Issue 24     March  2010

Identify Your Energy Leaks

Find out where your energy and personal power are being drained. Then take measures to stop the leakage and restore your energy.

You need energy to be at your best. Abundant, consistent energy is essential for high performance and powerful personal effectiveness. Your physical well-being is just one aspect of your energy profile. Think also about your emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. When you’re running with all “four cylinders”, your personal power will be at its best.

Energy can leak away in ways that aren’t always obvious. Look at the following list and check to see if any of them apply to you.  

Physical energy

Not enough sleep
Inadequate nutrition or poor choices with food and drink
Not enough water
Too many pollutants and environmental stressors
Not enough (or too much) exercise
Not enough down time or relaxation
Difficulty releasing tension in your body

Emotional energy

Complaining about what you have no control over
Lack of personal support or time with those you love
Ongoing frustration, fear or anxiety
Not defining what you really want
Fixating on mistakes or embarrassing moments
Avoiding difficult conversations or conflict
Protecting someone who mistreats you
Procrastinating

Mental energy

Too many interruptions
Not taking a rest when fatigued from long periods of concentration
Speculating when it would be more efficient to get accurate information
Getting excessive information when it would be better to trust your intuition
Too much focus on detail, order and lists
Tolerating too much mess, clutter or disorganization
Too much arguing to prove you’re “right”

Spiritual energy

Not enough focus on cherished values
Not sure what you want to accomplish before you die
Not keeping agreements you make with yourself (or with others)
Lack of aliveness and openness to possibility
Not enough activities that nourish your soul or make your heart sing
Lack of purpose or reason for being
Not enough play, humor or joy
Not enough Zen moments of pure being

There are so many ways to lose energy! As you review this list, you may think of more. The main thing is to identify the important ones for you. What are your top ten energy drainers? How about the top three? Now, what is the one you want to focus on this next week?

The action you need to take to conserve and build your energy may be obvious. If it isn’t, then talk it over with someone or spend some time reflecting or writing. But don’t neglect the energy you need to function at your best. If you’d like additional support to get an extra boost need or develop additional skills, call me to discuss coaching. We can develop a plan and build the skills so your energy can support high performance.