Have you ever had one of those days where you just wished you had a liiiiiittle more energy? (or a LOT?)
You know exactly what’s on the agenda… what you *should* be doing in your brand… but you can’t quite get yourself to do it?
Oh, me too, Friend…. Meeeeee too. 😅
I’m on a mission to help release the genius that is stuck inside so many entrepreneurs’ brains.
My work has always been about this…
✔️ Pinpointing your innate advantages.
✔️ Getting clarity on how you can help other humans.
✔️ Articulating your one big idea – and the offers and transformations that roll out from them.
Because, unlocking all that genius is critical to your success as an entrepreneur. It allows you to do the work that you’re meant to do in the world, attract the clients that you’re meant to serve, and change the world with what you know.
Of course, this is no small feat, right?
Because unlocking it all requires action. (Because clarity comes through action.)
And (here’s the kicker! ——>) Action requires energy.
So, in today’s article I am so excited to share what I’ve learned about energy. Specifically, we’re talking about the three energy systems that you can upgrade in your life – so that you can create the brand and the business that you’re meant to create!
Ready to become a force to be reckoned with? Let’s go…
(🎥 As per usual, you can watch the video version below… or spend a little more time and go deeper with the article. Your choice, Genius!)
Entrepreneur Energy System 1: Your Physical Energy
The first energy system to pay attention to? As you might have guessed, it’s physical energy.
We are complex, spiritual beings – so we get energy from many sources. But, at the end of the day, we have these bodies, right? These vessels that get the jobs done for us, day in and day out. And I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that our bodies impose some very particular constraints if we don’t pay attention to them.
I’ve identified four key things that you can make even incremental improvements to – and these will mean exponential results in terms of your physical energy.
The first key is getting enough sleep.
Yeah, I know… You’re changing the world – and doing all the things*. Who has time for sleep?
(*Special shout-out to the parents. The phrase “doing all the things” has a special meaning for you. You’re doing all the things multiplied by more than one human! … I have two kids. I’m right here with you, and I tip my hat to you.)
But I promise you… If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you are not as effective as you could be. (Said with so much love.) It’s crucial to know how much sleep Y-O-U need – and to make time for it.
I have a very lazy body… Mine has made it very clear that it wants eight or nine hours of sleep every night. 😲 I’ve realized that – if I want to be my best self – I have to have the energy that only sleep gifts me. If I want to read books, create content, teach at my best… If I want to lead, I have to have exceptional physical energy. And that is important enough for me that I will make sacrifices to get enough sleep. So, I encourage you to embrace the same.
Second key for physical energy: Drink water.
Yeah, water. I know. This is not groundbreaking, either. But I have a feeling you need to hear it… 😉
That being said, the evidence of the health benefits of water likely isn’t news to you. Scientific studies* on people of all ages prove that even mild dehydration can negatively impact mood, memory, and brain performance. (<——- Ummm, hellooooo! Allll the things we, as entrepreneurs need to maintain a good mindset and execute on our plans.)
(*This article provides a good summary of the various studies that have proven the water-health connection. Section 2 is a “must read” if you want to understand water’s impact on your energy levels.)
So, you know you should stay hydrated – but it’s easier said than remembered and done, right? Well… let me reveal my personal magic trick for making hydration a no-brainer. (Pun intended!)
Ready? I have a rule for myself that, when I wake up, I will always drink one liter of water before I drink coffee or before I eat breakfast.
After sleeping all night, my body craves it, so it’s easy to guzzle. I get a full liter of water out of the way for the day, which gives me a sense of accomplishment and a head start on my daily goal of three liters. Try my trick – and let me know if it works for you!
The number three key on the “must” list for better physical energy is quality food.
I don’t care what they say, a calorie is not a calorie. If I eat a doughnut for breakfast, the quality of my energy is entirely different than if I eat eggs. (And I know I’m not the only one!)
So pay attention to your own body’s reactions and patterns. I know that what you eat is a very personal choice (and I’m not a dietitian!)… so you must make your own judgements here. But I do think it’s super-important that, when choosing your foods, you pay attention to any triggers that make you tired.
I think you’ll be amazed if you do some type of reset (or maybe you’ve tried one before!). For example, I’ve done Whole30 a few times, at different times in my life when I needed that re-set. Once I cleared that first week… and found myself about halfway into the second week… the cravings and the addictions that I have to certain types of foods are interrupted, and I’m a-m-a-z-e-d at how much better I feel.
