Today’s post is a very pertinent one. Usually I write about something that I’ve recently experienced. Today’s post is relevant right now.
I’ve really been enjoying writing more regular blog posts and sending weekly emails since March. It’s given me something to look forward to each week and I’ve loved continuing to connect with people and supporting them. It’s lead to some really interesting conversations by email and phone, and it’s been a wonderful part of my working week. (If you’re interested in receiving my emails, you can subscribe here).
Some weeks I’ve had loads of ideas and have written more than one blog post and the email has just flowed through me. Sometimes I’ve even sent more frequent emails. Other weeks it’s been a bit more of a challenge, but a welcome one. This week I’ve noticed it felt more like a “chore” and it’s taken a lot of energy to think about what to write about. I have a list of ideas to tap into but none of them quite felt right.
So I did what I usually do when I feel a lot of resistance or something feels difficult. I paused, let go of any outcome, and dropped into my heart. I noticed that focusing on it too much wasn’t helping, so I did some other things that felt easier first (recycling, tidying, that sort of thing).
And then it came to me. Today I’m sharing that process of honouring my energy in case it helps you too.
What on earth do I mean by honouring or making the most of my energy?
Sometimes I have the right sort of energy for writing, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have the right sort of energy for talking, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have the right sort of energy for reading, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have the right sort of energy for tidying, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have the right sort of energy for running, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have the right sort of energy for sitting still, and sometimes I don’t.
If I try to do any of these things at a time where I don’t feel I have the right sort of energy, it feels like I’m having to drag it out of myself and it’s not as enjoyable.
Sometimes I have to do that due to other commitments or other people depending on me. However, it’s not often that I *have* to do a certain thing at a specific time, and it’s always best for me to choose to do something when the time feels right. The crucial bit I sometimes forget is that in the meantime, it serves me to accept the situation and stay aware that I’d like to do it and trust that the time will come but just not right now.
Sometimes that might take longer than I initially thought, and sometimes (often in fact) it’s sooner than I thought.
How does making the most of your energy work in practice?
Let’s take today as an example. My hope was to have a productive day finishing off some fairly short work tasks and getting things clear so I could focus on my blog post and email and then shift to getting my new programme details confirmed by the end of the week. But my energy today just wasn’t right for that sort of thing. It was however right for sorting out some things around the house.
Initially, I felt a little frustrated that I didn’t feel in the right sort of energy for what I’d hoped to spend time doing. I very quickly remembered however that it’s important to honour my energy. So I did some sorting in the house and felt really positive about sorting some things I’d been meaning to for a couple of days. And guess what? Once I’d done that I realised I had the right sort of energy for doing the things I’d wanted to do earlier, though I knew I’d do them differently and truly enjoy them because I was choosing to do them.
There’s no right or wrong type of energy in my opinion though – when I’m feeling a lot of active energy this isn’t any better or worse than when I’m feeling more relaxed, it’s just a different feeling and preference in the moment.
So I find myself here, enjoying writing this blog post having done more than I thought I would today but different things. If I hadn’t paid attention to where I was at and made the most of my energy I could easily have “wasted” time trying to do things that just didn’t feel right in the moment.
How can we learn from this? Here are the things I’m going to be taking as a reminder:
- Pay attention to where my energy is at, and if it feels right to do something I’ve been wanting to do for a while (whether that’s high or low energy), go for it!
- Recognise when the time doesn’t feel right to do something, accept it, and trust that the time will feel right soon
- Notice when I feel resistance or something feels difficult and if at all possible, stop doing it for a while (this could just be for a moment to take a break and come back fresh, or it could be to take it off my list for longer until the time feel right)
- Be aware if there are patterns to my energy, and schedule things accordingly
How can you make sure you’re making the most of your energy levels at the moment?
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