Easy Ways to Combat Energy Zappers

Summary

Jeannette Seibly outlines strategies to overcome common energy zappers such as procrastination, excuses, and stress by using scheduling, delegation, focused time blocks, coaching, and accountability partnerships.

Abstract

The article "Easy Ways to Combat Energy Zappers" by Jeannette Seibly emphasizes the detrimental impact of excuses and procrastination on personal energy levels. Seibly identifies stress, boredom, toxic people, lack of sleep, and excessive sugar and caffeine as significant energy drainers. She advocates for a proactive approach to managing these factors through six key strategies: scheduling tasks as if they were appointments with VIPs, delegating tasks to those who enjoy them, setting aside 20-minute focused work sessions, hiring a coach for guidance, finding an accountability partner, and using writing, walking, and talking to process and overcome daily stressors. Seibly, known as The Leadership Results Coach, draws on her experience in helping professionals achieve their goals and maintain high energy levels.

Opinions

Procrastination and excuses are identified as the top energy zappers, with the latter being self-imposed mental barriers.
Avoiding tasks requires more energy than completing them, and procrastination leads to a cycle of diminished self-confidence and missed opportunities.
Scheduling tasks and treating them as non-negotiable appointments is a method to ensure commitment and follow-through.
Delegating tasks to those who are enthusiastic about them can lead to better outcomes, as they may perform the work with greater enjoyment and skill.
A simple technique to overcome procrastination is to commit to working on a task for just 20 minutes, which often leads to continued productivity beyond that time frame.
Hiring a coach and having an accountability partner are recommended to maintain focus, navigate complex situations, and sustain energy levels.
Writing, walking, and talking are suggested as effective methods for dealing with stress, boredom, and toxic individuals.
Seibly emphasizes the importance of honoring commitments to be seen as top talent and a reliable influencer in one's professional field.

Easy Ways to Combat Energy Zappers

“Many people love to procrastinate and blame boredom, stress, and toxic people. But the truth is when you fail to honor your commitments to yourself and others, your energy gets zapped daily.” Jeannette Seibly

What is our #1 energy zapper? Our excuses! Stress, boredom, and toxic people, along with lack of sleep, too much sugar, and caffeine, rank right up there as energy zappers too! And, these will occur on a regular basis when not managed.

But procrastination and the excuses we mentally create to justify it win. Ironically, it takes more energy to avoid doing the task or job than it does to get the work done. It’s incredible how much time we waste looking for excuses, feeding our procrastination, and seeking out “why” we don’t want to get it done.

When you have a job, task, or client need, the bottom line is that you want to get into focused-action as quickly as possible. If you don’t, you will experience diminished self-confidence and self-worth. And, you will find future career opportunities, and sales get zapped too.

6 Strategies to Stop Energy Zappers

Schedule. Use an online or hand-written calendar, scheduler, and/or planner. Schedule the time needed to get the task done. Now, honor it as an appointment with a VIP (very important person).

I remember using an online planner to get my first book written and published. Every week I would receive a notification of activities for the week. And I honored it! This process eliminated the excuses I usually created for not getting my book written and published sooner.

Do or Delegate. Just because you don’t want to do it doesn’t mean others won’t welcome the opportunity. Don’t be afraid to delegate the task or job to someone who would welcome it. Remember, they won’t do it the same way you would … but they often do it better because they enjoy the work!

Brandon hated accounting. But as an entrepreneur knew, it was essential to have up-to-date numbers. So, he set aside his excuses and hired a bookkeeper who completed the weekly work within a couple of hours. Now, Brandon can speak intelligently with banks, his coach, and his team about where they need to focus their attention and be profitable.

Set Aside 20 minutes. If you’re still finding or looking for excuses, STOP! Set a timer for 20 minutes and focus on doing the task during that time and see how far you progress. If, at the end of the 20 minutes, you’re ready to do more, go for it!

One sales rep avoided making his calls and following up with potential customers. His excuse was, “They don’t want to buy from me anyway.” When he worked with his sales manager and coach, he learned how to use those 20 minutes to follow-up and follow-through. His sales improved dramatically.

Hire a Coach and Find an Accountability Partner. Find someone to be your cheerleader. This person will keep you in action. And guide you through complex situations and/or relationships that can also be energy zappers.

Write It Out, Walk It Out, and Talk It Out. These three activities will help you overcome the normal energy zappers of day-to-day stress, boredom, and toxic people.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant and keynote speaker. Have trouble getting into focused action and feeling energized to get your job done and goals completed? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Note from Jeannette about energy zappers. Honoring our commitments has become more critical today than ever. Keeping your commitments make you a top talent that your customers enjoy working with. Unfortunately, too many people fail to understand the impact of not keeping their commitments. Contact me today to confidentially talk about your energy zappers.

Being a top influencer means honoring your word and getting the job done in a high-quality and timely manner. So, grab your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.