Answering the Question: Filling My Mug

I figured out where I get my energy from, and where it's going, but what am I going to do about it?

I’m back (on Friday) baby! Couldn’t let another week go by without taking the time to offer a reflection on a weekly prompt, and this week’s feels like the right one to dip back in for. So here we go.

Make a list of 20 things that fill your energy, and 20 things that drain your energy.

Answering the Question

To start with, let’s take a look at some of the things that landed on my list of energy sources:

1. Coffee

2. Travel (inclusive of everything from the airport to the Airbnb)

3. Movement (exercise, walking, running, etc.)

4. Good music

5. Journaling and writing

6. Time spent with a good book or movie

7. Hosting a party

8. Buying and delivering a meaningful gift to someone

9. A day spent at the beach or on the water

10. Social justice work

And on the flip side, some of my energy drains:

1. TV before bed, setting me up for…

2. …a poor night’s sleep

3. Traffic

4. Overeating

5. Too much consecutive socializing

6. Cleaning the floors (I used to love vacuuming, then I got a dog that sheds)

7. Social media, and the drama therein

8. My inbox

I don’t know about you, but these answers definitely didn’t come to me all at once. My journal was actually left cracked open to this page most of the week, and I left it out on the kitchen table. Why? So that when I noticed my energy rising or slipping, I could add what I was doing to the list before forgetting. Like feelings, one of the most powerful things we can do is recognize an experience as we’re having it, so that’s what I tried to do!

Knowing these bits of information, it’s important to figure out what we can do with this information. Knowledge is, of course, power.

For me, it was clear that the morning is the source of a lot of my energy for the day. Up to five of the items presented on that list of energy sources are things I do in the morning, including movement, journaling, and coffee. Protecting that time is clearly critical for the rest of my day. My action? Blocking off two hours every morning (sometimes less) for this routine. Putting it on my calendar holds me accountable each and every day for this. While I leave flexibility for the order (so it doesn’t feel too rigid), it ensures I use that block of time to do all the things that fill my cup…or in the case of coffee, my mug.

The other thing I tried to was figure out how I could cross-fade activities. What energy sources could I bring to my drains that I might not be doing already? Or if I am, how can I get more creative. For instance, putting on music to groove to while you clean isn’t revolutionary, but can I save a certain album or artist to only listen to when I clean the floors? Which of my energy sources could replace TV before bed (of course, any number of them)?

These are the little swaps that could bring a lot more energy, and positivity, to my days.

How about you? What did you discover from all these, and how are you using this new knowledge?

Something for the Weekend

No article or anything for you, just a peek at my energy source: my morning coffee routine. My brew method (a Chemex pour-over), my Golden Girls mug (from Amazon), and some beans from BLK & Bold, one of my favorite coffee brands.