Are You Ready to Zenergize Your Life?

A guest post by Katie Tallo of Momentum Gathering.

All my life I’ve had bucket loads of energy. As a little girl, that energy earned me the labels bold and bossy – as a woman, focused and driven. It’s just my nature. I’m an ‘A’ type personality. I’m that annoying person who jumps out of bed and hits the ground running. This intense drive has helped me change my life, stick to my goals and discover my purpose. It also makes me insanely productive. Sounds great, right? Wrong.

What’s wrong with insane productivity?

The more insanely productive I became the more my energy began pulling U-turns on me. It would steer me off course, without warning, and send me crashing into a brick wall. Completely burnt out, I would rest, recover, then go hard again – each time, vowing to slow down and do it differently, but inevitably I would crash again. After two years of this repetitive cycle, it only took two days of feeling like I couldn’t breath to realize enough was enough. My energy was becoming too much for me. I needed a change.

What’s right about serene productivity?

I might have needed a change, but, how does an energetic and motivated person slow down and still achieve their goals? How does an ‘A’ type settle for a ‘B’ type pace? Is it possible to be calmly industrious, to be peacefully prolific, to be serenely productive? I believe it is. All one needs is the right kind of fuel. I call it zenergy!

Here are 5 ways to zenergize your life and embrace serene productivity.

1. keep your tank full

Stop running on empty. Pull over when you’re feeling depleted and refuel. Refueling is really about getting back to basics – drinking water, eating fresh whole foods, moving your body, laughing, stretching, and getting plenty of rest so you don’t run out of gas.

2. give your tires a good kick

Be sure the foundation of what your working towards in life is solid and meaningful, not flat and lifeless. Undertake adventures you feel passionate about. Join partnerships you believe in. Live by your values. Stop saying “yes” to everything and, likely, you’ll get where you want to go faster.

3. make regular pit stops

I call these mini-rests and they really work for me. When I feel my shoulders beginning to tense up, when I’m not remembering to breath, when I’m hungry, thirsty, tired or overwhelmed, I take a pit stop. I step back from what I’m doing and take a breather. Even if it’s just for five minutes, sit with someone for a chat or go outside for some fresh air. Consciously focus on the idea of calming yourself and letting yourself take a moment for you. Know that pushing hard to the finish line, won’t get you there, but regular pit stops will.

4. stick to the speed limit

I’m not saying you should never break any rules, but racing to get ahead, cutting corners and moving too fast, just to move faster, be better or win some imaginary race, can lead to disaster. Mistakes will be made, care will be undermined and you’ll end up spinning your wheels. Going with the flow, practicing patience and allowing others to pass you if need be, will keep your energy and your progress steady, mindful and peaceful.

5. win your race

There is no finish line. There is no goal or dream or deadline that once you’ve reached it you’ll arrive at some magic destination. There is always more. So what’s the rush? I’m learning to put down work that’s not complete. I’m learning to allow for progress to come at an easy pace. I’m learning to worry less about to-dos and focus more on to-experiences. And I’m learning to be okay with winning my race and no one else’s.

If you’re like me, slowing down doesn’t come easily, but putting on the brakes and learning to zenergize your life can bring you peace of mind and a renewed sense of focus and purpose. Zenergy creates time to reflect instead of rush, time to revel instead of race.

I’ve gone from being insanely productive to serenely productive in just a few weeks by harnessing the power of zenergy. In fact, this post took me a lot longer to write because I needed to fill my tank, kick my tires, take a few pit stops, and stick to the speed limit and time limits that I had set for myself. I know in my heart that serene productivity will sustain my journey for the long haul. I encourage you to zenergize your life and flow peacefully towards your dreams.

Katie Tallo is a director, writer, motivator, runner, vegetarian and mother who writes a blog called Momentum Gathering where she encourages simple, positive actions for joyful and vibrant life change. She is also a Managing Editor for The Daily Brainstorm.