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075 – Why You May Be Living in the Exhaustion Cycle

 

How many of you are just plain tired?

The grind of business travel can just plain wear you out at times. Early flights. Late flights. Delayed flights. Canceled meetings. Late dinners.

Is anyone deeply tired? I mean you feel tired at a whole new level.

And how many more of you can take that a few steps further and would say you’re exhausted?

There’s physical exhaustion when your body is just wasted, ka-put.

Then there’s being mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Have you been there before?

Maybe you’re there now.

Most road warriors live at a pace that is simply unsustainable over a long period of time.

And oh how we try!

But here’s the challenge: you simply don’t realize the exhaustion when you’re in the middle of it.

A friend of mine, Dennis Mcintee, always says, “You can’t read the label when you’re inside the bottle.”

Others can. They see it and even feel it. Sometimes avoid it.

The Exhaustion Cycle is a real thing.

I lived it and it took my crash for me to get out of this vicious cycle.

And the problem is once you escape The Exhaustion Cycle it’s not a once and for all, one and done and never going back cycle.

It will lure and suck you back in before you know it.

Kinda like that bad bad girlfriend I found myself going back to in high school.

The difference is once you realize it, you can get out of it earlier or avoid it altogether the next time.

Ideally, your company notices before you do and can help you stay out of the exhaustion cycle quicker than you trying on your own. And that’s the type of company you want to work for!

Here Are The Three Phases Of The Exhaustion Cycle:

PHASE ONE = BUSY – CAN’T STOP NOW

It’s a new greeting or hello on the road.

“How are you?” “Busy. How are you?”

Then we feel obligated to prove just how busy we are and if you’re sick like me, you try to outdo the other person and one-up them.

“Let me tell you about MY week or MY travel stretch, I would trade you in a second!”
Really?

It’s sad but being busy is the new status symbol.
I have to be busy if I’m going to be important.

We don’t know any other way. We remove any possible margin and downtime. We start our week this way and in full swing before lunch. On Monday.

Now, I want to state upfront, busy could be a very good thing if it means things are happening. Forward motion. It becomes an issue when it becomes a consistent pace and the only way we do life.

There are busy seasons but all too often we live busy lives.

And oh there’s a RUSH to being busy. Making things happen.

I love this quote by James Gleick in the book, Faster: “Our ability to work fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. If we have learned the name of just one hormone, it’s adrenaline. No wonder we call a sudden exhilaration a “rush”.”

But here’s the takeaway: it’s not a sustainable pace.
The problem is being busy is never noticed and corrected, but often just the way things are for us, our way of life.

When I get too busy, I become distracted, rushed, impatient, more prone to make errors, and I usually don’t enjoy what I’m doing as much. You also don’t feel like you can bother a busy person because, well, they’re busy. I feel rushed with them like I don’t have their full attention.

Sadly, I’m that guy too often. Busy is having little to no margin. And margin means having space to breathe.

BUSY = I’m hurried. And busy doesn’t always mean productive.

When I’m overly busy, I don’t feel like I’m doing anything very well. I have to move on to the next thing. And I have a love/hate relationship with being busy.

I hate being hurried and hassled by an overcrowded schedule. But I also love being in demand and the adrenaline rush of a fast-paced life. Ugh!!!

I once heard someone say, “I’ve been thinking about starting a support group for compulsive hurriers. The upside is our meetings wouldn’t last long.”

Even Thomas Kelly said back in 1941: “We feel honestly the pull of many obligations and try to fulfill them all. And we are unhappy, uneasy, strained, pressed, and fearful we shall be shallow… We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power.”

Wow, over 75 years ago this was quoted and look how much busier and hurried we are now. It’s not easy to slow down in our lives. Despite the complaining, we like the exhilaration and rush.

Even if we take a moment to think about how to get off the proverbial treadmill, we’re not sure where to even begin. Busy is a slippery slope, a downward spiral that rarely is an end but only the beginning.

We don’t feel like we can pull back because we “can’t stop now.” My energy is dispersed. It’s ALL over the place. And it’s the opposite of focus.

It’s going absolutely everywhere because I’m busy and there’s “people to see and things to do.”

Don’t you know I’m busy people!

