𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲

You may stress over not having enough money, struggling to increase revenues and to minimize costs. As the journey evolves, you may have received investment or pumped revenues; now the challenge is finding the time to foster more growth.

While money and time are always limited, I believe that personal energy is the most precious resource for everyone, especially for exhausted founders who need to constantly define effective strategies, worry about obstacles, and make progress.

Having cash is uplifting but does not create long-term energy. During long periods of work, you will not always have a lot of energy.

“Energy is our most precious resource,

for it is the means by which we transform

our creative potential into meaningful action.”

– Tarthang Tulku

Recognizing this limitation will help prioritize your projects, schedule, and commitments for the greatest impact.

Don’t Waste Energy

To design and implement a valuable strategy, avoid wasting energy in areas that will not help your business grow exponentially. Here are some practical steps along those lines.

Pick Your Battles. You may lament and dwell on things you can't control, such as competitors growing faster or investors who passed on your funding pitch. Instead, apply your energy to areas you can control, like planning and collaborating with your team, mentors, and peers.

Some irritating situations may require your energy, but most of the time, you will feel more rewarded channeling energy into something productive.

Pursuits. There are multiple ways to purposefully grow your company that match your strengths. Know what energizes you and then pursue energizing activities. For instance, extroverts may be pumped talking with clients and partners, while introverts may get excited about developing products.

With many ways to grow a business, find the paths that match your strengths.

Rhythm. Your energy may ebb and flow based on the time of day. Know when the best times are to plan, meet, and dive into projects, and then set your calendar accordingly. For example, if you get groggy after lunch, use afternoons for activities requiring less thought, such as responding to the morning's emails.

Designate times for deep projects and complicated tasks based on your energy levels.

Breaks. Leadership can require complex and exhaustive thinking. Give yourself a break. Like muscles, the mind needs recovery periods. For instance, if your energy starts to wane after an hour, do something different (like walking during a client call or cleaning your office while listening to a business podcast) to rejuvenate your brain while remaining productive.

Routine. Maximize your mind by supporting brain activity. Exercise, diet, sleep, and relationships all impact brain function. Try experiments such as eating various healthy foods at different times of the day to see what combinations maximize your alertness.

Pay attention. Avoid the many ways your attention is stolen. Limit social media, news platforms, messaging apps, emails, etc. during work time. Set blocks of time for deep strategy work during which you are inaccessible. You can set times for keeping up with current events and industry happenings, but be deliberate, so you aren’t constantly being bombarded with information and distracted from your priorities.

Data. I'm a fan of learning, and that requires collecting information. Record when you make the most progress, noting the timing, collaborators, and setting. Measure your progress and also seek others' feedback.

Key Takeaway: Optimizing personal energy is incredibly valuable in leadership. Discover the best methods for recognizing and regulating your energy levels to be the most productive.