Thursday Thoughts on Thriving: How To Avoid Sapping Your Energy

One of the most powerful things I learned from my Coach training was how to look at my day to day habits and/or activities and identify what is sapping my energy. It sounds obvious enough, but you know how easy it is to get into “auto” mode in your daily routine. If you don’t pay attention, next thing you know it is Friday and the whole week as gone by and you wonder, “How did I get here?” Or you’re half way through May and you’re exhausted and still amazed that it is 2013!

Follow these steps to shift those energy sapping habits into more thriving:

• Awareness. Start noticing and being aware of what you are doing and how it makes you feel. For example, does your morning routine energize you or have you rushing into your vehicle in a frenzy that leaves you shouting expletives at other innocent drivers during your commute and arriving at work with a scowl?   
• Pick One. After you become aware of those sapping activities or habits, pick one. Only one so that you can focus on it. One of my examples: I routinely became frustrated every morning when I rifled through my sock drawer to find the color and pair I wanted to wear. It was dimly lit in my bedroom and the drawer was a jumbled mess.
• Change It. Consider how to change that one thing to eliminate the sucking of your energy. In my example, I organized my drawer with shoe boxes (for dividers), threw away the old socks and put a lamp by my dresser so that I could see better.
• Check In. Did your change(s) work? You may need to experiment with a couple different ways to shift your habit or activity so that it is working for you. Forgive yourself along the way if you start sliding back into that old habit or don’t make the change as quickly as you would like.
• Celebrate. Notice and appreciate each time you make a change in your routine that is helping you thrive. Enjoy something fun to reward yourself.
• Pick Another. Now pick another one and follow the whole process again.

You can change your life for more thriving one small step at at time. Believe me, it works!