Hi there,

It’s a bright, new shiny year, and if you’re anything like me, you have a list of intentions or resolutions for the year ahead to make this year your year. Is it time for you to reenergise your biz and life a life you love?

There’s one surefire way to do so, and that’s to put yourself right on top of your priority list.

Last September, I had a simply glorious coaching session with a client. Mary (not her real name, obviously!) has been in business for four years now, is a sole trader in a service business with a thriving client list. We started working together at the end of 2019 as Mary knew she was working much harder than was reflected in her bottom line. She wasn’t managing her time particularly well, things felt rushed and ad hoc in her business, and her sleep was shattered. Imagine my delight when Mary announced that her theme for the final quarter of 2020 was ‘nurtured.’ She had analysed her business’ final quarters of the last three years and knew that as she headed into the festive season she’d need every molecule of energy at her disposal. She was determined to manage her energy to make it her superpower.

I can’t tell you how refreshing this was. As a holistic business coach self-care is central to my coaching approach, simply because I have lived experience in the impact of mismanaging my energy. In many ways, my career reflects a walking, talking test case for the power of self-care and good nutrition. I know full well the impact of working 14 hour days and of reaching for a sugar-laden muffin rather than an energy-boosting bliss ball or clean treat. I’ve experimented over the years and have great awareness of how to lift my energy levels sustainably as well as my energy zappers.

The start of the year is the perfect time to make energy your superpower for the entire year ahead and beyond. Where do you sit on your priority list? If you’re putting everything and everyone ahead of yourself for the sake of growing your business, you are potentially setting yourself up for the polar opposite of thriving, professionally and personally. The impact of not managing your energy appropriately and sustainably can be devastating to your bottom line.

When you’re tired and poorly or inadequately fuelled, research (and my personal experience!) tells us that you are subsequently less productive, more distractible, less engaged and less able to get into the meaty, deep work that keeps your motivation and passion for your work alive. This is when you get stuck in the busy and the boring Business as Usual that may keep things ticking along, but hardly thriving. You may feel as though you can barely keep up with the demands, let alone get ahead of your to-do list. As for time off? Forget about it - there’s too much to do!

It’s no secret that I believe that in order to renergise your biz and live a life you love, the health of your business can be directly correlated to your health. How’s your sleep generally? Do you work 14 hour days? Do you skip breakfast? Are your working hours scattered throughout the day and night, meaning you never really effectively switch off for the day? Have you ever written a work email while you’re chopping up the veggies for the evening meal? These are all signs that you’re probably not managing your energy, you’re spreading yourself far too thinly and the impact on you personally and professionally is not going to be pretty.

That’s the bad news, but here’s the good - replenishing your energy stores and making an ongoing, sustainable plan to manage your energy moving forward is not rocket science. Rather, it’s the basics, and during January summer holidays you are probably already establishing the habits that will serve you well, without even trying:

Like Nanna said, go to bed early! The importance of sleep on your energy levels cannot be underestimated. Don’t wear four hours of sleep a night as a badge of honour.

Move that body - it’s what it was designed for! I’m not just talking about your early morning training session, but also moving incrementally over the day. We weren’t built to spend hours upon hours sitting. Do squats as you’re waiting for the kettle to boil for your mid-morning break.

Consider investing in a sit/stand desk and have all your meetings standing. Build movement into your day such as walking to the Post Office or mailbox, taking the pooch for a quick midday walk or breaking at 3 to get some fresh air before you start your evening shift.

Drink like a fish - but don’t keep a jug of water on your desk. Instead, make refilling your water glass part of your incidental movement for the day and walk to the fridge.

I’ve written many times about good, simple nutrition, but equally important is a clear understanding of the actions and behaviours that deplete your energy. What habits and actions have you fallen into that aren’t serving you well? When you’re aware of what doesn’t work, you can make the change to set up the habits that do. I’m a big believer in what gets measured gets focus, so make a list, and check it twice!

What’s your theme for the year or quarter ahead? Istrongly encourage you to invest in yourself - when you bring your focus to the energy you need to create a thriving business, the impact is indisputable. This is made all the more achievable through holistic business coaching and I’d love to work with you.  

To your success…

NEW YEAR DISCOVERY SESSION PROMO
Are you spending way too much time working IN your business as opposed to big picture? Book in for a
45 min ‘ROADMAP TO SUCCESS’ SESSION @ 50% discount to review what challenges may be keeping you stuck and preventing you from moving forward in your business. Take away 2 - 3 steps you can start implementing in your biz right now.