Give it a try! If your experience is anything like mine, you will look back on how you used to eat before, and recognize the haze that it was putting over your mind and your body.
I cannot operate at peak optimal levels if I’m eating sugar, if I’m eating a lot of breads, and if I’m having too much alcohol during the week. Those things are sure fire energy killers for me.
And that might not be the same for you… But the bottom line is to know yourself. Know what your food triggers are – what’s going to make you want to take a nap, feel depressed or anxious… It’s quite likely that there are foods that are having those types of impacts on you – and you may have desensitized yourself to them.
Okay, off my “You are what you eat” soapbox… (for now…🤣) And on to the fourth key element of physical energy…
Pin this article to reference later! 📌
Pin this article to reference later! 📌
The fourth key element in the physical energy realm… is movement.
Too often, online entrepreneurship means you are waaaaayyyyy too sedentary.
Everything you need to do can be accomplished with a keystroke, right? It’s sooooo bad for our bodies to be sitting all day (not to mention staring at a blue light coming from a computer screen). But it’s easy to fall into that rut when you work online – or at a desk job for that matter.
Luckily, like with all things, we can make conscious choices to break that pattern. Scheduling time for regular workouts… taking breaks to stretch, walk, or do physical things around the house… running after your kids… These are great strategies that leverage the time freedom that many of us got into entrepreneurship to enjoy. 😉
Meanwhile, you can also mitigate the sedentary nature of your work with some clever engineering tricks. Using a standing desk (Jana, my content manager recommends this inexpensive one!)… moving your desk chair to another room for half a day… doing heel raises while you listen to trainings or participate in Zoom calls… all of these small movements add up.
And if you can move your body, you are going to feel so much more energetic – I promise.
Plus (BONUS!) there’s also a lot of evidence to suggest we are more creative when we are moving, too. And I have seen this in my own business / life… I have gotten some of my best business ideas driving home from the gym, or just leaving there… I truly think that the kinesthetic act of moving my body helps my brain see more possibilities…
So, do what makes sense for your body, for your lifestyle, and for your schedule – but you have to move to have the energy you need as an entrepreneur.
Okay, we’ve covered physical energy. Now, let’s move on to the other, less apparent, two realms of energy…
Entrepreneur Energy System 2: Your Mental Energy
The second realm – or system – of energy is your mental energy. I have found that there are three key things that I can upgrade in my life… and whenever I re-focus on them, my mental energy naturally improves.
The first one is quiet.
To be honest, this is the hardest one for me. I have a really hard time sitting down to meditate – or even simply to take a two-minute break during the day. If I slow down, my immediate knee-jerk reaction is to start compulsively checking my phone… or I’ll pick up a book, or try to fill the quiet with something – anything! 🤣
So, I have this constant need to do things. (Maybe you relate?)
And I’ve recognized that in myself. But I’ve also realized that quiet is one of the best ways to fight the compulsion to always be paying attention to something external to myself.
Quieting the mind and allowing your “inner voice” to be audible opens up so much possibility for you as an entrepreneur. You get really amazing downloads, intuitive hits, and all sorts of incredible stress-relieving benefits – if you find some time to just sit.
One way that I’ve easily incorporated this knowledge: If I am “forced” by day-to-day life circumstances to take a break… I work with it, not against it. So, if I’m standing in line at the grocery store or Starbucks… waiting for my number at the DMV… or in the school bus line… Instead of pulling out my phone, I will force myself to stay in the present moment and to be bored.
But then… Magically, out of that boredom emerges clarity, creative thoughts, those intuitive hits of which I wrote above… It’s all pretty amazing, in truth. 😲 So, I encourage you to allow life’s circumstances to force the pause. I think you’ll find it beneficial, as a human and as a visionary business owner.
Key number two for increased mental energy is to feed your mind with the positive.
I feel an incredible difference between the energy that I get from scrolling through Instagram endlessly… and the energy that I get from reading an incredible book.
I see incredible differences between watching a documentary that really gets my wheels turning… and watching a delicious but numbing reality TV show.
So pay attention to what you’re feeding your mind with. Because that content you’re consuming (whether actively or by reality-TV-osmosis 🤣) … it becomes the things that you think about. Garbage in, garbage out, Genius!
Now, I’m no TV snob (and I’m the first to admit to getting lured in here and there by a random episode of the Bachelor – damn that incredible cinematography!)… but I just know we need to be intentional about what we consume – and ration the not-so-quality stuff. (No offense, Chris Hanson. 🥀)
Finally, key number three for mental energy and clarity is to filter – ruthlessly!
