Success Strategy - Use Less Effort but More Energy, Part 1/2

I've often heard the complaint that people feel as though they are putting a lot of energy into achieving their goals but feel as though they are getting nowhere and, to top it all, they feel drained. In reality they may be confusing energy with effort. It may be that they are putting a great deal of effort into what they are doing and consequently whatever task they are undertaking feels laborious.

You see, there is a distinction between effort and energy but we often confuse the two. Sometimes it may feel as though you don't have any energy because you are putting too much effort into what you are doing. Here's an interesting paradox:

"The more effort you put into something, the more energy you will lose. The more energy you put into something the more effortless it becomes."

Therefore, it follows that to be successful you must discover how to achieve your tasks using less effort but more energy and then adopt this success strategy in your life. Examine your life and you'll notice there are times that even when you feel lacklustre and low in energy that there are some activities that never fail to put a spring back in your step and a sparkle in your eye. You may be genuinely tired yet somehow you find the energy for these activities.

Some tasks may genuinely be quite difficult, involve deep concentration and intricate time-consuming work but yet may still feel effortless because you are so engrossed when you are doing these tasks and you experience such a deep sense of pleasure that they hardly seem like work at all. Hours can pass by without you noticing. You may forget to eat you are so absorbed in what you're doing. Conversely, when you are doing something you find tedious you may find yourself counting the minutes as they drag by.

Another reason you may feel drained of energy is that you have too many 'tolerations' in your life. Tolerations don't necessarily have to be big things. In fact, they are often small and seemingly trivial tasks that you know you should take care of but never seem to get around to doing so. It could be the lawn that needs mowing; a letter you have been meaning to write; the windows that need cleaning; a subscription you should cancel; papers that need to be filed away; an article you wanted to read but just can't seem to find the time to do so. An example of a big toleration could be your desire to change jobs or relocate to a new environment that is more conducive to your personal and professional development. Every day you remain in your current job or environment without doing anything about it is a drain on your energy. As Robert Allen says:

"No thought resides in your mind rent-free."

There is a simple three-step process you can use for dealing with tolerations.

Do them
Simply complete the task you've been putting off for so long. Focus your energy on the task and work through it until it is done. As you do so you may find your mind wandering - steer it back on track. Your sub-conscious mind may start to raise objections and reasons why you shouldn't complete the task there and then. Pay no attention. This is when you have to use your conscious mind to overrule your subconscious. Plan a reward for yourself once the task is complete. Chances are though, that the feeling and energy you experience from just completing the task will be a reward in itself.

"Do the thing and then you will have the energy to do the thing."
LeLand Van Val de Wall

Discharge them
Sometimes it is no longer worth doing a particular task. In such cases declare the task to be complete, mentally discharge it from your mind and move on. If you haven't read that article then maybe it's just not worth reading. Discard it or if you can recycle it by passing it on to someone who you think might benefit from it.

Schedule them
Some tolerations are more complex and cannot be resolve in one go and or there may be a task that will demand more time that you can devote at this point in time but yet is a task that you must do. In such cases, schedule a time when you can work on it and be diligent in sticking to this time to work on this task.

As you complete your tolerations you will find that you have more and more energy plus you will attract more of what you desire into your life. This is a result of you being more fulfilled and therefore more attractive plus by clearing away your tolerations you will have created room for more of the 'good stuff' to enter your life.




success strategy success energy