I started to notice a shift in my energy during COVID lockdowns in 2021: Most days, working from my home office, I would be ready to nap by 4pm.
Some days I noticed a sudden drop in my energy when I was working on a specific project, or task that I used to power through.
Lately I notice myself getting distracted by world events and have to be careful to not let them derail my work.
Whatever the cause — perimenopause, aging, intuition, boredom, purpose — we all are feeling the effects of intrapersonal and global transitions in our bodies.
All month we’ve hosted conversations addressing all aspects of energy management. Ending the month I turned to an expert I’ve turned to for over 20 years to help me make sense of the shifts in energy I’ve experienced in my body due to life and career milestones, pandemics, economic downturns, and sociopolitical changes.
Laura Berman Fortgang is one of the OG’s of the career and life coaching world, she was one of the early pioneers who made coaching a viable career path for others. She continues her career and executive coaching practice, teaches other coaches, and writes a weekly newsletter on LinkedIn: The Now What Chronicles. Here’s what she had to say about managing one’s energy in deep periods of uncertainty and transition.
Show Notes:
5:26: Laura’s take on the moment we’re in: Are we in a unique moment of uncertainty or energy depletion, or is it just another period of transition?
8:10: The art and benefits of surrendering to what is, versus fighting it.
10:28: Understanding a concept related to surrendering: Strategic Laziness. (“Why waste perfectly good pasta?”)
14:05: Redirecting energy in difficult times, and how Laura did just that by running for office — twice!
19:39: Strategies for “multi-passionates”—people with many irons in the fire who struggle with how to distribute their energy most effectively and without burnout.
25:29: Joy as a survival tactic.
29:13: Strategies for coaches and solopreneurs for getting out of the “trading hours for dollars” rut.
32:33: Establishing and protecting your “Zone of Genius”.
36:11: Fitting in “Important” when you are overwhelmed by “Urgent.”
All of the resources mentioned in this conversation can be found on Laura Berman Fortgang’s website.
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