Slow Down and Get Rest to Cultivate Self-Awareness

“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.”’

– Billie Jean King

Keeping your business in top form requires you to keep moving steadily forward.

That takes consistent energy. If you are unconsciously undermining your path forward by not addressing where you might be draining energy, you are doing your business a disservice. How do you spot the leaks?

The concept of “Energy Leaks” or “Energy Drains” describes the defeating feeling you get from any unfinished or unattended tasks or ideas that gnaw on your psyche and little by little wear you down.

“If I can meet I can get em. As yet I haven’t met em. That’s why I’m in the state I’m in.”’

– Sam Cooke, Another Saturday Night

Fake News: Busyness is Business

Business these days is almost synonymous with busyness. Pretty much everybody feels too busy. How do we recognize if some task is gnawing at the back of our brains and draining our energy when we’re always busy? The process begins with something seemingly simple. We need to slow down. The first step in creating clarity, the ability to see what’s in front of our faces and also to be aware of our brain’s reactions to what we are experiencing is to slow down. It’s what Buddhists refer to as mindfulness. But we don’t need to get that technical. Slowing down is a good enough name for it.

Got Rest? Lack of Ample Rest is One of the Most Common Energy Leaks

“To be healthy and sane one needs to have at least four hours off a day, at least one full day off a week, at least one full weekend off a month, and at least three full weeks off a year. “ – Hareesh Wallis

Rest is a scarce commodity in business these days. Overwork is epidemic. Avoiding epidemics is a no-brainer. Lack of ample rest is one of the most common energy leaks. If you don’t have enough energy, it’s obviously already leaked out. As the leader of your business, it behooves you to set adequate sleep and restful downtime as a necessary priority. Do it for yourself, but your customers, your clients, your employees, your family and your friends will also get the benefits of a fresh-faced you.

To-Do List: An Energy Leak Plugger

Spotting leaks is a process of becoming a more aware person. How about that dirty shower caddy that you’ve been noticing and subtly berating yourself about each morning when you see it? When you slow down and are rested you can catch your mind seeing that undone task. By noticing your thought with awareness, you can then take the next step of writing it down on your to-do list. If you look at your to-do list as an energy-leak-plugger, you can get that thought out of your mind and on the list ready to be addressed when the time is right.

An Energy Boost is Your Reward

How about scheduling a plug-the-energy-leak session twice a week? That would be two sessions of working on one background task that you found is dragging you down. Or trust yourself to come up with your own way to systematically work on plugging energy drags. Knowing that tackling those tasks will bring you more energy is the carrot at the end of the stick. A precious, fresh zap of energy is the reward of the process.