I remember working with a pastor who used to use that phrase a lot. In what was a tough church situation he would always be telling me that this week we ‘had turned a corner’. Then he’d tell me the same a few weeks later. I eventually realised he was right. We did turn a lot of corners and were pretty much going in circles. I don’t know if he felt that way, but it certainly looked that way to me.

Anyway this is a little more positive in that after a pretty bad tennis elbow injury I think I am on the mend and it looks like that I’ll be able to get thru summer and keep working. Very happy about that…

Its interesting how these challenges cause you to think differently about your world and over the last few weeks I have been considering many options to make the future more viable.

I guess the obvious one is to go back to doing something non-physical ala teaching, but its not one that engenders any passion in me at this stage – and I’ve got to feel some energy for my work or its a waste of time. Then there was the thought of just hiring blokes to do the work – and possibly even expanding and developing the business – all the while losing some control over the quality of the work… Nah… That was never my intention when starting so it would be a reluctant move, but one I would look at if completely stuck.

I have considered buying a dingo and truck and just changing hats altogether, but the capital outlay puts me off and I don’t really want to build a business from scratch again at this point. Perhaps when we are debt free again I might do this but more for the fun of it rather than as a necessity. I like the thought of a new challenge but now just doesn’t feel like the right time.

I have intentionally chosen to keep my business a one man affair with casual help when required. I advertise selectively and try to only take on jobs that I want. Some of my quotes are a tad obscene because I don’t want too much work and some jobs are not worth the effort. Lately I seem to have hit the right marketing balance for getting 3 days a week of work and I’m pretty ok when I have slow weeks as they are opportunities to take it easy or have a short break. Part of the reason I want to keep this current set up is that I get great physical benefit from the hard physical slog and have no need to do any fitness work. Lugging 220 big wet slabs of turf around today was as good a 3 hr workout as you will get anywhere!

It has also been good to have some decent workers to get me thru the last month, and while I haven’t backed off too much in my own intensity, I have been very conscious that everything I do with my right hand hurts. Its only been two weeks of physio though and already the difference is noticeable. I am able to grip things again. My biggest apprehension lately has been shaking hands with someone because that causes some real pain, but I think I’m going to be able to do that again soon!

So hopefully I will be able to strengthen up and make it thru summer with a bit of casual help. And from there hit a steady pace again. I imagine this business will have a life span, but for now I love it and don’t see myself making any big changes… very grateful to be healing up.