One of my mottos (in life and in my brand!) is: Edit ruthlessly. In all things, I believe in cutting out anything that is dragging you down.
When it comes to mental energy management, this is never more important. You must be willing to give up any lingering sense of FOMO 😉 and be almost ridiculously discerning about what you pay attention to – and what you don’t.
If there are people on your Instagram feed who consistently make you feel “less-than” or who spur negative thoughts, unfollow them.
If you are reading a book that is making you feel badly about yourself or is filled with negative thoughts – rather than being constructive and inspiring – you don’t have to finish it! 🤯, I know!!!
A little tough love, Dear Reader…
Know this: If you keep reading that book… Or you keep following that Instagram influencer that always makes your stomach sink… Or if you’re watching a TV show that is full of violence and gore and that triggers you – you’re opting into it at a certain level.
And you don’t have to. You get to choose your inputs.
So, figure out what you can filter out, and do it! And, use automation to support your decisions. (For, example, unsubscribe from emails that are a draw off of your mental clarity and time. Use the “snooze this person for 30 days” function on Facebook liberally. 😀)
Do whatever you can to simplify and reduce the inputs that are coming into your brain, and filter out the ones that you don’t want to participate in. I promise, this will be HUGE for your mental energy.
Entrepreneur Energy System 3: Collective Energy
Here we are at system number three, which is probably the one that people think about the least. But I’ll tell you something… for me, it also has had a massive, life-changing impact. And it’s all about tapping into collective energy.
I think about collective energy as showing up in a few different ways.
One of them is the people that are in your orbit.
What energy are you getting from the people you spend time with? And, what energy are they taking from you? It’s so important to be in control of this – and to be intentional about the people that you’re hanging out with. Because they are ABSOLUTELY going to have a direct influence on your thoughts, your behaviors, and your energy.
I like to go to the gym and work out with other ambitious, healthy people. It inspires me to be more healthy, and to push myself in all the best ways. I like joining (and hosting!) groups and programs where other people are ambitious entrepreneurs, because it inspires me to get better and better results. I like to have friends that are positive, because I’m not available for the drama or complaints that happen in other friends circles… And this is all very intentional.
Another way this shows up is in the energy of your environment.
I’m sure that you’ve had an experience where you walk into a place and you just kindof feel low-vibe… For me, it’s fast food places. They just feel sad and uninspiring…even de-motivating… Like, I’m not likely busting out my next big business idea when I’m chowing down on a Taco Bell taco in a stained plexiglass booth. 🤣
By contrast, I know many entrepreneurs who feel at their most expansive and high-vibe when they’re sitting in a coffee shop with lots of light and high ceilings. Or, maybe you love to bring your journal to the beach and brainstorm… Or maybe being in a place of worship helps you feel high-energy…
Take note of how you feel in certain places, and spend your time accordingly!
Which brings me to the third way that I see collective energy showing up… And that is in the influence of whatever you want to call… “something bigger than you.” Maybe you call that God. Maybe it’s infinite intelligence, the universe, your other self, or your higher self…
There is something, for sure. At least I choose to believe that. 😀 Something that is greater than us. I think it contributes to our well being, helps us live better lives, and helps to support and direct us. And if you can tune into it, it can increase your personal energy as well.
Okay – so those are the three energy systems… and lots of ideas for maximizing them to impact your own energy levels as an entrepreneur.
If you’d love to focus more on implementing these ideas, while spending time with other ambitious, positive entrepreneurs in an inspiring container, I encourage you to consider applying to join one of my group programs…
The Brand Advantage is a 30-day brand-expanding sprint. Together, we create brand clarity, momentum, and results for your brand. And we get those results quicker than you ever thought possible – because we focus on setting up the *energetic* conditions first – and use them as the springboard for your brand-building actions. Learn more and apply here.
Meanwhile, my Amplify Accelerator is my high-level program for established entrepreneurs who are ready for the systems, offers, content, and support needed to attract clients at scale… to make serious money making a serious impact. It’s a carefully curated group of positive and inspiring small business owners, and we incorporate my “ETA” methodology (Energy, Time, Attention) into all of the brand-building steps we take together.
I can’t wait to see what you can do and accomplish – when you plug into one (or all!) of these energy upgrades! ⚡️⚡️⚡️
