How do you feel after a full-on day at the office? When I ask this question to most leaders, the answer is rarely, “Oh, fantastic. Full of energy.”
Instead, I usually hear, “I’m exhausted,” “I’m drained,” “I’m tired,” or “I’m frustrated because I haven’t finished.” Rarely is the answer positive.
In this video, I want to share three simple tactics to keep your energy high all through the day.
Right now, I’m in Fiji with my family. Fiji, part of the Pacific Islands, is just a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Sydney, and oh my God, this place is unbelievable. The water is stunning, and I’ve just spent three hours snorkeling among incredible coral, fish, reef sharks, and turtles.
It’s so easy to keep my energy high here! It’s the afternoon, and I’m still full of energy, ready to dive back in for another couple of hours.
Recently, I was working with a group of leaders from Germany, and one of them, Christian, asked me, “Cyril, how do I stay productive all day? My energy dips, and by the end of the day, I’m exhausted and not very productive at home.”
Here are three simple pieces of advice:
1. Find the Joy
Think about a task you don’t want to do. If you start it with a negative mindset, half an hour will feel like an hour and a half, draining you. Now, think about something you love doing. An hour can fly by in what feels like 20 minutes. When I start my day, I look at my agenda and think about what will have the most impact. I also ask myself, “How can I find the joy in most of what I’m going to do?” Yes, some tasks are boring, like admin work, but it’s all about your mindset.
2. Re-Energise
Every hour or hour and a half, take a little break for 5-10 minutes where you don’t think about work. For me, it might be a quick walk in the garden or a game of ping pong. Josh, who works with me, likes to shoot some basketball hoops in his garden. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it re-energises you.
3. Disconnect
At the end of the day, before heading home, I try to have 10-15 minutes of complete disconnect from work. This creates a space between work and home. It could be a short walk, reading something enjoyable, or watching a fun video. The key is to mentally finish the workday and prepare to enjoy your time at home.
These three simple tactics keep my energy high all day. It means I can tackle tasks at 4 or 5 o’clock with the same energy as earlier in the day, and I stay energised when I get home.
So, my question to you is: Do you have simple tactics to keep your energy high during the day?
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a wonderful day!
A bientôt,
Cyril
