Lately, I’ve been thinking about how essential managing one’s energy is for success. Maybe it’s because I have the luxury of experiencing my energy now, reflecting on it, and noticing when and how it changes day to day or moment to moment. In earlier versions of myself, I was too busy having fun, worrying about school, getting promoted, and raising a family. Our energy is finite. The needs of everyone around us are infinite. ?
I’m grateful that one of the byproducts of a locked-down planet is a greater awareness of the role of self-care in wellness at work. It is not something I gave much thought to pre-pandemic, yet it is foundational to leadership. We will experience hardship, often at the most inopportune times.
The true test of who you are occurs when you’re at your most challenged, not when life is smooth sailing.
So, what are we to do? How do we “manage our energy?”
- ✨ Identify your magic window. Notice how you feel when you wake up and throughout your day. We all have different rhythms. What time of day are you at your best? When can you focus more, produce more, and do it in less time with less effort?
- ⌛ Guard your time and tasks with intention. The energetic drain of context switching is real. Tiny, unresolved tasks are like flies buzzing around you. They drain your energy well outside of work. I use the GTD method and PARA to ensure “full capture” of tasks and ongoing prioritization of projects so that I can do a full shutdown ritual after work. Time-blocking, batching tasks, and walking meetings are other practices that have helped me.
- ? Move your body. We are designed to move. The role of fitness in health and wellbeing is well documented. Finding your ideal physical flow is important. Perhaps more important is finding what motivates you to make it a joyful habit. ? It’s impossible to think about stressors when you’re exercising intensely! It clears out the clutter in the best way possible.
- ?♀️ Quiet your mind. The word meditation means many things to many people. And for those highly active, busy, and stressed individuals, becoming still at any time seems impossible. If this sounds like you, you need stillness most. Start small. Take a moment to settle in and breathe slowly before a meeting. Listen to binaural beats until a timer goes off. Draw a zentangle. Walk without your phone or earbuds. In quiet moments, we can connect deeply to ourselves and “hear” things we miss when we’re hurried and stressed. It helps us become more self-aware.
A leadership coach once told me, “You get paid to produce results. Period.” When your energy is low or erratic, your ability to produce results suffers. Work relationships suffer. You suffer. How are you managing your energy — whether through practices, systems or habits?
You are the boss of you. How are you managing your energy?
If you are in a rut or on a plateau, consider mixing things up and trying something new. Reach out for a coaching conversation. A small shift in perspective and actions can have an outsized impact for years!