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How to Create a One-Year Personal Development Plan in Five Crucial Steps

I’m amazed at the lack of professionals who choose to grow on accident if at all. They simply do not have a plan to personally grow.

The average professional only reads what is required and the absolute minimum at that.

They act allergic to books and seem to finish any type of growth at puberty. The only learning that ever occurs is what is necessary to do their job. Nothing more.

Ask yourself: are you reading more than the average professional..? You can click HERE to find out.

If you have a desire to reach your potential, one thing is mandatory. It will require time, scheduling, commitment, discipline, and focus. But it will yield results that affect absolutely every area of your life. What is it?

A personal development plan or PdP for short.

Here’s a working definition of a personal development plan:

PdP – a pre-determined, organized system for individual growth

Why have a PdP?

Personal Development…
does not happen on accident
is not forced learning
is not left up to someone else nor anyone else’s responsibility
does determine your potential

If you truly understand the value in a PdP, then you’re ready to find out how to create this pre-determined, organized system for individual growth.

Here Are Five Crucial Steps to Create a One-Year Personal Development Plan:

1. Determine What Areas of Subject Interest You

Everyone is different in his or her areas of interest. And at the end of the day, you must be excited about your area of personal development. Where do you want to grow?

For example, I am drawn to the following subjects:

Leadership
Time Management / Productivity
Health (anything nutrition and fitness)
Christian Growth / Spiritual Formation
Entrepreneurship

There are topics that you’re naturally drawn to and this is a great place to start your PdP.

Create your list of topics that interest you.

2. Determine Where You Will Find Your Resources

This is an intentional process to create a feeder system for your plan. If you work your PdP, you will constantly need resources to keep you going. You need a plan.

For example, I use the following feeder system:

Barnes-N-Noble – if I see a BN, my car does a B-Line straight to the bookstore. I can spot one miles away. I completely lose control of the vehicle (talk about a smart car!) I love to browse the physical bookshelves in the topics that interest me (mentioned in the last point). A stack of books and 30-60 minutes of heaven. I walk away with quite the list.

Amazon / iTunes – technology is amazing. I can browse under my chosen topics, and so many options appear that are of interest to me. Amazon will track my “topics you may like” and feed me ideas. Almost like it was planned. You can even save the ideas in your wish list. How convenient.

Ask Others – I love learning what other people are reading who I respect and have a PdP as well. Nothing beats a live recommendation. Sometimes this can happen by reading someone’s blog post who offer book recommendations as well. And often, that book finds its way to the top of the list.

Note: If cost is an issue, you will be pleasantly surprised what you can find at your local public library. Often, I’ll check it out there first and if I really like the book, then I’ll buy it. It’s worth the extra effort and often spreads out my dollars.

3. Determine How You Will Grow

There are many different means of personal development and you must choose the means that is best for you. Here are some examples:

Reading (hard copy and / or digital) – It’s still hard to beat a good old-fashioned book for personal development. And I’ve now converted over to 50/50 with digital. I love the ability to outline and take notes. One advantage of digital is I can have numerous books available to me literally at my fingertips.

Audiobooks – maybe you prefer listening whether during a commute or exercising. Listening may be your best means of learning or just the most convenient. It’s good to have options. Sometimes I’ll have a physical book I’m working through as well as an audiobook. It’s a matter of location for me. Read how to Create a Mobile Classroom HERE.

Podcasts – educational podcasts are great due to their shorter length and focused subjects. You can find the topic you like and subscribe and have podcasts be your teacher at any given moment. And they’re free!

Blog Posts – certain writers offer excellent content to motivate, encourage, and challenge you and just reading their words provides needed education for you at any given moment.

Online Courses – there are SO many great online courses on a variety of subjects (and prices) that can definitely accelerate your learning curve and worth checking out.

You may choose a combination of the above options for your personal development plan. The key is finding a mix to maximize learning opportunities within your day and week.

4. Determine When You Will Grow

This sounds elementary but what gets scheduled gets done. And when have you ever found “extra time” within your day to get something done. And would you choose learning in that “rare” extra moment?

Know thyself. Ask the following questions:

Where can you be creative within your day for your PdP? – 1^st thing in the morning? When you walk / run / bike? Your commute? Walking through the airport?
When within your day is your best time to absorb content and not go through the motions? – sometimes heavier content needs to be absorbed when your mind is fresh such as early in the morning
What length of time do I have and what means is the best to maximize that time? – if I only have 10 or 15 minutes, how can I use that time wisely such as a podcast?

