I read a lot of self help books and this is one of the better ones.
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz move the emphasis from time management to energy management as the way to ensure we are always operating as best we can.
They came to this conclusion by observing why some people succeeded in sport and other did not.
What they found was that the best athletes had certain rituals that allowed them to recover when they were not performing.
By building up their energy levels between matches they were able to defeat their opponent.
This was most evident in tennis where certain players would go through a recovery ritual between points that gave them greater endurance during longer matches.
So for the rest of us managing physical energy might involve taking more exercise or a change of diet.
But it doesn't stop there.
Then there is emotional energy.
We need positive emotions to see us through times of extreme stress.
This can mean improving listening skills,spending more time with people you care about instead of working late.
Then there is mental energy-being able to visualize an outcome we want, doing yoga and meditation before going into the rush of each day.
Finally there is spiritual energy, that is having meaning to our lives,a big picture of where we are going.
The authors have made a point of avoiding any religious or spiritual references, as if they did I am sure they would have alienated some readers.
They bring up the issues of passion integrity and honesty so there is some expectation you have a code of values you live by.
This is where religion usually appears but had the authors aligned themselves with any one practice, their publishers might have got a bit anxious.
If you do have a spiritual practice already, you can bring the authors recommendations into your rituals.
So a great read.
The biggest take away is building rituals into your life that allow you to recover and be fully engaged in whatever you do.
Get it now.