Welcome back! We are continuing our conversation about achieving a positive rate of return on our investments outside of our financial returns.
Even though this is our final segment in this series, I hope that the conversation itself will not end here.
Our investments and intentions for them are a critical part of how we achieve the life and work that is most rewarding for us in any given season in our lives.
In this segment, we are talking about ROE or Return on Energy. This was briefly covered in our last segment, where we talked about relationships and the “E” factor in those investments. However, since energy goes well beyond relationships, it merits its own spotlight in the series.
Just as with learning and relationships, the first place we look at is not the return, it is the investment. Our investment in energy includes three areas: Physical, mental, and spiritual. Quite often, we fail to really consider the source of our energy and what best serves us.
Physical energy may require some active review on your part. One of the best ways to do this is by keeping an energy log for a week. Make a note of your energy level on a scale of 1 to 10 every hour. Keep this simple – just a simple note in a log you keep in a small notebook or even in your favored personal electronic device. I kept mine in my phone when I first did this.
It’s important to do this often and long enough so you can later see patterns. A word of caution: Do not try to interpret your entries until the end of your logging period. Then look for trends. Is your energy higher in the mornings or evenings? Do you see any correlation between eating and energy? Are particular days of the week standing out as higher or lower?
Look for both the high and low spots and consider what is routinely happening. This will begin to paint the picture for you and show where you see impacts from your diet, physical activity levels, rest, and hydration. You can also use a tool or app to help you monitor these activities.
The log will also begin to show you where mental energies are manifesting in your physical realm.
One discovery of value for me from this was energy within the context of introvert and extrovert personalities. The basic difference is where energy is most quantifiably sourced.
When I first went through this logging experiment, I realized that I am, in fact, an introvert. I have a natural love of people and value my leadership roles. I would not have ever considered myself an introvert. But the logs showed otherwise. Solitary activities spiked my energy. Group activities depleted my energy.
If we know where we get the fuel, we can frequent those resources with the right expectation and level of investment. And if we know where our energy depletes, we can better manage those investments.
The spiritual aspect of investment is often overlooked, as we may not recognize that the energy of our spirit is, in fact, the most critical. We can overcome lags in our physical or mental energy by leveraging our spiritual energy. If it were a rock, paper, scissors contest, spiritual energy would always trump the rest.
How do you invest in your spiritual energy? Some of the most effective ways for me have been journaling, prayer, meditation, spiritual readings, and music. What fills your spirit? Go to that well and invest.
Remembering that there is risk and reward for all of our investments is the key to achieving the success we want in our lives and work. Whether it is about our money, learning, relationships, or energy, it comes down to the same factors. Our results reflect our priorities and choices.
Live (invest) today like you want tomorrow to be. Live (invest) well!
