Think about the most charismatic and magnetic people you know.
How many of them would you say are are low-energy people?
I’d be willing to bet that the answer is none.
And that should come as no surprise ...
The fact is that our ability to be charismatic and connect powerfully with others is inextricably linked to how energetic we happen to be feeling.
And it's no secret that it's hard to feel confident and enthusiastic when you're also feeling exhausted.
In this article, I'll be sharing the 8 most surprising secrets to staying energized on a consistent basis.
( You might be surprised to discover that none of them have anything to do with diet and exercise! )
I'll also include a handful of my favorite "Instant Energizers" for you to use to get an instant energy boost whenever you need one.
Secret #1. End the Silent Energy Drain - Declutter Your Space
In his book "150 Ways to Boost Your Energy", Dr. Jonny Bowden professes that there is an inverse relationship between your energy levels and the amount of "stuff" you own - especially when the majority of it is stuff you don't need or use.
I once had the rather unpleasant experience of rooming with a hoarder in college. When my roommate's useless clutter would spill out of his living space and into the general living quarters, the other roommates would often remark that they could actually feel the profound energy-draining effects of all that useless junk!
( The problem eventually got bad enough that we had to band together and vote the hoarder off the island ... )
You don't have to be an obsessive-compulsive junk collector to feel the drain that clutter causes. Even a handful of items scattered around your living space can absorb a substantial amount of your vital energy.
What's more, clutter tends to be magnetic - actually attracting even more clutter. Have you noticed how often clutter tends to do this? Have you noticed the effect this phenomenon has on your vital energy?
Moving forward, make it a habit to immediately put things away once you're done using them, and you'll cut this energy-depleting weed off in its tracks.
Instant Energizer: If you're feeling overwhelmed with a work or living space where the clutter has gotten out of control, try this: Give yourself permission to go crazy for 5 minutes and put away (or throw away) as much of it as you can in that short time span.
My bet is that after 5 minutes, you'll have cleared most of it out. This technique also allows you to tap into the mind's need for a sense of completion - You'll actually feel a healthy compulsion to deal with the leftovers rather than stop after the 5 minutes is up.
You'll also feel an instant sense of accomplishment (and relief) once the "brain-drain" is gone and you're finally clutter-free.
Secret #2. Close Open Loops, Open Closed Doors
Another silent energy assassin that we're rarely ever conscious of is having "incompletions" in our lives. In his video program "Wake Up Productive", Eben Pagan defines incompletions as those situations in our lives where we feel like we're lacking a sense of closure.
( Remember the mind's need for completion I just mentioned? )
What's truly insidious about these incompletions (or what I call "open loops") is that the toll they extract on our energy levels is an almost completely unconscious one.
When enough of these 'incompletions' accumulate in your life, there's a high probability that you'll actually start waking up feeling more tired than you were when you went to bed.
No kidding ...
Imagine having 15 or 20 open programs on your computer's desktop running in the background. Is it any wonder why your computer would be running much slower than usual?
Maybe it's a fight you had with a family member where you never went back and got any closure. Maybe it's a falling out you had with an ex where you simply went your separate ways. Sometimes the 'open loop' is just a good friend that you were once close to and - for whatever reason - lost touch with over the years.
Either way, these open loops end up becoming invisible parasites, draining our energy levels and leaving us feeling much less alive.
If you're determined to end this energy drain, it's imperative that you go back and create completion in these situations. That simply means that it's time to go back and close the loop.
Instant Energizer: Call someone that you were once close to and - for whatever reason - fell out of touch with. Let them know that they were once a very important person in your life and that your life feels a little less complete since you've fallen out of touch.
( Believe me - The uplifting effect that this simple process creates can't be overstated )
If you're desiring a truly uplifting experience, call someone you were once close to and had a nasty falling out with. Let them know that you forgive them and that you're sorry for the part you played in the situation.
DON'T MAKE ANY EXCUSES.
Simply apologize and accept responsibility for the situation (yes, even if they had a big part to play in it). You'll be shocked at the degree of respect people give you when you accept full responsibility for a situation without resorting to the juvenile practice of blaming others.
