Energy

Thought leadership is an energy game. Your energy introduces you before you do. I am always blown away that people can tell where you are at, even if you think you are trying to cover it up!

Making an energy check part of any prep process is smart. Before a phone call, before a meeting, before a presentation. Are you tired? Are you grumpy? Are you desperate? Are you nervous? We all suffer from low vibes. The trick is to know how to turn them up, down, or off.

Managing your state is a vital skill to running a successful practice. It is not your client’s problem if you have had a bad morning, had disrupted travel plans, or fought with your partner before leaving the house! We are paid to turn up, to turn up turned on.

My favourite energy hacks are:

• Music: Nothing like a good song sung loudly to shift some energy! Gather a playlist of motivating music – find songs that lift you up. It is also useful to have a playlist of songs that help you to wind down and relax at the end of the day.

• Smell: Aromatherapy – a drop of peppermint oil under the tongue is a wonderful way to freshen up your head and wake up your senses. Having a special fragrance that you use when delivering can be a great way to deliver a message to your body that you are ‘on’.

• Power Poses: Standing confidently – breathing and checking in with your body – even only for a few minutes before arriving at a venue can be a game-changer. Amy Cuddy is a researcher at Harvard University who studies body language and the impact it has on your hormones. “High power” poses are strong and open. The best example of this is the ‘Wonder Woman’ pose. You stand tall with your chest out and your hands on your hips. Try it in the bathroom before your next presentation!

Being a professional problem solver and solution provider is a big work. It can be mentally and physically exhausting. It can also be invigorating! When you are doing work that you love, with people you like, the way you want – it’s hard to have a bad day.

When you are dealing with difficult clients, doing work that no longer inspires you, in a format that doesn’t suit you, then your energy will literally drain out of your body! Looking after yourself is not a luxury – it is vital.

We have all heard the cliché of “putting your own mask on first.” When you are paid to “deliver,” you need to ensure that you are in good condition. Meeting your needs so you can meet the needs of others is part of the game when you are in service.

Physical Energy
Sleep – do what you need to do to make sleep work.
Supplements – get some good supplements and advice.
Food – notice what suits and supports your energy. Avoid the rest.
Exercise – find a fun way to move – something you want to do each day!
Habits – remove anything that is stopping you from being at your best.

Emotional Energy
Believing in yourself – surround yourself with people who believe in you.
Proof you’ve got this – remind yourself of your success, what you have done well.
Be inspired – fill your world with things, places and people that light you up.

Spiritual Energy
Connect to something – spend a few minutes each day being in awe of something.
Have a little faith – believe in something bigger than yourself.

Being a practice owner is a high-performance zone — rest, replenish, and recover like an athlete. Plan your day, your week, and your quarter to make sure that your energy is a priority.

The world needs you!

Lisa O’Neill
CEO