Book Review: The Power Of Full Engagement

Posted on 21. Oct, 2008 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Home, Reviews, Tools & Resources
1 comment

Last week, we were talking about the importance of balancing stress and recovery, so that you can focus and feel energised when it counts.

If you would like to learn more about these concepts and the research behind them, here is a good resource to design your own energy management plan: “The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

According to Loehr and Schwartz, there are four dimensions to optimal energy:
- Physical energy
- Emotional connection
- Mental focus
- Spiritual alignment
In each of these dimensions, we must learn to balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal.

Most of us tend to expend too much mental and emotional energy, without sufficient recovery. Conversely, we do not train our physical and spiritual muscles enough to build optimal capacity.

The energy management strategies proposed in The Power of Full Engagement are based on alternating energy expenditure and recovery, much like you would alternate weight training and rest if you wanted to grow your biceps.

The book is ostensibly aimed at corporate employees, yet anyone who wants to increase their energy levels can apply its principles.
The authors draw on their many years of research and experience training elite athletes and executives. Worksheets help you identify your strengths / weaknesses and allow you to design daily rituals that anchor your energy management plan.

I have been incorporating new, simple rituals in my workday for a week now. I take short breaks every 90 minutes. I make a point of eating a proper lunch. I do not work past 8:00PM. Yes, all of this is common sense, yet given my tendency to push myself until I burn out, it looks like I can use a bit more common sense in this department!

So far, my energy levels have indeed increased, and creative ideas seem to come to me more easily. Time will tell what the long-term gains are, but in the meantime, I do recommend reading The Power of Full Engagement if you would like to create better flow in your life.

Emmanuelle