“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” – Benjamin Franklin
Week Five
What are the things, people, or situations that drag you down? These are circumstances you may have come to ignore or put up with rather than address proactively. Now is your chance to take notice and put your well-being first.
1) Identify your energy drainers
a. Make a list of anything that leaves you depleted. Entries could include a particular activity or person. They could even reference a viewpoint you have come across, or a habit that puts pressure on your mind, body, or spirit.
b. For each item, identify whether it is high-frequency and chronic or low-frequency and an annoyance.
c. Come up with ideas as to how each item could be eliminated, minimized, or managed.
On a separate piece of paper or in your journal for this journey construct columns headed “Energy drainer”, “Frequency” and “Ideas to handle” and keep adding rows until you have identified everything that brings down your energy and how you could reduce these drainers. Don’t beat up on yourself for engaging in depleting activities. Everyone does to some degree. Oftentimes, it is even necessary. Use this as an opportunity to notice these occurrences.
For example, you might identify an energy drainer of ‘People who complain’ that you encounter ‘occasionally’ and that you can handle by ‘removing yourself’ or by ‘telling them you are not interested in hearing a negative commentary’.
2) Identify your energy gainers
a. Make a list of instances when you feel vigorous and like you can tackle anything. Items could include activities, interactions, or habits that refresh your mind, body, or spirit.
b. What is the frequency of each item?
c. Come up with ideas as to how these experiences can be maximized or increased.
Once again, construct a table and keep working until you have identified everything that you find energizing and how you could have more.
For example, you might identify an energy gainer of ‘enough sleep’ that ‘does not happen often’ and that you can address by ‘switching off the TV and turning in earlier’.
You can add to these lists any time you have an insight about what brings down your energy or raises it up over the course of the week. Completing this will bring you greater clarity on how to keep a state of reserve in your life so that you have the energy to stay the course and engage in your life in the way you wish. By noticing what energizes you and what gets you down, you can actively pursue things that are expansive. And can take steps to adjust, adapt, or remove the things that are constrictive.