The Necessity of People's Energy

dilbert.com

                   
Businesses run because of productivity. Productivity on different departments creates a smooth flow of operation. Productivity on different levels of organization creates harmony towards directions and commands that leads to better - best people performance. Productivity doesn't rely on machines, it rely on people. So what are the most essential commodity towards productivity? It is TIME and ENERGY.


TIME - for the longest time managers/ business owners/ leaders say that it is the most important substance towards success, time. Time is infinite, it will never end, even if the world cease to exist, time will still be there. Timing, on the other hand, is the preparedness of grasping an opportunity when it present itself. Most people believe that if it isn't the right time, regardless how ready you are, success won't be achieved. This is always a case-to-case basis.


I would like to give emphasis more on ENERGY - the capacity to do work or exert power. Like what has stated above, time is either finite or infinite but energy is renewable. Once the opportunity present itself but the person doesn't have enough to grab it, opportunity was usually wasted. Energy creates activities, performing activities (work/ duty /responsibility/ task-whichever you like) pushes you further up towards accomplishing a goal. Finishing your tasks creates preparedness, and being prepared creates opportunity upon reaching your goal and even the company's goal. It most of the time generate opportunities. So the question is, do you still have energy?


It is vital for the management and even the employees to know the importance of energy. Machines have routine maintenance. People, most especially, is in dire need of rest and relaxation. It is the key to attain renewable energy. Here are the essential sources of energy:




1. Physical energy

We can achieve this through:  Quality and quantity of sleep Appropriate nutrition to ensure balanced blood sugar levels thought the day. It isn’t possible to be productive and perform well with low blood sugar. It is also impossible to even think with very low blood sugar levels as it literally leaves you feeling ‘brain-dead’. Appropriate nutrition refers to managing your insulin spikes and choosing fresh, enzyme-rich foods as the best fuel for your physical body (your engine).

The right exercise (this does not mean excessive cardio!). In fact, short, intense exercise if far more beneficial and achievable.
Short bursts of rest in between rushing around or performing endless tasks around the house or work is also far more productive. Think of yourself as a ‘corporate athlete’ where you sprint and recover instead of working all day long without regular breaks. Power rests can be anywhere from one to five minutes, provided you totally disengage from your activity.

2. Emotional energy (emotional connection)

In order to perform at our best, we need to access our positive and uplifting emotions such as enjoyment, adventure, opportunity, challenge and inspiration. Appreciating others and, in turn, feeling appreciated is the key here.
When we dwell on negative emotions, such as hostility, resentment or anxiety, the quality of our energy is hugely diminished. Over time, running on negative emotional energy at work or in any other area of life is a huge energy drain, which leads to chronic tiredness, perhaps even Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

This is because emotions that arise out of fear or deficit or which threaten our survival in any way, produce an extremely toxic effect by stimulating the adrenal glands to release cortisol (the stress hormone). In small amounts, cortisol is beneficial but when it pumps into the bloodstream for too long, it leaves a trail of destruction and eats away at muscle tissue.

3. Mental energy (mental focus)

Any way of quietening the mind and its constant chitchat, such as ‘effortless’ meditation technique or activities that focus on the breath like Qi Gong, allows us to renew our mental energy. Renewing our mental energy makes us far more intelligent and productive in the long run.

To perform at our best, we also need to sustain concentration and be flexible in our thinking, with appropriate focus and realistic optimism. Regularly engaging in creative visualisations enhances the mental flow of energy.

Mental capacity is also derived from expending and renewing energy. In practical terms, if we spend too much time in overthinking, over-analysing or focusing heavily on practical outcomes, we are not allowing for creative possibilities and new ways of thinking or experiencing to occur. And, of course, if we adopt this approach habitually, it can lead to boredom, which can create a very destructive outcome.

4. Spiritual energy (knowing your purpose/path)

Spiritual energy aligns our actions, motivations and ambitions and as a result we feel more alive, engaged, connected and able to judge our next step more clearly. At this level, we are also able to access and use our innate gifts and talents creating an awesome sense of having ‘energy on tap’.

