Welcome back. This is the 2nd article on Energy Management. If you missed the first, you’ll find it here.
A quick reminder of what we’re talking about:
“.... you can’t change the amount of hours that you have but you can change how you feel during those hours and consequently how much you accomplish. “
Today, we look at 2 concepts that help increase your energy. And introduce a book that will interest those of you who want a deeper look at the topic.
Let’s get started.
Know Your Type: Introvert or Extrovert?
To boost your energy, it’s helpful to understand how you recharge. And a useful tool for that is the introvert/extrovert continuum.
Not sure which you are? Here’s a short quiz to help you find out.
If you’re an extrovert, people are a big source of energy for you. A quick chat, meetings, phone calls, texting or just hanging out at a mall or coffee shop. If you’re an introvert, when your energy is low you need some alone time to recharge. Think of these two points as opposite ends of a continuum. Few of us are at either introvert or extrovert. We fall somewhere along the continuum.
Introverts can get energy from people too. The difference is that they often have a smaller circle of people that help them with this. And prefer one-to-one or small group interactions.
Work favours the extrovert. So many people. Meetings, hallway chats, texting, phone calls. Even extroverts find it draining. While extroverts may need to find a quiet moment to recharge, introverts need to double or triple their efforts on this.
So when you’re scheduling your day/week/month, extroverts working alone can schedule meetings or group activities to amp up their energy. Even hit a coffee shop for a little energy boost. Introverts with a meeting packed week will want to carve out as much quiet time as possible. And protect that time as much as possible.
Recharge Ritual
One energy challenge I see often is this. Clients have the energy they need for work. But by the end of the day, they are exhausted. Which means they have little left for family, friends or life.
Enter the recharge ritual.
I was working with a project manager who had a young family. 3 kids under 7. Jake was a real family man, but wasn’t showing up as the dad and husband he wanted to be. Not because he didn’t love and treasure his time with his family. But because he was tired. He was running on fumes by the end of the day.
The idea of a recharge ritual appealed to Jake. He thought it might help him turn things around.
Jake’s goal was simple. When he opened the door to his family at the end of the day, he’d have all the energy needed to be there for his wife and kids.
So how could a recharge ritual help him accomplish this? It took a little experimenting to find the right solution.
Jake came up with a list of things he found energizing. Music, being outside, running, hanging out with friends were just a few. He had a nice list to work from.
And then picked something he thought might work. And tried for a couple fo days.
He thought music and running would be the right mix. It wasn’t.
He tried walks at a nearby park. With and without music. Nope.
He tried a few more things before he found the right solution. And it was a bit of a surprise.
The recharge ritual that worked best for Jake was walking the family’s dog. 20-30 minutes. At a nearby park with well-groomed walking trails.
Jake would arrive home. A few hugs & kisses with the family. Change. And off to the park with the pooch. And no headphones. To Jake’s surprise, it was the sounds of nature that worked best.
When he came back, he had the energy he wanted for the next couple hours - playing with kids, making dinner, doing dishes……
Not my solution (I’d be napping on the couch with the dog). But perfect for Jake and his family.
Recharge rituals can be used any time of day. For any reason. But I can’t think of a better way to put them to work.
Want More Energy Management?
Want to learn more about recharge rituals? Or Energy Management generally? There's a great book on the topic. A classic.
It breaks energy into 4 categories and - with mixed success - shows ways to improve energy in each of these.
And here’s a 12 minute video that recaps the main concepts.
One thing: ignore the “manage energy, not time” advice. It makes no sense. Of course you’ll manage both.
Wrapping Up
Today we looked at a few more ways to understand and boost your energy. Combined with the previous article, there are more than enough ideas to get started.
And for those of you who are really ambitious, there’s a whole book devoted to strategies to boost your energy.
You could have the energy of the EverReady Bunny with a little work.
