A few years ago, my electric company offered a free assessment to determine how my house could be more energy efficient.
The person conducting the audit checked my windows and doors for leaks as well as looked to see if I had enough insulation.
He was very thorough, including making recommendations on which areas of my house need some attention.
Now that the new year is upon us, it is a good time to conduct your own personal energy audit.
This is not about New Year’s Resolutions, but instead it is to identify areas when your energy levels are at peak performance and when you feel really drained.
What can affect your energy levels?
The obvious reasons are sleep, exercise, and diet.
There are, however, other reasons why you feel really pumped up sometimes and other times you are dragging.
Have you ever considered the people that you associate with?
I have some colleagues, friends, and family members that can really make me feel great even when I am not having the best of days. 
It is not just the words they use but also how they express themselves.
There are others though that can make a relatively good day for me turn bad very quickly.
I refer to these people as energy drainers. They are like Eeyore from the story of Winnie the Pooh.
The sky is always bleak, the work they do is hard and/or boring, and their coffee never tastes the way they want it to.
Needless to say, I try to avoid those types of people but in the workplace and even at home that may be hard to do.
I try to remind myself that their issues are not mine. The quote “not my monkeys, not my circus” comes to mind each time I feel they are starting to grate one me.
One of my past corporate training participants added to that quote “and I did not buy a ticket” which always makes me smile when I think about her addition to that saying.
Certain tasks can also be energy drainers, but we keep doing them because they have become a habit.
Maybe it is the way you fill up or empty the dishwasher, clean the cat boxes, cook certain dishes, and/or make a bed.
None of these tasks are very pleasant so you either procrastinate, do them halfheartedly, or don’t do them at all.
Instead consider making these chores a game.
As an example, I try to empty the dishwasher by the time the toaster makes a noise (it plays “It’s a Small World), or I try to think about the money I am saving when I make my own meal versus going to a restaurant.
Some of my responsibilities at work include completing grant proposals which tend to be very tedious and repetitive.
To combat my reluctance to do these, I make a deal with myself that if I complete x number than I can take a break by taking a walk with my dog or attend an exercise class.
I am cognizant of when I need to prepare certain things too.
With my various businesses, I have to do a fair amount of writing for my clients. I am also in the middle of co-authoring a book and of course, I blog.
I know that my best times to write and where my greatest ideas come to mind is early in the morning.
If I have to do any writing after 1 pm, it seems to take me so much more time, the words I use are lackluster, and I am not articulating myself very well.
Lastly, it is a good time to also determine your energy wasters.
These are such things as doom scrolling, binge watching, etc. By doing these activities, you may feel your energy levels go down when you realize the hours you could be
doing something much more productive.
It can get to the point where you feel down or resentful because others are taking that time to enrich their lives versus having life pass them by.
As Tim Urban talks about in his TedTalk, it is not that individuals can’t achieve a goal, but they haven’t even started. He goes on to say that this leads to regrets which we can possibly hold onto for a long time if not indefinitely.
So the challenge I put forth to you is do your own energy audit.
Take advantage of when you are operating on all cylinders and make 2026 the year that you may not have thought was possible, but you made it into a reality.