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“It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing”

This is the first in a series of 3 posts on human energy management at work.

 

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Louis Armstrong famously sang:

“What good is melody?  What good is music if it ain’t possessing something sweet?  Now it ain’t the melody, and it ain’t the music.  There’s something else that makes this tune complete. Yes!   It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!

 

Energy.  It is that swing.  When we’ve got it, we know it!  We’ve got more ‘get-up-and-go’.  Our tasks are performed with more zest.  Our interactions with others are more effervescent.  We just feel so connected to whatever we’re doing.  And then at other times we wonder where it all went.  With the ever increasing demands and changes we’re faced with at work and in our private life, we often end up feeling like we’re running on empty.  And then everything we have to do becomes more difficult and we feel like we’re just barely scraping by.

This makes managing this vital resource all the more challenging and important.  Because how well we are able to sustain our vital resource will ultimately determine our enjoyment of life, our level of performance at work, and the quality of our relationships.  For better or for worse.

First, to give you a better idea of your energy patterns, you are invited to take your personal energy audit for the next two days.

Tracking your energy levels on an hourly basis will help raise your awareness around the fluctuations in your energy during your waking hours.  You’ll see the impact the choices you’re making are having on you, and how to better regulate your energy so it’s more sustainable.  Before taking the audit, please select two weekdays that represent your usual sleep pattern and daily schedule.

In the next post I will show you what the research says about some of the most effective ways to recharge, and maintain your energy while at work and in your private life.  These findings, put into practice, can help put that swing back in your life.

What’s the single biggest insight you’re taking away from taking the energy audit?  Why is this important for you?  What change will you make to improve your energy levels?  Please share with us all.  Now go do it!  Thank you for reading and contributing to our community!

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