The Energy Audit

You may notice some people stay energized all day and wonder how they do it without draining their energy. Is it their diet, sleep, team, family, or time management? While all this matter, we often overlook a key question—how do they manage their energy?

High performers manage not just time, but their energy - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

First, let’s look at the energy quadrants:

The performance zone is where you want to be when you’re working towards a specific goal. You feel upbeat, engaged, challenged, and optimistic.

The survival zone is high, negative energy - triggered by threat, shifting control to fight-or-flight and showing up as anxiety, irritability, fear, and self-criticism.

The burnout zone is low, negative energy - marked by feelings of helplessness, emptiness, and exhaustion.

The renewal zone is low, positive energy - a space to recharge and return to performance, marked by calm, serenity, and peace.

The key to sustainable high performance and well-being is to move regularly and deliberately between the performance zone and the recovery zone.

Now let’s explore how to move into the performance/renewal zone.

Here’s a quick checklist - note areas you need to work on. If unsure, ask a trusted person who knows you well to rate you. Feel free to add other aspects that matter to you.