Where Are You Putting Your Energy?

Ep: 230

Do you often feel depleted, but you’re not sure where that lack of energy is coming from?

If you’re feeling drained on a daily basis, then it’s time to look at where and how your energy currency is being spent.

Today on The Bridge to Fulfillment®, Blake explores the concept of energy exchange. If you’re feeling a general lack of energy in your day-to-day, then it’s likely that you’re giving away more energy than you’re receiving.

In this episode, you’ll learn how the currency of energy gets spent and how to recognize where it’s being depleted in your life. You’ll learn how to shift your perspective and start to think about energy as a valuable, finite currency that should be working both ways. You’ll hear what a consistent lack of energy feels like, and identify ways to replenish your energy currency through personal relationships, more fulfilling work, and seeking out rest when you need it.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Understanding the 5 types of currency (1:13)
  • How to think about your energy (2:30)
  • Why you might be feeling a lack of energy in your life (4:15)
  • What a low-energy life feels like (5:49)
  • An energy challenge for this week (7:05)

Favorite Quotes:

  1. Energy is the hidden thing that we aren’t paying attention to.
  2. Start to look at everything that you’re doing on a daily basis, every relationship that you have, and ask yourself ‘Do I feel more energized or do I feel less energized?’”
  3. If you have time, but you have no energy, you will accomplish very little.

Additional Resources:

Rather than hoping the grass will be greener, identify what the RIGHT next step is.
We can help you do just that.

Get clarity on where you are on your journey to career fulfillment, where you’re headed, optional paths to get there, and the right next step to take.

Start your complimentary, Personalized Career Fulfillment Plan by going to https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan

Want free resources to set your job search up for success? You can get them by going to: https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/mistakes

For other programs and opportunities to work with Blake, go to www.BlakeSchofield.com

Transcript

Blake Schofield 0:05
Hi, I’m Blake Schofield, founder and CEO of The Bridge to Fulfillment®, mom to three, USA Today top 10 professional coach, and former corporate executive who got tired of sacrificing my life for a comfortable paycheck. My mission is to expand women’s perspectives and empower them to achieve greater impact at home and work without sacrifice. This is The Bridge to Fulfillment®.

Blake Schofield 0:39
Today, I’m going to talk about something that’s used every second, every minute, every moment of every day. But it’s something you likely haven’t been thinking of. My question for you today is where are you putting your energy? Now, why am I using the word energy instead of time or effort? Well, it’s because often energy is the hidden thing that we aren’t paying attention to, that’s really driving everything. You know, a couple of my mentors talk about the five different types of currency that we all have. But most of us don’t actually even realize that there are many forms of currency. And we may each value those forms differently, either in general, or at different points or times in our lives. And you could think about them in terms of the acronym timer, time, influence, money, energy, and reputation. Again, time, influence, money, energy, and reputation. Each one of those is a currency that when prioritized, really shows what your value system is, and how you choose to make decisions and live your life.

Blake Schofield 2:07
What people often focus on is where they’re putting their money, or where they’re putting their time. And many times they’re influencing the choices of where to put their time and money in order to protect their reputation or influence others. But I think energy is one we often don’t think about and yet is so critical. So you can think about energy in terms of a time component, right? Like, how much work does it take? How many hours would it take to do this? But there’s also energy in terms of, is this something that gives me life? Or is this something that drains me? Or is it something that’s just sort of neutral? And I think this is maybe the first place to start, if you’re unaware in your life, just start to look at everything that you’re doing on a daily basis, every relationship that you have, and to ask yourself at the end of that activity, that meeting, that conversation? Did this person, this process, this whatever that might be? Do I have more energy? Do I feel more energized? Or do I feel less energized? Why do I say that?

Blake Schofield 3:24
Well, everything is an energy exchange. And if you’re unaware of how the things in your life are impacting your energy, it’s a really important place to start. So often, I see people just so busy filling their days and their lives with so many things that they don’t even realize what is either giving or taking, or is neutral in terms of energy, until they get to the very end of the day, and they’re completely spent. There’s no energy at all left. Now that lack of energy could come from using your time and your energy and efficiently. Maybe you’re actually forcing your brain to run a marathon all day, because you’re not actually leveraging your brain in the way that it’s been built for optimal success. Maybe you’re overworking at times when your brain actually needs a break. Maybe you’re not fueling your body in the way it needs to be fueled with exercise, or food, or maybe the people, the projects, the work, the environments you’re in, are actually stealing and draining your energy. I share this with you because this has been an area I’ve been going pretty deep on lately. And it’s really amazing when you can begin to see the impact. Little bit by little bit on things that either give or steal your energy.

Blake Schofield 4:54
Sent me a conversation recently about hiring somebody for my business as a contractor. And there was one person who, you know, potentially was quite a bit less money. But I’ll tell you what every interaction with that person, I literally felt drained, they stole my energy. And I thought to myself, good gracious, is it worth saving a little bit of money for the amount of energy and time draining that would come with working with that person. Versus the other person may cost more money, but I feel energized when I get off the phone with them. They understand how I work, they’re efficient, they’re adding to the quality of my life and the quality of my business. Often, we aren’t thinking about that, because we can get so focused on just thinking about time or money, that we’re missing the very thing, because here’s the thing, if you have time, but you have no energy, you will accomplish very little. If you have money, but you have no health, and no energy, you will accomplish very little.

Blake Schofield 6:02
So today, no matter where you are in your journey to fulfillment, in your journey to being able to become the creator of your life. And in the challenges or the circumstances that you feel like sometimes you wish you could change, but you’re not sure yet how to. I want to encourage you that it doesn’t always have to start big, sometimes it can start little, slowing down enough to gain the awareness of what’s given you or taking away from your energy on a day to day basis. Because if you can begin to remove or reduce the things that are stealing your energy, and you can begin to replace those that with things that give you energy, you’ll see a huge shift within a matter of days and weeks, in terms of your ability to feel motivated, excited, and be able to create more of what you want in your life.

Blake Schofield 7:05
So the question for you today, and maybe for this week, I’ll challenge you, is to spend time every day. I would say check in as many times as you can. Right? Where am I putting my energy? And is this relationship, project, environment thing? Is it giving me energy? Or is it stealing it? And then decide to take the biggest thing that’s stealing your energy and work on that first, and replace it with something that will give you energy. Like I said, You’ll be amazed how quickly it starts to turn around your ability to be positive, to feel motivated, to have light at the end of the tunnel, and start actually using your time to create more of what it is that you want. Until next time, have a great week.

Blake Schofield 8:01
Thanks for joining me today. Rather than hope the grass will be greener, identify what the right next step is. We can help you do just that. Get clarity on where you are in your journey to career fulfillment, where you’re headed, optimal paths to get there, and the right next step to take. Start your complimentary personalized career fulfillment plan at https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan. Again, you can get your personalized career fulfillment plan at https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan Thanks again for joining and have a great week ahead!