Phase One of the Exhaustion Cycle – Can’t Stop Now = I’m Hurried and my Energy is Dispersed

You can be busy for a long time before phase 2 but it will come unless something dramatically changes in the way you do life which we’ll learn, after this short break.

Busy, if not kept in check by you as the road warrior or preferably your company can very easily lead to the next phase, which is:

PHASE TWO = BEATDOWN – CAN’T TAKE THIS

Busy, “can’t stop now” builds in pressure. Rarely does it stop with busy. You don’t immediately end up in beatdown from busy but IF you keep up the busy pace of always being hurried and little to no margin, it will inevitably lead to feeling beatdown.

This is inward. No one usually knows when you move from Busy to Beatdown. Remember, Beatdown is a feeling and you start thinking: I Can’t Take This! Whatever feelings of fun or a rush you were getting from “being busy” have officially left the building. A thing of the past.

If this is the case, you’re officially entered Beatdown. But it’s subtle so you must look for the signs.
Personally, I feel more frustrated, more easily irritated. I become passive-aggressive. I feel tension. I even feel cynical sometimes I’m embarrassed to say.

I also become more defensive like everyone is after me. My self-talk increases. It starts with: “I don’t want to do this” then “I can’t take this.” And when it gets really bad, it turns into audible unintelligent man sounds: UGH! ARGH!

I also get snarky, more sarcastic, and more cutting with my words. It never ends well and has become an area of growth for me.

Remember, Busy = I’m hurried but…
Beatdown = I’m stressed.

Busy is beginning to pile on and it’s no longer as fun. The “rush” is wearing off. Not cool, man. You’re officially feeling its stress. And people handle stress in different ways.

Some ways are healthy, such as exercise, downtime, or even taking much needed time off of work.

But most people’s stress outlets are often unhealthy, especially when you’re too busy and beatdown.

We think we don’t have the time or can’t take the time to do the very things that relieve this stress.

This is never good Road Warriors.

For me, it starts with my muscles getting tight in my neck and shoulders with no back rub in sight. Then I move on to lazy or poor eating choices. I want something I can control and makes me feel better. I want little preparation and a quick reward. Snacks. I also get lazy on my eating and drinking to “feel better”. A little more sauce (aka vino) and a lot more Oreos. Hide the bag from the women and children. Those Oreos are going to get hurt and it won’t be pretty.

My energy goes from dispersed in the BUSY phase to decreased.

My ENERGY is DECREASED

My energy NOT my stress is decreased. Your Stress INCREASES and Energy DECREASES.

As my 4-year-old says: “that NO good!”

When we’re in the Beatdown Phase and let’s say you use the weekend to regroup, you’ll fly through the Busy Phase and into the Beatdown Phase before the end of the

day Monday.
Something has to change.

And once you’re in the Beatdown Phase, you almost always end up in the final phase of the Exhaustion Cycle:

PHASE THREE = BURNOUT – CAN’T KEEP GOING

Sadly, most road warriors have been there. We just don’t care anymore. We just want everything to stop.

And what happens when we can’t keep going?

Things start dropping.

Busy = I’m Hurried.
Beatdown = I’m Stressed.
But complete Burnout = I’m Done.

Check, please.

I simply don’t have the bandwidth needed to get what needs to be done because I’m done.

This is a bad place. And it doesn’t end quickly. No more quick fixes. Everything good that was working for you is usually gone – sleeping well / eating healthy / fitness to even more movement.

I recently read a commencement speech delivered by Brian Dyson, the former COO of Coca-Cola a number of years ago: “Imagine life as a game in which you’re juggling some five balls in the air.

You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they’ll be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same.”

Here’s the moral of the story:

We cannot afford to drop the highest priorities…

And when you get to Beatdown, the likelihood is incredibly high that one or more of the glass balls will be dropped. Some very important glass balls may be scuffed, nicked and damaged.

And for many, their health is the very first thing that goes. We know we need to change things but we’re SO far from where we used to be, it just seems insurmountable. And what happens to my energy in the Beatdown Phase?

It went from dispersed to decreased but now…

My ENERGY is DEPLETED

Symptoms could be:

  • No motivation to do anything
  • Anger
  • Aggressive (passive in passive-aggressive now sold separately)
  • Numb or choosing numbing behaviors

This is the Jekyll and Hyde side of you – the complete opposite of who you were and possibly the ugly side. It is for me.

