At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor

by Carey Nieuwhof

Fixing something before it breaks is far less costly than fixing it after it breaks, in terms of both time and money. I got the few hundred dollars I spent every year in preventive maintenance back multiple times over by being able to drive a reliable SUV for years after others had consigned theirs to the junkyard. Preventive maintenance on your life works the same way. If you anticipate, instigate. Doing something before change happens is the best way to be ready when change happens. And if you need to tweak or reboot again after the change, no problem. This can sound very theoretical, so let’s get practical. When you see or sense change happening, here are five questions that can help you act as you anticipate: What’s about to change? What opportunities and obstacles will the change likely present? What’s most likely to happen to the demands on my time? What’s most likely to happen to my energy levels? (Note: Any change that involves loss or triggers sadness will likely reduce your energy levels at least temporarily. The greater the loss, the greater the loss of energy.) What adjustments can I make to my Thrive Calendar now to prepare for the new reality?