Performance, health and happiness are grounded in the skillful management of energy
Tony Schwartz
Many factors responsible for how we feel on a daily basis. In fact there are so many factors that it is hard to be aware and recognize everything that influence our mood and satisfaction. Fortunately there is one concept if understood can help us to become aware of how we feel each and every day and why we feel in a certain way. And this concept is managing our energy in systematic manner.
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz wrote book called: “The Power of Full Engagement“. They introduce the concept of Energy Management.
Managing Energy, not time, is the key to high performance
System they introduced is not new but the way they lay it out is profound. I have very similar concept of 4 energy levels, but I never realized it until I’ve read this wonderful book. In fact it is probably one of the best books I can’t recommend highly enough.
Tony and Jim work with professional athletes, most of the time with tennis players and they are highly respected authority on high performance and full engagement in work and in life.
4 Fundamental Sources of Energy
There are 4 fundamental sources of energy.
1. Physical
2. Emotional
3. Mental
4. Spiritual
photo credit: code poet
It is not a secret that we as humans we want to achieve incredible and meaningful things in life. In other words, we want to be successful and accomplish as much as we want for our own benefit and for benefits of others.
Countless books written on a subject of success and achievement. There is no lack of information available to us. It is actually quite opposite. There is so much information available to us that often we feel lost and don’t know what to do with all the information that flowing our way.
If abundance of information available, why don’t we use effectively to our advantage? What we need to do to make sure that we take advantage of all the information that available to us?
I love to learn new things and I am really grateful and fascinated with all the resources we have available to us. I don’t have to go to the library to get the information I want. I just sit on my chair, open my internet browser, type several keywords in Google and here we go, I have information I requested. It is incredible and we often take it for granted.
Having necessary information fast is a big deal. But to take this information, apply and internalize to our advantage it is completely different thing.
I tend to go through tons of information on a daily basis. Yes, I definitely notice that I became much more knowledgeable in many areas I have interest in. At the same time I notice that by becoming knowledgeable I did not necessarily improve quality of my life which I was intended to do in a first place. Yes, I enjoyed the process of learning, but something were missing. It seems obvious that in order to improve myself, have balance and desired quality of living, I would have to apply the information I’ve learned.
It is seems intuitive, but for me It took some time to figure out how to apply the information I’ve learn by internalizing it for lasting results.
I am convinced by now that the best and easiest way to create a lasting change is to become aware of those two secrets.
Secret 1
Apply idea as soon or as close as possible to the time you discover it.
Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric put it really well by saying:
“The desire, and the ability, of an organization to continuously learn from any source, anywhere and to rapidly convert this learning into action - is the ultimate competitive advantage”.
This can be definitely applied on a personal level as well.
