Managing Your Energy

Managing Your Energy at Different Levels

How Can You Perform at Your Best?

Many adults often feel overwhelmed with busy schedules. It’s common to hear, “I’m just so busy” or “There aren’t enough hours in the day.” While we can't add more hours, we can manage our energy better to feel less stressed and more focused.

Using a Framework for Energy Management

To manage your energy, try using a version Robert Dilts’ Logical Levels model. This framework helps you think about changes in different areas of your life. Each level affects the others, so understanding them can help you regain energy and feel more balanced.

The Levels to Focus On:

• Environment: Where you live, work, and study.
• Behavior: Your daily habits and actions.
• Skills and Resources: The skills you build and the resources you use.
• Beliefs and Values: What motivates you and what you find important.
• Identity: How you see yourself in your life.
• Mission and Purpose: Your bigger life goals.

Optimizing Your Environment

Your surroundings impact your focus and energy. Small changes can make a difference. Making simple adjustments can create a supportive environment that reduces stress and boosts energy.

Ask Yourself:

• Is your study space organized and distraction-free?
• Does your workspace meet your needs?
• Is your home set up to help you rest well?

Shifting Your Habits

Your daily routines affect your energy levels. Habit shifting is possible but you have to understand what they are and when you do them. Small behavior changes can reclaim energy and improve focus.

Reflect On:

• Are your habits helping you reach your goals?
• Is your self-talk positive?
• Are you taking care of your basic needs like exercise, diet, and breaks?

Enhancing Your Skills and Resources

The skills you build and the resources you use can help you manage tasks more efficiently. Improving your skills and utilizing resources effectively can reduce stress and help you use energy more efficiently.

Consider:

• Are your study methods effective?
• Are you using resources like time management tools?
• Do you need to learn new skills to make things easier?

Aligning with Your Values

When your actions match your values, you find energy even in tough times. Aligning your actions with your values can provide motivation and energy.

Think About:

• Why are you pursuing your goals?
• Do any limiting beliefs hold you back?
• Are your actions in line with what matters most to you?

Understanding Your Identity

How you understand yourself affects your energy. Understanding and embracing your identity can help you find purpose and motivation. Align who you are with what you are doing.

Ask Yourself:

• How do you view your challenges?
• Are you balancing your roles in life?
• What does lifelong learning mean to you?

Connecting with Your Mission and Purpose

Your mission and purpose are your larger life goals. Connecting with them keeps you motivated. A clear sense of mission and purpose helps you stay energized, even when things are hard.

Reflect On:

• Why are these goals important to you?
• How will achieving them impact your future?
• What bigger mission drives you?

Boost Your Energy Across All Levels

Managing your energy is about more than just doing well at school or work. It’s about aligning different parts of your life to feel more energized and fulfilled.

Make small changes in your environment, behavior, skills, beliefs, identity, and purpose to create a balanced, energized life.