I just finished watching Caroline Myss’ DVD The Three Levels of Power and one thing that she said really caught my attention: you can have all the ideas in the world, but if you don’t have the power or energy to implement them, they are worthless. This sentiment also reminds me of the concept behind the book The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz where authors write about managing energy as opposed to time.
The idea of energy as it respects time management is key to actually getting things done. Implementing a strategy to accomplish anything is contingent on how much energy you can muster to devote to your plan. Look at your day. What do you do to accomplish what you set out to do? Do you get sidetracked? Do you find yourself taking too many breaks? Or do you put all of your energy into a project and think of little else? Hint: This last strategy is the one that works. When you work in present time, you won’t fail.
Sometimes it is hard to muster the energy to get things done. Things to check are the amount of hours you sleep each night, the nutrition your body receives, or if you are experiencing an illness. If an emotional issue is zapping your energy, that will contribute to something that looks like laziness. When I personally find excuses for not investing the hours in a certain project, it is usually helpful for me to commit to at least a certain amount of time to the goal and no more. For example, I may decide to devote only one hour on a particular day to a project, and I watch the clock or set a timer. While I allow myself the indulgence of stopping after the time is up, I usually find that I actually want to continue.
Sometimes, getting started is the hardest part of any journey. Once you mentally pull yourself off of the couch, and get started, the momentum will see you through. It’s science. Newton’s Law tells us that an object in motion stays in motion, and an object at rest stays at rest. This seems to be true when it comes to moving through life. So even if you are recovering from a physical or psychological illness, devoting a finite amount of time to your goal may be just the thing that changes everything.