Stop Waiting for Energy (Start Generating It)
The counterintuitive truth about motivation, action, and unlimited energy
Fatigue makes cowards of us all - General George S. Patton
Having energy is critical to almost everything in life. Life is so much easier and, frankly, so much more exciting when you have energy.
Most people think they need motivation before they can take action. They’re waiting to “feel energized” before starting. Meanwhile, successful people seem to have unlimited energy. So what’s the secret?
That General Patton quote above is one of my favorites because it is so true: fatigue does indeed make cowards of us all. A task that’s simple when you have energy seems impossible without it. You think smaller, avoid big projects, live a smaller life.
Then you get stuck in the cycle: no energy -> no action -> no results -> no energy.
I think we’ve been lied to about how energy works. Your energy isn’t a battery that depletes and you can tap into a few simple mindset changes and tactics that can dramatically improve your energy.
Mindset Hacks
Energy Rule #1: Energy comes from action, not the reverse
There’s a cultural myth that “motivation comes before action.” I’m not sure where it comes from but it’s destructive.
Now, are there people that bounce out of bed, totally energized, ready to take on the world? Sure, there are the top 1% in all kinds of areas of human existence. These people likely have amazing genetics, a great upbringing (no traumas or mental health issues), a passion they’ve found, a purpose to drive them and more.
Don’t get me wrong, as we’ll see, we can install passion, purpose and a better mindset too, but for us mere mortals, to get started towards that, we need to take action first.
The reality for most of us is that if we start first, then the body and mind will be activated, then the energy comes.
Action unlocks energy. Simply installing this mindset in yourself will dramatically improve your life so take this seriously, especially if you suffer from procrastination.
This applies to productivity as well: high energy people rarely have productivity problems. They may not have focus, priority and other things that can be trained but having energy just gives you more to work with each day.
Energy Rule #2: Your energy isn’t a battery or gas tank
Most people’s mental models on this are flawed, they think there’s a tank or battery that gets depleted as you use it. Now, this is somewhat true for physical energy, but mental energy is definitely different.
Mental energy is renewable. You can excite yourself with things you consider important or interesting. Don’t believe me? Remember staying up all night with the person you were interested in dating, totally energized? Or being up all night with friends? Or with a good book or video game? How about if someone calls you up and says your loved one needs help and it’s an emergency, bam - instant energy boost.
Physical energy is boostable. It’s a bit tougher than mental energy, and you don’t want to be boosting it all the time (that will just burn your body out), but things like cold water, quick bouts of exercise, caffeine, etc. The main point is don’t just throw in the towel if you’re “tired” - you have more energy than you think, especially if it’s important.
Are you starting to see the shortcut to why so many successful people seemingly have unlimited energy?
Instant Energy Hacks
Don’t think, just start
First you need to get going, this is where the “don’t think, just start” hack works. If you give yourself more than 5 seconds to start thinking about a task the brain is going to come up with all kinds of excuses, overthinking, planning, distractions, etc. so the best hack is to just identify what you need to do and get started immediately before your brain even gets a chance to interrupt.
Take the literal smallest first step you can do: put on your shoes, open up the document, search for the phone number you need to call, start composing the email. Remember, move first and then energy will follow.
Sunlight and walking
10-30 minute walks (at lunch or breaks if necessary). Let me quickly explain why sunlight and a walk are so good, especially first thing in the morning. First, the sun triggers your circadian rhythm which controls so many things. So many of us are vitamin D deficient that sun each morning is going to do a lot of great things. Next, walking is easy, it burns calories, it gets your blood and lymph flowing, it lowers stress, it improves cardio, and you can do simple tasks like phone calls (use earphones), quick emails/texts, you can listen to audiobooks or podcasts or you can simply do your deep thinking and strategizing for the day.
The list of geniuses who credit walking with their best ideas is ridiculous: from Aristotle to Einstein, from Steve Jobs to Nikola Tesla. I’m telling you right now if you’re not walking you may be missing out on a lot of extra energy and insights.
And finally, even if the rest of your day goes to hell, you get that bit of exercise in and don’t have to feel guilty about missing a workout. Done properly, exercise should give you more energy and improve your sleep, in addition to optimizing mood.
Food strategies
Anyone who’s had a Thanksgiving meal knows that too much food will knock you out. This isn’t just anecdotal, in Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans it was remarkable how many high performers ate very small meals or skipped breakfast altogether. I believe that’s due to the energy-draining effects of too much food.
Everyone is different of course, if you function fine on a big breakfast and lunch, more power to you. Personally, I’ve noticed I have much more energy and clarity if I have a small meal (protein shake or fruit) or even skip meals. Even if you do eat, you may want to focus on whole foods and protein to see if that boosts your energy levels.
