After coming out of retirement during the 2019 season to rejoin his former team, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was asked if he’d return for 2020. He brushed off the question and instead gave some advice to younger players: “Take care of y’all bodies, take care of y’all chicken, and take care of y’all mentals.” (For the uninitiated, by “chicken,” he means money.)

Even if you’re not a fan of Beast Mode, or of football in general, the man has a point and those wise words can be applied to running a business too. While Lynch was urging young football players to be responsible with their money and their health in order to enjoy life during and after football, the same advice holds true for anyone still in the workforce: You need to take care of yourself.

For professional athletes, their bodies are their work — their livelihood literally depends on how well they treat their body. Your job is not as physical as that of an NFL running back, but it’s a lot more physical than some. You need to be healthy to do your job well.

In several of our publications, I’ve read stories that recount a team of family and staff members taking on major responsibilities when the owner was seriously injured and out of commission. If you’re laid up for several weeks, what happens to your company? A lot depends on you being able to do your job — your income, your family, your employees and your business’s reputation.

Don’t wait until an injury or a health scare forces you to the sidelines. Commit to taking care of yourself the way you commit to your business.

Of course, not all accidents can be prevented. Exercising six days a week and sleeping eight hours every night can’t save you from everything. But staying healthy and getting enough rest puts you in the best position to avoid small injuries and helps prevent you from getting sick.

Your health is so undeniably important. It hardly matters how well your business does or how much money you make if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy it and live how you want to.

This is the time of year for giving thanks. If “good health” isn’t on your list, you should evaluate what you need to change to start feeling better, and make it a point to invest more in your health.

Making yourself a priority is not an easy thing for everyone. When every waking moment is dedicated to growing the business you are passionate about, it can seem like taking time for yourself is selfish or even unnecessary.

But the best thing you can possibly do for the business and the people who count on you is to make the time to take care of yourself and stay healthy — so that they can continue to count on you.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.