How to Deliver When You're Not 100%

Running my freelance writing and marketing business has been tricky the last few weeks after being sick. When a curveball hits, productivity and focus can become the toughest mission.

And it hits differently as a freelancer.

There are no sick days or mental health days to tap. Clients expect me to give them their deliverables on time. I couldn't send pitches and applications to amazing writing and marketing jobs even if I wanted to.

At the same time, I know I have to maintain professionalism no matter what. The goal is that regardless of what's happening in my personal life, my clients shouldn't feel it (even if they know).

Here are the things that have helped me navigate and cope with a personal curveball:

1. Overcommunicating. It's important for me to always give my clients context. If they'll be waiting for output on a specific day, I'll endeavor to meet that deadline. But if I can't, I'll give them a heads-up and communicate that I may need more time. I'm so glad I've built a trust-based relationship with most of my clients, so it's okay to let them know something's up (no need to go into details). More often than not, my clients—bless them—are okay with me taking the whole morning off to go to a doctor's appointment. But if they need something urgently, I'll absolutely deliver it; the next point helps me do this.
2. Adjusting work patterns. On days I know I'm only running on 30%, I'll accept that I won't be able to tick off all my to-do's. I have to ruthlessly prioritize. If I could only work for two hours that day because that's all my body could allow, I'd muster all the energy and pump out work for two deeply focused hours. Maybe I'll wake up early in the morning because this is my most optimal hour for work. Deliver the work, then recover the rest of the day.
3. Making the most of tools. During bad days, I thank my past self for building a reliable tech stack and process for my freelance business. Writing tools help me finish a draft 10x faster. Having a good database of sources and resources saves me a ton of time finding research and statistics for client articles. Automated scheduling tools remind me when to create and send an invoice during days when I barely have the headspace for the most mundane things.
4. Acknowledging the situation. What I learned the last few weeks is acceptance—that I can't always be my most focused and productive self. Which the alpha and ultra-competitive in me would vehemently want to reject. The truth is, it's hard to run on 100% all the time. And when we get sick, it's our body's signal to slow down.
5. Filling my cup. Yes, I was forced to slow down. I had a lot of sleep in between deliverables. I went to the beach and had a much-needed dose of Vitamin D. I caught up with friends when I was finally feeling better. I had to ignore LinkedIn and my inbox because there wasn't enough space in my brain to absorb all the information. I had to shut down that nagging feeling of needing to create content for my socials and continue networking. And that's perfectly okay! We can always go back to regular programming and strike again.

I'm grateful for my freelance business. Despite the lack of personal leave days, I can tap into its flexible nature. I can work at optimal times and decide to pump out work for a few hours to allow my body to rest and recover. I could not imagine sitting in the office for 8 hours while spreading germs around (when I'm already done with work in the morning)!

To my fellow freelancers and entrepreneurs, what strategies do you use when something unexpected happens? How do you stay productive—or give yourself grace not to be?