No LimitsSample

One of the first ways most people try to increase their capacity is by taking control of their time. They buy calendars and books on time management, and they make a commitment to not allowing even a single minute of a single day to go to waste.

There’s only one problem with that: our days are numbered.

We can increase many capacities, but there’s nothing we can do to expand time. The number of minutes in a day, days in a week, and weeks in a year are fixed.

Which is why we should focus instead on our energy.

If we want to get more done and make a greater impact on the world, we need to increase our energy capacity. The people who live to their full potential don’t sit back and wait for things to happen to them—they go out and make things happen, and that takes energy.

To help you increase your energy capacity, it helps to reflect on common sources for energy. For example:

• Living in Gift Zones—when you live in your best gifts to do the things you care about, you often find yourself fully charged up. These are the activities that make you say, “I was born to do this.” What activities make you feel this way?
• Investing in Family and Friends—creating experiences and memories with people you care about is a great way to get energized. There’s something inspiring about doing something you love with people you love. What kinds of interactions fill you with energy?
• Adding Value to Others—helping other people is a tremendous energy booster. When we serve others by providing something that makes their day a little better, we not only draw energy from having done something for someone else, we also get energy from their response! To borrow a phrase my friend, Ed Bastian, it’s a “virtuous cycle” that reproduces goodness and energy for everyone. What activities done for others energize you?
• Physical Health—for some people this is an area of neglect. For many years, my exercise, rest, and diet habits weren’t healthy because I thought they were selfish or a waste of time. But they’re none of those things—taking care of your physical health is being a good steward of what God has given you, because you can’t live out your God-given potential if your health is shot—or if you’re dead. What can you do to improve your physical health and give yourself more physical energy?
• Making Room for God—as a person of faith, being mindful of God’s greatness and presence not only keeps me humble, it keeps me dependent upon Him. Seeking Him each day—and giving Him room to work in my life—energizes me in a way I can’t describe. How can you better connect with God to be energized by Him?

When we focus on increasing our energy capacity, we discover we can do more even when our time is short. Managing our energy for the things that matter most will change our lives and our world for the better.