Just as nature has its own natural pulses and rhythms, such as the daily rising and setting of the sun, we also experience wave-like movements between activity and rest. Daily rest and renewal is the key to balancing all four sources of energy. If we can achieve a balance of being physically energised, emotionally connected, mentally focused and spiritually aligned, we are well on the way to optimal health and inner happiness.

OLD PARADIGM	NEW PARADIGM
Time management	Energy management
Avoid stress	Seek stress and train for recovery
Life is a marathon	Life is a series of sprints
The power of positive thinking	The power of full Engagement (by using the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sources of energy combined)
Downtime is a waste of time	Downtime is productive time
Time is finite	Energy is renewable
Time is outside of us	Energy is inside of us

So if you are an employee who doesn't value your energy, you became a liability in your company, a thin string that will break sooner without you knowing it. Worst is if you are a manager who pushes your employees towards the limits of their health, creating a hazardous working environment, like a corporate terrorist working inside while planting bombs of weary employees inside the company because of a fanatic, crooked view of efficiency and productivity, a hindrance towards success. Everybody needs a time off. It heals physical, intellectual and emotional pains and helps regenerate energy. Vacation is still a quality time.

(4 key sources of energy and the paradigm table from addicted2success.com)

The Seven of Spades

The Holy Week is a season of time out and reflection. Some uses this week for enjoyment and family reunions. Being able to experience church life for almost fifteen years, I usually uses this time to reconnect with God, to mend some broken lines that I have caused. No one is to blame, like a favorite break up quote, "it is not you, it's me." Actually, I didn't want to neglect my blogging and I would even like to focus on some religious themes but an opportunity showed. I have this college feasibility that is known as EGGCHEFLAN, the leche flan inside an egg. Our group won the feasibility of the year award that made us leave a legacy into our campus. I also continue making that everytime someone ordered. It is Holy Week, so therefore, for me its a time for God. But an event asked for EGGCHEFLAN to be used as an Easter Egg and be given away. My girlfriend helped me out in making three hundred seventy five pieces of EGGCHEFLAN and forty five pieces of standard leche flan. It took us Thursday midnight until Saturday lunch to finish all of our products. It is needed by Saturday afternoon. Thank God for He help us beat the time. While working, we also took time to reflect on things that have come to us, may it good or bad experiences. We never felt that we can do nothing, we also know that we can do something for God has let it be given to us. We reflect while working. While others weren't reflecting and even using this solemn time to have a good time (drinking liquor non-stop, even making loud noises that counters the sound of pasyon). It is okay to enjoy as long as it is worthwhile. As long as it replenishes our energies and our spirit. As long as it doesn't hinder anyone to have their time for themselves. As long as we do what is right. I admit, I worked and took advantage of that time to have some extra income, that also helps me excel more in my craft. While working silently, I am also reflecting. God is so good that He always helps me see the opportunities not seen by others. That He makes me aware that WASTE YOUR MONEY AND YOU'RE ONLY OUT OF MONEY BUT WASTE YOUR TIME, YOU'VE LOST A PART OF YOUR LIFE.

What We Have Lost

As you know, I am explaining some quotes written into the deck of cards. Unfortunately I have lost the next card. When I come to share some personal thoughts with the King of Diamonds only I found out that it somewhat disappeared. I really checked and took care of those special decks of cards but for some unexplainable reason, I really can find it. I even took a day looking for it, until I realize that the probability of retrieving it is nearly zero. I will have to go through the other cards, hoping that I will see that missing part someday.

I have skipped a day because I really feel that I have to look for it for the reason of not skipping any deck. After that exhausting search, I realize that I have lost another thing too. But this time I know I cannot retrieve it, Zero percent retrieval. Again, I have lost some hours just finding the card. Neglected my love of sharing thoughts and experiences, a negligence to my own passion. Although I know I do take good care of it, and as far as I can remember, a cousin of mine look at my special deck of cards, it is still negligence on my part.

