Watching The Fuel In Your Personal Tank

“The first requisite of success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem without growing weary.”

Thomas A. Edison

The talk in Europe for the coming months is all about energy supply and possible restrictions around same. But what about something more important?

Your own energy reserves and your own energy supply. This is actually the critical factor that helps us to better navigate the relentless challenges of business and life.

I was having a rummage around some old notebooks & journals recently recently when I found something that struck a chord – it’s within the realm of Personal Energy Management or PEM.

This graphic conveys it well.

Which one better represents your approach?

Most people are the one on the right. They ‘burn it’ until they hit the ‘red zone’, then they are forced to reset and recharge. The problem with that approach is that it takes longer to recharge and once you move into the orange and red zone, your effectiveness radically drops. Plus it eventually wears you out which leads to bigger problems.

Initially when I introduce this concept to people, the usual response is something akin to:

“I’ll take a couple of days off soon to recharge”.

That’s fine but a lot of damage can be done before those days off happen. The game changer comes when you introduce the concept of PEM as a system into your week and your day.

The UK premier league has just re-started with a new season. I heard one of the managers say this to journalists last week:

“Rest is training.”

They were speaking in the context of watching what players are doing when not on the training grounds i.e. everything counts! Sports science has shown that rest and recovery in all sports is essential to sustainable high performance. Why would business or life be any different?

To get the best from yourself consider these points:

• Taking proper mental breaks during the day fills your inner charge tank
• The best use of the weekend is to recharge for the week ahead
• Sleep, diet and regular exercise are vitally important to getting the best from yourself
• The first half of your day is generally when your best work gets done
• The quality of your thinking drops when your PEM drops

What is your approach to your PEM?

And where is one area, this week, you can improve it?

Best,

Shane

PS – Thanks to Julie & Owen for the inspiration. 😉

PPS – If you’re interested in mastering your Personal Energy Management, consider joining me for the next MindShift program starting in a few weeks time. PEM is a key area I train you in over 8 weeks. Registration and all details here.

Latest Inner Edge Podcast Episodes: Listen for free on my website here or wherever you listen to your podcasts:

• 88: Two Key Elements To Real Confidence
• 87: How To Be A Catalyst For Change
• 86: Managing Your Emotional Temperature
• 85: The Shackleton Mindset
• 84: A Mind Unquestioned Is A Very Dangerous Thing