Perhaps you think that time is your scarcest resource. It’s scarcer than money. You can’t buy time with money. Sure, you can save time with money. You can hire a plumber to fix your toilet instead of doing it yourself. But you can’t buy more time than you’re given. Just ask a person on their death bed.
But time is only as valuable as the energy you have to use it. A lazy person may spend all his time sleeping and watching TV. Low energy kills time. It can even end time. Just ask a person who’s suicidal. High energy, on the other hand, creates time. A playful child will make every moment fascinating.
This idea is clear in startups. New founders often think that money is their scarcest resource. CEOs are told that their job is to make sure they have enough money. Yes, that’s important. But when you’re running out of money–and nearly every business does at some point–how do you stay alive?
When you’re running out of money and time, it’s clear that your scarcest resource is energy. When a founder has one week left to hit payroll, she has a decision to make. How she makes that decision comes down to how much energy she has.
Will she fight to survive? Will she go into debt? Will she scratch and claw and explore every possible way to keep the business alive? Will she ask her team to work without pay until she can find a way to get more money in the bank?
Or will she give up? Will she say that it’s too hard? Will she close up shop?
Energy is what creates time and money. Energy is what allows her to get up every morning to fight against all odds. Energy is what lets her look her team in the eyes and tell them, “We’ll find a way.”
So cultivating your energy is important. It may be the most important thing you can do.
How do you cultivate your energy? A simple answer is to avoid doing things that drain your energy. Ask yourself, “What am I doing that drains my energy?” And do less of those things.
Do you have problem employees that you spend too much time on? Fire them. Do you find yourself dreading meeting after meeting? Cancel them. Are you answering too many support emails? Delegate them.
Keep at this. Be relentless. Don’t settle. Eventually, you’ll find that nearly all the things you do add to your energy level. You’ll enjoy yourself more. And you may find yourself with a surplus of both time and money.