Burnout is L-O-N-G and often painful for you and those around you. Burnout is also scary. It can lead to any or all of the following:

  • Depression
  • Reaction – anywhere but here mindset
  • Regret – do something stupid (usually big) to feel better or feel anything at all

This is where glass balls in the juggling example crack or even shatter. Health and Relationships are the most critical. The Burnout Phase should “scare the exhaustion out of you!”

Drastic measures often need to be taken by you as a road warrior or your company and ironically, this is the purpose of the Elite Road Warrior Group, to help eliminate burnout and exceed results for business travelers.

There is hope. There IS a way OUT of the Exhaustion Cycle…

Here’s a remake of Psalm 23 for those who live in The Exhaustion Cycle:

Psalm 23 revisited

The road is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted.
It leads me into deep depression, it hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy for busyness’ sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done, for me “ideal” is with me.
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.
They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines, my inbox overflows.
Surely busy, beatdown, and burnout shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the bonds of the exhaustion cycle forever.

–Living on Purpose by Tom and Christine Sine and altered in key places by Bryan Paul Buckley

 

More about Elite Road Warrior:

Episode 003: Are You In The Exhaustion Cycle?

Welcome to episode 003 where we’ll discuss are you in the exhaustion cycle?

Here’s what is on this week’s Podcast…

So many of us are just plain tired and some completely exhausted physically, mentally, or emotionally or possibly all three!

 

Most people run at an unsustainable pace over a long period of time and find themselves in The Exhaustion Cycle.

If you’re interested in getting a free PDF copy of The Exhaustion Cycle, go to:

www.EnergyEdgePodcast.com/ExhaustionCycle

1:35 – Introduction to The Exhaustion Cycle

4:07 – Defining The Exhaustion Cycle

4:23 – PHASE ONE
Busy – Can’t Stop Now

This is the phase where it all begins. We get a rush being busy and often times it’s a sign of things happening.

5:11 – Busy can be good if…

5:38 – How are you when you’re busy?

6:34 – Key Takeaway – busy is not a sustainable pace

6:36 – Define Busy = little to no margin in our lives

Margin = time to breathe

Busy = I’m hurried

7:30 – My energy is dispersed (it’s all over the place and the opposite of focus

Busy, if not kept in check can very easily lead to the next phase…

8:02 – PHASE TWO
Beatdown – Can’t Take This

9:07 – Beatdown subtle feelings

10:02 – Beatdown = I’m stressed

10:13 – How people handle stress

11:50 – My energy is decreased

12:41 – PHASE THREE
Burnout – Can’t Keep Going

12:34 – Burnout = I’m done

14:04 – Analogy of rubber vs glass priority balls

15:04 – Health is usually the first ball to drop

15:17 – My energy is depleted

15:30 – Symptoms of burnout

17:47 – Review of The Exhaustion Cycle

For a copy of The Exhaustion Cycle go to: www.EnergyEdgePodcast.com/ExhaustionCycle

18:42 – Closing Thoughts

19:10 – Remake of Psalm 23

Psalm 23 revisited

The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.

It makes me lie down only when exhausted.

It leads me into deep depression, it hounds my soul.

It leads me in circles of frenzy for busyness sake.

Even though I run frantically from task to task,

I will never get it all done, for me “ideal” is with me.

Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.

They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.

They anoint my head with migraines, my inbox overflows.

Surely busy, beatdown, and burnout shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the bonds of the exhaustion cycle forever.

-Living on Purpose by Tom and Christine Sine and altered in key places by Bryan Paul Buckley

20:30 – Actionable Items (What Now?)

1. Determine which PHASE you’re currently in the most right now – chances are one phase is more prominent to you than the other two.

2. Determine how effective your work and your life are when you live in The Exhaustion Cycle – you may be getting things done, but as effective as they could be? And what is it doing to you in the long run? And are you dropping any of the glass important balls you’re juggling right now?

22:28 – Next episode preview (004) interview with co-host Treva Yaccino to understand her backstory

Are You IN The Exhaustion Cycle?

How many of you are just plain tired?

The grind of everyday life can just plain wear you out at times.

Anyone deeply tired? I mean taken tired to a whole new level.

And how many more of you can take that a few steps further and would say you’re exhausted?