5. Determine What You Will Learn Next

This is the reality of the previous four action items. And this is my favorite part. Now that I ‘ve done the hard work of the PdP process, I can now begin entering the names of what will be my path to learning.

It’s a breathing document to me because as I come across new resources I add them to the list.

And I will re-arrange the order based on what I feel I need to learn right now in my life.

If something new comes out that really peaks your interest, it may move up on the list. If something wasn’t as good or valuable as you had hoped, start skimming for the meat, choose to you put it aside for now or forever and move on to something else.

This is YOUR PdP so work the system so it works for you!

Creating Your PdP

Now that you’ve determined what areas interest you, where you will find your resources, your means of growing, when you will grow, and what you’ll learn or study next, now is your time to create your PdP.

This is NOT a plan in your head.

This is a working document that is your new pre-determined, organized system for individual growth. It’s your plan to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.

At any given moment, you can pull out your PdP and know your next step and reference your plan.

The goal is enough content for a year. Now, you’ll need to determine what that will look like for you.

For example, I try to read two books a month which means I want to have a large feeder system of books on various subjects for variety.

Your PdP is your roadmap to know what resources you’re going to read or study next. I love this list and keeps you moving forward.

A Personal Development Plan is simply one of the best ways to reach your full potential.

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Closing Challenge…

A professional who has the desire and discipline to reach his full potential will walk away from this post (of course after reading it) crafting their own PdP as quickly as possible.

Remember, true growth doesn’t happen on accident and is not left up to someone else nor his or her responsibility.

If you’re not satisfied with where you’re at in your life right now or just want SO much more, this is an opportunity for you to grow and creating a PdP is the perfect place to start.

I challenge you to actually work through these five crucial steps and develop your own Personal Development Plan. It’s one of those decisions you’ll look back on that dramatically changed your life. It did to me.

Closing Question…

What will be your personal development plan for the next year to reach your full potential?

Five Reasons Why Personal Development Is A Challenge on the Road

Kevin is always reading. When he’s not working on emails, he’s got his phone out, absorbing content.

The problem is, nothing Kevin is reading is really sharpening his mind. It’s more of an escape. There’s nothing wrong with that except Kevin has become an escape artist. He’s consuming content, but it is not the right content that will actually help him develop.

He wonders why he’s stuck in his career. Imagine that. He has simply stopped developing in a way that sets him apart. Kevin is missing a huge element, which is the fifth energy habit: develop. I’m amazed at how little most business travelers actually read. What? Doesn’t scrolling social media count as reading? C’mon, man. I’m talking about a good old-fashioned book. I’ll even count an educational article or blog post.

The key here is to LEARN.

I can already hear the pushback. When do I have time to read, especially on the road? Let me remind you of the quote from the Elite Road Warrior book:

If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

You make time for things that are important to you. I sit by guys on the plane every single flight who waste hours and miss opportunities to develop, even small amounts of time like 30 minutes. Dude, you can get back to binge- watching Game of Thrones or Ballers or ladies, back to This Is Us or Love It or List It.

Five Reasons Why Personal Development is a Challenge

1. Desire

Most people I’ve found simply don’t see the value. They’ve learned what they’ve learned and are okay with where they’re at in their life. If they don’t care, personal development is simply not going to happen.

2. Time

This is usually the number one reason I hear. “When could I possibly fit this luxury into my life?” I argue if you desire personal development and value it, you will MAKE the time. If our attitude is “when I find the time” it will never happen. By the way, I’ve never ever “found time.”

3. Inconsistency

If we have the desire to personally develop and find the time, being inconsistent can be a huge challenge. We start and stop then start again and never gain momentum because we’re just not consistent enough.

4. Random

I have found this one is ultimately the downfall to someone who values personal development. We have SO many interests so we bounce around from one thing to another. Nothing gets completed and although we’re developing personally and growing, it’s limited because we don’t have a plan.

If you leave your growth to randomness you’ll always live in the land of mediocrity – Brendon Burchard

5. All-Consuming

Someone who is “too much” into personal development which can consume all of your time and overwhelm everyone else. Instead of encouraging it becomes over-dominating.

If learning is a priority for you, then you will make, not find, the time. (Seriously, when has anyone FOUND time and if they did, can you let me know where?) Most people don’t like to read because they were scarred in school being forced to read content they did NOT want to read and didn’t see the relevancy. I’ll give you that, but they’ve kept that mindset decades later.

Two Keys to Sharpen the Mind by Reading

1. FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY

This is entry-level reading. This could be absolutely anything. It could be an autobiography. It could be a book that’s been made into a movie.

