What gives you energy vs. what drains your energy.
Life is funny. Sometimes it has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. The universe - and our wise bodies and souls - are often more in tune with our needs than we are aware of. I heard a quote recently that really resonated with this theme that’s been showing up in my life:
“If you don’t schedule a break, your body will take one for you. And it probably won’t be at a convenient time.”
As small business owners, we wear a lot of hats, we have big dreams, and we tend to take on more than we are physically, mentally or emotionally able to handle, even if we desperately want to be able to succeed at all of those things simultaneously.
Something I’ve been pondering for quite some time and have been trying to pay attention to in my own day-to-day life is which things give me energy vs. which things drain my energy. It seems like a pretty simple concept, but putting it into practice can be a challenge, especially for people (like me) who like to be productive and are generally very high-achievers.
It can be difficult to hit the pause button on a project or idea that you were initially really excited about, but now is feeling stuck. Most advice out there is to “push through” and “keep going” because “success only comes to those who consistently persevere” and while I don’t fully disagree with those statements in the big picture, sometimes in the day-to-day, week-to-week, or even month-to-month timeline, we need to give ourselves grace to pause, ponder, re-evaluate, or just simply take a break from our work. So, how do we do that?
What gives us energy?
These are the projects, ideas, collaborations and activities that make us excited! We can’t wait to get started and the ideas flow effortlessly as we work through them. Often these are the things that we can’t get out of our heads, we may think about them all the time and can’t wait to tell others about them.
As we work on them, we feel alive, full of purpose and like we are doing something that really aligns with our soul’s purpose. We often get lost in the project or lose track of time because we get so involved in the task at hand. And when we’re finished (for the day, or at the completion of the project), we feel inspired and fulfilled, even if we may also be physically or mentally exhausted. There’s a feeling of accomplishment, not for the sake of pushing through something difficult, but for taking that next step on our soul’s journey (however big or small of a step it might be).
What drains our energy?
These things are just as easy to spot, but not quite as easy to set down or release. These are the projects that we often dread working on. Maybe we procrastinate or put them off because we just aren’t sure where to start. Usually the ideas don’t flow as easily with these projects and oftentimes we may start and stop them frequently because we get stuck as soon as we try to work on them.
If we push through and continue with the project, activity, collaboration, or idea, we may feel frustrated with the outcome, unhappy with the progress made, or even a little bit used, like our knowledge and skills have been taken from us unwillingly. We may be unsatisfied with the end result, wanting to make changes or take it back all-together. And we are likely mentally, physically, or emotionally drained, but without that sense of accomplishment or satisfaction with the alignment to our soul’s purpose.
Embrace the non-linear.
Humans are not linear beings. We are not meant to work or live in a linear fashion. Instead, if we embrace the cyclical nature of the universe and ourselves, we may have an easier time working with the ebb and flow of our creativity and productivity.
It is very common and normal to have a great idea, a spark of imagination, or want to dive headfirst into a new project, only to find stagnation or frustration down the road. Or, maybe life takes a turn and new priorities emerge, forcing us to set down that project we were so excited about in order to tend to other, more important things. The more we can recognize and work towards embracing the non-linear nature of ourselves and our work, the easier it may be to hit that pause button or switch gears when needed, without feeling like a failure or that we’ll never make progress in that particular aspect of our lives.
Tune into the cosmos.
When we recognize that we are cyclical beings whose energies ebb and flow, we can look at patterns in nature and astrology to begin to understand how and why we are feeling a certain way. We can look to the past and see why something may have happened the way it did in order to better understand how a similar experience may manifest in the future.
As a basic example, take the changing seasons. For centuries humans have flowed with the seasons, adjusting their daily routines and priorities based on what was happening in nature. Winter was a time to rest, prepare, and do deep internal work. Spring was a time of rejuvenation, planting, and new life. Summer was hard work, gathering and growing food, and building community. And Fall brought the harvest, celebration and preparation for the long winter. In modern times, we have a tendency to ignore the seasons and our primal urge to flow with them, opting instead for a more linear style of living.
Another way to flow with our changing cycles is to look at astrology, specifically our transits. Our birth chart is a fixed picture of where the planets were in the sky at the time of our birth. But, as we know, the planets remain in motion after our birth. When we look at the location of the planets at the current moment in relation to the planets in our birth chart, we can begin to understand how those planetary movements can affect us here on Earth (sometimes very noticeably and sometimes very subtly).
Flowing through the day-to-day.
It’s one thing to recognize and accept these ideas of a non-linear work style, but it’s another to actually put it into practice. This is something I’m constantly evaluating and working on in my own life. Below are some things that have helped me tune into my energy and figure out what projects or ideas are a priority for me to accomplish at any given time.
Recognize when something feels “stuck” and pivot to something that will fill up your energy reserves. This may mean setting down a particular project to work on something that brings you more excitement. Or maybe it’s simply getting out of your space to go for a walk. Whatever it might be, take a break from whatever is draining your energy and find something that will allow you to re-charge.
Identify your priorities and put your energy into the ones that are the most important. This may mean prioritizing your work schedule to do the most important things first, then taking a break to re-charge before continuing on with the rest of your workload. Or, it may mean taking a look at the priorities in your whole life (because we are more than just our work). Do your kids or family need more support now? Do you need a vacation or some alone time? Is your body asking for something? What are the things in your life that are calling for your attention and how can you prioritize them?
Do more of what brings you joy. This is often easier said than done, especially when our to-do lists are miles long, but finding ways to bring more joy into our lives, even in small doses, will help us be more productive and aligned in the long run.
Pay attention to your transits. Learning to look at the transiting planets to your natal chart (or having someone else do it) is invaluable in understanding the changes in your life and in the world around you. This is a fantastic tool to be able to recognize why something feels difficult or when a tricky time period may ease up.
Give yourself grace to make mistakes, say no to a project, or put something down to come back to when you have more capacity to work on it. We are not perfect beings, and striving for perfection often results in disappointment. Recognize how hard you have worked and the accomplishments you have made so far, but also recognize your body’s need for rest and when it’s asking you to make changes or adjustments.
Use this list as inspiration, but tune into your own body and see how it feels while you go through your day. You may find something else that helps you focus on what’s most important in your life and tune into the things that truly give you energy. Regardless of how you go about it, look for ways to incorporate more of the things that make you feel alive and purposeful in your day-to-day life and accept that some things need to be released to allow other things to flourish.
If you’re interested in looking at your transits (personal or business), reach out to me! We can take a look at a specific time period in the past, current transits, or what’s coming up for you in the next few months or years. I also offer monthly business transit readings, which can be purchased month to month or a full year for a discounted rate.