Taking care of your mind is a critical part of building your personal energy. Making proper choices in this area will have a positive impact on your ability to effectively lead those people you are serving.

I have found since I started Triune Leadership Services and MN Maple Ridge (pure maple syrup business), I have much more energy than I had in the 5 years prior to that time. Learning new things, meeting new people, and tasking my mind and skill set have provided that energy.

Mind

We know that we are all unique creatures because God made each of us special and different from everyone else. But we’ve also learned that there are some ways in which most of us are the same. God gave most of us the same basic internal wiring. You will do better if you use that wiring instead of trying to change it. Here are some ways to do that.

Do the hard stuff when your brain is fresh. Schedule difficult tasks and hard thinking for when your brain is full of energy. For most of us, that’s the early part of the day. Your brain is like a muscle that tires as the day goes on.

Don’t multi-task. Many research studies have shown that multi-tasking degrades performance.

Use the body’s natural rhythms. Your body has a natural cycle of 90 to 120 minutes during which you move from a high-energy state to a lower energy state. As you come to the end of the cycle, you may start yawning and have difficulty concentrating. That’s the signal that it’s time to take a break.

Take breaks. Short breaks rekindle your energy for productive work. What’s a break? It’s something different. Leave your workstation and go talk to a colleague. Take a walk. Answer emails. Clean up your workspace. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it’s different from what you were doing when you started yawning.

Don’t simply take a few minutes off here and there. Take longer breaks, too. Take time off on the weekends to do something that has nothing to do with work. Take a vacation – a real one where you’re not checking email all the time.

Give thanks! Be thankful for all your blessings. Being thankful will fulfill your soul, and lead to good health and a positive outlook on life.

Cultivate relationships. God made us to be social beings. We’re at our happiest and most effective when we’re connected to friends and family. In our hustle-bustle, high tech world, it’s easy to think that Facebook friends are enough. Your family and friends are important. Give them the time they deserve.

Read and learn new things. Challenge your brain consistently by reading books and learning new things. Energy is not dependent on your age. I have seen some of the most energetic people I know that are retirement age, but continue to read, learn, and add a huge amount of value to people and society due to their efforts to continually develop their mind.

Being intentional about taking care of your mind will build your personal energy and enhance your impact as a servant leader.

Next week we’ll look at taking care of our Spirit. Until then, what are some things you can do to enhance the care of your mind that will build your personal energy?

Mark

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2