Community 4 – Sometimes You Just Have to Take the Loss and Move On

Building five online communities in five weeks is an ambitious challenge. Some weeks feel like a sprint, others like a marathon. And then, there are those times when you don’t even make it to the starting line.

This week was one of those.

Instead of launching Community 4, I got hit with an unexpected visitor—Influenza. What was supposed to be a productive few days filled with branding, setup, and content creation turned into a forced full stop.

The Reality of Unexpected Setbacks

When working on a tight timeline, you expect challenges: technical issues, engagement struggles, content bottlenecks. But what you don’t always account for is something completely out of your control—like falling sick.

For most of the week, I was in bed, physically unable to push forward. At some point, I had to accept the reality: Community 4 was not happening. And that’s okay.

There’s a certain mindset shift that comes with big projects like this. You go in knowing that not everything will be perfect. Sometimes, despite the best planning, things just don’t work out. The best thing to do? Take the loss and move on.

Why This Doesn’t Feel Like Failure

Sure, missing a week stings. But in a long-term challenge like this, one setback doesn’t define the whole journey. Here’s why I’m not considering this a failure:

✅ Momentum is still there – Three communities have already been launched, and the final one is still on track. The experiment is still alive.
✅ Recovery is key – Pushing through sickness would have only hurt productivity and quality. It’s better to reset now than to burn out later.
✅ Lessons in flexibility – No matter how structured your plan is, you need to be ready to adapt. Being rigid leads to frustration; being flexible keeps you moving.

What’s Next?

I’m taking the weekend to fully recover and reset. Monday marks the start of Community 5, the final sprint in this challenge.

This project has been about building, learning, and adapting in real-time. And if there’s one takeaway from this week, it’s that sometimes, the smartest move isn’t to power through—it’s to step back, regroup, and come back stronger.

See You for Community 5!

Thanks to everyone who sent supportive messages and feedback. This challenge has been just as much about community as the ones I’m building.

Next week, it’s time for one final push. Let’s end this strong. 🚀