Remember ... Forgiveness is the ultimate expression of self-love (it's something you do for YOU, not for them); so liberate yourself and release the anger, hate and toxic resentment to the Universe. Those who refuse to release these toxic emotions will invariably pay a heavy debt ... Like Gautama Buddha said, "Holding onto resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."
SPECIAL NOTE: If one of your incompletions involves a situation where someone has passed on, make a commitment to forgive them and let whatever happened go. Let yourself off the hook and release it to the Universe.
Secret #3. Keep a Positive Aspects Journal
This powerful confidence-boosting energizer is elegant in its simplicity: Make it a daily practice to write down five things you love about your life and are truly grateful for.
Of the 70,000 thoughts we have a day, research has determined that over 80 percent are negative.
Science also tells us that we humans tend to automatically focus on and remember the most negative parts of life simply because it's hard-wired into our DNA to do so - A survival instinct that helped our ancestors survive in a much more dangerous time.
Journaling daily changes the way you think (and feel) by keeping your focus and attention fixed on the most positive aspects of your life. It's also the tool that my clients consistently report makes the most immediate difference in their lives.
The best time to journal is just before bed because the gratitude will flow into your subconscious as you sleep. Not only will you awaken feeling more confident, but you will also feel happier and more energized as well.
I personally use the Daily Greatness Journal and have found it to be such an effective game-changer in my own life that I now provide one to each of my clients. The huge advantage of this journal is that it provides daily guidelines, bullet-points, empowering affirmations and inspirational quotes meant to keep your focus trained squarely on your personal strengths and the things you have to be most grateful for in your life.
( You can get your own Daily Greatness Journal here )
Instant Energizer: If you don't own a journal, grab a clean sheet of paper and jot down the 5 things you feel most grateful for in life. I promise that you'll instantly feel more energized and grateful to be alive. Like actress and Charisma Coach Sandra Dee Robinson says, "A simple gratitude list at the beginning or end of your day is a sure way to raise your happiness level ... And happy people are charismatic people!"
Secret #4. Clear Off Your Mental Desk
I first learned this powerful technique from Matthew Hussey back in 2011 when I attended his 5 day retreat in Kissimmee, Florida. I've taught it to hundreds of my own clients since then and it's become one of my own favorite go-to techniques whenever I'm feeling drained or over-loaded.
( Eben Pagan calls this technique "Clearing Off Your Mental Desk", and it's no accident that he's included it as an exercise in nearly every program he's ever created )
Much like physical clutter drains us
of energy, so does the mental clutter that we all have floating around in our heads.
If you're ready to plug the hole and stop the leak, it's required that you get that energy-sucking clutter out of your head and onto a piece of paper.
Instant Energizer: Grab a notebook and on a clean sheet, write down everything that's on your mind. All the things you're worried about, all of the things you have to do, all of the things you need to start or finish. Put a star next to the 5 things that you can get done before the end of the day ... and then commit to doing them.
You'll be amazed at the energizing sense of clarity you get from finally emptying your overwhelmed mind. You'll also love the confidence boost you'll get from putting those 5 daily things into the 'DONE' folder of your mental desktop.
FREE RESOURCE: Brendan Burchard's One Page Productivity Planner is always a Godsend when I find myself balancing 2 to 3 big projects at a time. You can download it in PDF form here.
Secret #5. Plant an Energizing Vision in Your Mental Garden
One of the most powerful concepts I learned a few years back when I participated in The Landmark Forum was the idea of inventing a compelling vision of possibility for the future.
Whether it's a vision of you living in the dream home you've always wanted to buy or a vision of you as a best-selling author having just published the book you've always wanted to write, creating a vivid, 3-dimensional mental image of the future you want to design not only energizes you mentally, it also has a powerful effect on your subconscious mind.
Few things will energize you more than reminding yourself of just how much limitless potential your future holds by consciously creating a vivid vision of the future person you desire to become.
Recreating this compelling vision as a daily practice means that you'll be activating The Universal Law of Attraction, and you'll find yourself automatically being "pulled" towards the future vision you've created.
