Sealing up your energy leaks
I live in a community that has very old housing stock. Our house, for example, was built in 1909.
As stewards of an old home, we are often aware of – and tending to - energy leaks. Drafty windows, a lack of insulation, doors that aren’t any longer hung strait and don’t seal properly, old appliances…
I’m a firm believer that we must attend similarly, to the energy leaks in our lives.
Signs of energy leaks in your home: drafty zones and high utility bills.
Signs of energy leaks in your life: exhaustion, dullness, unfinished projects, and postponed dreams.
Some of the big energy drains on my radar right now:
Unmade decisions (later…I’ll think about that later, when I have time…)
Pending tasks (hello items that have been on your to do list for weeks…or months!)
Tolerations (those things you put up with because it’s too complicated to explain, too pointless to argue, too futile to change it, too soon or too late to deal with it…)
"When is it a good time to work on an energy leak?"
If you are drained, depleted, and exhausted. Often times big thinking, strategic thinking, and creative thinking are not going to be in your wheelhouse right now. Tidying up some tactical energy drains though, could restore some of that life force.
Remove the item on the to do list that you don’t ever seem to get around to.
Say no to the commitment (e.g. event, committee) you are tolerating but don’t really enjoy
Decide to formally postpone the unmade decision (e.g. keep the car until August rather than wondering if it is time for a new one and which one should it be, etc…)
If you sense some rising momentum but it feels unfocused or fuzzy. I’ve noticed that new ideas and creativity can become dulled by the unmade decisions, pending tasks, and tolerations that are present – thwarting the aliveness and potential available to us. Tidying up the tactical energy drains…and especially tackling some of the bigger ones, can be of great help here.
THE ENERGY INVENTORY
Grab a piece of paper.
Write “Energy Inventory” at the top.
Taking a look at each (or any) of these areas of your life: Living Space (you could even take this one room at a time…), Work Space, Personal Relationships, Professional Relationships, Personal Projects, Professional Projects, Health & Wellness
Make a list of any pending tasks, tolerations, and unmade decisions related to the area.
If you are like most people, you won’t go fix all these energy issues at once. But, you’ll use this process to identify where the biggest impact may be.
In my experience, after surveying the scene with the Energy Inventory you will have some good instincts about what is sucking the most life, creativity, or momentum out of you right now.
As always email, your questions, feedback and experiences!
If you want some additional info about energy inventory - watch the video here!
Love,
Marijke Ocean