Followers of this newsletter will know I often talk about there being four types of energy: emotional, mental, physical & spiritual.

It's helpful to distinguish between them because, depending on which type of energy is depleted, the remedy is different. For example, physical energy is low, you need to sleep well, eat well and hydrate. Emotional energy is low, laugh with friends.

I regularly check in on these things with myself. I make a living from, well, myself, so I need to make sure I don't burn out. To manage this, I take corrective action if I realise I am getting drained. I try to do this proactively, so that I stay healthy, rather than ever needing to recover my health. It works.

And then...a couple of weeks ago, I did my little audit on my energy and realised I was depleted in all four areas. Not, crashing to the floor depleted, but certainly not spring-in-my-step restored. It's not hard to work out why.

I never take a proper break 😆

I did step away from work for a couple of weeks over Christmas, but with four young-adult kids, that included an awful lot of driving people places, cooking, cleaning and domestic goings on. Nice but not relaxing.

Before that I had a week off, in...check's notes...August 2025, when me and my wife went to the only bit of Europe where it rained for 6 days. Honestly, I have videos of rain you'd think were taken from a tropical storm.

And before that...I literally cannot remember.

Now, there's something important to understand here. My life has not been out of balance at all. I have been building a business, which is my passion, and anyone who has ever done that will tell you that you have to go all in for the first few years. It's my choice and something that I absolutely love.

But, I can't deny that my batteries are low. So, here's what I have been doing. It's pretty simple.

I've been doing what is essential and not doing anything else.

In my case, that means doing things that directly help or serve my clients, but not doing things that don't. You won't believe how much time I have spent reading novels and going for walks the last couple of weeks. And as a result, I've done some really excellent coaching while recovering my energy.

But if I had ignored the signs, who knows. I might be ill at this point.

The very excellent news for me is that there is a very lovely looking holiday just over the horizon and, with the plan I have put in place for myself, I will arrive at that, already feeling good.

So, where is your energy at right now?

Have a lovely weekend, Stephen

--

If you’re curious whether coaching could help you find more clarity or direction, book a free 15-minute Clarity Call and we’ll explore it together.

If you want help to think about where problems might be arising in your organisation, try my Complexity Pressure Check.

For anything else, hit reply. I answer every email personally.