The challenge of being an entrepreneur is enormous and it has emotional and physical effects. As a consequence, you are at a health risk by virtue of being an entrepreneur. The stress and workload is capable of wearing and breaking you down health-wise. It does not mean entrepreneurs should be lax in productivity, but it calls for a smarter approach to ensure you stay healthy as an entrepreneur.
There is a common cliché that health is wealth. I am an ardent believer of that statement, and I believe you do too. Since the job of an entrepreneur is to create wealth, then staying healthy is a critical part of the entrepreneur's plans. To this end, constant self care is good business practice. The misconceptions about constant checkups are numerous. For instance, if you are between the ages of 20 and 45 years, it is generally 'ok' to see your doctor every year or two. Not a very healthy arrangement. Also, similar recommendations advise you check your cholesterol level every 5 years, blood pressure level every 2 years until you are 65 years old. This is much less frequent than most people assume, the frequency should be more and I will tell you why:
1.It Costs Less To Prevent Than To Cure
Frequent check ups save you a lot of money in the long run. Most of the tests that you need to run on a regular basis will cost you little amount of money compared to what you will spend if your health condition deteriorates. A case in question is glaucoma. While many will say it's not the worst case, it sure is a bad case to record. As often as you can, check yourself so whatever is abnormally present can be fixed before they get the chance to reel out huge medical bills that'll hurt your business in the long run.
With the global warming and the climate change that has bedeviled the world today, human health is now a high-risk issue. This has reduced life expectancy in great proportions globally. And for entrepreneurs who are exposed to harsh weather conditions in trying to make birth their dreams, they stand a higher chance of being health challenged. The business trips, the site inspections, the sleepless nights for strategics and planning, all contribute to the health risks the entrepreneur is exposed to. The earlier you detect a health challenge, the less complicated it is to deal with it. You need to be healthy to be wealthy.
2.Your Health Is An Important Asset
So many entrepreneurs are not giving their health the attention it deserves. This is chiefly because they do not see it as worth a high position in their order of preference. Well, despite what others might say, I think your most valuable asset is not your car or your home, and not even your career. "Health is not valued till sickness comes", these are the words of the British physician and scholar Dr. Thomas Fuller in 1732.
I could not agree any less with him. Too often, we take good health for granted and assume it will last forever. It is, perhaps, the greatest of all illusions. However, if it is prudent to insure our houses, our cars and other possessions, surely it is also prudent to make sensible provision for our own health. Let us, therefore, take a lesson from Dr. Fuller and value our health before sickness comes. Constant self care should form part of the entrepreneur's routine.
3.How Long Your Business Lives Could Be Dependent On How Long You Live.
I have seen great and thriving businesses collapse soon after the demise of the entrepreneur who founded it. It could live on digitally, with the presence of some loyal staff, social media and functional web presence, but most times it fails. This is a worrisome trend and one that every living entrepreneur should look out for. Whether or not there is a recognized succession plan, the probability of businesses failing after the death of the founder is high.
So at least, make plans to secure your health so as to put up strong structures that will help your business survive after you are gone. Whenever you feel a pain or a discomfort, get it checked. A number of people have died of some complications from a knee injury after neglecting the pains felt during a simple workout session. Check yourself regularly so that you can be around for as long as you possibly can.