Managing Energy - Creating Reserves
Managing Energy - Creating Reserves
A prudent and mature business will aim to create cash reserves. These reserves create a safeguard, they position a company to take advantage of opportunities and create breathing room when margins get tight. Cash is vital to a business in the same way that energy is vital to your leadership. Managing your physical, emotional and spiritual energy will allow you to optimize your leadership and capacity. However, life has ebbs and flows, different seasons require different energy levels. For this reason, it is worth considering how to build up reserves in these areas. Energy is different to cash in that it has a shelf life, but we can build in reserve systems that give us quick access and relief when we need an extra influx of energy. In the slower seasons, build infrastructure that will support higher energy levels when you need them.
Physical Energy
The key to creating physical energy reserves is consistency. Having a consistent commitment to some kind of physical activity is the way to train for seasons of higher impact. Physical stamina uses the same principle that compound interest taps into. Investment + Time will create those reserves in your physical energy. The book of proverbs uses the analogy of a farmer who recognizes the value of plowing in seedtime in order to have a harvest to reap from. If we fail to commit to consistent physical health we will not have the abundance we need to draw from in the future.
A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.
Proverbs 10:4 GNT
Another vital part of building energy reserves is to be intentional about recovery. Taking an audit of your calendar can be a good way to approach this. Build in downtime. Schedule rest and take it.
One final thought that crosses over into emotional energy is that mental toughness and perseverance can be developed in a context that doesn’t matter, particularly in a physical context. Mental toughness forged through not giving up and pushing yourself physically will transfer to a business context. Character traits like overcoming, perseverance and finding motivation can be developed in something as basic as jogging.
Emotional Energy
Develop relationships and build community. Healthy relationships are a source of joy, encouragement and wisdom They are a great place to invest as a replenishment for emotional energy. You can find support, loyalty and accountability that will be a source of strength in times of trial.
Something that I think produces healthy habits is having an event to look forward to. This creates a reserve of hope and optimism. It could be a vacation, time with friends or some time off. Hope is likened to an anchor in the bible. It keeps you in place and stable in times of instability. The bible also says that hope deferred makes the heart sick.
Spiritual Energy
Consuming more of the bible than I would on a regular basis has proved to be a deep well of peace, wisdom and insight that I have been able to draw from. This is how it helped me:
https://vimeo.com/963709299
In slower seasons or downtime, be intentional to invest in your future. Build reserves that you can draw from when you need it most.
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