The Power of Full Engagement (book)
✒️ Note-Making
🔗Connect
⬆️Topic:: Wellbeing (MOC) ⬆️Topic:: Mindset (MOC)
💡Clarify
🔈 Summary of main ideas
- Energy is more important than time - having all the time in the world doesn't matter if we lack the energy to do something with that time. Therefore managing our energy is more important than managing our time
- Become an athlete - athletes are arguably the experts when it comes to peak performance, so we should follow their advice - short, uninterrupted sprints, with time to rest and recover
- Face the truth - change starts when we internalize the truth of our condition, while retaining optimism that we can do better, be better. A combination of clarity, self compassion and a sense of purpose are needed to get your started.
- Conserve and expand your energy - Make sure you have enough chances to replenish your energy, both as short breaks during the day, and also finding activities that resonate with you, hobbies, volunteering or other pursuits. Additionally, to increase your energy capacity, you must exert yourself, facing challenges head on
- Life is holistic - physical, mental, spiritual, emotional - our energy is made of collection of sources, each influences and depends on one another:
- Physical - our nutrition and sleep
- Emotional - friends, connection, empathy
- Spiritual - meaning, purpose, values
- Mental - reducing distractions, choosing one think to focus on
🗒️Relate
⛓ *by following this method, what will happen? What is the goal of this book?
- Energetic purposeful life - you will replenish and increase your energy capacity, enabling you to give your all to what matters, and avoid burnout or boredom.
🔍Critique
✅ relevant research, metaphors or examples that helps to convey the argument
- Sprint and rest vs constant marathon - to be better at something, we can't spend energy in a linear way. This leads to burnout and no improvement. Rather, we should do short sprints where we stretch the levels of maximum energy, while also giving us time to rest and replenish it
❌ the logical jumps, holes or simply cases where it is wrong...
🧱 Implementations and limitations of it are... The book is dedicated mostly to CEOs or that who work in an American work culture that are overwhelmed despite giving their all
🗨️Review
💭 my opinions on the book, the writers style... The sections should have been reversed, first the theory and the tool box, and then the examples. Also the introduction is filled with theory that is barely repeated throughout the book, which is unfortunate. Since the majority of the book is examples of their past clients, it is thin with actual material. I do like the "bear in mind" summaries at the end of each chapter
🖼️Outline
📒 Notes
The Dynamics of Full Engagement
Fully Engaged: Energy, not Time, is Our Most Precious Resource
In modern times we are stuck in Hustle Culture, thinking that the bottleneck for productivity is time management. We get todo-lists and endless reminders on our calendars, but to no avail. Productivity and happiness are based on energy management, not time management. Imagine getting reminded that it's your partner's birthday today, but you come back so tired from work that you don't have the energy to celebrate. Without energy, time is useless and not well spent.
To take control of our energy, it first takes an attitude of Life Embracing, to embrace Responsibility of what happens in our lives. It also takes physical care, emotional connection, mental focus, and alignment with purpose and values. These result in a feeling of Immersion in all that we do, a sense of connection in our lives, as opposed to Alienation which causes sadness and lack of productivity.
There are four principles for effective energy management and living an engaged life:
- Drawing energy from four separate yet related sources - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
- Energy capacity diminishes with over and under use, so we must balance it with energy renewal
- Increasing energy capacity comes from deliberate practice
- Renewal of energy comes from positive energy rituals
Energy can be categorized on a double axis ranging from proactive to passive (the quantity pf energy), and negative to positive (the quality of energy) Eisenhower matrix. Examples:
- Positive-Proactive - confidence, invigorated, connected, joyful
- Positive-Passive - relaxed, peaceful
- Negative-Proactive - angry, fearful, anxious
- Negative-passive - Depressed, exhausted, burnout
We prefer to be in quadrant 1 at all times.
As with physical training, mental training requires strength, endurance, flexibility and resilience. Examples:
- Strength - Commitment to one's values
- Endurance - to sustain focus over time
- Flexibility - To accept other point of views
- Resilience - to be able to recover emotionally from a loss
To avoid burnout we must be mindful on how we spend and replenish energy. It requires the courage to say no, to seek a Break and renew our energy so that we will have something to spend on the things that matter. The best is to form healthy habits habit formation, because they will allow us to achieve energy through little effort because they are automated. Building rituals is a much more resilient way for a healthy life than to rely on willpower willpower is limited
We can also increase our energy (mental, spiritual) capacity though deliberate practice, the same as we do with physical fitness. Challenge and stress are not something to avoid, it is something that will help make us stronger Obstacles as stepping stones.
