All Of The Things | 7

ENERGY is a fluid word. It means:

Liveliness

Get-up-and-go

Vitality

Drive

Momentum

Strength

Force

Would you agree, ENERGY is a powerful word and influences your life every day?

Would you consider, “You are responsible for your energy” with each new day?

Have you ever taken time to think about you being responsible for your energy and the ultimate source of your energy?

It’s possible, you may not even think about –

taking care of your energy,

being mindful of what your mind and body needs or

slowing down long enough to tune into where your energy level is…

You just keep going.

Sure, you may recognize when you are tired, or don’t have energy. Yet, how often do you really pause and ask yourself, “how is my energy doing or where is the source of my energy coming from?”

Within our TC&A team, we have a theory about “WHY” we may struggle with the mindset of being the ultimate source of our energy. Here is our theory: “we haven’t been conditioned to pay attention to our energy.”

We HAVE been conditioned to hustle and get-up-and go, use our strengths to do more and pour out to others regardless of whether we have the energy or not. Now, we are not saying there aren’t times to be full speed ahead with your drive, mark things off of your to-do list (one of our favorite things) to keep the momentum going and continue to move things forward.

Certainly, as Leadership Coaches, pouring out to others is one of our favorite things to do, in fact it’s part of our core purpose that brings life and energy to us. We VALUE being the ultimate source of our energy and using our energy wisely.

Here is a question to consider:

How can you RECONDITION yourself to pay attention to your energy??

It reminds me (Chelsea) of my days as a competitive gymnast. I spent (what felt like) millions of hours practicing in the gym every day. At the end of practice, I had to do conditioning (not IF I felt like it – I HAD to do conditioning every day). I never looked forward to conditioning. Yet, it was the very practice of conditioning that built my STRENGTH to do the high-level routines that I competed.? Without the repetition of conditioning, I wouldn’t have had the STRENGTH or ENERGY to achieve my gymnastic goals.

Here is what you can do to RECONDITION your mindset and behaviors on behalf of your ENERGY:

?1.???? Start by taking an inventory of your habits and make a list of your habits.

Example: I have a habit of making my bed every single day, which energizes me as the first accomplishment of my day.

?You can set goals all day long, but unless you create predictable systems aka behaviors that you can repeat over and over, achieving long term goals won’t be sustainable.? You simply won’t have the energy.

?2.???? Assess Your own habits – How are your habits supporting you?

Example: My habit of walking every day supports my energy and well-being. Over time, it will create sustainable energy for my mind and body.

You want your habits to support your work and your abilities to get things accomplished. You want your habits to ignite the passion you have for who you are, for your family and your friends.

?3.???? Be mindful where you gain your most energy with your habits.

Example: I gain energy in the work that I do, as it gives me the opportunity to use my strengths in building relationships and supporting others.

?The way you condition your habits will fuel your energy as you interact with others. Your conditioning will give you even more energy when you are participating in life and work that is meaningful to you.

Your energy lives internally within you and at the same time, it is expressed externally and felt by others.? Every day and everywhere you go – “You take your energy with you.”

This is where being responsible for your energy is taken to the next level. After you’ve taken inventory of your habits, assessed your habits and are mindful of where you gain your most energy –conditioning your energy with your habits will increase your abilities inwardly and influence your external experiences. Start to take notice of how you feel in the workplace when complexity arises or at home when conflict pops up.? Even break it down to how you feel when someone pulls out in front of you or is going slow in the fast lane (We’re not the only ones that feel triggered by these moments, right?!)

Being mindfully aware of how your energy rises and falls physically, mentally and emotionally is a daily practice. It’s a CHOICE to lead your energy. The more you COMMIT to building your self-awareness the quicker you can return to a state of peace, acceptance and calm.? The key here is to keep turning INWARD and being mindful of your ENERGY.

You may want to think of your energy in this more profound way…

?The sun is the ultimate source of energy for most of life on Earth. ?

And guess, what?

The sun gets its energy from its nuclear core.

If, the most powerful energy source known to humans is

?going within to gain its energy,

it’s time we take nature’s lead

and seek the energy we need

to live and work from the inside, out.

You are responsible for your energy with every decision you make and you can shift your energy at any moment.? It’s a choice, and the good news is, the CHOICE is yours.

Sending you positive energy as you journey through February 2022 and beyond.