Even though business champions are not afraid of sleeplessness, overtime and burnout in order to reach their goals, this mindset can certainly lead to failure. What if instead of burning the midnight oil, we could maximise our energy, so all of our tasks are completed at a reasonable hour? This sounds impossible but in fact it’s not and it’s a far better solution to suffering from burnout or depression or both.

Life and work should be a balance – so here are the ingredients for you to maximise your energy and reach performance plus, everyday.

The three energy buckets required for you to maximise your energy

Transformational coach, Katia Verresen devised a visualisation technique for burnt out leaders. She explains, “How many times a day do you hear people bragging about how little sleep they got? Saying that they will just power through the next two weeks?” It’s common talk amongst entrepreneurs. But it’s hardly indicative of progress.

Instead, Verresen encourages leaders to visualise three types of energy, as buckets that need to be filled in order to reach their “performance plus”.

1. Physical Energy

The foundation energy. Without this you are incapable of anything. It’s the easiest energy to immediately influence but most often neglected (i.e I skipped lunch or I can operate on no sleep in order to achieve a deadline).

2. Emotional Energy

How you feel at any given moment – i,e anxious, stressed, excited. It’s important because it dictates more than half of your behaviour and decision making.

3. Mental Energy

The highest order of energy, only achievable when you have the physical and emotional tanks full, allowing you to make accurate, intelligible and efficent decisions.

When these three buckets are filled, we can maximise our energy and reach performance plus.

Most people know the core components of physical energy but busy leaders rarely follow them. Burn out is not the norm. If you are operating in fight or flight mode, due to severely empty energy buckets, then your decisions, work and everything you are producing is severely compromised. Do things the right way and make sure you look after yourself to maximise your energy.

Check out Katia Kverresen’s interview here on this topic.