Let me give you an example. I’m a Chicago sports fanatic, so when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, this city became absolutely unglued. The celebration parade in downtown Chicago was the fifth- largest recorded gathering of mankind in history. So, I wanted to know more about the back-story of the complete rebuild of the team. I found a book called The Plan by David Kaplan, and I was absolutely lost in the book. It was a blast to read because I enjoyed the subject.

If you’re just starting out, find something you enjoy to get you INTO the habit of reading. Even when you become an avid reader, finding a book like I found on sports is a good escape, especially before bed. But don’t stop there. There’s a ton of money left on the table if you don’t do the second key…

2. FIND SOMETHING YOU WANT TO LEARN

This is next level, kiddos. It could be for your job/career or to develop a new skill. The topics are endless, and this is where most business professionals wonder why they’re still stuck in their job, like Kevin. Most only read what is required of them instead of reading to get ahead.

Here’s the Key: They Learn for Survival Not Success.

If and when you change your mindset to reading for success, everything changes. You’re automatically ahead of almost everyone since almost no one reads. So, find a subject you want to learn and crack open that book!

How do you pull this off while on the road? You need to answer these four questions:

1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ?

You need a plan. Find what you enjoy and what you want to learn, as mentioned above, and then dive into the book. Consider it part of your road thing.

2. WHERE CAN YOU FIND WHAT TO READ?

I love this question! There are a few ways to acquire this intel:

Online Research – go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble site or iBooks. Find a genre and start doing some simple research. With the Amazon tracking intelligence, in a matter of moments, you’ll be fed “You May Also Like” recommendations. Due to the vastness of the online market, you can find a number of book possibilities without having to go anywhere.

Traditional Bookstore – Go old school. I absolutely enjoy going to an actual Barnes and Noble on the road as a downtime activity in the evening. I’ll take an hour, find my genre favorites (business/psychology/health/nutrition/sports), buy a hot tea (de-caffeinated), find a chair, and flip through the pages. I could easily lose an hour and it creates SO much energy for me. Another low- hanging fruit option is an airport bookstore. The selection is limited but you’d be surprised how many new books will catch your interest. I’ll often go into these stores for 5-10 minutes during my walk time before a flight or on my way to the gate. It’s another way to find additional book options. Don’t limit yourself.

3. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN LISTEN TO AUDIBLY?

I’m a HUGE fan of audio, mostly because of the convenience. I’m usually on the move more than I am sitting down, so why not make the movement an advantage for me?

As a result, I’ll find whatever book version I can and listen to the audiobook. Often, I’ll get both the book and the audio. Sounds redundantly redundant, but hang with me. If I’m traveling, I can often crank through a ton of audio, but I’ll want to go back and grab key concepts. This is where the printed version comes into the picture. I can go back and do a quick review of what I’ve listened to because it’s fresh in my mind, and I can easily find the key concepts I want to record for my notes. Make sense? As the saying goes, “Don’t knock it till you try it!”

There are also some great podcasts that can serve as a learning platform. They work great because of the shorter length, and you can find specific topics that interest you so you can dive right in and learn. If you’re not listening to the Elite Road Warrior Podcast, this is a great place to start! Episodes average around 30 minutes so you can get in and out.

PRO TIP:

Audible (owned by Amazon) is an audiobook library that is absolutely amazing. For a monthly subscription, you can get credits and choose books. They’ll send you a free credit for an audiobook from time to time and they will offer discounts for 3 credits if you’re an Amazon Prime member. This is definitely worth the investment to develop both personally AND professionally on the road.

In fact, the Elite Road Warrior book is available on Audible and has been the #1 way business travelers are reading the book due to the convenience.

4. WHEN CAN YOU MAKE TIME TO READ?

Did you catch that? MAKE time to read. Create time blocks to schedule your day so you can tackle reading.

Let me give you an example. I have at least two reading times each day: first thing in the morning during my energy hour; then, if I’m flying that day, I use the flight time, usually the first 30 minutes, as my second reading time. If it’s not a flight day, I’ll carve a second reading time block in my day where I know I need to conserve energy and a reading block will be a good break for me to develop.

