The average motivated professional has every intention of having a good day but yet something goes horribly wrong by the end of the day.

And then the next day. Why does this keep happening? (Of course to everyone else, not you, right?!)

I’ve learned through the years the following statement:

Many people start tired and end drained.

So… the best case is to start tired and hope to be happy at the results of the day? Holy Bad Math, Batman!

There just has to be a better way.

My discovery of this cycle was only after going a mere 100 mph ALL the time for decades as a Type A, high performer. It was only after my body completely crashed with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome that I learned the power in these three key areas that can dramatically change not only your happiness at the end of the day but your productivity and effectiveness.

The reality is we’re unhappy at the end of the day because we’re tired, maybe even exhausted and not done our best work.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here is how to live in the Energy Cycle:

1. REST

This is the area we STOP FOR NOW.

Just the word sends chills up the spine of a high performer. How can I get everything done AND rest?

Here are the three focus elements:

• Sleep – Our bodies are designed to leverage sleep in ways we either don’t realize or prioritize. This is the time where our bodies rest and our minds re-charge.  There are SO many ways to enhance the quality of our sleep if we learn to make sleep a priority. Once we value sleep as restorative, it’s an amazing resource of rest that will recharge us in exponential ways.

• Breaks – It’s amazing what just 10-15 minutes of unplugging from work can do to re-engage for another round! Or for some, just not doing Desktop Dining would be a huge improvement. But few people utilize this short productivity boost that a break that shuts the mind down and gets the body moving.

• Downtime – Most performers say, can you spell downtime for me? Never heard of it. The reality is we need small and large blocks of time to do nothing that requires work or thinking. Most don’t take it but those who do often find their creativity comes to them the most during these times. Our body and minds need this downtime to slow down and catch up with our pace.

Remember, the goal is to change the reality that…

2. REFUEL

This is the area we PUT BACK IN.

We know we need to do something for energy but somehow rarely leverage the power in a proper refueling. We willingly choose to put in cheap gas, avoid maintenance, and request a quick and low cost repair on the high performance car called our body. Not cool, man. A proper refuel has these three key elements:

• Nutrition – We eat every single day, which means we have numerous opportunities to refuel our bodies with the right foods that will give us the energy to perform at a high level. For too many of us, we consume processed foods to being over-caffeinated and we don’t even give our bodies a chance. But it’s amazing how quickly your body will respond to putting the right type of food at the right time into the tank.

• Fitness – Movement and activity are usually the first things to go when you get busy. Yet our bodies are meant to move far more than we allow them to on any given day. Do you remember back to the last time you were in great shape? I mean you felt and looked good! You had SO much energy and felt like you could conquer the world. This is anything from standing more, walking, or running to going to the gym or a workout program (i.e.: P90X3 or Insanity Max: 30)

• Personal Development – refueling the mind is vital to growing. We must be constantly learning and the best way is with a plan. Creating a Personal Development Plan (PDP) is a pre-determined system that is implemented into the rhythm of your life to maximize learning times with pre-planned content. You don’t leave your learning to chance.

3. RE-ENGAGE

This is the area we GO BACK OUT.

Everyday we wake up; we have a chance to start all over again. When we implement the proper elements of REST and REFUEL, we regain our health edge to exponentially increase our professional and personal effectiveness. This happens in three ways:

• Plan – What gets scheduled, gets done. For something to change, something needs to change in our schedule. This is where planning comes into the picture. It’s scheduling the important elements of REST and REFUEL so we guarantee they happen and not left to chance. This small investment of time produces the results we long to have to make our lives in the areas that matter most. Plan for the best case but ready for the worse case.

• Implement – Planning gives us the best shot to make it happen but is useless without implementation. We must execute once we’re prepared. And our day offers numerous opportunities to implement the plan. This is the fun part of the process because if you’re truly ready, you’re going to see results. And with The Energy Project coaching program and future online course, you’ll get there faster and more effectively.

• Evaluate – Everything will not always go as planned with implementing. Imagine that. But taking the time to evaluate what worked, what didn’t and why will take your changes to another level. It’s critical we’re completely aware of our energy so we can continually make the necessary changes to reach our highest level of effectiveness. They key is adjusting until it provides you with the energy edge you need to perform at an optimal level.

Here is The Energy Cycle Visually

Conclusion

I’ve yet to meet a high performer who does not want to end the day not happy. Every single one wants to have made a difference both professionally and personally.

By learning to redesign the rhythms of your life with the cycle of REST, REFUEL, and RE-ENGAGE, you will reach a level of happiness and true fulfillment you’ve may not experienced in a long time or ever.

But it’s possible.

Most high performers are doing one thing consistently: looking for an edge.

We’re thinking: “What can I do today that will give me an advantage either over someone else (really, if we’re honest with ourselves) or to allow me to maximize my results?”

But often we’re looking in the wrong places.

Too often we’re head down, don’t bother me I got me some things to do…

We overlook the very things we’re already doing and how to make the most of them first.

THIS is where an Energy Edge comes into the picture.

So, let’s define an Energy Edge:

It’s leveraging your everyday major activities into an energy advantage so you can perform at an optimal level.

Let’s break that sentence down:

Leveraging – maximize use of something – not just whatever you can get out of it but being intention

Everyday Major Activities – the big elements you do daily such as sleeping / eating / moving (standing / walking / running / HIIT / strength training)

Energy Advantage – using your newfound energy into a benefit

Perform at an Optimal Level – being in your zone of flow of work that produce incredible results at the highest energy level

Here Are Six Compelling Reasons Why You Should Develop An Energy Edge

For the record, our first question is usually not what or how but why.

