Running a Consulting Business When You’re Running on Empty

Your consulting business needs your time and energy. 

But sometimes you just can’t.  

Maybe you’ve been sick/sick and tired/burnt out, have a tough family situation, are struggling with mental health issues…or all of the above. 

So, what do you do when you just don’t have enough energy to attend to everything in your consulting business? 

That’s the same question I’ve been wrestling with because my energy took a nosedive. 

Turns out that COVID decided it wasn’t done with me.  

Like millions of other people, I have been struggling with its aftermath. For me, that meant low energy to the point of fatigue.  

But it’s not like I could just take more time off and ignore my consulting business or clients. Or ignore the Craft of Consulting. 

Especially when I can’t be certain how long the fatigue would stick around. 

But I couldn’t do everything I’d been doing or had planned. I just didn’t have it in me. 

So, what did I do? 

First, I embraced reality.  

 (I mean, after a brief pity party.) 

 I knew trying to rally or push past the fatigue would be foolish and unfruitful.  

Not that I didn’t try that first!  

But my energy kept sinking. Then I did a 22-minute low-intensity workout and was knocked out for 2 days.  

If I needed a reality check—and clearly, I did—that was an effective one. 

So, I had to accept that I had fewer useable hours per day. 

I also couldn’t risk overexertion. Plus, I had to redefine what overexertion meant now.  

Second, I decided what I would do with my useable hours. 

That meant deliberately choosing what to prioritize. 

Like, really prioritize without pretending that everything had the same importance or urgency. 

I chose to focus on the must-dos: 

• Serving the consulting clients I have well 
• Serving my Craft of Consulting members well 
• Serving the consultants I coach well.  

(I have enough business, so I didn’t have to prioritize getting more. However, if my pipeline was a problem, I would have focused on that too.) 

Then I chose what to drop for now, which was mainly marketing. 

I decided to stop doing events, social media, and this newsletter until I felt better. 

Did I think that would have a business impact? Sure. But something had to go, and I figured not doing those for a bit wouldn’t be fatal. 

I also adjusted my schedule to make my must-dos possible. I blocked out time for getting work done and engaging with my Craft of Consulting members and consultants I coach. 

I scheduled meetings and engagement time for when I had the most energy. 

I blocked out time after high-exertion events, such as meetings, membership trainings, and coaching. Those blocks of time were used for resting. 

In this way, I didn’t hope it would all work out; I planned for it to work out. 

Third, I attended to my baseline. 

Since my baseline health had dropped, I focused on what was in my control to raise it. 

I switched to an anti-inflammatory diet. I drank a ton of water. I took naps. I got to bed earlier. I couldn’t exercise, but I stretched when I could. 

I watched out for overdoing it, even with things that bring me joy. For example, this year’s garden will be smaller and less strenuous. I felt too sad to give it up completely but cut waaaay back. 

I paid attention to my energy and energy stores and adjusted as needed. 

The good news… 

Much of my energy has come back.  

Some of the other symptoms are lingering. I don’t know if they’ll fade away or just be part of my life now. 

But, if anything, this unpleasant surprise has solidified for me how crucial self-care is. And not just when something big and bad happens. 

Building and running any business takes hard work and dedication, but it won’t be sustainable if you are exceeding your energy reserves all or most of the time.  

Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean that everything you built will collapse. I kept what mattered most in both businesses going by making deliberate choices and planning around my new reality. 

And regardless of what direction my health goes, I’ll adjust to whatever the new reality is. Like a boss! 

Because I know a healthy business requires a boss who takes care of themselves.  

So, if you find yourself on empty, choose ways to care for yourself. You are worth it, and your consulting business needs it. 

Cheering you and your wellbeing on! 

Deb