Last week we talked about the importance of setting clear and achievable goals. The more focused and clearer our vision, the higher our chances of reaching our goals!  So what else is needed to create a Strong Ending of the year? 

ENERGY!  There’s no use in having the final stretch to the finish line in front of us, when we don’t have enough energy to pull ourselves together until the end.

What are your energy reserves right now? Is it “full speed ahead” for you or has the fall been depleting your energy levels already? Do you still have enough energy reserves to run the last critical miles, or do you already feel overwhelmed before you have even begun?

 Here are some of my thoughts and ideas about energy and achievement potential.

• Do I know my circadian rhythm? When is my energy peak in a day and when do I feel the need to rest? What is my activity pattern? What kind of activities do I perform in certain times of my day? If your performance peak falls between 7 and 8 am and you usually spend this time commuting, perhaps you could consider leaving earlier or later to fully be able to take advantage of your most productive time of the day?
• Is there anything that depletes me of my time and energy but doesn’t deliver results? Could I give it up? Think about the 80/20 rule (also known as the “Pareto Principle”). It says that things that take 80% of our time and energy deliver merely 20% of the results, while 20% of our activities deliver 80% of the desired results. Choose what should stay on your list and what you can afford to let go!
• Energy-boosting rituals! We all experience things that infuse us with positive energy and things that take the energy away from us. Different things energize different people: some of us draw energy from doing sports, some of us from contact with the Nature, some of us from listening to music or reading. If you follow through the 20/80 principle well and as a result have less on your plate, you will be able to use the saved time to better manage your inner power-house. Before you concentrate on your tasks, treat yourself to something nice: go for a walk, have coffee in your favorite café or read a few pages of a book. This short break will work like a mini-vacation and will give you a lasting energy boost. Make your energy your priority!

So what can you do this week? Try to determine what your circadian rhythm is. Manage your work in such a way that it makes the most sense to you and uses your energy resources in the most productive way.

Look at your to-do list again and try to re-prioritize following the 20/80 principle. You can read up on this principle in the Internet under “Pareto Principle”. Focus more time on the 20% of your activities that deliver 80% of the results.

Include the energy-boosting rituals in your day and enjoy how they increase your efficiency! Share your ideas and energy-boosting rituals! Write about your new insights into your circadian rhythms or about your ways of applying the 80/20 principle in our blog… 

Quotes

Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.

Oprah Winfrey

Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.

Sarah Bernhardt

This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men.

Captain J. A. Hadfield