There’s physical exhaustion, when your body is just wasted, ka-put.

Then there’s being mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Have you been there before?

Are you there now?

Most people live at a pace that is simply unsustainable over a long period of time.

And oh how we try!

But here’s the challenge: you simply don’t realize it when you’re in the middle of it.

A friend of mine, Dennis Mcintee, always says, “You can’t read the label when you’re inside the bottle.”

Others can. They see it and even feel it. Sometimes avoid it.

The Exhaustion Cycle is a real thing.

 

I lived it and it took my crash for me to get out of this vicious cycle.

And the problem is once you escape The Exhaustion Cycle it’s not a once and for all, one and done and never going back cycle.

It will lure and suck you back in before you know it.

Kinda like that bad bad girlfriend I found myself going back to in high school.

Thanks for the encouragement, man.

The difference is once you realize it, you can get out of it earlier or avoid it altogether much quicker the next time.

 

Here are the three phases of The Exhaustion Cycle:

 

Phase One = Busy – Can’t Stop Now


It’s the new greeting or hello.

“How are you?” “Busy. How are you?”

Then we feel obligated to prove just how busy we are and if you’re sick like me, you try to outdo the other person and one up them.

“Let me tell you about MY week, I would trade you in a second!”

Really?

It’s sad but being busy is the new status symbol.

I have to be busy if I’m going to be important.

We don’t know any other way. We remove any possible margin and downtime.

We start our week this way and in full swing before lunch.

On Monday.

Now, I want to state up front, busy could be a very good thing if it means things are happening. Forward motion.

It becomes an issue when it becomes a consistent pace and the only way we do life.

There are busy seasons but all too often we live busy lives.

And oh there’s a RUSH to being busy. Making things happen.

I love this quote by James Gleick in the book, Faster :

“Our ability to work fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. If we have learned the name of just one hormone, it’s adrenaline. No wonder we call a sudden exhilaration a “rush”.

But here’s the takeaway: it’s not a sustainable pace.

The problem is Being Busy is never noticed and corrected but just the way things are for us, our way of life.

For me, I’m distracted, rushed, not patient, more prone to make errors, and I usually don’t enjoy what I’m doing as much.

You also don’t feel like you can bother a busy person because, well, they’re busy.

I feel rushed with them, like I don’t have their full attention.

Sadly, I’m that guy too often.

Busy = having little to no margin.

Margin = space to breathe.

BUSY = I’m hurried.

I know when I’m hurried…

And busy doesn’t always mean productive.

When I’m overly busy, I don’t feel like I’m doing anything very well.

I have to move on to the next thing.

And I have a love / hate relationship with being busy.

I hate being hurried and hassled by an overcrowded schedule.

But I also love being in demand and the adrenaline rush of a fast-paced life.

Ugh!!!

I heard someone once say, “I’ve been thinking about starting a support group for compulsive hurriers. The upside is our meetings wouldn’t last long.”

Even Thomas Kelly said back in 1941:

We feel honestly the pull of many obligations and try to fulfill them all. And we are unhappy, uneasy, strained, pressed and fearful we shall be shallow… We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power.

Wow, over 75 years ago this was quoted and look how much busier and hurried we are now.

It’s not easy to slow down in our lives. Despite the complaining, we like the exhilaration and rush.

Even if we take a moment to think how to get off the proverbial treadmill, we’re not sure where to even begin.

Busy is a slippery slope, a downward spiral that rarely is an end but only the beginning.

We don’t feel like we can pull back because we “can’t stop now.”

My ENERGY is DISPERSED

It’s ALL over the place.

And it’s the opposite of focused.

It’s going absolutely everywhere because I’m busy and “got people to see and things to do.”

Don’t you know I’m busy people!

You can be busy for a long time before phase 2 but it will come unless something dramatically changes in the way you do life.

Busy, if not kept in check can very easily lead to the next phase, which is:

 

Phase Two= Beatdown – Can’t Take This

Busy, “can’t stop now” builds in pressure.

Rarely does it stop with Busy.

You don’t immediately end up in beatdown from busy but IF you keep up the busy pace of always being hurried and little to no margin, it will inevitably lead to feeling beatdown.

This is inward. No one usually knows when you move from Busy to Beatdown.

