Rehab is Rewarding, for Body or Business

Bedrest has its benefits

Convalescence gives you clarity.

Those are my conclusions two weeks into an extended recovery from achilles heel surgery.

Many of the coping skills you learn during recovery can apply to business.

For example:

+ Down Doesn’t Mean “Disabled.” Rehab offers time for reflection.

So do dips in your business. Make the most of the gift of time by deciding what’s not working, and what you can do to boost your bottom line.

+ Focus on Gain, Not Pain. Think how surgery helps, not how it hurts.

Consider the payoff, not the price as you revise your website, launch a blog or train an assistant.

+ Talk Away Your Troubles. I start each day telling myself: “I’m feeling and healing better.”

Affirmations work wonders in your career, too. Use positive self-talk to seal your success.

+ Meet ‘Em Before You Need ‘Em. Friends are always there for you when the going gets tough.

So are colleagues, co-workers, clients, vendors, suppliers, and others if you cultivate relationships ahead of time.

Build bridges before you have to cross the river.

+ Diagnose the Dilemma. The more you learn about your condition, the easier it is to overcome.

Similarly, the more you analyze your business challenges — from deadlines to difficult clients — the sooner you’ll resolve them.

+ Heed the Healer. When you’re sore after surgery, your doctor recommends remedies.

If your business is hurting, a business coach, mentor or trusted colleague can suggest solutions.

+ Practice Makes You Proficient. Early falls and stumbles make you grumble, but finally you conquer the crutches.

Trying to master a new marketing campaign can be equally frustrating — until it attracts new and better clients.

+ Deal with the Downs. Some days, you hurt. Accept that.

Hurt happens in your career, too, due to objections, rejections, missed sales, broken promises, and other setbacks.

Without bad days, you can’t appreciate the good ones.

+ Contemplate How You’ll Celebrate. Ultimately, you’ll recover. Plan now for how you’ll celebrate then.

Decide how you’ll reward yourself once you get the goals you set.

Fred Berns is the world’s leading business coach and trainer for interior design professionals and design industry partners.