The process of brining the change is called purpose-truth-action:
- Purpose - we align with our values, and detect our life's mission
- Truth - we reflect on how we live now and how it differs from how we want to live
- Action - we bridge the gap between the two. We are being by doing, by actualizing the values and habits of who we want to be, we will become that person
- managing time efficiently is no guarantee that we will bring sufficient energy to whatever it is we are doing. (Location 128)
- Performance, health and happiness are grounded in the skillful management of energy. (Location 142)
- The more we take responsibility for the energy we bring to the world, the more empowered and productive we become. The more we blame others or external circumstances, the more negative and compromised our energy is likely to be. (Location 145)
- To be fully engaged, we must be physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused and spiritually aligned with a purpose beyond our immediate self-interest. (Location 153)
- Energy is the X factor that makes it possible to fully ignite talent and skill. (Location 191)
- Energy is the common denominator in all dimensions of our lives. (Location 226)
- Because energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and with underuse, we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal. (Location 241)
- The richest, happiest and most productive lives are characterized by the ability to fully engage in the challenge at hand, but also to disengage periodically and seek renewal. (Location 261)
- To build capacity, we must push beyond our normal limits, (Location 270)
- Stress is not the enemy in our lives. Paradoxically, it is the key to growth. (Location 271)
- Positive energy rituals—highly specific routines for managing energy—are the key to full engagement and sustained high performance. (Location 285)
- The power of rituals is that they insure that we use as little conscious energy as possible where it is not absolutely necessary, leaving us free to strategically focus the energy available to us in creative, enriching ways. (Location 294)
The Disengaged Life of Roger B
An example for someone who is trying their best yet fail to have a good life. They have bad eating habits, a stressful job, and no sources of uplifting energy.
The example shows that a path to recovery is done holistically, it's not enough to look at one aspect of life. Physical, emotional, mental, they are all intertwined, affecting and being affected by one another.
- The Pulse of High Performance: Balancing Stress and Recovery (Location 494)
- Full engagement requires cultivating a dynamic balance between the expenditure of energy (stress) and the renewal of energy (recovery) in all dimensions. (Location 519)
- Our natural inclination is to push harder when demand increases. Over time we resist precisely what would make us more effective: taking breaks and seeking restoration. (Location 678)
- We grow at all levels by expending energy beyond our normal limits, and then recovering. (Location 745)
- Recovery is a means of detoxifying and refueling so that we can return to the storm with renewed energy. (Location 776)
The Pulse of High Performance: Balancing Stress and Recovery
The basics of all human activity are cycles of expending energy and renewing it, it is all about managing our reserves. Unfortunately, most of us treat life as a long marathon. The rhythm of spending and renewing energy seems linear, we only spend, hoping that we don't spend too much so that we will be able to make it through the day, forgetting that we also need to rest. Life is not one long marathon, but rather a series of short sprints with rest in between non linear. Spending without rest would lead to burnout, exhaustion and tear from overuse, like constantly lifting weights, while rest without spending would lead to weakness, like an unused muscle. We must have them both, rest and spend. pomoduro technique
While rest and spend cycles assure us that we will be able to work with maximum engagement and energy in the moments that matter, it is also critical to continue and face challenges that will increase our maximum capacity, otherwise even in our best day it might not be enough to face moments of high demand.
Physical Energy: Fueling the Fire
Physical energy is key for any type of activity we wish to do. From creativity to focus, everything relies on our body to provide us with the necessary energy, even if we work in a non physical environment.
It all comes down to nutrition, breathing, exercise and sleep. Nutrition is useful for providing with the resources needed to stay energized, while sleep enables us to repair, cleanup and grow in deep sleep. Exercise helps us keep aging at bay, and increase our overall levels of energy.
- Nutrition
- Focus on healthy, low sugar intakes
- Eat more during breakfast and less during dinner
- Replace snacks with energy bar
- Keep yourself hydrated
- Sleep
- Sleep 7-8 hours straight
- take a 30-40 nap during the day, best at the afternoon
- Exercise
- do interval cardio training a few times a week
- do strength training a few times a week
- physical energy is the fundamental source of fuel, even if our work is almost completely sedentary. It not only lies at the heart of alertness and vitality but also affects our ability to manage our emotions, sustain concentration, think creatively, and even maintain our commitment to whatever mission we are on. (Location 800)
- we heal and grow most during the deepest periods of recovery. (Location 938)
- minimizing or avoiding stress is just as destructive to capacity as excessive stress without recovery. (Location 1127)
Emotional Energy: Transforming Threat into Challenge
Physical and emotional energy are not only similar, they are connected. When we lack physical energy, we are much more likely to fall into negative energy, feelings of fear, stress and a sense of emergency. Emotional energy requires as well periods of exposure and relaxation in order to build resilience.
Some key emotional skills to practice are confidence, self control, patience and empathy.
When we recharge, it's the quality, not just the quantity that matters. For example reading a book, doing yoga, taking a nature walk, or nurture our relationships is much better than watching tv leisure.
As with physical training, to increase our emotional capacity, it starts with active listening, understanding and respecting others even if we don't agree with them, to train our sense of empathy, to preform giving, and make new connections at workplace.
