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

by Carey Nieuwhof

The Thrive Cycle should leave you feeling totally different from how you would feel during that workout. Your life and leadership should feel easier, not harder. Sure, you’re making some tough calls (like saying no), but when the Thrive Cycle is working, you should see these markers: You’re accomplishing your priorities. You’re tackling your most important priorities because you scheduled them in advance, and you’re doing them when you’re at your best. You’re getting better at what you do. Because you’re developing your gift, not just using it, you’re seeing increasing returns on your investment of time in both your key tasks and your key relationships. Give yourself a few months for this one, but once you start getting some development reps in, you’ll feel a little like Hemingway: the more you do it, the easier it gets. You love meeting with people again. We’ve talked a lot about the challenges of meeting with people, but here’s what’s fun when the strategy is working: you’ll love meeting with people again. Because you’ve prioritized whom you need to meet with, meetings are mostly energizing. Everyone’s in the right place, and you’ve allotted each person the right time. You have time for yourself and your family. You’re no longer giving the things that matter most your leftover time and energy. Your family is getting some Green Zone time on your days off, and you’re going home on weekdays with energy left in the tank rather than feeling completely drained. You’re happier....