🔥 5 Minutes of Leadership Fuel
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🫶 A Dose of Inspiration
“The world is bursting with wonder, and yet it’s the rare productivity guru who seems to have considered the possibility that the ultimate point of all our frenetic doing might be to experience more of that wonder.”
— Oliver Burkeman
We spend so much energy trying to get more done. But what if all that doing is supposed to lead us somewhere? Not to another achievement. Not to inbox zero. But to the experience of actually being alive… noticing the wonder that’s already here.
Mid-February is hard. But maybe the answer isn’t grinding harder. Maybe it’s pausing long enough to remember what all this effort is actually for.
📥 Download the quote graphic to use in your next staff email or meeting.
🤓 A Dose of Learning
Anyone else have a love-hate relationship with productivity strategies? We desire to do our best work and put good out into the world, but most of these strategies fool us into thinking there’s this perfect reality we can create where we get all the things done and in less time.
The issues are numerous. For some, we end up in the short term getting more done, but we’re left completely drained. Others trick us into thinking we can fit ever more and more into this magical time we’ve supposedly saved. Yet others pretend that if you could just plan and live this system that has worked for someone else, all your problems would be solved.
And so we continue on the hedonistic treadmill. We finish the day exhausted, wondering why everything feels harder than it should.
I recently listened to Marissa Hyatt and Joel Miller on the Focus on This podcast, and their episode on energy resonated with how I now think about productivity.
We spend so much time trying to manage our calendars, optimize our schedules, and squeeze more into our days. But here’s the truth: time is fixed, but energy can flex.
You can’t create more hours in your week. But you can bring better energy to the hours you already have.
What if the biggest problem to solve isn’t our schedule, but our energy?
This is what they call the “time-energy paradox.” And understanding it can change how we lead.
As Marissa puts it: “We spend so much energy trying to solve problems in our lives. But what if the biggest problem to solve is our own energy? What if we don’t need to make our problems smaller, but change the energy we bring to those problems?”
Three Energy Drains (and What to Do About Them):
1️⃣ Screen Time Masquerading as Rest
The research is overwhelming. We think we’re resting when we stream shows or scroll social media. But our brains are actually overstimulated. Screens drain the cognitive resources we need for emotional regulation, clear thinking, and creativity.
The alternative? Time outdoors. Even just a few minutes walking around the block restores attention and reduces stress in ways screens never will. Try a walking meeting this week instead of another Zoom call.
2️⃣ Information Overload
Between work emails, news alerts, social media, and AI answering every question that pops into our heads, we’re drowning in information. We weren’t created to process this volume of input, and it carries both a cognitive tax and an emotional one.
The solution is simple but hard: consume less information today to have more energy tomorrow. Be intentional about what you’re taking in. You don’t need to know everything about everything.
3️⃣ Sleep Debt
We procrastinate bedtime for one more episode, one more chapter, one more scroll. But sleep is our primary recharging station. And way too many of us aren’t getting enough.
Here’s something fascinating: before electricity, humans slept an average of 11 hours per night in winter. Our bodies are designed to need more rest when there’s less light. Mid-February isn’t just hard because it’s cold… it’s hard because we’re fighting our biology.
The key? Create a bedtime routine you look forward to, one that signals your brain and body it’s time to rest.
Why This Matters for Leaders
You can’t offer hope, build trust, show compassion, or provide stability when you’re running on empty. The energy you bring to your team shapes their experience of leadership every single day.
Stewarding your energy isn’t selfish. It’s essential.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Your Energy Audit: Why Your Days Feel Harder Than They Should
🌀 A Dose of Action
Marissa and Joel recommend something I love: run an energy experiment.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life. Just pick one small change, commit to it for one week, and pay attention to what happens.
This is action learning at its best. You try something, notice the results, and decide whether to keep it, adjust it, or try something else.
This week, choose ONE energy experiment:
📲 Screen Reset
- Set a screen cutoff time and stick to it for seven days
- Take one short outdoor walk each day
- Convert at least one Zoom meeting to a walking phone call
ℹ️ Information Diet
- Minimize the news you consume for one week and notice how you feel
- Resist the urge to ask AI every question that pops into your mind
- Unsubscribe from three email lists or newsletters that drain more than they fuel
😴 Sleep Restoration
- Move your bedtime 30 minutes earlier and protect it
- Create a simple evening ritual you actually look forward to (a favorite tea, reading fiction, a few minutes of stretching)
- Install one circadian light bulb and use the warm setting after sunset
⚡️ Energy Awareness
- Notice when you feel most energized during the day, and schedule your most important work then
- Track your energy levels at three points each day (morning, midday, evening) and look for patterns
- Identify one energy drain you can eliminate or delegate this week
Pick your experiment. Give it seven days. Then reflect: Did it make a difference? What did you learn about yourself? What might you try next?
Small adjustments, observed closely, often yield surprising returns. 🌀
You got this. Let’s lead with belief.
In your corner,
Melody
Founder, Culture of Belief
PS: Talk about perfect timing… ⏰💯
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