Another reading time was referenced in the last point with audiobooks. As road warriors, usually, our schedules are rather predictable. Let me give you my predictable audio times to develop:

In my car driving to the airport.
Walking to security and to my gate.
Walking around before I board since I prefer NOT to sit down but to a MOVE action item.
If I rent a car, I’ll choose something audio to learn rather than getting lost in sports or talk radio, which is SO easy for me to do.
Many road warriors have a territory and do a ton of driving. They often drive between to cities (I often fly into Cincinnati, then drive to Columbus, then to Cleveland). This is a perfect time to knock out an entire audiobook. This type of road warrior can seriously leverage their windshield time with a mobile classroom.
Standing in line is a short but great opportunity to catch a few paragraphs. I’ve knocked out chapters of a book just waiting. I have the Kindle app and sometimes will choose certain books JUST for such times. I can quickly pull up the book on an app and be reading in seconds. Note: this also dramatically helps my impatience during these times when I sadly analyze the inefficiency that is causing the wait!

James Clear has a perfect article called “Seven Ways to Retain More of Every Book You Read,” which I highly suggest checking.

BABY STEP TO SHARPEN THE MIND

I realize you’re more likely to go to bed early or eat brussel sprouts than you are to pick up a book. So, if that’s the case, simply find something you like to read and start there. The fact that you are reading this article is huge, so you’re on your way. Now, keep the momentum going and create a plan.

THREE-POINTERS

1. Find something to read that you enjoy and want to learn.

2. Determine when you will make time to read and what you can listen to audibly.

3. Download the free Personal Development Plan (PDP) when you request it.

Five Reasons Why Personal Development Is A Challenge on the Road

Kevin is always reading. When he’s not working on emails, he’s got his phone out, absorbing content.

The problem is, nothing Kevin is reading is really sharpening his mind. It’s more of an escape.

There’s nothing wrong with that except Kevin has become an escape artist. He’s consuming content, but it is not the right content that will actually help him develop.

He wonders why he’s stuck in his career. Imagine that. He has simply stopped developing in a way that sets him apart. Kevin is missing a huge element, which is the fifth energy habit: develop.

I’m amazed at how little most business travelers actually read. What? Doesn’t scrolling social media count as reading? C’mon, man. I’m talking about a good old-fashioned book. I’ll even count an educational article or blog post.

The key here is to LEARN.

I can already hear the pushback. When do I have time to read, ESPECIALLY on the road? Let me remind you of the quote from the Elite Road Warrior book:

IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, YOU’LL FIND A WAY. IF YOU DON’T, YOU’LL FIND AN EXCUSE.

You make time for things that are important to you. I sit by guys on the plane every single flight who waste hours and miss opportunities to develop even for just 30 minutes. Dude, you can get back to binge-watching Game of Thrones or Ballers or ladies, back to This Is Us or Love It or List It.

Five Reasons Why Personal Development is a Challenge

1. Desire

Most people I’ve found simply don’t see the value. They’ve learned what they’ve learned and okay with where they’re at in their life. If they don’t care, personal development is simply not going to happen.

2. Time

This is usually the number one reason I hear is “when could I possibly fit this luxury into my life?” I argue is if you desire to personally develop and value it, you will MAKE the time. If our attitude is “when I find the time”, it will never happen. By the way, I’ve never ever “found time.”

3. Inconsistency

4. Random

5. All-Consuming

Someone who is “too much” into personal development which can consume all of your time and overwhelm everyone else. Instead of encouraging it becomes over-dominating.

If learning is a priority for you, then you will make, not find, the time. (Seriously, when has anyone FOUND time and if they did, can you let me know where?) Most people don’t like to read because they were scarred in school being forced to read the content they did NOT want to read and didn’t see the relevancy. I’ll give you that, but they’ve kept that mindset decades later.

If you leave your growth to randomness you’ll always live in the land of mediocrity – Brandon Burchard

TWO KEYS TO SHARPEN THE MIND BY READING

1. FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY

This is entry-level reading. This could be absolutely anything. It could be an autobiography. It could be a book that also has a movie.

So, I wanted to know more about the back-story of the complete rebuild of the team. I found a book called The Plan by Dave Kaplan, and I was absolutely lost in the book. It was a blast to read because I enjoyed the subject.

If you’re just starting out, find something you enjoy to get you INTO the habit of reading. Even when you become an avid reader, finding a book as I found on sports is a good escape, especially before bed. But don’t stop there. There’s a ton of money left on the table if you don’t do the second key…

2. FIND SOMETHING YOU WANT TO LEARN

Here’s the Key: They Learn for Survival Not Success.

HOW DO YOU PULL THIS OFF WHILE ON THE ROAD?

You need to answer these four questions:

1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ?

You need a plan. Find what you enjoy and what you want to learn, as mentioned above, and then dive into the book. Consider it part of your road thing we talked about in downtime back in the rest energy habit.

