Work harder, do more, and run faster

More, more, more—aren’t you tired of hearing that?

Sometimes it feels like whatever you’re doing, it’s not enough. We’re constantly being told to do more.  “Doing more” takes its toll: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

In our rush to get everything done, we assume our energy is always flowing—that we have an endless supply.

Every morning, I walk into the kitchen and flip the light switch. Never once do I stop to consider if the circuit breaker is working or if the lights are plugged in. I just assume it’s all going to work. The same is true about our energy level—it’s easy to go about life assuming that your energy will always be where you need it to be. Imagine if you forgot to charge your cell phone overnight and you woke up with a dead battery. We’ve all had days when we ran out of juice and needed to plug into something in order to recharge.

To be effective, you have to refuel your energy level.

It’s about discipline—S E L F discipline.

No one is going to refuel your energy but YOU.

I reignite and restore my energy by taking timeouts daily. This is time I create to reflect on what is important and what isn’t; time I consciously make to tune into and filter the input I receive. For me, taking a timeout is an opportunity to center myself and seek clarity about an upcoming event or situation. Taking a walk, even if it’s for 20-minutes, clears my head. Something strange happens during these time-outs: what I thought was critical is often only marginally important. What I thought was overwhelming seems possible. By stepping back, everything has a way of sorting itself out and falling into place.

The old me didn’t believe in taking breaks. I used to think I was a machine and I could work 8-10 hours straight, especially when working to a deadline. I learned (the hard way) that it’s impossible for anyone to produce high-quality work without giving our brains some time to rest and recharge. Today, I no longer consider taking breaks as “wasting time.” In fact, I now take walks in the middle of the day to reignite my creativity, which increases my productivity.

Recharge your Energy. Self-care is not an indulgence, but instead, a way to refuel your energy for more productive work.