You’re Lacking Motivation?
Do This To Skyrocket Your Energy Levels
One of my favourite books on self-development is titled “How to fail at almost everything and still win big”, written by cartoonist Scott Adams. The volume is packed full of applicable advice for almost every area in life one could come up with. One crucial key topic Adams reflects on is the maintenance of high energy levels throughout the day. The author puts it straight:
“ The way I approach the problem of multiple priorities is by focusing on just one main metric: my energy. I make a choice that maximizes my personal energy because that makes it easier to manage all of the other priorities”
A pretty simple and yet extremely smart approach. After all, in today's fast-paced world we try to get a thousand things done all at the same time and ultimately end up either burned out or in a constant state of procrastination in view of the sheer amount of obligations and commitments we are facing.
The thing is, when we are unable to set our priorities in the right way, we are basically putting the cart before the horse. Ultimately we end up making excuses about why we cannot commit to those actions that really would make the difference in the long run. In the following lines, I’ve really tried my best to provide you with a series of techniques and skills when it comes to pushing your energy levels to the sky, so you can benefit from higher peak performance levels and get things done. Thank me later and let's do this!
Get Your Eating Habits Right
Now, what kind of recommendation is this? There are tons of tips in diets out there- every one of them claiming to be the ultimate solution to your problems. But don't get me wrong on this. I don’t want you to try out a new diet but rather encourage you to take some time and observe what impacts certain foods and eating patterns have on your body. Then do more of the stuff that increases your wellbeing and cut out the rest. Simple right?
Find Your Why
Why is it so easy and effortlessly for some people to achieve what they want while others seem to be constantly struggling to make it through the day? Is there some kind of secret that high performers have and that the average person is not aware of? Yes, my friend there is...
Allow me to remind you that success is all about the right mindset. And you know what makes up a big chunk of having the right mindset?
TO KNOW YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE. You just simply cannot expect to have positive outcomes when you are not aware of your reason being. Simon Sinek wrote one of the most insightful books I’ve ever read called “Find your Why”. It's all about finding the fundamental reason for the things you do every day.
Now, this is an extremely personal choice. No one could possibly tell you what your individual WHY should be. But when it comes to being more motivated and energized on a long term basis I really encourage you to take the time to reflect on your own WHY. Everyone has a WHY. It is the basis of our passion and motivation. Remember, satisfaction is a right, not a privilege. You deserve to feel satisfied with what you do. And satisfaction comes when our work connects directly with our WHY.
Get Some Good Night Sleep
OK, that's a no-brainer. However, I know from my own experience that I often do not give sleep the importance that it should have. You see; there is a reason why we spend on average a third of our lifetime sleeping. Yes, you’ve heard just right: A THIRD of our lifetime. If you don’t believe me just do the maths.
However, it's attempting to think we could be even more productive when cutting off some hours of sleep. Now that might work for you in the short run but even then chances are you take way more disadvantages from not sleeping properly than it would be beneficial for you. Skimping on sleep comes at a price. Subtracting just one hour of sleep can make it difficult to concentrate the next day and slow down your response time.
Studies also indicate that lack of sleep causes us to make poor decisions and take unnecessary risks. This can lead to poor performance at work and an increased risk of traffic accidents. Still not convinced? Then check out what Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon and the richest man on this planet has to say about proper sleep: At is truly inspirational. Have a good night- after all, it will power boost your energy levels!
Get Your Butt Moving
No! It hasn’t necessarily to be HIIT or Crossfit or any kind of high-intensity sports. Although I would recommend you to do some form of regular exercise for the sake of getting up your energy levels a daily work (fast-paced) will do the work. The thing here is that our modern life is taking place most of the time sitting and in front of a screen. I don’t have to tell you that this is not behaviour that comes by nature. Being originally a gather and hunter species, humans are biologically spoken not designed to sit in front of the desk all day. It is counterintuitive.
That being said I won’t advocate for all of us to get a job on the construction site- that wouldn’t be sustainable either. However, as soon as you start implementing some form of regular exercise this will have a huge impact on your allover wellbeing. If you are not feeling yet in conditions to dedicate yourself to a sport just try out to do 30 minutes walk every day and later pursue something more ambitious.
Consider Cold Showers
Wow! Now that was a real gamechanger in my own life. I know some of you literally get goosebumps just thinking about taking a cold shower but I promise you once you get to know the benefits of it you never want to go without it again. Besides giving you an additional energy push second to none, taking a cold shower daily will also:
- Help to improve your body’s circulation
- Strengthen your immune system
- Lower your stress and anxiety levels
- Improve your sleep quality
- Burn calories
The trick here, as with many things is to start gradually. First of all, it is recommendable to start this during the summer months when your body may yearn for some form of refreshment anyways. Then later, when days become colder again you are already used to it and the psychological threshold won’t be that high anymore. Go with the flow!
Secondly, start first with a warm to a hot shower and then gradually turn down the temperature. Try to remain for 30 seconds under the cold shower and then switch to warm again. Do that 3 times. For the upcoming days, you will do the same but with a large cold interval (+ 5 seconds every day).
In order to get more information on how to take cold showers properly also make sure to check out the Wim Hof Method. You will always need to fight against your weaker self but it will get easier and remember:
The benefits of taking a cold shower every morning will outweigh the 15 seconds of suffering you have to go through until your body gets used to the cold water. You will simply feel like a newborn every time!
Have A Routine
Having a daily routine may sound boring at first but it definitely helps you to improve your energy. Why? Because having a routine drastically reduces the number of decisions we have to take daily. You see, we take tons of decisions every day; some of them conscious, some of them unconscious.
The clue is that this takes a huge amount of brainpower we could instead use for something more meaningful.
You see, when I’m standing up in the morning I’m not asking myself what I’m going to do next. I will switch off the alarm, clock, prepare myself and the family some breakfast and once the kids are all settled and leaving the house, I sit down to do some writing. Later in the morning, I will go through some training and in the afternoon I do work on my freelance business. Like this, all my day is planned until I’m going to bed again. This helps me enormously to stay focused.
You don't have to be static in what you’re doing and your life won’t become boring because of you following a routine. Just try to train your body to always do the same things at the same time. You will see all by yourself how relieving it can be to just be on track with no need to think every minute about what's coming next.
Listen To Your Favourite Music
A No-Brainer. You all know about the amazing power of music. Make use of it! Implement music into your daily life. I listen to all kinds of music. During my training, I usually go for motivational music and during my writing sessions, I would hear some classical pieces. songs. Music makes everything better and more intense! There is the right song for every situation in life. You just have to decide on the right music for yourself. Let music into your life!
Laugh- A Lot
Laugh! Laugh, laugh, laugh and then again. It is scientifically proven, that laughing has numerous positive side effects on our body. When we laugh, the cortex of the brain is activated and releases electrical impulses just one second after we start laughing, thus expelling all the negative energy from our body. In this process, endorphins and a hormone called dopamine (closely related to states of psychological well-being) are released.
You now may say that you are not able to laugh at the touch of a bottom, however, the positive side effects of good laughter are not diminishing because you have to force yourself to laugh. It might seem a little ridiculous in the first place to laugh when it does not come naturally. However just try it out when you’re alone and you will experience the benefits by yourself.
Now it's up to you. Let the energy flow! Have a happy journey and do not forget to learn a lot, keep smiling and stay always positive!!
