This article is based on an email newsletter I recently received from Bill Ford – an Executive Coach and Mentor based in the UK. www.coachingdirectors.com. I personally found some great gems of wisdom in the article and I invite you to try some of these suggestions out for yourself and see what an amazing difference they can make to boost your energy levels.

Would you like to have more energy? Most business people would love to have more energy and feel that it would have an impact on productivity and profits. The main message is: notice what drains your energy and do less of it, and what boosts your energy and do more of it. As simple as that, here are some specifics:

1. Go for progress not perfection. The road sweeper when he wants to feel good looks behind him, not in front. Take a few moments at the end of each day to write down three things that you achieved that day.

2. Start meetings by going round the room and asking everyone to say one thing that is going well in their work. This modest exercise can be surprisingly challenging for some, but it will help to raise the energy for all present.

3. Clear clutter in 15-minute bursts - it matters more than you think. If it is neither useful nor beautiful, then sell it, give it away or dump it.

4. Fix the little things you've been meaning to get around to - the printer that doesn't work properly, the loose light switch etc. Make a list and start taking action on them. Ignoring them drains energy, like a noisy fan in the background.

5. Start rating your energy out of 10. Before going into a meeting, prepare by deciding what level you would like to be during the meeting. Then act as if you were.

6. Make 3-minute phone calls to people who lift you. They can pick up your day and are particularly useful before you start making sales calls or more difficult phone calls.

7. Spend more time with people who lift you and less with those who drain you.

8. Avoid back to back meetings. Leave yourself a bit of space between them.
And turn up for meetings a few minutes early so you are more composed and less flustered.

9. Allow an extra 15 minutes or so for journeys and put the departure time in your diary. Treat it as you would an appointment e.g. If you said you would set off at 10.15, then do it. Resist the temptation to make an extra call or two. Do that at the other end, if you have time.

10. Your energy level impacts those around you. If you are managing others you have to look upbeat or you drag others down, affecting their productivity. Your apparent mood is a matter of scrutiny for those you manage. Ask yourself after every encounter did you just help them to achieve more or less by the way you came across?

If you want to learn more about increasing your energy levels you can check out Bill Ford’s book “High Energy Habits: The Busy Person's Guide to More Energy”. 

Fergal O’Connor is a Business and Personal Life Coach working in partnership with his Business and Private clients providing a supportive, confidential, challenging and non-judgemental environment to make their ambitions and dreams a reality. Fergal can be contacted at Synergy Coaching Services, Tel: (061) 467287, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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