“Leaders are the stewards of organizational energy - … They inspire or demoralize others first by how effectively they manage their own energy and next by how well they mobilize, focus, invest, and renew the collective energy of those they lead.”
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, The Power of Full Engagement
The saying is common yet laughable.
“I’d rather burn-out than rust-out!”
It’s the mantra of the driven solopreneur.
It’s the anthem of go-all-out, go-big-or-go-home types.
But here’s the laughable part…
“Burn-out” or “rust-out” - face it - either way you’re OUT!
How can this be a good thing?
Perhaps it’s the personally or organizationally demoralizing element Loehr was talking about in the above quote.
The idea is a common one. If you can harness time and drive it till it drops…you’ll have arrived at your destination a success - that’s how some solopreneurs see it.
Really?
There’s an OUT-side to living that way. You’ll not last.
And perhaps that’s why you find yourself struggling as a solopreneur or dentrepreneur®?.
Dentrepreneurs manage different resources. Bottom-line: to succeed as a dentrepreneur®? you must manage energy not merely time. TWEET THIS
The gap between time management and energy management
Your energy is the key to a high-performance life. You can have all the time in the world but low or diminished energy hinders your success.
You have control of your energy. Your time?
Not so much.
This makes your energy a valuable resource. Manage it or find yourself emotionally spent and of no good for the culture you lead.
It’s vital as a solopreneur and as a dentrpreneur®? that you create environments where energy is a premium. TWEET THIS
First for you, personally, and then for your collective culture.
How Energy Management Heals and Enhances Your Mindset as a Solopreneur and Dentrepreneur®?
1-Keep your four energy reservoirs topped-off
You are a human being comprised of four energy sources - the physical you, the emotional you, the mental you, and the spiritual you.
Isolate any one of these and you’ll function. But you will be imbalanced.
Diminish or damage either source and you’re sure to limp. Or you’ll operate at much lower capacity than you are capable of.
I’ll not tell you the specifics of what you should engage in for each of the four energy sources. That’s up to you as long as you’re aware and are managing each.
Self-awareness is your “friend” as a solopreneur and dentrepreneur®?. TWEET THIS
Maintain a high-level of self-awareness for your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energies.
Relentless guard them. Do this for yourself and you’ll naturally create the same for your culture.
2-Watch you energy gauges and maintain proper balance.
It’s easy to “busy” yourself into a low energy state. Life as a solopreneur or dentrepreneur®? provides renewed focus but it’s not without its share of stress.
Again, awareness will serve you. Adjust your workflow to include an eye on your energy reserves with the other eye on your task at hand.
This will become more reflexive as you off-load tasks you once prioritized. Thinking like a dentrepreneur®? will free you from some of those energy draining endeavors and present you with fresh air.
3-Increase your energy by pushing yourself to new levels.
Stress gets a bad reputation. In some forms its a “killer,” in others it actually works to your advantage.
Think of training your muscles. Stress them and they grow and expand.
The same applies to your personal energy capacity. Apply healthy doses of “stress” to it and your capacity will increase.
View your solopreneurial and dentrepreneurial journey as if you’re an athlete. Train yourself for increased energy. TWEET THIS
Set the pace for your dental enterprise. Lead the way and your culture will rise with you.
4-Create energy enhancing routines that stoke your performance and that of your culture.
Change can be intimidating. Frankly, it’s just plain tough!
Perhaps you’ve grown accustomed to doing the same thing day in day out. Making a shift can stoke your energy “fires” or it can dampen them.
Build workable and sustainable routines into your workflow as a solopreneur and dentrepreneur®?. Confirm that your new predictabilities are actually productive in the direction of your goals and those of your dental enterprise.
Welcome input and feedback from your “tribe.” Your culture will respond to seasons of energy drain more favorably if they know you will listen proactively.
Permit your culture to create their own sustainable routines. Remember that when you exemplify proper energy management they will too.
Energy is your priceless resource as a solopreneur and dentrepreneur®. Allow us to help you increase, manage, and sustain it as you build your culture.