2. WHERE CAN YOU FIND WHAT TO READ?

I love this question! There are a few ways to acquire this intel:

Online Research – go to Amazon or iBooks. Find a genre and start doing some simple research. With the Amazon tracking intelligence, in a matter of moments, you’ll be fed “You May Also Like” recommendations. Due to the vastness of the online market, you can find a number of book possibilities without having to go anywhere.
Traditional Bookstore – Go old school. I absolutely enjoy going to Barnes and Noble on the road as a downtime activity in the evening. I’ll take an hour, find my genre favorites (business/psychology/health/nutrition/sports), buy a hot tea (decaffeinated), find a chair, and flip through the pages. I could easily lose an hour and it creates SO much energy for me. Another low- hanging fruit option is an airport bookstore. The selection is limited but you’d be surprised how many new books will catch your interest. I’ll often go into these stores for 5-10 minutes during my walk time before a flight or on my way to the gate. It’s another way to find additional book options. Don’t limit yourself.

3. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN LISTEN TO AUDIBLY?

I’m a HUGE fan of audio, mostly because of the convenience. I’m usually on the move more than I am sitting down, so why not make the movement advantageous for me?

As a result, I’ll find whatever book version I can and listen to the audiobook. Often, I’ll get both the book and the audio. Sounds redundantly redundant, but hang with me.

If I’m traveling, I can often crank through a ton of audio, but I’ll want to go back and grab key concepts. This is where the printed version comes into the picture. I can go back and do a quick review of what I’ve listened to because it’s fresh in my mind, and I can easily find the key concepts I want to record for my notes. Make sense? As the saying goes, “Don’t knock it till you try it!”

PRO TIP:
Audible (owned by Amazon) is an audiobook library that is absolutely amazing. For a monthly subscription, you can get credits and choose books. They’ll send you a free credit for an audiobook from time to time and they will offer discounts for 3 credits if you’re an Amazon Prime member. This is definitely worth the investment to develop both personally AND professionally on the road.

In fact, the Elite Road Warrior book is available on Audible and has been the #1 way business travelers are reading the book due to the convenience.

4. WHEN CAN YOU MAKE TIME TO READ?

Did you catch that? MAKE time to read. We discussed the strategy of Block and Tackle in the PERFORM action. If you remember, we create time blocks to schedule our day so we can tackle that specific action.

Another reading time was referenced in the last point with audiobooks. As road warriors, usually, our schedules are rather predictable. Let me give you my predictable audio times to develop:

In my car driving to the airport.
Walking to security and to my gate.
Walking around before I board since I prefer NOT to sit down but to a MOVE action item.
If I rent a car, I’ll choose something audio to learn rather than getting lost in sports or talk radio, which is SO easy for me to do.

Many road warriors have a territory and do a ton of driving. They often drive between to cities (I often fly into Cincinnati, then drive to Columbus, then to Cleveland). This is a perfect time to knock out an entire audiobook. This type of road warrior can seriously leverage their windshield time with a mobile classroom.

Standing in line is a short but great opportunity to catch a few paragraphs. I’ve knocked out chapters of a book just waiting. I have the Kindle app and sometimes will choose certain books JUST for such times. I can quickly pull up the book on an app and be reading in seconds. Note: this also dramatically helps my impatience during these times when I sadly analyze the inefficiency that is causing the wait!

James Clear has a perfect article called “Seven Ways to Retain More of Every Book You Read,” which I highly suggest checking out HERE.

BABY STEP TO SHARPEN THE MIND

I realize you’re more likely to go to bed early or eat Brussels sprouts than you are to pick up a book. So, if that’s the case, simply find something you like to read and start there. The fact that you are reading this book is huge, so you’re at least on your way. Now, keep the momentum going and create a plan.

Speaking of a plan, I have a bonus for you that’s yours for free! It’s called the Personal Development Plan (PDP for short) and you can download it for free by going to www.EliteRoadWarrior.com/Book.

THREE-POINTERS

1. Find something to read that you enjoy and want to learn.
2. Determine when you will make time to read and what you can listen to audibly.
3. Download the free Personal Development Plan (PDP) at www. EliteRoadWarrior.com/Book and complete it.

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:

The Quick Hit Charge – plugging in to get a quick bump in energy (and we’ll talk about this more later)
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:

How do I continually hydrate putting the right liquids in? (Mostly water and think early and often)
How do I eat cleaner (think fewer ingredients and less processed) and greener (more dark vegetables and more dark greens)?
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:

Consume – this is what I read and hear on a daily basis – think books, blog posts, magazines, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
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
Courses – for me this is online courses that help me continually develop
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!