Get Real: Personal Energy Is a Finite Resource
Most people live like they have an infinite amount of personal energy to spend each day. I know, because I used to be one of them. First thing in the morning, I would check the news, social media, my e-mails, and my WhatsApp messages.
It is not just that I was wasting an hour or so. Even worse, I was cutting into my limited reservoir of daily energy. Before I got to any serious work, I had already diminished my focus.
But it didn't stop there. Throughout the day, I would also allow myself to be distracted in every possible way. Just call my friend quickly. Check out this interesting video on YouTube. Go on a spontaneous lunch date. Socialize at the gym.
I acted like I had all the energy in the world. My most important tasks could still be taken care of later, right?
Of course, that was a major case of wishful thinking. Like the battery in your cell phone, once you run out of energy, you are done for the day — no matter how much you might wish for it to be otherwise. And once that happens, you need to recharge before you can be productive again.
Few of us acknowledge this reality; it seems too restrictive and extreme. It is much more fun to be “spontaneous,” aka to give yourself over to your whimsies. But then a few years or decades go by, and you wonder why you accomplished so little.
On a micro level, wasting your days away seems innocent. “What’s the big deal?” But on a macro level, a wasted life is nothing to be made light of. It’s a tragedy.
There are two ways to fix that:
You need to preserve your energy from distractions
You need to spend your energy wisely
The most bang-for-buck strategies I have found to preserve your energy are:
Never watch the news
Never consume any social media
Get off Netflix
Refrain from mindless socializing, e.g., hitting the bars or pointlessly dating around
Go to bed at the same time every day, 7 days a week
Eat healthy; simple carbs and sugar are downers
Don’t buy stuff, i.e., consumer goods; the buying decisions and the maintenance required are massive energy sinks
This solves the energy preservation half of the problem. But you also want to spend your energy on something meaningful. Otherwise, what’s the point?
This is where daily habits come in.
First, they force you to decide what is important to you. If you commit to practicing the guitar every day for two hours, it is because you consider music a key element of your life. If you commit to going to the gym every day, it is because health and fitness are central to your life.
Second, by sticking to your daily habit regimen, a majority of your energy each day is spent on meaningful tasks – which inevitably compounds into achievements. Keep practicing the guitar, and you will eventually record that album. Keep working out, and you will eventually be lean and fit.
This way, you will have something to show for your energy — not just at the end of your day, but at the end of your life.
Personal energy might be a finite resource. But if you manage it wisely, it will also enable you and make you feel proud of yourself.
I am currently upgrading my YouTube equipment, a buying decision that could unfortunately not be avoided (my old camera kept overheating). I probably already spent 40 hours on this — 40 hours that I didn't spend creating content. Personal energy really is limited.
Until next time,
Niels