Mental Energy: Appropriate Focus and Realistic Optimism
To maintain optimal mental energy, we have to:
- Be realistic optimism - practicing Optimism offers us a change to believe that the situation can improve, specifically through our actions. This can help us avoid feeling Helplessness, of constant dread of the future. However we still have to be realistic, to make sure we don't see the world through rose colored glasses
- Let the mind rest - most of our creative ideas stem from downtime brain, for example having creative thoughts at the shower or when we talk a walk. Therefore taking a brake serves two purposes, we let our mind rest, recharging our ability to focus later on, and increase our creative output
It's important to remember that our mind has Neuroplasticity, the more we train it, the stronger it will get, even counteract aging effects.
- The key supportive muscles that fuel optimal mental energy include mental preparation, visualization, positive self-talk, effective time management, and creativity. (Location 1529)
Spiritual Energy: He Who Has a why to Live
Without intrinsic motivation we have no reason to have any energy at all, regardless of the levels of physical or mental energy. Yes, we could do it, but why? Finding the meaning in our lives is essential for our spiritual energy meaning is crafted,
Spiritual energy consists of passion, commitment, integrity and honesty.
The Training System
Defining Purpose: the Rules of Engagement
Finding our purpose in life is what fuels us from within, enriching us with a will to power, to be active in life and to brace the storms it brings. change starts from the inside out
A good purpose is:
- Positive - we focus on the good we can do, on creation, in contrast with negativity - the desire to destroy something
- Inner motivation - a good purpose fuels our intrinsic motivation, we want to do it because it matters to us, regardless of incentives or external influence
- Outward facing - a good purpose is aimed at improving or changing the lives of others, not just ourselves
Our purpose is usually based on our core values, which means that these values only have meaning if we act upon them to be moral is to act moral.
- If we lack a strong sense of purpose we cannot hold our ground when we are challenged by life’s inevitable storms. (Location 2096)
- A value is ultimately just a roadmap for action. Values that we fail to reflect in our behavior are ultimately empty. To be meaningful, a value must influence the choices that we make in our everyday lives. (Location 2240)
Face the Truth, how Are You Managing Your Energy now
One of the hardest things we can and have to do to set ourselves free and grow our energy is to be a realistic optimist, it is a blend of accepting the truth as it is, but in such an amount that don't lead to paralysis and despair, rather indicate how we can do better. Absolute truth without limits lacks the Self-compassion needed to grow. For example, too much acceptance can lead to imposter syndrome, where we feel so inadequate that we can't function.
This balance requires a deep process of reflection to achieve Self-awareness. Otherwise, the conflict with the truth often leads to some form of Denial. Denial not only blocks us from releasing our full energy, it also consumes much of it. There are many forms of denial, such as:
- Focusing on the image - a strike to our ego causes us to focus on our image rather than on our qualities or behavior Image vs core
- Rationalization - We justify our actions rather than accepting reality rationalization
- Equating subjective and objective reality - We mistakenly believe that our subjective reality is the objective truth everybody is seeing.
- One dimensionality - We convert ourselves into a one-dimensional being, trying to reject our less positive sides, focusing on the one thing we are good at.
Accepting the truth requires also taking responsibility on how we can do better, while also acknowledging our limits of what we can and cannot change.
- To be effective in the world, we must find a balance between looking honestly at the most painful truths and contradictions in our lives and engaging in the world with hope and positive energy. (Location 2360)
- To face the truth also means acknowledging and celebrating our strengths. (Location 2414)
- When we aren’t investing energy in protecting our turf, we have the potential to see more of the truth and to continue to learn and grow. (Location 2565)
- We must keep moving deliberately in the direction of truth, recognizing that the forces of self-protection will slow our progress at times. (Location 2599)
Taking Action: the Power of Positive Rituals
Habits are useful because they reduce the amount of decision points we need to make while fulfilling our values, thus avoiding using our willpower which is very limited to begin with. Habits are what we fall to when times get tough, which means they are even more important to maintain in these moments, and that the most important habits are those that help restore our energy. Even a 60-90 seconds of breaths, walking, meditating, talking with a friend, or listening to a favorite song can have huge effects on our energy.
To form good habits:
- Start small - Don't plan more than you can accomplish. The important thing about habits is their repetitiveness, not the amount of time dedicated to it. start small to gain momentum.
- Be precise - The more you plan in advance when and how you are going to preform the habit, the more likely you are to follow through clarity.
- Connect to your values - A habit can only be maintained if it is connected to one of your core values, otherwise you will have no motivation to follow through it
- Change when necessary - A good habit has to be adaptable. Like training, after a while it will stop being a challenge, which will turn the habit into useless and boring, and you will likely quit. That's why it's important to change it from time to time to be sure it is still useful to you.
- The bigger the storm, the more inclined we are to revert to our survival habits, and the more important positive rituals become. (Location 2655)
- Our dual challenge is to hold fast to our rituals when the pressures in our lives threaten to throw us off track, and to periodically revisit and change them so that they remain fresh. (Location 2747)