compliments of FutureVisions^SM

creating sustainable results in growth and performance

GATHERING THE FACTS

When it comes to making specific changes in the way you manage your energy in the service of , honesty is the best policy.

How honest are you with yourself? The only way to find out is to understand what is actually going on in your life. Facing the truth requires making yourself the object of inquiry-conducting an audit of your life and holding yourself accountable for the energy consequences of your behaviors. To get a quick overview, take out a piece of paper and a pen and set aside at least thirty quiet minutes to answer this series of questions:

	On a scale of 1 to 10, how fully engaged are you in your work? What is standing in your way?
	How closely does your everyday behavior match your values and serve your mission? Where are the disconnects?
	How fully are you embodying your values and vision for your­self at work? At home? In your community? Where you are falling short?
	How effectively are the choices that you are making physically your habits of nutrition, exercise, sleep and the balance of stress and recovery-serving your key values?
	How consistent with your values is your emotional response in any given situation? Is it different at work than it is at home, and if so, how?
	To what degree do you establish clear priorities and sustain at­tention to tasks? How consistent are those priorities with what you say is most important to you?

Now take this inquiry one step further, and make it more open-ended. If energy is your most precious resource, let's look at how well you manage it relative to what you say matters most.

	How do your habits of sleeping, eating and exercising affect your available energy?
	How much negative energy do you invest in defense spending - frustration, anger, fear, resentment, envy-as opposed to posi­tive energy utilized in the service of growth and productivity?
	How much energy do you invest in yourself, and how much in others, and how comfortable are you with that balance? How do those closest to you feel about the balance you've struck?
	How much energy do you spend worrying about, feeling frustrated by and trying to influence events beyond your control?
	Finally, how wisely and productively are you investing your energy?

Whether it is impatience, or lack of empathy, or poor time management - or any of the many blocks or barriers to your optimal performance - they are problematic because they have negative energy consequences – in your own life and on others. These are common performance barriers barriers to full engagement because they impede the optimal flow of energy.  Think about the impact of each of your blocks on the quality and quantity of energy in your work and in your personal life.