. Then take a nap at least.
