Not too long ago I was at a leadership conference where one of the keynotes talked about protecting the entrepreneurs’ greatest commodity – our energy. Suzanne’s key comment was “how you spend your energy is how you measure your success.”

Boy did that strike a cord!

Why? Because every entrepreneur I know at some point on their ascent to success has to take a look at how they have used (or abused) their most vital lifeline – their energy.

Think about it. As an entrepreneur we are everything to our company. We are the creative spark, the leader, the manager, the product fulfiller, the customer service rep, the sales and marketing team (you get the point, right?) The one thing that keeps us going is our energy. What do we do if our energy is gone?

Let’s take a look at Sue. Sue has been going non-stop for months. She sleeps about 4 hours a night, has 15 – 20 crises a day, and truly believes that every single idea she has is a million-dollars waiting to happen. So every idea must be completed yesterday. Sue’s husband and friends haven’t seen her in weeks. She can’t possibly slow down for food, let alone a social event.

One day Sue finds herself feeling a bit sluggish. Pushing through it (I mean she is a super-hero after all, what’s a little tiredness) she finds herself two weeks later with a little cold. The cold turns into a chronic illness that takes over her life and takes down her momentum. Confused, frustrated and overwhelmed, Sue finds that she can barely get up to eat, let alone accomplish any work.

Now this may sound a bit extreme – but is it really? I don’t think so. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have literally been drop-kicked out of the game because their energy gave out. They got sick, tired, and depleted. (Yes, I admit, me too.)

So how do we protect this most vital commodity that is so precious? Here are a few ideas.

1. Always take care of yourself first. No matter what. No excuses. Workout at the gym, eat healthy, meditate, have down time, or get a massage once a month. You must take care of yourself. It’s a lot less expensive to invest in your energy when you are healthy than if you are sick.
2. Don’t Try to Do Everything Alone. It’s exhausting. It’s overwhelming. And any successful person will tell you it’s impossible. Figure out a way to start delegating and getting support. Learn to apply the golden delegation rule of “opportunity cost.” If you can’t do it well and it costs someone else less to do it, outsource it!
3. Learn to Say No. Oh this one is SO hard for most of us. You have to say no sometimes in order to support the “greater yes.” That means, in order to achieve our goals we have to say no to other people’s requests sometimes. It’s OK; you will still be loved and needed if you can’t do it all.
4. Know what’s Important. And even more critically, what’s not. If it doesn’t fit with your passion, values and goals, don’t do it. No matter what. Someone else will do it and everything will be just fine.
5. Release Tolerations. Tolerations are the things you put up with. Incomplete decisions, negative people, broken items, unresolved issues, etc. Tolerations can be HUGE energy drains, especially when it goes on and on. Make a plan to handle the tolerations in your life.

One example of how I protect my energy: After I give a presentation or attend a long conference, I always book a day or two off from the office. I’ll usually get a massage. I’ll use the time to put into action the nuggets from the event. If I skip it, I find I’m completely loopy and exhausted and worthless to my clients.

In Suzanne’s keynote presentation, she wrapped up by saying “get a sense of humor.” I couldn’t agree more. The world is only as frustrating as we see it. When we go through life with a sense of humor, we can find the thread of joy in any situation. I found in my own life that infusing every situation with laughter could always take the stress away.

Life is too short to waste our most precious commodity. Protect your energy and you will see how your success multiplies. Deplete it and you will see your success shrink. The choice is yours. I hope you chose to be good to yourself.

Melanie Benson Strick, The Entrepreneur's Success Coach, teaches entrepreneurs how to stop feeling overwhelmed so they can create more money, more freedom and more prestige.Co-author of Visionary Women Inspiring the World: 12 Paths to Personal Power and contributing author to Entrepreneurial Spirits , Melanie is co-creator of The Unstoppable Goals Method: How To Turn Your Ideas into Income in 90 Days. If you are ready to experience a breakthrough in your business, sign up for a 25-minute personalized “Business Breakthrough” by emailing us at assist@successconnections.com. Success Connections
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