Remember, Beatdown is a feeling and you start thinking: I Can’t Take This!

Whatever feelings of fun or a rush you were getting from “being busy” have officially left the building.

A thing of the past.

If this is the case, you’re officially entered Beatdown.

But it’s subtle so you must look for the signs.

I feel more frustrated, more easily irritated. I become passive aggressive. I feel tension. I even feel cynical sometimes I’m embarrassed to say.

I also become more defensive like everyone is after me.

My self-talk increases. It starts with: “I don’t want to do this” then “I can’t take this.”

And when it gets really bad, it turns into audible unintelligent man sounds: UGH! ARGH!

I also get snarky, more sarcastic and more cutting with my words.

Never ends well and an area of growth for me.

Remember, Busy = I’m hurried but..

Beatdown = I’m stressed.

Busy is beginning to pile on and it’s no longer as fun. The “rush” is wearing off.  Not cool, man.

You’re officially feeling its stress.

And people handle stress in different ways.

Some are healthy such as exercise, downtime, or even taking much needed time off of work.

But most people’s stress outlets are often unhealthy especially when you’re too busy and beatdown.

We think we don’t have the time or can’t take the time to do the very things that relieve this stress.

This is never good Energy Fans.

For me, it starts with my muscles get tight my neck and shoulders with no back rub in sight anytime soon.

Then I move on to lazy or poor eating choices. I want something I can control and makes me feel better. I want little preparation and quick reward. Snacks.

I also get lazy on my eating and drinking to “feel better”. A little more sauce (aka: vino) and a lot more Oreos.

Hide the bag from the women and children. Those Oreos are going to get hurt and it won’t be pretty.

My energy goes from Dispersed in the BUSY phase to….

My ENERGY is DECREASED

Did you catch that? My energy NOT my stress is decreased.

Your Stress INCREASES and Energy DECREASES.

When we’re in the Beatdown Phase and let’s say you use the weekend to regroup, you’ll fly through the Busy Phase and into the Beatdown Phase before the end of the day Monday.

Somebody stop me.

And once you’re in the Beatdown Phase, you almost always end up in some form of burnout.

 

Phase Three = Burnout – Can’t Keep Going

Sadly, we’ve all been there.

We just don’t care anymore.

We just want everything to stop.

Welcome to FunkyTown. (feel free to sing along)

And what happens when we can’t keep going?

Things start dropping.

Busy = Hurried.

Beatdown = I’m Stressed.

But Burnout = I’m Done.

 Check please.

 I simply don’t have the bandwidth needed to get what needs to be done because I’m done.

This is a bad place.

And it doesn’t end quickly.

No more quick fixes.

Everything good that was working for you is usually gone – sleeping well / eating healthy / fitness to even more movement.

I recently read a commencement speech delivered by Brian Dyson, the former COO of Coca-Cola a number of years ago:

“Imagine life as a game in which you’re juggling some five balls in the air.

You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit – are made of glass.

If you drop one of these, they’ll be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered.

They will never be the same.”

Here’s the moral of the story:

We cannot afford to drop the highest priorities…

And when you get to Beatdown, the likelihood is incredibly high one or more of the glass balls will be dropped.

Some very important glass balls may be scuffed, nicked and damaged.

And for many, their health is the very first thing that goes.

We know we need to change things but we’re SO far from where we used to be, it just seems insurmountable.

And what happens to my energy in the Beatdown Phase?

It went from dispersed to decreased but now…

My ENERGY is DEPLETED

Symptoms could be:

  • Anger
  • Aggressive (passive in passive aggressive now sold separately)
  • Numb

This is the Jekyl and Hyde side of you – the complete opposite of who you were and possibly the ugly side.

It is for me.

Burnout is L-O-N-G and often painful for you and those around you.

Burnout is also scary. It can lead to any or all of the following:

  • Depression
  • Reaction – anywhere but here mindset
  • Regret – do something stupid (usually big) to feel better or feel anything at all

This is where glass balls in the juggling example crack or even shatter.

Often the first one to drop is your HEALTH.

The Burnout Phase should “scare the exhaustion out of you!”

There is hope.

There IS a way OUT of the Exhaustion Cycle…

 

Closing Thoughts

Here’s a remake of Psalm 23 for those who live in The Exhaustion Cycle:

Psalm 23 revisited

The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.

