The easiest way to get out of that funk is to change your physiology. It’s surprisingly easy and fast. Here’s a five-step formula.

Three years ago I boarded a crowded, somewhat dirty bus and set off for Wat Suan Mokkh, a Thai forest monastery. The grounds featured giant monitor lizards and bats that would fly low at dusk, almost touching you with their wings. Though the bat-filled evenings were a highlight of my trip, they were not my […]

“Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all of your problems are in this little bottle!” This quote, from Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy, is both hilarious and timeless. Her Vitameatavegamin bottle made some pretty large promises that only required an alcohol content of […]

Time management is about scarcity, because time is fixed. You only have 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, 8,760 hours in a year (tack on an extra 24 for leap years). Until someone invents a time-stretching machine, that’s all we’ve got. The thing that you can actually manage is your energy. […]

In corporate training, I use meditation to help teams to be mindful or present. It can really transform the workplace. Not only does it improve productivity and efficiency, but studies show that companies who have implemented meditation training and encouraged employees to take time out for meditation each day have happier and better-rounded employees. This […]

On a recent Catalyst Podcast , Andy Stanley said, “The best thing a leader can bring to his team is his energy” (quoting Bill Hybels). … The good news is that you can be a more energetic leader by becoming more aware and intentional about developing it.

We all know the physical benefits to running. However, people who don’t run, often miss the non-physical ones. Here are three.

I would describe myself as a high-energy person. But I haven’t always been that way, and it’s certainly no accident. I am very deliberate about managing my energy level.

There’s only so much time in a day—just twenty-four hours last I checked. And there’s no optional upgrade or booster pack available. Time is fixed. But your energy has flex. Our energy expands or contracts through the day based on variables like rest, nutrition, and exercise. But another critical variable—and one we often forget—are the […]

I am a habitual nap-taker. I take one almost every day and have for years. I used to feel a little guilty about it—like I was slacking off or something. Then Sam Moore, my predecessor at Thomas Nelson, admitted to me he too was a napper. “Every day after lunch, I lie down on the […]

Some gadgets come with batteries and some don’t. If I told you it’s the same with people, what kind would you like to work with: those with or without batteries? I picked up this metaphor from an episode of Dan Sullivan’s 10XTalk Podcast. Dan said he basically divides everyone into one of two categories: Those […]

I’ve been thinking a lot about sleep recently. Most research shows that we don’t get enough, and our deficit is seriously hurting our productivity, our physical health, even our mental well being. Leaders and business writers like Arianna Huffington and Tom Rath are devoting more time to the topic. Greg McKeown’s Essentialism, a book I’m […]

Our society puts a high value on achievement but not much on rest. I hear people brag about how much they work and play but never how much they sleep—usually the opposite. But what if sleep could help you achieve more? My team and I just finished launching the Get Noticed! Theme for WordPress, and […]

Several years ago, when I was the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, I was presiding over our monthly business review meeting. One by one, each of our divisional managers would appear before the executive team and review their operating results for the previous month. At the first break, one of my business consultants who was […]

As a leader, it is easy to get sucked into high maintenance relationships. When this happens, you and your organization suffer. Here’s how to avoid this common pitfall.

Sometimes, you get stuck in a funk and can’t figure out why. Here are 24 ways to get out of it.

Too often, we seem to accept the fact that our energy level is what it is. Not true. Here are 37 things you can do to put more spring in your step.

Of all the things that affect my energy and productivity, nothing is more important than getting a good night’s sleep. Exercise, diet, and mental focus are all important, but they can’t make up for a lack of rest. Here’s how I make sure I get a good night’s sleep.