Riding The Waves Of Life… Or Not [Organize IT]
During the day our energy levels fluctuate and ultimate decline as the hours pass. The same principle applies weekly, monthly and yearly and our bodies can really be compared to batteries. For instance, our energy levels can peak one week then plummet two weeks later. And it’s not just our energy levels, it’s our productivity levels, happiness levels, concentration levels, motivation levels and so on. It’s all part of the natural ebb and flow of our lives. Animals largely live their lives around these fluctuations, and many years ago, humans would have done the same (what could be described as surfing the waves). Nowadays of course, we have so many commitments and distractions that we often have to just deal with everything regardless of whether we are peaking or sinking (just push through the waves the best we can).
This relates to a previous development I discussed, where I posed the issue that simplifying our lives ran contrary to the way society was evolving. If ever there was an example of how our natural state runs contrary to the way we often live our lives, then not following the ebbs and flows of our energy levels is it. Unless you intend to sell all your possessions and start living in the forest, it’s far too late to turn the clocks back on this matter I’m afraid.
What’s the big deal about not being aligned with our energy waves? Ever get those days and weeks when your motivation is at near zero and you wish you could go home and chill out rather than spending all day in the office? Ever have those periods of time when you feel down and miserable and then a week later everything looks rosy again? If you are a GTD fan you will no doubt have experienced those weeks of hyper-productivity, only to see your performance slump a month later, then rise up like a phoenix once again. Some people have great highs, some have huge dips and some don’t generally fluctuate much at all. However, it happens to everyone regardless of whether we are aware of it or not. For better or for worse, we have to just deal with it though otherwise our life suffers.
Surely we can do something about it though? As soon as we started thinking about issues other than where our next meal would come from and how we could defend our cave, things were inevitably going to change. Nowadays, there is only so much we can do, however just knowing what our own personal energy flows are we can use it to our advantage. For instance, if we know roughly when our energy levels peak and when they plummet we can plan things around it. For instance, knowing that the beginning of the month is my most productive and the end of it is when I slump, I can get a large bulk of work done early on, to make up for the lack of work I would otherwise do a few weeks later. Theoretically.
Arguably, we want to be able to artificially alter our energy levels so that the peaks and troughs match our lifestyles. Ideally, we want more and bigger highs and less extreme dips. Some of it is down to chemical balances in the body, which leads to the tricky issue of drugs and supplements. For instance, would you regularly take energy drinks to give you that extra boost? Of course there is also the matter of what you eat, how much sleep you get and how regularly you exercise.
This whole topic is something I will be experimenting with over the coming weeks as I know people who suffer from the more extreme fluctuations in their energy waves which can be a source of great frustration. I will look at measures you can take to to align your energy levels with your lifestyle and the artificial/natural resources you can use to maintain steady energy waves. In the meantime I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Original post here: SpiKe
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