The good thing that people don't usually realize when encountering failure or mistakes is the capacity to grow more and use those negative things to bring out the positive in you. Anyways, I think I have to move one now to not loose some more precious time and if God permits, I can see again my missing King of Diamonds. What I have learned, value time by being responsible, and again, stand up and walk farther ahead.

The Changing Times

The title tells it all, change and time. Both are constant, the only ones. What I would like to share to you is how advance this world is right now, compared to what it is like when I was a little boy. Since I live in an area where Class C citizens resides, definitely there are no computers back then. The only chance that we can play Mario is when our neighbor, the only person who has it the entire in the entire barangay (village) share it with us. They really are nice but you know, mature people in the 80's are so strict when it comes to lending a "state of the art" gadgets or goods. So definitely, most often we were just watching. Right now, video games are everywhere, Playstations, Xbox, even Personal Computers are very common in the households. Children have more time to enjoy, by THEMSELVES. Yup, the technology is growing, the times are indeed changing. It really affects the way of living of everybody. Imagine, no one would dare to use his Smart Billcrusher phone right now, even if it can be modified and operated. The thing is, it is not the IN thing to have, and to use it is so OUT thing to do, perhaps way out. Even parents do change. They have less worries because they won't have any problem looking for their kid because they know that they are just playing the computer or any consoles or gadgets that they have. The truth is, I don't envy the children of today's generation. What is not yet developed in our era is not worth craving. So what if we don't have consoles to play our favorite video games. So what if we don't have computers back then to chat or do any luxurious or enjoyable things online. Yes, we don't have any of those, so what? We have taguan. We have habulan. We also have bahay-bahayan, piknik-piknikan, tumbang preso, chato, patintero, and many more playing activities that involves our physical, mental, and social development. It is very seldom nowadays to see children playing those. Maybe I can say that the elders are more caring back then than the elders today. Parents in the 80's are more responsible and fatherly, motherly figure back then than now. So how do the 80's and the 90's generation developed? As a member of that generation, I can say that we do have enjoy the fun of playing and doing social activities, developmental activities by means of outdoor games and socializing with other children. We became social creatures, sensitive and very adaptive to change. We do have experience being updated to the latest technology, but it doesn't hinder us in prioritizing our co human beings. Look, for example, more children are physically not fit for the outdoors compared to the earlier generations. We change. We change because our technology advances. That is so wrong. The right thought is that we change because we grow, in mind and body. We determine the changes, not the technology. Our children can enjoy the advancement and convenience of these present day freedom, but not at the expense of hindering them to grow and develop, and eventually depriving them of their childhood. I have a lot more stories to tell, more knowledge to share than the generation next to me. Simply because my generation were developed by people, not by machines. Anyways, upon playing the games like habulan, not only we help strengthen our and develop our body, but most important, it develops our character. It is not bad if you see your child tripped off and have some scratches. It is a learning experience as well. The ability of getting up after a fall, and smile as if nothing happen, that is courage and strength. I do not despise the modern technology that we have. It actually help develop the "textbook knowledge" of a person faster. But there are a lot of things that only experience can teach. We do have change, and we can't take back the times that passed. We can take back our childhood, we can't take back our children's childhood. But definitely a change for now and the lessons of the pass will shape a better future, a better generation.

What We Really Waste

May 3 taong nagkasabay sabay sa deck ng isang luxury line. Sa sobrang pagkabored nila, hinagis ng American ang cellphone niya. Sabi ng pinoy "o... why did you do that?!" the American said " don't worry, we have lots of those." Then ung Japanese naman nagyabang, hinagis sa dagat ang laptop, nanghinayang na naman ang Pinoy "whoaa!!! why did you do that?!" the Japanese replied "i'm bored also, anyways we have a lot of those in our country." Biglang may dumating na Koreano, pagkakita, tinulak ng pinoy sa dagat, sabi ng americano at hapon, "HEY! Why did you do that?!" sagot ng pinoy "Im also bored, don't worry, we have lots of those in our country." Many people doesn't realize what they were throwing away, worst is they're also throwing away time and opportunities.