Hi savvy leaders! Welcome to episode 42. Today we’re here to talk about energy drainers. What are energy drainers? We’ll bring awareness to them and I’ll give you 3 steps to address your energy drainers so they’re no longer stealing your effectiveness as a leader.
You can find the full transcript of today’s episode, episode 42, at crazybigdreams.biz/42.
Energy drainers come in all shapes and sizes. Today I’m focusing on life’s little complaints. These are small things we tend to brush off. Like a gnat, we maybe swat them away in the moment, but mostly we ignore them, unaware that, over time, these gnats tax our attention and energy.
If they felt more like mosquitoes, or even bees, we might do something about them. Mostly, we put up with them. Some examples are messy workspaces that keep us up from finding things, unfinished tasks, or the questions from team members when they have the answers at their fingertips yet they come to you instead.
I’m sure other examples are coming to mind for you. These energy drainers can show up in all areas of life, not only in your role as a leader. From your morning cup of coffee to the check engine light coming on, to the noise the front door makes every time you come and go, well, this can all drain your energy.
Most of us tend to tolerate these things until they accumulate and really bug us. We finally do something about them. Sadly, many different little things may have grown to quite a massive size.
The accumulation of so many little things can be a significant energy drainer overshadowing your leadership effectiveness, but difficult to recognize.
Simply bringing a higher level of awareness to life’s little annoyances is sometimes all we need to be inspired to address them.
Step 1: Make a list. Simply write down all the little annoyances that keep draining your energy.
Start with your role as a Direct Sales leader. Include your workspace at home, your phone (is there not enough storage space) your laptop, and your desk (is it cluttered). What are the energy drainers here? Write them down.
Next write down the little annoyances that relate to taking care of your clients, your team, your upline, and downline. It’s likely something you’re always having to address.
Think about the FAQs, the frequently asked questions you get. Is there a product out of stock? When is it coming back in? Is there a client program that continues to always get the same questions? Can you, or have someone else, create a cheat sheet of answers, if your company hasn’t already provided this for you?
Step 1 is to make a list of little annoyances that drain your energy.
Step 2 is to identify a solution. Keep in mind you’ll be focusing on what you can influence.
Step 3 is to make your best guess on how long it may take you to solve the issue. A few minutes? 15 minutes? If longer than an hour, this may not be a little annoyance, it could be something bigger. We cover this level of energy drainer in episode 43.
The whole point of identifying your energy drainers is to bring more awareness to them. With more awareness, we get what we need to address some of these. Once addressed, they no longer put a daily drain on your energy. Your level of contentment as a person and your effectiveness as a leader is no longer inhibited.
So what’s draining your energy these days? Click over to Instagram @yourcrazybigdreams and share. I bet you’re definitely not the only one with this energy drainer.
The best is yet to come. Always.
