Leadership Institute: Maintain Your Energy by Focusing on What Is Important Now
Time management has been a corporate buzzword for years but Philip Burton of Human Performance Institute disagrees with time management’s importance and says, "The most critical resource we have as human beings is our energy and most of us fail to manage it effectively." In his Leadership Institute® seminar "Corporate Athlete®," Burton said that everyone needs to think like a professional athlete – train well, prepare for our jobs and allow time to rest so we can maintain our energy levels. The result of managing our energy is an ability to stay focused on the task at hand, avoid distractions and engage in a meaningful way with co-workers, clients, family and friends. A few of the myths that negatively impact energy are: Multi-tasking is necessary to accomplish our jobs today. Burton pointed out that science has proven that it is impossible for humans to multi-task. In reality, multi-tasking requires more energy than prioritizing and focusing on individual tasks and multi-tasking often results in a lower quality of work product. Stress should be reduced to increase our energy levels. "Stress is not bad," Burton said. Positive stress keeps us focused and on target – the danger is when we don’t take breaks from stress, or when we feel stressed by events or situations over which we have no control. Finding a way to accept a situation and move forward is the solution, he says. You must understand why something happens before personal change occurs. Too many times people get caught up in a loop of conversation to identify reasons for change when it is more productive to simply recognize change is needed, Burton noted. He suggested asking yourself, "Here’s where I am and here’s where I want to be. How do I get there?" Focusing on the moment in which you find yourself is important, Burton said. "Now is as good as you’ll ever be but life is a continuum of nows. Focus your energy on what is important – the present is right here, right now. This is your only chance to be extraordinary because the past is gone and the future hasn’t arrived." |
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