It makes me lie down only when exhausted.

It leads me into deep depression, it hounds my soul.

It leads me in circles of frenzy for busyness sake.

Even though I run frantically from task to task,

I will never get it all done, for me “ideal” is with me.

Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.

They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.

They anoint my head with migraines, my inbox overflows.

Surely busy, beatdown, and burnout shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the bonds of the exhaustion cycle forever.

-Living on Purpose by Tom and Christine Sine and altered in key places by Bryan Paul Buckley

 

ACTIONABLE ITEMS  

  1. Determine which PHASE you’re currently in the most right now – chances are one phase is more prominent to you than the other two.
  1. Determine how effective your work and your life are when you live in The Exhaustion Cycle – you may be getting things done, but as effective as they could be? And what is it doing to you in the long run? And are you dropping any of the glass important balls you’re juggling right now?

077 – Why the Answer to Burnout is The Energy Cycle

Think about the last time you met someone full of energy.

Not the obnoxious kind, but the one that lights up a room and attracts others to it. The kind that is focused, productive, and full of life. But sadly, the mere thought wears people out because they’re simply nowhere close.

Why? Because most people live in the Exhaustion Cycle.

This is where we move from:

  • Busy – Can’t Stop Now – I’m hurried and my energy is dispersed
  • Beatdown – Can’t Take This – I’m now stressed and my energy is decreased
  • Burnout – Can’t Keep Going – I’m officially done and my energy is depleted

 

I use an analogy of a high performing car. High performers are always going 100 mph, putting in cheap gas, little to no maintenance, only wanting quick and cheap repairs if needed, and then red-lining the RPMs while running on fumes.

The car looks amazing on the outside, always washed and waxed. And it’s immaculate on the inside, always vacuumed and spotless.

Yet we treat it like a junker.

This high-performance car sadly has been running only in the Exhaustion Cycle and you can learn more about the Exhaustion Cycle in the last article.

But there has to be another way as a business traveler on the road. This can’t be the only means of operation. How do we get the high-performance vehicle doing what it is designed to do without blowing out the engine?

The answer is found in The Energy Cycle.

 

It’s another way. It’s the way. A better way to live life on the road. It produces more results. Better results. And you feel so much better in the end.

The Energy Cycle is what should replace The Exhaustion Cycle. It’s the Preparation H to the pain in your “if you have to ask…”

Seriously. The Exhaustion Cycle is a pain that needs to be resolved.

For the longest time, I was known as The Energizer Bunny. Always going. Until my body shut down so badly, I crashed and crashed hard.

I learned from personal experience, the best place to live on the road was a place called The Energy Cycle.

I had to implement The Energy Cycle to learn the Energizer Bunny actually uses rechargeable batteries!

Brilliant!

HERE ARE THE THREE PHASES OF THE ENERGY CYCLE:

PHASE ONE: REST = STOP FOR NOW

REST has become a four-letter word. Our society does NOT promote rest. It’s downplayed even villainized.

But… REST is the recharge for our body and our mind. Don’t believe me? Go hard until you’re exhausted and crash. What is the only thing that brings you back from the dead?

That dreaded four-letter word: REST.

And when I rest, my My Energy is Recharged.

Recharge comes in two ways:

  1. The Quick Hit Charge – plugging in to get a quick bump in energy (and we’ll talk about this more later)
  2. The Trickle Charge – the low amp, long-duration full charge (patience sold separately)

Similar to an electronic device, sometimes we charge just to get out of the red zone until we can get the full charge we need.

Other times, and hopefully more times after learning how to implement the Energy Cycle, you’ll rarely be in the red zone and can get the quick hit charge to be more effective until you live in the trickle charge that is the secret sauce.

Rest is actually energy habit #3 in the six energy habits framework.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO REST:

1. SLEEP

We all do it but the degree of quantity and for that matter quality is all over the place especially for a high performer. Sleep is viewed as optional, a necessary evil, an easy place to steal time, and overall under-valued.

But when we value sleep and see it as one of the highest sources of energy… Only then will you get the trickle charge high benefit gain of sleep. Sleep is turning the car completely off.

Sleep is one of these “change of mind before change of behavior” areas.

