In order to maintain your edge and energy throughout your life, you need to protect your energy levels. Now energy isn’t just about the physical side. It’s also about mental alertness and positive emotions. Your energy is the key force that will help you perform better in any area of your life. When you’re able to tap into your energy stores, you will have more passion, stamina and drive to sustain you through whatever comes your way.

It takes a lot of energy to succeed over the long term. As a high achiever I’m sure you’re not afraid of hard work. You propel yourself forward in business and life by grit and hustle to achieve your goals and obtain the success you desire. Most likely you only have one speed and that is GO GO GO! You’re switched on all day everyday, giving yourself very little downtime if any at all. You’re all about achieving your goals and taking any time out would only have you feeling guilty and worrying about all the things you should be doing.

However, at some point in your life, especially if you haven’t been looking after your wellbeing, you will (if you haven’t already) reach a point where you start to lose your passion or burn out. We all have 24 hours available to us each day. It’s how you show up, the energy that you bring to each of those hours that is going to set you apart from everyone else. It’s how you’re going to achieve sustainable wellbeing and external success over the long term and ensure that you’ll be deeply fulfilled in all that you do.  

The biggest energy and wellbeing killer is stress and overwhelm

Do you find yourself wanting to scale up but you’re exhausted and on your way to burn out. Or you feel you’re working hard but not breaking through. Add to that the unrelenting tasks, the self doubt, the unwanted obligations, the overwhelming choices and responsibilities and it’s enough to exhaust anyone!

The thing is you’re driven and know how to achieve your goals – so achievement is not your issue or what you need to work on to deal with the stress and overwhelm you’re feeling. It’s alignment that you need to work on. To experience growth, wellbeing and fulfilment you need to realign your thoughts and behaviours. It is how you overcome these that will help you bring the edge and energy you need to each encounter you have.

How are you showing up each day?

In particular, how do you show up in all the interactions you have during your day? Are you likely to carry negative energy from one activity to the next? If you had a bad night’s sleep or disagreement before you go to work, are you likely to carry that energy into the rest of your day? Maybe you have a meeting that doesn’t go to plan, would you carry that energy into your next meeting or phone discussion? When you’re feeling exhausted and your body is screaming for you to take some time out, do you ignore that feeling and continue to push through?

When you’re showing up to a new activity carrying negative energy from your last encounter or feeling exhausted you’re not going to be able to maintain your edge nor your energy. Your mind is going to be elsewhere – thinking about what just happened. You’re also going to approach the meeting closed off and not very receptive to other people’s advice and opinions. If you’re exhausted your focus, concentration and productivity is going to decrease and you’ll be using all your energy to just try and stay awake and get the task at hand done so you can tick it off your list.

The best way to maintain your edge and energy so you’re always performing as your best self

One daily practice you can start implementing into your day that will help you realign your thoughts and behaviours and overcome stress and overwhelm is creating a habit to master your daily transitions.  Brendon Burchard who studies the habits of high performers says, ‘your daily transitions are powerful spaces of freedom where you can discover your greatest restorer and amplifier of energy.’

Examples of daily transitions that you may encounter in your day include:

• When you wake up you experience a transition from rest to activation.
• Your commute to work is a transition from personal time to working with others.
• Going from presenting at work to checking your emails is another transition – you go from creative mode to email mode.
• You leave work and go to the gym – another transition
• Leaving work or the gym and entering your home is another transition

It is during these transitions that you need to release any tension and set your intention for how you want to show up in your next encounter. Everyday you can lose tremendous amounts of focus, will and emotional energy by managing your transitions poorly. As well as losing the benefit of greater mental and physical stamina throughout the day. It is during these spaces of freedom that you have the choice to set yourself up for sustainable wellbeing and external success or continue down the path of always feeling like everything is a struggle.

Below are the three steps from Brendon Burchard’s Release Tension, Set Intention technique that you can start implementing into your day that will help you maintain your edge and energy:

• Close your eyes for the next minute or two.
• Repeat the word release in your mind over and over for just a minute or two. As you do, command your body to release all the tension in your shoulders, in your neck, in your face and jaw. Release the tension in your back and your legs. Release the tension in your spirit and mind.
• When you feel you’ve released some tension – it doesn’t have to be all the tension in your life – move to the next part – set intention. What is that you want to achieve in the next activity you’re about to take on when you open your eyes. Ask yourself, what energy do you want to bring into this next activity? How can you do this next activity with excellence? How can you enjoy the process? Asking yourself questions like this will help your mind to be more present in the next activity.

Doing this activity during the day will help you better manage stress and gain more presence. It’s a game changer, especially when done with full intention and purpose. In doing so, you will take control of your own destiny. You’re no longer a slave to your impulses. You’re conscious about what you’re doing and how you choose to feel and show up which is only going to see your performance get better and better – creating sustainable wellbeing as well as external success. This is one habit that you MUST add to your collection, trust me you won’t regret it!

3 Actions To Help You Maintain Your Edge and Energy Throughout Your Life

1. During your daily transitions implement the Release Tension, Set Intention technique. Ask yourself how you would like to start each activity feeling – do you want to feel calm, happy, focused, engaged, inspiring.
2. Before you start any new project or meeting, seek clarity on who you want to be, how you want to interact with others, what you want and what will bring you the greatest meaning. What are your intentions and objectives? Do this at the beginning and then check in again throughout the project or meeting to make sure you’re bringing the energy you desire.  
3. Think of 3 ways you can recharge your energy stores when you’re feeling exhausted. Know them and have them as your go-to’s so you know exactly what you need to do and don’t have to think about it. It could be having a power nap, going for a walk around the block, doing a 5 minute meditation.

Once you’ve had a chance to complete the Action Steps, come over to the comments section and let me know:

How did you go with the Release Tension, Set Intention technique? What difference did it make to how you showed up and your energy levels?

Leave a comment and let me know how you go!

P.S. If you have friends, clients or colleagues who you think will benefit from the tips above, forward this email. They’ll thank you for it!