In my business I have been working from a philosophy of ‘small, simple and sustainable’, an approach that has served me well to this point, but now seems to be slowly disintegrating.

Actually it’s the ‘sustainable’ part that is the current challenge as my body is slowly wearing out. Before leaving on our round Oz trip in April 2009 I had developed a bit of carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. Not enough to stop me but enough to annoy and cause stiffness. Then just before we went on holidays last year in July I developed tennis elbow in my right arm and it has been with me since then with varying degrees of pain. I have been managing it with big doses of Diclofenac, but I have been aware that its only a matter of time before I need to stop as the drug causes stomach ulcers. (There are some signs I have hit that point now.)

Then just last week after getting back from holidays and getting stuck into work a new muscle pain hit in the same arm as the tennis elbow. This one is called De quervains tendosynovitis and is more of a sharp stab at the bottom of the thumb than a nagging ache.

That was a concern so I went to see the Physio who gave me some strategies for healing. However he also advised me to cease taking the anti-inflammatory drugs I have been popping, So with three different injuries in one arm and no pills to pop I’m genuinely not sure what the future holds for Brighton Reticulation.

So far my work has relied on my physical health to be viable, but given the current spate of injuries I can see that I am not able to continue at this pace for the next 5 months let alone the next 5 years.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it caused some anxiety over the last few days. To lose your source of income isn’t something I am especially excited about, but I’m also aware that it doesn’t have to be that way. It will require

some imagination and a willingness to do things differently.

With the supply of work I currently have it may be a case of employing some sub contractors to do the grunt work and limiting myself to quoting and one day a week on the shovel. It may even be a case of scaling back to a day a week and simply living more frugally.

Neither are my preferred options as I actually enjoy the hard yakka work of digging trenches but I can see that I am just not going to make it.

So by necessity it is time to re-think and re-strategise if there is to be a future. Part of me is energised by entering a new phase and part of me simply wants things to stay as they are…

Aint that life…