Why So Many Successful People Aren’t Happy at the End of the Day

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.