Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Manage Your Energy Levels

      In 1970 when his wife told him she was pregnant, singer-songwriter Jim Croce wrote the lyrics to his hit song “Time in a Bottle” which appeared on his 1972 debut album.  However when he was killed in a plane crash in September 1973, its lyrics, dealing with mortality and the wish to have more time, had additional resonance.

     Although I personally enjoyed that particular song very much, I have often thought that the major aspect of its lyrics (saving time in a bottle) was really the secondary feature to enjoying our lives.  The more important portion was WHAT were we going to do with the time that we might be able to save?  And adding to that would be the idea: “Would we have the energy to do those things within the extra time that we had been able to save?”  So we should be considering are we in a position to better manage our energy levels so that we will have the right amount of energy available for activities that we would wish to engage in when we have the time to engage in them? 

     Our varying degrees of your energy levels can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Sometimes you have to have the energy to complete a task or activity and other times you seem to have the most energy when you’re trying to relax.  If you can learn how to manage your energy levels effectively, you can move ahead rather than lag behind. 

     Here are some tips about how to manage your energy levels so that you’re ready for anything – at any time. 

1.      Determine the times you’re most energetic. Some people are more energetic in the mornings and others are night owls.  You should be able to determine from past experience which time of day you get more done.  Those are the times you should schedule the most harrowing or mind bending of tasks, although you may still have to pace yourself throughout these activities.

2.      Identify what drains you of your energy.  Be honest about this assessment.  When you know which obstacles and situations keep you from being the best you can be, you can do what it takes to minimize them or eradicate them from your life altogether, if possible.

3.      When you do have energy, is it negative or positive?  If you have lots of energy, but your output is all about negativity, you are likely in a constant reactive mode rather than a positive, active mode.  Negative, but energetic people never seem to have enough time to get things done.

4.      Use your energy to make headway, not merely survive. We all have increasing demands on our time.  The way that we meet it determines whether we go through life just barely getting by or having the energy to advance.  Quit rushing through in survival mode simply to get more things done.  Choose performance over immediate solutions.

5.      Be consistent in the way you handle situations.  When you experience energy highs and lows, you may find yourself reacting to situations according to your energy level.  If you’re energetic, you can be positive, but if you’re lethargic you could react in a totally negative manner.  Try to be consistent in your reactions and it will help your energy levels to be consistent. 

     Thomas Leonard, a highly successful financial planner and business entrepreneur says that time is an illusion – “There’s no such thing as time management. There’s only activity management in the time we’re given.”  How much activity you get done in that allotted time is directly responsible for how energetic you are. 

     Make your activities into priorities according to your energy level.  Performing low-energy tasks at times when you’re least energetic and high-energy tasks at times when you energy level is highest can help you meet all the demands and expectations and still have time to relax and enjoy life.  The greatest culprit to our success or failure is how we view ourselves within these matters.  This continues, and probably always will, fall back on the fact that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER


THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If I could save time in a bottle ---

I'd be in different line of work,

making a lot more money!"

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