Boosting and smoothing your energy supply

How often do you think about managing your energy supply?

If you’re like me (until recently), probably not that often. Energy is what’s left after I’ve tackled my To Do list, that grand master of life, going up and down with a vengeance.

When my energy’s depleted, I work some more, take a vacation, “charge my battery”, then return to work to repeat the charge/expend cycle all over again.

This is a horrible way to live, I’m finding out…

Here’s an alternative approach: set your To Do list aside for a moment and think hard about how you can both increase and smooth your energy supply.

This, alas, means getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, aligning your life with your values and expressing appreciation and thanks when it’s due.

This should get the energy flowing…

Now that you have some, apply it mindfully and look for opportunities (mind, body and spirit) to top it up throughout each day - there are many.

Let’s get back to that To Do list: break it into 3-4 projects a day, each requiring 60-120 minutes of concentrated work.

Start with the most challenging project and take a short, fun break each time you complete a project - skype a friend, take a walk, drop into a gallery.

Avoid the temptation to start right into your emails when you arrive at work in the morning (check & respond to emails 2-3 times a day, starting mid-morning).

And try to understand both what energizes and empties you, harnessing the highs and using this stored energy to take the edge off the inevitable lows.

I’ve been experimenting with this stuff after reading an informative article on the subject in Harvard Business Review, with some good results.

OK, it’s been 60 minutes. Time for a swim.