Top 5 Sources of Energy Drain

Along with time and money, energy is one of your most valuable resources. And if you're a professional woman, it's a resource that's most likely in short supply. With the myriad number of professional and personal tasks you need to accomplish, while taking care of your family, you have very little - if any - energy left over for you. It's easy to understand your dilemma.

Energy is defined as "having the internal or inherent power or capacity to act, operate or produce an effect." Mental, physical and emotional energy is the fuel that drives your creativity, your thinking and your ability to take action. Energy drains limit your capacity to act and create. They also deplete the inspiration and motivation that is such a crucial part of a complete and balanced life.

Here are the top 5 sources of energy drain I see most often in my clients' lives, as well as some suggestions for how to eliminate them.

Energy Drain #1: Keeping Details In Your Head, Instead Of In A System

Your brain, like a computer, only has so much RAM (random access memory). And RAM is mental energy. When you rely on yourself to remember your shopping list, your to-do list and your dentist appointment, it eats away at mental energy you could be using elsewhere to create a greater impact in your life.

It's not that all those tasks aren't important, but what if you had the mental energy to complete that major report, write your book or create a more powerful business strategy?

Think of each item you need to remember as an energy unit. How many energy units do you spend keeping details in your head? Find (or create) and begin using a system to track and remember things for you. Use it daily, and you'll free up more mental energy to accomplish higher leverage projects and tasks.

Energy Drain #2: Making Assumptions and Taking Things Personally

Humans are exceptionally good at creating meaning. With every occurrence in our lives or every statement someone makes, we're constantly asking: "what does that mean?" Sometimes meaning helps us to know where we stand, but much of the time the meaning we create is, frankly, an incorrect assumption. How many energy units go down the drain each time you second-guess the meaning of someone's words, actions or inactions?

Think of the last time you spent an hour, a month, a year (or longer) having made the wrong assumption about an interaction with someone. How much energy did it cost you? The next time you find yourself making things up about someone's words or actions, ask them for clarity so you can deal with the truth, and move on.

Energy Drain #3: Tolerating Friction In Your Environment and Relationships

The squeaky door. The leaky faucet. The tired paint color on your bedroom walls. By themselves, the energy drain is minor. Add them all up, however, and you have a gaping hole in your energy system. It's time to clean it all up. Make a list of all the things in your home, office or car that you continually notice needing attention. Set aside some time and tick them off your list once and for all.

Likewise, when you tolerate a dysfunctional relationship or have unfinished business with anyone, you're losing energy. Confront the relationship issues you have. Clean up unfinished business. If necessary, get support from someone who can help you negotiate such confrontations skillfully and responsibly. Think of the energy it takes to avoid someone versus the energy you'd gain in the long run having the issue cleared up.

Energy Drain #4: Disorganization

According to a USA Today report, Americans waste 9 million hours every day looking for misplaced items. Every time you can't find your keys, you waste energy. Each time you have to shuffle through a stack of papers to find an important document you waste energy. Each time you feel like you'd be embarrassed to have a friend drop by, you are depleting your energy account.

The solution is simple. Get organized. Although it may seem a daunting task, what you'll gain in energy and satisfaction is well worth the initial investment. Julie Morgenstern, the organizational goddess, recommends handling it in small chunks. Start with one room at a time. You've got to start somewhere. It's well worth the effort for the feeling of peace and tranquility that an organized space offers.

Energy Drain #5: Taking Care Of Yourself Last

It's been drilled into us. Meet everyone's needs before your own. While taking care of our loved ones provides a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, it also requires precious energy. In worse cases, it can even breed resentment - another huge source of energy drain.

A famous person once said, "Only give from an overflowing cup." Try this on. What if your criteria for giving were based on how full your own cup was? In other words, you can only afford to give when you have an ample supply yourself.

What does it take to ensure a full cup? A good place to start is to follow the suggestions from the above four examples. You'll begin accumulating a reserve of energy until you have plenty for yourself, as well as enough to give to others.

It's YOUR life . . . live it completely!

Helaine is a professional coach and writer, who has been featured in numerous publications, including "O" The Oprah Magazine. She helps entrepreneurs and professional women accelerate their professional success, while achieving a more complete and fulfilling personal life. She combines a broad range of professional experience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non-profit sectors. For a free consultation, contact her at 603-357-8546 to discuss how she can help you accelerate your own success. You may also visit her website, http://www.pathofpurpose.com, for additional information, or email your questions to helaine@pathofpurpose.com.

---

Vision -- What Are You Doing Today Towards Achieving Your Vision?

Every man who accomplishes things sees first in his mind... Read More

Top 10 Traits of Highly Successful People - That You Can Learn!

We have all read about people who are successful briefly.... Read More

Success Tips From Boxing

Ray Winstone, the London East End barrow boy, who became... Read More

Filling Your Bucket - How Negativity Can Make Or Break Your Business and Personal Success!

I received an advanced copy of a book called How... Read More

The Characteristics of a Winner

As kind of a hobby I like to watch people.... Read More

A Field of Multiple Opportunity

Opportunity is all around us and has many facets, but... Read More

Nitty-Gritty Reasons

(excerpted from the book Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness)Wouldn't... Read More

Thinking About Winners

Have you ever thought about what makes a superstar? What... Read More

Set Your Mind For Success

Did you know you can literally program your mind so... Read More

Choice: Privilege, Opportunity and Responsibility

One of my absolute favorite quotes is from Dwight D.... Read More

19 Good Questions For Living The Good Life (Just The Right Question To Get Just What You Desire)

It happened again in class. While sharing my insights on... Read More

Expectations

I'll let you in on a little secret...life delivers pretty... Read More

Does Your School Teach You How to Achieve Financial Freedom?

Study hard, get good grades and you will have a... Read More

Why Aren?t You Seriously Wealthy Already?

I bet you want to be wealthy, but somehow the... Read More

Average Sucks!

The very first "motivational speaker" I heard as an adult... Read More

Stop Reading Success Books and Start Being Successful

So you want to be successful (whatever that means to... Read More

Better Instead of Bitter

I have been studying several books lately that deal with... Read More

Manifesting Wealth

Many people talk or write about the science of success... Read More

Education Leads To A Healthier And Happier Life

Do you feel you lead a healthy and happy life?... Read More

Failures: 2 Types 7 Reasons

We experience failure directly or indirectly. Here we will come... Read More

The Disciplines of Success

Success, in the dictionary, is defined as, "The achievement of... Read More

How I Changed The World

There is no substitute for direct personal application. Information or... Read More

Business Success Secrets: Improving Yourself by 1% Daily

Hey,Josh here from Investor Wealth Academy sitting 29 stories above... Read More

Techniques to Help e-Learning

e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to and... Read More

Think of Wealth and Become Wealthy

Our thought are magnetic ! Like a magnet we attract... Read More

Moving Beyond Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage is one key factor that keeps our business from... Read More

The 7 Keys To Astonishing Success

Here are seven essential keys to success. Use these ideas... Read More

Being a Winner - Ten Tips for Success

Have you ever thought about how you want to live,... Read More

Professional Success: Avoid Becoming A Dinosaur

Jack Nichlaus was asked if there are really talented golfers... Read More

Thinking for Success

Thoughts are very powerful. An intention held long and hard... Read More

Try Honesty as a System of Trust, Success Will Follow

Trust is a cornerstone of human existence. It is interesting... Read More

There Is Room For Everyone At The Top

Do you believe that? Do you believe we can all... Read More

The Communication of Your Biology & Beliefs

Not only do we communicate with ourselves, but our cells... Read More