With so many conflicting priorities and distractions and necessities in your life, it is so hard trying to find the energy you need to get even the basic stuff done. You often feel like you are swamped under a pile of (seemingly other peoples) crap. So how can we have even more energy for the stuff that really matters…???

Do you want more energy in your life? Of course you do. Well there are a number of different ways – related to feeding your body better fuel, moving it so that it stays fully functional and having effective rest. BUT also one of the greatest ways to have more energy is to choose how you are use the energy you have. Don’t give it away needlessly in the wrong direction.

So this simple TIP is: it takes a lot more energy to CHANGE something external of you (that you may or may not have influence over), than it does to CHANGE something internal (which you do control entirely).

Let me show you an example and it comes from an example I was discussing with a friend the other day.  This friend was getting annoyed and frustrated with the level of customer service they were getting when dealing with their telecom provider. They thought that the amount of verification questions they were asked were excessive and completely unnecessary. Plus the telecom operator seemed uninterested in passing their dissatisfaction to the supervisor. So my friend was frustrated during the call and for some time after the call.

So here is the thing. To change the customer service practices of this telecom provider – which you have very little influence over – would require significant amounts of energy. But to change the ‘meaning’ that you give this experience, takes a small amount of energy.

For instance you could see this as:
1.    A great lesson in how good customer service should be (and take this back to your own organisation or business, which you do influence), or
2.    You decide that maybe it is in my best interests that they are protective of the access to my phone calls and information, or
3.    I need to make sure I am respectful of the people that I deal with in my professional and personal life and let them know that they matter. 

And finally, there may be times where you have very little influence over something but you feel very strongly that there must be to change. Much like Mahatma Ghandi deciding that the British should not rule India any longer. You know it will take a LOT of energy but you know it is for a very worthy cause. My point is to pick your battles. Don’t waste energy over the little stuff in life that doesn’t really matter (like that book ‘Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff’). Save your energy to deal with the stuff that really matters.

And the questions I use to determine the important stuff are:
    1)    Is it good for me?
    2)    Is it good for others?
    3)    Is it good for the greater good?     

So be more aware of how you spend your energy; so you live your life more fully and by your own design!!
 

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