You’re asking me to change my thinking and I need to know why before I care about what or how is the way most people think hence six compelling reasons WHY you should develop an energy edge:

1. Proper Mindset – Energy Matters More to Me Than Time

One of the biggest misconceptions in productivity is you need more time.

It’s simply not true.

Everyone has the same amount of time. It doesn’t matter if we’re a CEO or homeless, we’re all allotted 24 hours.

I could have all the time in the world but little to no energy and hardly anything gets done.

Or if I’m running low on energy or exhausted in the afternoon, imagine that, everything takes twice as long and it’s half as good.

And the payoff is complete frustration and no additional charge. What a great deal!

But when I realize it’s more about energy than time, everything changes.

Everybody still wants more time, but what we really need is this change of mindset.

If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Matrix, Morpheus has a conversation with Neo after Neo’s uncovering this potential new world. Morpheus says to him,

“After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

The Blue Pill represents TIME.

You’re perspective is being challenged and you could choose to just stay with the Blue Pill and everything stays the same.

But if you take the Red Pill that represents ENERGY, you’ll go deeper into the rabbit hole and learn how to truly develop an energy edge.

If you change your perspective you will no longer CHASE TIME, which could feel hopeless. Or you choose to seek Energy sources within your existing time. Red Pill.

And since an Energy Edge is green, let’s change the color of red to green for go and energy!

2. Increased Volume – You produce more when you have more energy

We all want to “get more done” but there are simply time restraints.

There is simply only so much time. Many of us try to “steal daylight” as I call it, which means sleeping less.

I’ve been there. Thinking I’m gaining more time, which technically I am, but my energy eventually is not sustainable living in sleep debt.

I need to get more OUT of the time I already have which is the challenge and subject at hand.

But most of us struggle in this area. We want to produce more volume and therefore look for more time.

It goes back to perspective. The Green Pill. Energy, not more time is the answer.

I could have HALF the time but FULL energy coupled with focus and clarity, watch out! I can get SO much accomplished.

The volume I can crank out with energy is amazing. I find “the zone” or “my flow” quicker and easier which is when the real work is produced.

3. Improved Quality – Your overall work is dramatically better

Not only does the amount of work, the quantity, increase with an energy edge, so does the quality. When I have this energy edge, my mind is clear to focus.

I don’t waste time re-reading or trying to think of what to do or say, it flows and the quality always increases, and for me, sometimes dramatically.

It’s amazing what feeling rested can do for you. Imagine that.

Here are three quick Examples: taking a break vs. pushing through

1st example:

How often have you “pushed through” when you’re tired just to “getter done” but then re-read it the next day and think, “what was I thinking or what was I on?”

Then you have to go back through it (aka: complete waste of time) or hit the dreaded DELETE key and just flat out start over.

But we earned the “I worked a ton of hours” award.

WFC = who flipping cares.

I would choose quality of work any day of the week / hands down / drop the mic / Buckley out.

2nd example:

Not taking time to eat – running low on energy that might be from a caffeine breakfast.

3rd example:

Lousy meal (Desktop Dining) – inhaling lousy food and sitting like a brick in your stomach and quality of work is affected in all of these examples

If I’m burping it often leads to other obscene scents to… I’m miserable. My stomach starts to hurt. I shouldn’t have caved when I ordered. C’mon Man!

An energy edge will dramatically affect the overall quality of your work and who doesn’t want that at the end of the day?

4. Competitive Advantage – You’re Doing Something Most are NOT Doing

I love when I can differentiate myself. And when companies can do this, they flat out win and win big. Same with sports teams. Go Cubs Go. #FlyTheWall.

Most people are taking the Blue Pill of Time. Few on the Green Pill of Energy.

Some may be leveraging one of the everyday major activities, far less will be leveraging two.

But all three of sleep, nutrition, and movement? Almost unheard of these days.

Maybe the majority is wrong.

Pushing through our days, busy, beatdown, and burned out is not the answer. Just because most people are doing it, doesn’t make it right.

You’re in the minority and in an elite group

Choosing an Energy Edge is a secret weapon.

I love having the most energy in the room. Now, I don’t mean ADHD energy.

I mean focused, powerful energy by leveraging my energy day major activities in sleep, nutrition, and fitness into an energy edge so I can perform at an optimal level.

5. Overall Fulfillment – I’m energized at the end of the day and not drained

When I’m tired, I just think I need more time (which is true because I’ve been dragging all day and end my day feeling drained).

I feel the weight and stress of ALL that DIDN’T get done. Lousy place to end up and not cool, man.

So I end my day thinking about all I have to do tomorrow now.

But when I have an energy edge, I feel energized at the end of the day because of all that has been accomplished that day. I know I worked at the highest energy level and the results were there.

What an incredible feeling to experience at the end of the day to feel fulfilled!

And what if you stringed weeks, then months, and even years of this production and fulfillment?

Who doesn’t want that?! Holy Shnikes!

Sometimes the fulfillment is necessarily the job itself or your title but what you actually accomplished within your day.

6. Proper Priorities – Energy for the Right People and Things

When I have energy, I make better decisions on nutrition and fitness. Hands down. Things that move the energy needle.

I also have energy to connect with my spouse and give attention to my kids. An absolute must for me.

So, for example, if I’m coming home from being on the road or doing a training, or even if I’m working out of my home office and I’m drained. I’m not giving the Proper Priority to the people that matter the most to me.

They get the leftovers, the scraps, or sometimes sadly, the fumes of my energy. Personally, I struggle with that. They deserve better.

And this is something I learned the hard way especially with traveling in corporate for so many years.

I want to have an Energy Edge so I can have the Proper Priorities for the right people and things that matter most to me.

So, I’ve chosen the Green Pill of Energy and leverage my everyday major activities into an energy advantage so I can work and life at an optimal level.