TOP THREE ENERGY DRAINS

Most of us want to live our lives with passion, zest and joy.   We all want to have enough energy to do more than make it through the day.   We want to feel energized and fully alive.  Our active lives today are usually filled with activities and things that weigh on us.  Below are three things that consume our precious energy and make us feel less than our powerful, fully alive selves.

Too Many Choices: Today everything we do and everything we have requires thought, decisions and action. Even watching TV to relax requires you to choose from hundreds of channels, make decisions about time and place, reach agreement with significant other, and determine what's appropriate for family members. The TV we bought probably required trips to several stores, research of the consumer magazines or Internet technology sites, price comparisons, discussions of size, type (HD or not), flat-screen or plasma, console or table-top, etc. Expand those choices to things like cereal, cars, careers, diets, cell phones and cell phone plans, and you can see we are inundated with too much, too often. A strategy for reducing this stressor is to simplify. Simplifying will mean fewer purchases, fewer, more satisfying belongings and less activity around what you own and do. Start small and take baby steps.

Yes Too Often: Many of us are trained from birth to be helpful and nice, especially women.  And those are good things, but not when they rule your life. We say yes to PTA, being a room mother, helping with Boy Scouts, chairing a committee, helping a friend move (YUK!), going to parties and dinners, and on and on. Those are all great if you have the time and really, deep-down want to do them.  However, being able to say no to things you do not want to do or cannot easily fit into your life is an essential way to reduce stress and have more energy. You don't have to give excuses or explanations, just say, I'm sorry, I can't take that on right now. I have a magic phrase that works every time if you are shy about saying no. Just say, "that doesn't really work for me". It's very difficult for someone to argue with it or convince you that you can take it on. Just keep repeating it when pressured.  Any request or activity you say yes to should be one that gives you fulfillment, satisfaction and/or pleasure.

Too Much Work, Too Little Play: Many Americans are spending more time at work than ever before. It is one thing to work a decent workweek for your salary, another to give your life energy away to make money for someone else. Even running your own business can consume your life if you are not mindful. Every hour you spend at work over and above what is absolutely required is an hour you could be spending getting to know your family, finding and nourishing the right relationships, developing your creativity, having fun and pleasure, finding out who you really are through hobbies or personal growth, relaxing, meditating, exercising, or volunteering with your favorite organization. Most of us have a choice about how much we work. Start now to really examine how much of the overtime you put in is really your choice and not a requirement of the job or the career. Read inspiring stories of others who have cut back and are still doing well in their careers.  This life will be over before you know it.  Don’t waste it.