These days, with email, mobile phones, and the feeling of
work never stopping, it is easy to feel overwhelmed as though there just aren’t
enough hours in the day. Maybe you have
a hobby you’d like to pursue or a side business you’d like to get started that
never seems to get going. What would have to shift to bring those things into
your life? Well, what if you can’t quit
your job but you feel like you don’t have time to pursue your dreams? Well, what if it isn’t about time but how you
are spending our energy?
Think about a time when no matter how much you felt you
needed to, you just struggled to get started on some project. Maybe you would come home from work at the
normal time and just feel too tired to start working on a new project or
errand. And let’s say this went on for
weeks even though you weren’t sick, had been sleeping ok, and were generally
taking pretty good care of yourself. Now, think about another time when you
were really excited about something (maybe getting ready for a vacation, or
working on painting the nursery in preparation for your new arrival). Remember feeling like you could keep going
and going and didn’t want to stop even when the clock struck late and you would
normally have gone to bed by then? Stay
in that moment for a while and just let it wash over you again.
What kept you going on the project you were passionate about
and what slowed you down about getting started on the other task? For many, the difference is energy; not the
energy you get from eating a Power Bar or the energy you feel after 10 hours of
sleep. No, this is another kind of energy: it’s physical, it’s mental, it’s
passionate, and it’s purpose-based. This
is the Energy of YOU. The reason some
tasks are readily started and others seem impossible to get your britches
on for has a lot more to do with where and how you are spending your energy
and a lot less with how you are spending your time. The secret to gaining a feeling of more time
comes down to managing how you are spending you energy and making some
adjustments.
Start with an Energy
Assessment
Let’s spend a few minutes looking at how we spend our energy
currently, and how we could use our energy to bring us more of what we want in
life. We’re going to look at the major
areas of our lives where we spend energy, and how much energy we spend on
each. You may have done a similar
exercise in the past where you look at where you spend your time, but this is a
little bit different. We’re going to
focus on energy, because that’s what really matters. We’ve probably all had the experience of
being able to do a lot in a short amount of time because we’re full of energy,
and also the opposite experience having plenty of time, but not being able to get
going because we just didn’t have the energy.
We’re going to do this in two parts. In the first part, we’ll take a look at where
we spend our energy today. This circle
is going to be a pie chart. Divide it
into segments based on where you spend your energy today. Let me give you an example. Maybe you spend 8 hours at work each day, and
4 hours at home after work. From a time
perspective, your work slice of the pie would be twice the size of your after
work slice. But if your work leaves you
so tired that you can’t do much in those four hours at home, the work slice
might be three or four times as big as the home slice.
When you’re drawing your slices, think about things like
work, family, exercise, spiritual practice, hobbies, and life maintenance. Don’t forget to include things that you might
want to do less of in future, like watching TV or other lost time. Add categories for any other areas where you
spend significant amounts of energy.
Now for the Energy
Adjustment
OK, for part 2 of the exercise, we’re going to look to the future
and in particular your vision for the future.
We’re going to create another pie chart, but this time it’s about how you
would like to be spending your energy and what would take for you to feel that
you are really living your best life! So take a few minutes to picture yourself
living this way, what would it look like, feel like. Now divide this pie into pieces based on
where you want spend your energy in various areas of your life in the
future. Use the labels you used in part
1, and add any new labels for areas where you want to spend your energy in the
future.
Now, look at both of your pie charts. What do you notice? What are the reasons for the gap between part
1 and part 2? What are some steps you
could take to get closer to using your energy in ways that bring you more
happiness, satisfaction, goofing off, or whatever it is? Yes, it might take some difficult
conversations and it may take some courage. Imagine the ripple effect this could have on your life,
and the lives of others as you go after more of what you truly love, are
setting boundaries, and being a role model for living your life to your fullest.
Example pie charts
In the example, "before" chart there was no energy for art or piano. In the after chart, some negotiations were necesary. I agreed to spend less energy on business work (after 4 PM), and TV, animals, and housecleaning get less energy. It means certain things won't get done as fast and/or we live with a little messiness a bit longer. The payoff: I am getting satisfaction out my art and music and I actually think I am more efficient towards my business tasks during the day.
In your workplace, how do you think adjusting how you spend
your energy will be accepted by others?
What are you willing to try for a new possibility of energy,
flow, purpose, and joy?
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