Once you begin to see the value in getting more sleep, only then will you see the incredible results sleep is just waiting to offer to you. Sleep is the biggest performance enhancer available to a road warrior and those that maximize it are elite road warriors.

Pro Tip: concentrate on IMPROVING your sleep before INCREASING your sleep. Getting an hour or two of bad sleep is not the answer to the problem.

The 2nd part of Rest is…

2. BREAKS

I define a break as: Move the Body / Rest the Mind.

The biggest pushback I hear all the time with breaks is “I don’t have time to take a break the road!”
At first glance, that may seem to be the case on the road. And if people choose to take a break at all, they do the opposite – Rest the Body and Move the Mind –

They stay seated and move from one screen to another (computer to phone for social media or personal email). A true break is designed to Move the Body – stand/stretch/walk – MOVE!

And rest the mind means to stop concentrating and let it just roam free.

Breaks, in our high-performance car analogy, means running the car but on idle.

In the Elite Road Warrior book, I outline three different types of breaks:

  • Micro Breaks (think seconds) – stand and stretch/stare out the window to rest your eyes/change positions
  • Mini Breaks (think minutes) – walk to the bathroom or to refill your water / take a quick lap around the office (home office now or house) or go outside to catch your breath / a quick meditation
  • Macro Breaks (think chunks) – 15-30 minutes where you actually unplug from everything to move the body and rest the mind – go for a real walk (without checking email or social media) / eat a snack.

Breaks are one of these rare little gifts that a small investment yields amazing results.

Breaks are not only possible on the road, they’re game-changers for our energy so we can perform at the highest level. They also allow us to feel like we’re not ALWAYS working while on the road.

And the 3rd part of Rest after Sleep and Breaks is…

3. MARGIN / DOWNTIME

Margin means “space to breathe” – it’s choosing not to run non-stop but allows space to just catch your breath. Ahhhhh….

Margin is the cure for the Busy Phase in The Exhaustion Cycle. Margin precedes Downtime.
Downtime means “time to be” – it’s the non-doing part of the program. Think: “Time to Be, Not to Be On.”

Downtime is relationships. Downtime is hobbies.

I must have “space to breathe” (margin) so I can have “time to be” (downtime). Of the 3 parts in REST, this is my weakest by far. I’m notoriously a great doer, lousy be-er. Some would say even a better wine-er (adult beverage humor since I love my vino).

Downtime (Time to Be, Not to Be On) is critical when I live in The Energy Cycle.

It’s taking a couple of hours on a work trip evening to catch a ballgame, see the local sights, try a local restaurant without my laptop lover. Time to be, not to be on.

Downtime means, in our high-performance car analogy, the car is now in park. Downtime is small on weeknights and large on weekends. It’s amazing when you take downtime how much energy comes from this “seemingly unproductive time”.

And sometimes I’m the most creative AFTER downtime as crazy as that sounds. I’m recharged in a different way which puts so much into me – the “but wait, there’s more” bonus of choosing to rest with having margin (space to breathe) and downtime (time to be).

PHASE TWO: REFUEL = PUT BACK IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

Energy takes from us and requires something to go back in. We’re great at taking energy out and most road warriors, especially on a business trip, are lousy at putting energy back in.

When I refuel, My Energy is Renewed.

I’m now ready to put the RIGHT things back in (keyword: right).

But sadly, we often put the WRONG things in if at all and wonder why the high-performance car is not performing or even kicking back.

We must put the RIGHT things back in for our energy to be renewed and see the needed results.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO REFUEL:

1. Nutrition
Ah yes, there is a direct correlation between food and energy. If you doubt this, answer these three questions:

1. How much energy do you have when you skip meals? Breakfast or lunch for example?

2. How are you affected when you eat a heavy or lousy lunch?

3. How do you feel when you eat a healthy, energy-producing lunch or even the right snack?

We MUST see nutrition as a huge source of an energy edge. Our focus on nutrition is four letters: MTHC = Make the Healthiest Choice. Not the quickest choice, or the tastiest choice or even the largest choice.

It’s learning to ask: What’s the healthiest choice? Why? To give me energy on the road to perform at the highest level.

