How are you managing your energy?
Today’s theme of energy management builds on the concept of identifying and balancing our different buckets which I’ve written about previously in “Getting real about trying to do it all – identifying and balancing out buckets”
I’ve enjoyed a recovery day today after a busy few weeks (including the boys picking up conjunctivitis and headlice – it was inevitable with the blonde Afro!). Or as close to a recovery day as you can with two high energy boys tag teaming with the husband 😀
The concept of recharging our energy like a battery makes sense to me. There is only so much we can give before some renewal is needed. A wellness coach I know calls it depositing in our wellness account.
Leadership coach Paul Mitchell shares tips on personal energy levels in this 5 minute video which really resonated with me (thanks Myz for sharing).
Paul opens with a powerful reflective question – Are you lighting up the room when you walk into it or out of it?
Although Paul is focused on leadership and energy levels I thought this could be extended to other roles in our lives which for me include parent, wife, friend, family member, athlete and colleague.
Paul’s three strategies for better energy management are:
#1 Diarise renewal and make it sacred – Paul quotes one of his mentors Dr Fred who talks about having your 10’s, 25’s, 50’s and 100’s in order with your 10’s being daily things that recharge you which may be 8 hours sleep, exercise and a meditation. 100 is an annual event for recovery like an annual health retreat.
#2 Balance your pies – Paul states four pie sections of physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. He questions which ones have you got going in your life and which ones are missing?
#3 Make a choice to see life as a series of sprints rather than a sprint or a marathon. I love the concept of seeing life as a series of sprints with Paul sharing a mantra “go for it – renewal, go for it, renewal.”
Life as a series of sprints, reminded me of hearing Jason Fried talk about Basecamp’s 6 weeks project cycles followed by recovery in Tim Ferriss’s recent podcast.
Also, a periodic exercise program, like the triathlon program I’m on for the world age group champs with I a training cycle of 3 weeks on, followed by one week recovery.
As a parent, I reflected it’s a bit harder to have a sprint then a recovery with two active boys but I think finding ways to ensure you get some rest is highly important to be at your best. For me this involves being able to ask for and accept help which didn’t come naturally at first.
So how else can we manage of energy?
Three tips that came to mind for me are:
The power of five – Consciously surrounding yourself with people who energise you – I once heard you’re a product of the five people you spend the most time with which has stuck with me.
Reflect on what actually does renew you – I think it’s important to understand what actually recharges you. When I wore a heart rate variability monitor I learnt that meditation got me in the green recovery zone and not going out to lunch (read more here).
Letting go – What do you need to let go of to move forward? This powerful question was asked at a girls’ night out on Friday with a spiritual link to the blood moon. It really had me reflecting and I think I need to let go of needing to achieve and my own expectation. Others shared included fear of failure and guilt for the breakdown of relationships. What could you let go of?
Would also love to hear any other thoughts and tips on how you manage your energy.
Image citation: https://images.indianexpress.com/2018/07/lunareclipse_moon_1.jpg
Dani Matthews 
