peanut-butter smudges off your kid’s dresser or looking up your ex on Facebook. So how do you use your energy effectively? How do you put yourself into forward motion instead of a perpetual tailspin?
Well, the solution is not found in a can of Red Bull.
It’s found in balance.
You need to expend enough energy to feel strong and competent and in control, and you need enough restoration to feel serene and ready for action.
So in this chapter we’re going to take a closer look at what blocks your energy and gives you easy ways to renew it. Don’t settle for survival mentality, running on fumes while chasing your to-do list. Aim to thrive, to spend your energy on the things that feed your spirit. You’re worth it!
Where does the energy go?
First, you have to know where you spend your energy. Here’s why:
Energy is also like money. If you don’t track it, you never know how or where it gets spent, and you’re always at risk of losing it. If you spend it wisely, you reap benefits and have something to show for it: a healthy life, a completed marathon, a finished book, a happy heart.
Your most valuable asset is your attention. Your attention is what you can con- trol—and where you spend your attention is where you spend your energy. If you focus on actions that mean something to you, you automatically have more energy. And believe me, the energy shots that come from within are a whole lot more ef- fective than the ones you buy at 7–11!
Schwartz said, “To maintain a powerful pulse in our lives, we must learn to how to rhyth- mically spend and renew energy.” The strategies below will help you do just that. They’ll help you close the gap between who you are and who you want to be.
So let’s get started. Take a look at the Time Audit you created for yourself in the previous chapter. You’ll see fairly clearly how your day—and your energy—is divided into four main categories:
- Work 2) Family 3) Rest/Recovery 4) Self-Care
This is an excerpt from The Right Fit Formula.