The second area of high performance is energy. It seems like hear so many people complaining about being exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed. This is awful! If we don't have enough energy, we can't be our best for our family, friends, career and ourselves. We want to sustain high levels of energy so we an be motivated to achieve our goals and be happy.
How's your energy level? If it's not good, what's sucking the energy out of you? It could be poor nutrition, lack of proper sleep, or stress.
If you are eating processed, sugary or fried foods, you must have feelings of being bloated, lethargic and just plain crappy. Sick to whole foods—they give us the nutrients we need for vitality.
If you aren't getting enough quality sleep, you're paying for it—whether you believe it or not. We need 7-8 hours. I hear many people say they're "fine with only 5 hours of sleep". Despite those claims, they're not. Studies have shown that lack of proper sleep causes negative effects—both physically and mentally. Even people that are confident they "are fine" with fewer hours have performed worse on cognitive tests than when they had the full 8 hours.
If you need to be up by 6:00 am, figure out how to be in bed at 10:00 pm. And, make sure your bedroom is is conducive to getting a good night's sleep. Your room should be dark and cool. Your bed should be comfortable. Make sure you've turned off your phone and laptop/ipad off so that you don't hear dinging through the night.
Are you stressed? Why? What can you do to alleviate your stress? Some stress-reducing activities are: meditation, deep breathing techniques, exercise, getting a massage, playing with a pet, discussing your stress with therapist, friend or loved-one. It's vitally important to address your stress. Studies have shown that stress not only takes a toll on us emotionally, but physically as well.
Energy is a key component to living a High Performance Life. Take some time to think about what adjustment you can make to give yourself more energy so you can feel better, be your best and live a High Performance Life :)