When Energy Becomes Currency
Your energy is more valuable than money - are you treating it that way?
We're taught to budget our dollars but never to budget our energy. We check our bank balances obsessively but rarely check our energy balances. Yet energy is the currency that determines everything about our quality of life.
Think about it - you can have all the money in the world, but if you're energetically bankrupt, you can't enjoy it. You can't buy energy at the shops or withdraw it from an ATM. It's the most precious resource you have, and it's finite.
The people who understand energy as currency make completely different choices. They invest their energy like they're building a portfolio, spending it strategically rather than recklessly.
Here's how to start treating your energy like the valuable currency it is:
Create an energy budget. Just like financial budgeting, know how much energy you have each day and allocate it intentionally. High-energy tasks get prime time slots, maintenance tasks get leftover energy.
Calculate your energy ROI. Before committing to anything, ask: "What's the energy return on this investment?" Some activities cost energy initially but generate massive returns later. Others are pure energy expenses.
Identify energy inflation. Some activities cost more energy now than they used to. That friend who was energising in your twenties might be draining in your fifties. Adjust your energy spending accordingly.
Build energy savings. Just like having money in the bank for emergencies, maintain energy reserves. Don't spend every ounce you have - keep some in reserve for unexpected demands.
Avoid energy debt. When you consistently spend more energy than you have, you go into energy debt. The interest rate is brutal - exhaustion, illness, burnout. Pay attention to your energy credit score.
The wealthiest people I know aren't necessarily those with the most money - they're those who've mastered energy currency. They understand that time and energy are the real assets, and they protect them accordingly.
When you start valuing your energy as currency, you naturally become more selective about how you spend it. You stop giving it away to things and people that don't deserve it, and you start investing it in what truly matters.
What's your current energy spending pattern? Are you investing wisely or hemorrhaging your most valuable currency?
ENERGY CLUB UPDATES:
This week's podcast episode is about the Lickable Third. It originated from childhood sibling rivalry over biscuits, but it's become my guide for everything from travel packing to sorting people into "love," "don't care," and "f*ck off" categories. Listen here and find out why we need to ruthlessly eliminate the bottom third.