Three questions in particular:

  1. How do I continually hydrate putting the right liquids in? (Mostly water and think early and often)
  2. How do I eat cleaner (think fewer ingredients and less processed) and greener (more dark vegetables and more dark greens)?
  3. How do I carry a controlled substance healthy snack so I’m not caught off guard on the road?
    Nutrition (aka Fuel) is actually energy habit #2 in the six energy habits framework.

The 2nd part in Refuel is…

2. Fitness
I’m amazed and a little horrified by how little people MOVE these days. We’re SO less active than we used to be and need to be in our daily lives. Moving produces energy.

The focus on fitness is in the Increase Movement Formula. (↑ M4X Formula)

  • Stand More – think up on your feet not down on your butt) or stretching.
  • Walk More – think forward not just still.
  • Run More – think cardio and getting your heart rate up.
  • Lift More – think strength training using bodyweight, dumbbells, and resistance bands.

Adding and improving as many of the above four into your everyday activities will give you immediate energy and far more energy than you’d ever imagine.

Fitness (aka MOVE) is actually energy habit #1 in the six energy habits framework.

After Nutrition and Fitness, the 3rd part in refuel is…

3. Development
Nutrition and Fitness recharge the body. Development recharges the mind.

Time is always the enemy with things that are important and things that are good for you. And development both personally and professionally is usually at the top of the list. I found most people’s philosophy on personal development is more HIT and MISS.

Two words to describe how I define Development = INTENTIONAL LEARNING.

And for something to be intentional and maximized you develop a plan which I call PDP – Personal Development Plan.

Here are four C’s to better clarify a PDP:

  1. Consume – this is what I read and hear on a daily basis – think books, blog posts, magazines, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
  2. Coaching – hiring someone ahead of me for a season to get me where I want and need to go – often expensive but always worth it to me
  3. Courses – for me this is online courses that help me continually develop
  4. Conferences – opportunity to learn and network with like-minded learners on the same journey

Refuel is both recharging the body through Nutrition and Fitness along with recharging the mind with Personal Development to help our energy be replenished.

Personal and Professional Development (aka Develop) is actually energy habit #5 in the six energy habits framework.

The 3rd and final phase of The Energy Cycle after we’ve Rested – Stop for Now and Refueled – Put Back In is….

PHASE THREE: RE-ENGAGE = GET BACK OUT

 

 

 

 

 

 

After you REST, stop for now. And REFUEL, put back in, it’s time to RE-ENGAGE, get back out.

And when I’m refueled, my My Energy is Replenished.

This means I’m ready to get back out and “do what I do” but this time with more energy and sustainable energy. This is the exact opposite of the last phase of The Exhaustion Cycle: burnout.

Re-engage is when we “redesign the rhythms of our lives” to fit our individual lifestyle through the six energy habits.

This is where Re-Engage comes into the picture and is vital to our success in The Energy Cycle.

THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO RE-ENGAGE

1. PLAN – this type of detail in Rest and Refuel doesn’t or shouldn’t happen on accident or just when you can “fit it in.” This requires a customized plan that works within the rhythms of your road life.

Whether you create one on your own or your company helps you or Elite Road Warrior plays a part, a plan is the key to your success in The Energy Cycle to avoid burnout and create consistent results on the road.

2. IMPLEMENT – this is the “DO” part of the program. It’s not enough to “just have it on your schedule”

This is the action side – GO time – “getter done”. You will be SO far ahead of most if you make it to this part of Plan and Implement but it doesn’t stop here. “but wait, there’s more…”

3. EVALUATE – this is when we look at the plan and how we implemented it and ask:

  • How’s it going?
  • What worked?
  • What didn’t?
  • What can I change/tweak to make it better? = ADJUST

Tony Robbins calls this CANI – an acronym for constant and never-ending improvement. I wrote an entire post on the topic you can find here.

 

One closing thought on Re-engage. It’s critical you know when you re-engage on the road and your energy is not fully there just yet. Is your sleep off? Nutrition? Not enough movement? Knowing what you can tweak to keep your high-performance car running at an optimal level is the difference in a split-second finish in a race.

It’s SO easy to live in or even fall back in The Exhaustion Cycle. But this is not the way to live and especially not the place to become your absolute best.

The Energy Cycle is where you can develop your energy edge so you can live and work at an optimal level.
Leverage The Energy Cycle to help you become and remain an Elite Road Warrior today.

You Got This! Boom – Bring on the energy!