How to Improve your energy for BJJ Part 2: Learn to say NO!
If you are finding yourself exhausted at the end of the week it may not just be a lack of sleep. Even though the Golden rule of 8 hours is nice we all rarely attain it. But humans are resilient and adaptable and sleep isn't the only factor in fatigue. What you agree to to spend your energy on, when you say YES to any action often cost you more than you realise leaving you short when you actually need it. Learning to say NO is key to saving energy.
1.Identify Energy leaks?
Are you spending multiple hours a day driving? Do you spend the majority of your day at a desk? Are you spending late nights scrolling through social media? Is your eating and drinking helping build your energy or block it?
Often to move forward the best thing you can do is take off the hand break. Identifying things that are holding you back and then saying NO to them is absolutely key in the process of beating exhaustion and boosting your vitality.
Once you have identified your biggest energy leaks you need to look for ways to minimise it or change it completely. When you say NO to spending energy on actions that gives you no return, you then have the option to say YES to something more rewarding eg. BJJ. That doesn’t mean you go on a spending spree throwing YES in all other directions. Prioritising where your energy goes is key.
2.Reduce spending
It’s time to be a tight arse. That’s right you need to be picky with where you spend your energy. Don’t say YES to any old cause, Karen’s bake sale is her business and will not help your Jiu-jitsu 1 bit. Of course using your energy to help others is rewarding and enriching in it’s own right but if you are going " Energy" broke you can’t be giving people loans with the little you have. If you want to help others you need to be sustainable, so you can keep showing up, feeling great in whatever you do... especially BJJ!
Every time you say YES to someone else's priorities you are saying NO to your own. Your Family, your study, your job, your creative pursuits and your Jiu-jitsu are all important but could you be more efficient? Have more YES in the bank for the things you love.
3.Tiny but Mighty
Doing the following 3 easy things will have a massive impact on saving your energy. + Do Not Be there. The best way to say No is not to put yourself in harms way. We all have that 1 friend or family member who will consistently rope you into something, that always takes way longer than expected and drains you of your energy. This person seems to have endless energy and is happy to waste it. That's not you, you have prioritised your energy and where you put it. Even though this person may have good intentions their effect is detrimental, Do Not Be there. + Leave The Party Early. At any social engagement, BBQ, family get together and even at Jiu-jitsu training the peer group pressure and social pull to stay beyond a certain time serves no-one. This is quiet dishonesty, in truth we are all tired and would not mind just being in our pyjamas, chilling at home. Now for those that want to party that's cool- their actions are like someone burning money. Leaving early no matter the time of day gives you a buffer for bad traffic, flat tires, that thing you forgot to do and gives you some YES in the bank for Preparation. + Less But Better. Did you do your best? When you look back at your life: family, career, your competitions, friendships. What was the quality of the interactions you had? Doing fewer things with a higher degree of quality is the only way to improve the quality of your life but also how you see yourself. Schedule less to get more out of those chosen few things, the reward will not only mean a happier life but a huge return in energy coming back to you.
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