Getting the Jolt of Energy You Need
I just spent 3 days in San Jose at the International Coach Federation's annual conference, and I feel like I have been holding onto a high voltage wire for about a week! The super-charged energy hit me with tremendous force, and I could feel a new surge of inspiration in my body. When I arrived home yesterday I took a big ol' nap.
What else did I expect from being in constant contact with 1700 other coaches from 44 countries?
My experience, which I know sounds a lot like being electrocuted but was actually much more fun, got me thinking about energy and inspiration and how much we all need new sources to draw from.
Whether you are exploring new career options, actively searching for a new position, or busy hanging on to the job you have, you are expending energy. Where are you getting new energy? How are you recharging?
A lot of us feel that recharging our batteries is something we don't have to give a lot of thought to. We'll get more rest on the weekend. We'll turn on the TV and sit there before bed. Or in the cases of several of my clients, "I don't have time to recharge. Recharging is one more to-do on my list, and there's no room for it."
However when you talk with people who consciously choose energy "gains" to help balance out their energy "drains", you'll notice that these people are a whole lot happier.
Some of my energy drains are spending too much time alone in my home office, failing to set a time to stop work each day and therefore never quite turning work "off" in my mind, worrying repeatedly about an issue without even noticing I'm doing it, and going weeks without significant exercise.
It took going to the coaching conference and gaining a whole lot of energy for me to notice just what ignoring my energy drains is costing me in terms of productivity, my health, some of my relationships, and my sense of general well-being.
Now I'm putting into place specific energy gains - I'm making new plans based on ideas from the conference, I'm back at the gym, I'm mixing up my work schedule and work location, and I have people to call to meet with in person. I also shared all this with someone to help me stay on track.
Try making a list of everything on which you expend energy. Now list the activities you do and people in your life who give you energy. If you thought of your energy as money in a bank account, where withdrawls and deposits happen all the time, how is your balance? How many overdraft notices can you afford?
I'm trying to learn more about the ICF conference because I couldn't attend. I'm peeking in on various blogs where it has been mentioned to see if I can learn about the conference, get a sense of what people experienced, and what the outcomes might have been. Thanks for providing some information in your blog.
Rey
Posted by: Rey Carr | November 17, 2005 at 01:36 PM