Energy, Resilience and Wellbeing
Here’s a thoughtful post from Tony Schwartz on the need to manage personal energy in order to maintain effectiveness.
Perhaps unsurprisingly – we all know this stuff, we just tend to ignore it – the answer is to pay attention to some of the basics of life: eating well and regularly; sleeping well and taking exercise.
Increasingly, I find myself thinking of this in terms of balance and equilibrium and I’m very aware of the impact on performance (and simple well-being) of not sleeping well, or forgetting to eat.
The article also reminded me of work an ex-colleague of mine is now doing. Annette Turner is an independent trainer and coach with a particular focus on building resilience.
The issue of personal energy is particularly important to sovereign professionals and other freelancers. Aside from the normal stresses of running your own business, freelancers – especially those working on their own – can lack the social structures which can regulate stopping, starting and eating.
As a freelancer though, you are your own business’s CEO, CFO, CMO and revenue stream. Ensure you invest in your own energy reserves.