Boosters
Caffeine is the best known stimulant that many of us use. But it has drawbacks (tolerance, anxiety, sleep disruptions, etc.). There are however some clean alternatives. Cold water is a well known one, just splash on your face or take a quick cold or “contrast” (hot then cold) shower.
There are also some well known energy supplements like Rhodiola, Cordyceps, ALCAR, Tyrosine and Dynamine (all available on Amazon, etc.) but make sure to clear with your doctor and obviously start small and one at a time.
Rhodiola is my personal favorite, I use this brand.
Sleep Optimization
I harp on sleep a lot, I think I’ve mentioned it in each of my last 3 articles. The truth is that it is easily the number 1 way to improve your life: energy, clarity, mood, and a million other things. 99% of people need between 6.5 and 9 hours so if you’re not feeling great, even with the recommendations above, then sleep is likely your main issue. Either get more sleep or make sure to get tested for sleep apnea (which tricks you into thinking you’re sleeping but you’re actually choking or not breathing properly).
Make sure you’ve optimized your light environment as well. 10 years ago I would have said this is crazy to worry about, now I think it’s a top 5 societal health problem. With all this artificial light (especially from devices beaming straight into your eyes), your brain thinks you’re looking at the sun, so it won’t give you the calming melatonin to actually sleep well.
So you need to:
Minimize blue light (from devices and TV) after sunset
Dim lights at night, especially overhead (again, the brain thinks that’s the sun at noon)
Consider blue blocker glasses or red mode on devices at night
Get real sun within 30 minutes of waking (you need to activate your circadian rhythm as well to give you energy, sun in the morning does that)
Practicing good “sleep hygiene” is essential too. Make sure your room is totally dark, cool and silent. Don’t eat 3 hours before bed (digestion interferes with sleep) and try to sleep and wake at the same time everyday (even weekends - your body doesn’t understand “weekends,” it wants consistency). There are all kinds of trackers, apps and more but doing these basic things first should resolve most of the issues.
The Inner Game
The things mentioned above are great but if you want the foundational “pop out of bed ready for world domination” energy then you’ll want to start working on your inner game. People with a solid inner game will develop intrinsic motivation and energy in nearly limitless supplies. After you learn the tactics above, this is life on the next level.
This includes:
Purging negative energy from your life: Remove negative people, negative self-talk, cut out negative media and don’t abuse alcohol or drugs.
Emotional self-control: Work on your emotional resilience with a “not my circus, not my monkeys” mindset (also known as becoming “highly undisturbable” or developing a “thick skin”).
Visualization: Visualize outcomes and goals. See yourself as energized and successful. Tying the outcome you want (your vision) to your daily actions (no matter how mundane they are) is a huge source of motivation and energy.
Becoming purpose driven: Clarify your values and find your purpose. Once you have a motivating purpose then your energy is basically limitless. These are the people that truly cannot wait to get started each day because they’re fully internally motivated. Purpose-driven work doesn’t feel like work.
Sense of humor: Being able to laugh at the absurdity of life is a superpower. Laughter is a powerful cure. It helps you maintain perspective and you learn to not take everything so seriously. Energizing and relaxing!
Relaxation exercises: Whether it’s meditation, somatic therapy or HeartMath, there are so many known ways to calm your nervous system. I think it’s mandatory for the modern person to have at least one of these tools available in their arsenal.
Troubleshooting
If nothing else seems to work, then you’ll want to look into:
Underlying health conditions: chronic fatigue, underlying depression, undiagnosed illness like Lyme disease.
Elimination diet: almost all mysterious conditions have a dietary issue at the root (unknown allergies, gluten intolerance, etc.). Start by eliminating everything then adding things back in one by one (waiting 3 days - the full digestion cycle - between each new addition). Nobody likes doing it but this process has solved many intractable issues.
Professional coaching or a functional medicine practitioner: Sometimes you simply need a pro to go over everything and while they’re not cheap, what is your quality of life worth? Is it worth a few thousand dollars to totally change your life? This should be a no-brainer. Seek out a coach or functional doctor who can work with you (many will do this virtually).
SUMMARY
Energy isn’t something you wait around for. It’s something you generate through action, optimize through habits, and multiply through purpose.
The two foundational rules: energy comes from action (not the reverse), and your body isn’t a battery that depletes. Master these mindset shifts and you’ve already won half the battle.
Start with the instant hacks: move first, get sunlight, eat lighter, use strategic boosters. Build the foundation with sleep optimization (this alone will transform your life). Then work on your inner game: purpose, visualization, emotional control, and removing negativity.
The entrepreneurs and high performers who seem to have unlimited energy? They’re not genetic freaks. They’ve just figured out that energy is a skill you can develop, not a resource you’re born with.
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