( Listen to my free audio "Everything You Need To Know About The Law of Attraction in under 5 Minutes" here )
Instant Energizer: Take 20 minutes before you turn in for the night and listen to a guided meditation that's in line with the possibility and vision you'd like to invent for yourself. You can literally find thousands of guided meditations online which are geared towards assisting you to create your specific outcome.
Simply Google the phrase "guided meditation" along with a brief description of your goal (example: 'guided meditation to attract soulmate' or 'guided meditation to attract abundance')
Secret #6. Vanquish The Energy Vampires From Your Life
Not sure who the energy vampires are in your life? Here's a quick definition: They're the family member, friend or co-worker who drags you down, leaves you feeling angry, deflated and almost always drained of energy.
They're part of relationships that are unsupportive and unrewarding.
The damage done by these vampires goes far beyond just draining your vital energy and leaving you feeling depleted. Their negativity, critical demeanor and self-absorbed nature also have a profound subconscious effect that goes almost entirely unnoticed.
The famous Framingham Study found that we become the sum total of the 5 people we spend the most time with. That means that if your goal is to become a more attractive and charismatic person, you're essentially being subconsciously sabotaged every time you expose yourself to one of these toxic types.
And keep in mind that energy vampires don't just come in one variety ... Be wary of the less obvious ones as well. This "covert" variety of vampire can be every bit as depleting as the first type.
These are the types who will cross every boundary imaginable. There is no end to the amount of favors they'll ask for or the amount of time they'll take up. They only care to talk about what's going on in their lives and have little regard for how they can be of value to others.
( In other words, they're the embodiment of what it means to be completely anti-charismatic )
These types of people drain your energy. Lose them. If you cannot expel them entirely (i.e. they happen to be a family member, co-worker, etc.), it's critical that you limit the amount of time that you're exposed to their pernitious influence.
As my friend and fellow coach Luke Havard says, "Who you spend time with is who you become."
"Your life is a reflection of the 5 people you spend the most time with." - Jim Rohn If you're the smartest, healthiest or happiest of your friends, then it's probably time to get some new friends. Really.
Posted by Pete Sapper on Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Secret #7. Resolve To Give Up Lying For Good
Developing the habit of telling the truth is unequivocally liberating. Because you're no longer having to waste precious mental energy on remembering which lies and embellishments were told to whom, you're able to create the space for a sense of peace to exist in your life.
( Not to mention the obvious fact that you'll be far less stressed )
Having nothing to hide, nothing to explain, nothing to validate or justify and - most importantly - nothing to fear will undoubtedly make you a much more authentic and charismatic person.
Resolve to rid your life of the lies about how magnificent, athletic, lucky, or amazing you are. Imperfection is part of being human, and it's far better to be known as someone who's imperfect than someone who's too weak to admit to or change their imperfections.
Instant Energizer: Make a commitment to let go of any lies, exaggerations or embellishments you might have previously been tangled up in. Having the courage to stand in your truth will unequivocally liberate you. You'll also be surprised at how much better you sleep with no lies on your conscience.
Secret #8. Perform a Random Act of Kindness
If you're like me, you become absolutely energized when you do something kind for someone else. After having gotten to know many of my readers and clients over the years, I can comfortably say that they're some of the kindest people on the planet.
Studies over the years have discovered that it's not just the giver and the receiver that benefit from a random act of kindness. Incredibly, researchers have found that anyone who happens to witness the act becomes equally energized and uplifted, as well!
( But wait, there's more ... )
Although it seems totally counter-intuitive, social scientists have discovered that it's the moments when you're feeling down that doing something kind for someone else becomes the most uplifting thing that you can do for yourself ...
As Ashton Kutcher famously said, "The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful. And being generous ... Everything else is crap, I promise you."
Making the commitment to become a more charismatic person is an act of kindness in and of itself. - Whether they're uplifting others with a clever compliment or just believing in someone who doesn't believe in themselves, charismatic people are the types who are unequivocally the most pleasant and energizing to be around.
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