Leading With Emotional Courage

CHAPTER 10BE STRATEGIC AND INTENTIONAL: FIVE STEPS TO INVESTING YOUR ENERGY MORE WISELY

It was a heated political conversation. Honestly, I can't remember about what. What I do remember is that it was heated, frustrating, and tiring.

A few hours later I was still thinking about it and still annoyed. On the one hand, I didn't like the other person's view, or even her mindset. On the other hand, I didn't like my response and how I argued with her. As I continued to turn the conversation over in my mind, a single thought kept popping up:

This is not worth the energy I'm spending on it.

Which matters because I don't have the energy to spare. And, chances are, you don't either. In a recent conversation I had with Tom Rath, author of Are You Fully Charged?, he told me that he has asked more than 10,000 people, “Did you have a great deal of physical energy yesterday?” and just 11% said they did.

Which means that 89% of us are operating without much to spare.

There are two sides to this equation: We can fill our energy tanks more fully and frequently, or we can spend our energy more strategically. One or both of these is crucial if we want to bring our strongest, most productive energy to our most important work and life experiences, to becoming who we most want to be.

A lot has been written about how to fill our energy tanks more fully. My energy increases when I sleep eight hours, eat healthy foods, stop eating before I'm full, and exercise every day. I also know that having loving ...