The Importance of Putting In the Time + Energy

In my March newsletter, I mentioned that when trying to restore balance to your life, the easiest way to figure out why things have gotten so unbalanced is to look at where and how you're investing your time and energy. 

When things are unbalanced, it's usually because you're putting way too much time and energy into one category of your life, and leaving another category high and dry. We've covered this. 

But there's something else that I want to say about time and energy--something I don't think I've ever said in a very straightforward way, and it's this: Your time and energy are your best assets. They're your most useful tools, your most abundant resource, your most precious commodities. 

When it comes to making stuff happen in life, and to achieving goals or making changes, time and energy are the answer to every question. 

I think that at some point or another, we all forget that anything and everything we want to do takes time and energy. You want to be able to float up into handstand? You can! It just takes time and energy. You want to start that business you've been dreaming of? No problem, just invest a ton of your time and energy. Want to start a family or adopt a dog? Fabulous! But get ready to redistribute some of your time and energy. 

I was listening to a podcast for creative entrepreneurs last week, and the hosts were saying that sometimes you'll see someone's career takeoff, and everyone in the biz will call them "an overnight success," or say that they had great luck. But despite what people say, this is almost (almost) never the case. Usually, that "overnight success" has actually been putting in tons of time and energy for years--maybe even decades!--and it just looks like overnight success to an outsider. 

Because that's really what it takes. Yes, certain goals or dreams take more capital or external resources than others, but everything starts with time and energy, and most things can only continue with time and energy. 

I know this may sound obvious, but I don't think it always is. We've become so addicted to getting everything right now (I get super annoyed when my Amazon Prime order doesn't arrive in the promised two-day time slot!), that sometimes the patience that it takes to invest a bunch of time and energy into something causes us to give up.

Often, in my consulting sessions, my clients will ask how to make something happen. They want more customers, or they want to reach more people through their website, or they want to write a book. And of course there are a number of steps to take and things to do in order to achieve these goals, but if you're not ready to redistribute your time and energy and allocate more of these resources to taking the necessary steps, nothing will change. 

It's basic math, and everything comes back to this simple equation: time + energy = progress. 

Want to become a better yoga teacher? Put in the time and energy by teaching more classes and taking workshops and learning from other teachers. Want your blog to have more readers? Do some research and see what works for you and then spend your time and energy on making it better. Want to run a marathon? Time and energy, baby. 

Sure, sometimes life will force you to put your time and energy into something unexpected, or into something you'd rather not be spending these precious [yet abundant!] resources on, but things will always settle back down. And when they do, I urge you to use your most valuable tools in a way that moves things forward, brings you joy, and and feels both purposeful + fulfilling. 

How will you spend the majority of your time and energy today?