“The more energy someone has the more likely they are to be happy and climb to the top of their primary field of interest.”
Brendon Burchard, High Performance Habits
We’re diving into High Performance Habit #2, Generate Energy, from Brendon Burchard’s book, High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way. When looking at energy, Burchard considers not just physical energy, but mental and emotional energy as well. He outlines three practices to increase our energy in these aspects: Release Tension, Set Intention; Bring the Joy, and Optimize Health.
Release tension, Set Intention
An interesting observation the author has made over years of coaching is that some people underperform because they do not consciously and deliberately deal with transitions throughout the day. The transitions we’re talking about are the ones from one major activity to another. Waking up and getting out of bed, getting ready for the day to commuting to work, going from one meeting to another, starting and ending a workout, etc. Burchard’s observation is that the better we are at managing transitions from one major activity to another, the more energy we can generate. He has three steps to consider when in the transition zone:
- Close your eyes for a minute or two.
- “Repeat the word ‘release’ in your mind, over and over.” Release physical tension and tension in the mind and spirit.
- When you feel some tension has been released, set intention. Think about “what you want to feel and achieve in the next activity you’re about to take on.”
A few questions you can ask yourself when setting intention are, “What energy do I want to bring to the next activity? How can I do this next activity with excellence? How can I enjoy the process?”
The author encourages the reader to try this three-step process when transitioning, such as before writing an email, before and after exercising, and before getting together with friends for a meal.
Bring the Joy
“Joy is one of the three defining positive emotions of the high performance experience. (Confidence and full engagement in the moment…are the other two.”
Brendon Burchard, High Performance Habits
In the author’s research he interviewed high performers and asked how they brought joy into their lives. He found they do the following six things:
- In advance, high performers predetermine the feelings they want to feel ahead of an event or the day in general. Then they generate those feelings via asking themselves questions or visualizing.
- High performers “anticipate positive outcomes from their actions” including being rewarded.
- High performers think about what they might run into that is stressful, and how to respond gracefully. In short, they “prepare themselves for difficulties”.
- High performers look for ways to “insert appreciation, surprise, wonder, and challenge into their day.”
- High performers guide social interactions in a positive direction.
- High performers reflect on what they are grateful for.
Burchard talks about triggers he uses to be his best self and bring the joy. In the morning, he uses the shower as a trigger to ask himself what he can be excited about today, what challenges he may face and how he’ll respond, and who he can surprise with a note or token of appreciation.
Other triggers he used are setting alarms on his phone to go off several times a day, reminding him to BRING THE JOY. When he crosses the threshold of a door he says to himself, “I will find the good in this room. I’m entering this space a happy man ready to serve.” He checks in on how vibrant he feels when he’s waiting in a line (and if the score is low he’ll motivate himself to step it up). Another he mentions is a “stress trigger.” He used this when, due to a brain injury, he would feel stressed, anxious and out of control. After sensing the stress he would take several deep breaths and ask, “What’s the positive thing I can focus on and the next right action of integrity I should take now?”
What Burchard wants us to remember is that if we’re not reminding ourselves to generate joy, we’re not going to experience “the full range of life’s zest.”
Optimize Health
Exercise, nutrition, sleep. You already know these three things are important for overall health. On exercise, Burchard dives into the neuroscience behind why getting a good amount of exercise is good for mental performance. I’ll skip all the science stuff and sum up by saying what you probably already know: exercise lowers stress and improves cognitive function. Exercise increases your energy.
One interesting note from the author’s research “on over twenty thousand high performers is that the top 5 percent of all high performers are 40 percent more likely to exercise at least three days per week than the 95 percent below them.”
So get out there and move!
Burchard touches on nutrition as well. He points out that in the United States, 60% of adults qualify as overweight or obese. People are overeating. “…Be aware when you’re eating not for nourishment but just to satiate yourself when you’re in a bad mood. Beware of using meals as a way to push down negative emotions. If you feel bad, move.”
Also, to optimize health and increase energy, Burchard recommends getting great sleep, 7-8 hours a night. His recommendation is based on decades of sleep science. He suggests training yourself to sleep this long as many of us have conditioned ourselves to not get that much sleep. He also suggests working with your doctor to make this year the healthiest one ever by getting diagnostic screens and making necessary adjustments.
tl;dr
High Performance Habit #2, Generate Energy, is about increasing our physical, mental, and emotionally energy. By using the transition time between major activities during the day to consciously release tension, and setting intentions for the next activity, we can reduce stress, and increase energy. By visualizing and feeling the emotions we want to feel in upcoming situations, we can cultivate a habit of bringing the joy. And, by optimizing our health through appropriate exercise, nutrition, and sleep, we can increase our energy level.
engineer your life
- Reflect on activities you have during the day. Do you ever carry negative emotions from one activity to another? Consider using the transition time to release tension and set intention for the next activity.
- Look for ways to bring joy into your life. Choose someone to show appreciation to (and then do it!).
- You already know some areas where you can start for optimizing your health. Brainstorm on ways you can get into healthier habits.