Focusing our Energy

"How we direct our energies will inform us of its value by an increase, a decrease, or leave us flat energetically."  Jim Dethmer

Jim Dethmer leads workshops, and in one, he had participants list the top 25 activities they had been engaged in for the past month.  When the list was complete, he asked them to draw an arrow next to each item.  The arrow pointed up for those activities that increased their energy, the arrow went down for those activities that decreased their energy, and the arrow went sideways when the activity was neutral.  I suggest we all do this as an activity.  Let us list the top 25 activities for the past month, draw arrows beside them to indicate if they increase our energy or deplete it or are neutral.  The purpose of this activity is to keep those activities that energize us, dump those activities that deplete us, or delegate them or find a different way of doing the activity.  Recently, I came back from a speaking engagement, and my daughter pointed out to me how energized I was.  We want our activities to energize us, not deplete us.  I would also suggest that it can be people who energize or deplete us, not just activities.  Perhaps an additional exercise would be to list the top people with whom we interact in the past month, and draw arrows beside them indicating whether they energize us, deplete us or are neutral.  If the person depletes you, what are you willing to do?  We can either remove ourselves from that relationship or we can find a different way of being in that relationship.