How to Fuel Great Performance

Today I listened to a webinar called “How to Fuel Great Performance”. I really enjoyed the information and needed these reminders right now. J Here are some summary notes from the call.

"It is not the hours you work that determine the value you create, it’s the energy you invest."

Sleep at least 8 hours per night. Anything less requires that you burn more energy to stay awake. So you not only have less energy, you are less efficient with the energy you do have. You also are sub-optimal in your creativity, concentration, and quality of work. Therefore your quantity is lower as well. When you are tired, you tend to eat more as your body produces less of the chemical that tells your body it’s full.

Do the most important stuff first. Rather than checking your email and becoming reactive, dig into a task that requires concentration. Be proactive on your top projects and goals. Resist exposing yourself to temptation for distractions. Turn off your technology and set aside time to do the most important thing. Get your most challenging work accomplished at your highest level of efficiency.

Take a renewal break every 90 minutes. We are rhythmic beings. The ultradian rhythm that our energy follows is a 90 minute wave. At the end of 90 minutes of high energy, your body needs a rest. We often override it with caffeine, stress hormones, and other emergency sources of energy. This energy is only meant to be used for a very short period of time and allowing it to run for a longer period of time allows it to become toxic. Intentionally renew and refuel at regular intervals. Even one minute can clear your cortisol. A twenty minute nap can be exceptionally powerful. These breaks will refuel your capacity.

Schedule times for reflection, strategy, and big-picture thinking. This improves your renewal and retention. Our working memories are very small. If you don’t give yourself time to let experiences move into the long-term memory and to make sense of all that you take in, your capacity overflows. This requires time and space. You get your best ideas when we are out of task mode, thinking more expansively or not “thinking” at all. They usually arise in the shower, when working out, or walking, etc. Rather than leaving it to chance when this will occur, build it into your life. Get out of the urgent demands that keep you locked in your left-brain.

Refuel your reservoir of positive emotions. How we feel profoundly influences how we perform. Your best work gets done when you have high levels of positive energy. When we are not in this performance zone, we are sub-optimal performers. This is a deeply personal thing so it depends on the individual on how to refill your reservoir of positive emotions. It could be listening to music, hanging out with friends, etc. Appreciation is one way that works for everyone to emotionally renew. Take 10 minutes a day to express appreciation with authenticity to someone. This will boost your energy and change your attitude. Build more of that in your life.

Take all of your vacation days. The more intense the performance demand, the greater the need to intermittently renew ourselves. One of the most important ways to do this is to take your vacation days. Most Americans take 7 days or less per year, with half of those being no vacation days per year. This can significantly increase your health risks and also reduce your effectiveness at work. You will ultimately get more work done at a higher level of quality if you do take your vacation days. Every three months you should take a day or two off. At least once per year take a week or two if you can.

We’re all running in a marathon. It’s a long race with no clear finish in sight. We are constantly burning down our energy reservoir. To stay in the marathon, we must find ways to not constantly engage so that we don’t burn out. If we instead act as a sprinter and see the end point after a finite period of time (building in stopping points), we perform better. We have to find ways to find our finish lines so that we can align with our own natural rhythms.

I was going to link the audio but haven’t gotten it yet... Will post if it becomes available. =)