MAKE TIME FOR YOUR PASSIONS

In professional basketball, the coach often says, "The key is that our players bring energy to the game tonight." Notice they don't mention technical skills or an understanding of the game plan. They talk about an intangible thing: energy.

In business, people are forever talking about strategies and competencies. But business is like sports. You need energy to perform. Most key business events happen over the course of a few hours or a few days. Some hours and some days are simply more important than others in terms of delivering the key business outcomes. During those key moments, your business results either suffer or improve. During those key moments, you need your very best energy.

Have you ever noticed that the people who put in 70 hours a week are rarely the top performers in the group? (Of course, they justify these hours in a hundred different ways. They are focusing more activities than on results.) They are working so hard that they are exhausted all of the time. That way they are bringing a very low level of energy to everything they do. Rather than pouring in 70 hours of low energy every week, I encourage you to invest 45 hours of great energy into your work each week. That way you have the kind of energy required for the big moments that will drive better business results.

Work less and pour more time into your passions, the things that will regenerate your energy. Last week my wife, Barb, kidnapped me for my 40th birthday and we traveled with our kids to Dyersville, Iowa to spend two glorious hours at the Field of Dreams. (Yep, the real Field of Dreams from the movie.) It was perfect. We drove 700 miles round trip to go see a field. I came back reenergized and had one of the best weeks I've had in a long time. Last night we went to see Disney On Ice and today we went to Grant's Farm, which is a beautiful little area by our house that is filled with animals. My batteries are full again and we're ready to go after next week with new vigor.

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR PASSIONS AND REENERGIZE YOUR BATTERIES!

Republishing Articles

Each month my e-newsletter gets republished in approximately 20 blogs, on-line publications, and internal publications for businesses, universities, and not-for-profit organizations. If you would like to republish all or part of my monthly articles, please send me an e-mail at dan@thecoughlincompany.com with "Republishing Article" in the subject heading. I will send you the article in a word document. All I ask is that you include my name as the author of the article and a short paragraph at the end of the article about me with a link to my website.

Take care and have a great month!

Dan Coughlin

Back to Newsletter Page

P.O. Box 1245 Fenton, Missouri 63026
Phone 636.825.6611 Fax 636.825.9831
E-mail info@thecoughlincompany.com