Manage Your Energy

In a course offered by the Human Formation Coalition, I was recently introduced to some useful metaphors for understanding areas of talent. Although they apply specifically to CliftonStrengths, I think they’re useful more generally as well. 

Some of the talents we possess are energy positive. Exercising these is easy and gives us energy. When we are using them, it feels like being on cruise control on an open highway. 

Other talents are energy neutral. We can exercise these without gaining or draining much of our energy. Using these feels like navigating a suburban neighborhood. 

Some areas of talent, what CliftonStrengths calls non-pattern talents, are energy negative. These are areas in which we are not proficient. Using these feels like navigating an unknown forest, without a map or compass. 

Getting clear about what your areas of talent are and what energy domain they fall into allows you to improve your performance in at least two ways. First, you can lean into your energy positive talent areas. Since these are the ones in which you operate best, you can most easily develop them into strengths. Second, you can outsource tasks that use your energy negative talents. You may not be strong in these areas but many people are. Enlisting their help allows you to focus on the areas in which you flourish. 

This week, I invite you to ask: 

Of all the many things that I do, what are the areas that tend to energize me? What are the areas that drain me? What would it take for me to do more of the things in which I flourish? What would it take for me to do less of the things in which I flounder? 

God bless,
Dan