The Season You Can't Schedule

Running a business is one thing. Doing it when life shows up is something else entirely.

As a solopreneur, I’m militant about controlling the chaos that comes with running a business on my own. Like others, I’ve spent countless hours building systems, managing my calendar, and planning weeks, quarters, and even years well in advance. Over time, we convince ourselves that as long as we’re disciplined, organized, and focused, everything will keep moving in the right direction. But there are seasons of life, unpredictable and challenging, that remind us control is an illusion, especially when personal responsibilities and business demands collide.

Lately, I’ve found myself in a season of life that disregards any plans or schedule. I’m 56, married for almost 32 years, and both kids are working successfully in their own careers in different states. On paper, we should be enjoying life and, often, we are. Still, this is a time when phone calls bring heavy news, unexpected appointments appear, and difficult but necessary conversations happen.

This unpredictable season gets stranger when caring for loved ones - often from a distance - as they navigate their last stages of life. It doesn’t check your calendar or care about deadlines; it simply arrives, usually unexpectedly or without invitation. When it does, everything that felt urgent a moment ago shifts. We all face this, whether now or in the future, and it’s agonizingly painful.

Without getting into too much personal detail, we had one of those phone calls late last week. I’m sure you know the type of call I’m referring to: the hushed tones, the rapid processing of information, and the sudden pit that forms in your stomach. Hell, I’m getting that pit in my stomach as I write this, but I digress.

What I’ve come to realize in this season is that the idea of balance is truly dishonest. There’s no such thing as balance, just moments. Moments where your business needs you, moments where your family needs you, and even moments where both do. All the while, you’re left doing the best you can to navigate the tension with as much grace and patience as can be mustered. This season isn’t really about balance at all; it’s about tension.

There will be days when I feel completely locked in at work. I’ll be focused, creative, and productive to the point I’ll think, “Alright, I’ve got this pretty much figured out.” At the same time, there will be days when everything will get interrupted, plans will change at the drop of a hat, time will disappear, and my energy will completely shift. If I’m being honest, those are the days that used to truly frustrate me the most - not because I didn’t want to show up for my family, but because I felt like I was losing control of something I’ve worked so hard to build.

That ongoing adjustment has taught me something important: this is not a season to manage perfectly, it’s a season to move through. Like Jim Valvano so famously said, “survive and advance.”

Working in your 20s and 30s is largely about building reputation, sustaining momentum, and, if you’re running a business, creating something that didn’t exist before. Working in your mid-50s, at least for me, feels different. Don’t get me wrong, the drive is still there, and the ambition remains as strong as ever, but the perspective has changed. You begin to realize that success isn’t measured only by growth, revenue, or recognition. It’s also measured in presence, being there when it matters, and in having the flexibility to step away when you need to. For me, it’s understanding that some things are far more important than a perfectly productive work day.

That realization doesn’t make it easy. There’s still guilt when work doesn’t get the attention it deserves, when I’m distracted during time that should be focused on family, and when I feel like I’m not fully showing up anywhere. I don’t think that part will ever truly go away; I just get better at shouldering that load.

What this season has given me, however, is a clarity that I didn’t expect. I’m crystal clear on what actually matters, who truly matters, and what I want brandivate to be - and why I’m doing this in the first place. It’s made me more intentional with my time, more protective of my energy, and, in a weird way, more appreciative of the work I get to do and the life I get to live.

If you’re navigating this season or simply heading into it, I don’t have any great advice or perfect system to offer you. There’s no framework, no checklist, and no “five steps to balance your life.” There’s only this: do the best you can in the moment you’re in. Some days, that will mean leaning into your business; other days, stepping away from it. Most days, it will mean navigating something in between.

The bottom line is: this is a season you cannot control, only experience and, ideally, endure. You must allow yourself to move through it, accepting its unpredictability. Ultimately, this season’s greatest impact is clarity because it shows you what truly matters and demands you prioritize presence over perfection. As for me, I’ll embrace what matters most, let go of rigid expectations, and remember that navigating this season with intention is the real accomplishment.