1.) Anita Moorjani’s “Energy Bank Account”
I picked up a bad flu last month.
The kind that saps you of energy and makes even the simplest task feel like running a marathon in the desert, uphill, dehydrated, carrying a 30kg rucksack.
While it was in my system, I became hyper aware of my energy levels throughout the day and how different people and activities affected me.
Some gave me energy, while others drained my already depleted supplies further.
The experience reminded me of something Anita Moorjani shared in an interview for TWU’s podcast in 2024.
(See the clip here.)
In essence, it was that we should view our energy as a “currency” and take seriously the idea that we all have a kind of “energy bank account”.
Like any bank account, we can either make deposits or withdrawals.
Activities or social interactions which energise us count as deposits.
Whereas doing something or engaging with people which drain us count as withdrawals.
If we make too many withdrawals—without depositing—we enter into a state of “energy debt” and are in the red.
And if we stay in energy debt for too long, it leads to health problems, stress, and burnout.
Through this lens, you start to see that every action (and every interaction) involves an exchange of energy.
And each exchange is either withdrawing from your energy account or adding “funds” to it.
The goal then becomes to end each day with more energy units at the end, than you did at the start.
So a question to think about…
What deposits can you make in your energy bank account today?
2.) Kevin Kelly: The Currency of a Rich Inner Life
Speaking about a different currency, Kevin Kelly recently shared a paradoxical truth about the world we live in.
In a nutshell, it was:
The most selfish thing you can do is to be selfless.
In other words, the more generous you are, the more that flows back to you.
As Joe Polish puts it: Life Gives to the Giver.
Or, in the words of Eckharte Tolle, “outflow determines inflow”.
Many will argue this is nonsense because:
A.) There are countless generous people who live in economically deprived circumstances, with barely a penny to their name.
And:
B.) There are billionaires who have spent their lives exploiting others and the planet for profit—and yet are financially wealthy.
These counter arguments hold true through the lens of financial wealth.
But that’s not the kind of wealth Kevin was referring to.
He was talking about the currency of a rich inner life.
In other words, how much love, fulfillment, and meaning is flowing through us.
Although the exploitative billionaire may have an abundance of financial resources, you can be confident their inner world is desolate, barren, and empty.
Similarly, while individuals in economically deprived contexts may not be financially wealthy, if they trade in the “currency of the good”—as Kevin calls it—you will find riches and abundance in their inner and relational lives.
So although financial rewards may be unevenly distributed…
The currency of the good is abundant and available to everyone—regardless of class, ethnicity, or country of birth.
All that it depends on is our willingness to leap into the “current” each day, and align ourselves with the timeless principles that wisdom traditions have been advocating for centuries:
Compassion, generosity, service, treating others how we’d like to be treated, etc.
This is particularly true for the things we feel are lacking in our lives.
For example, if we feel unloved, or under appreciated, the best way to create that state within is to give love and appreciation to others.
Then it’s only a matter of time before it flows back in.
So a question I’m keeping top of mind:
How can I give to others what I would most like to receive myself?
3.) James Hollis: When the Psyche Withdraws Consent
When he was 35, Dr. James Hollis fell into a dark, crippling depression—the kind which makes it difficult to even get out of bed in the morning.
This made no sense to him because he’d just achieved his life goals of creating a family, earning a PhD, and becoming a Professor.
Not knowing where else to turn, he entered into psychotherapy for the first time.
Gradually, it became clear he’d been chasing goals his culture deemed important, rather than paying attention to what he was calling him from the inside.
This short post (560 words) unpacks Hollis’ struggle and speculates on an archetypal pattern which might help to explain it.
4.) Investing Energy in the 20% of Your Ideal Future
There are laws that govern the natural world.
Understanding and working in alignment with these is what has enabled the majority of breakthroughs in our society:
— Newtown discovered gravity, which paved the way for space exploration.
— Einstein discovered relativity, which led to nuclear energy.
— Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, which revolutionised the manufacturing and transportation sectors.
When we understand and work in alignment with nature’s laws, we thrive.
So, when approaching a new project, it’s worth asking:
“What are the relevant laws (i.e. principles) that would be wise to align with here?”
One which I find helpful for most endeavours is Pareto’s Principle, also known as the 80/20 Law.
In a nutshell, this is the idea that in any natural system 20% (or less) of the inputs lead to 80% (or more) of the outputs.
Or, said differently, 20% of causes, result in 80% of the effects.
— In a company, 20% of the customers lead to 80% or more of the revenues.
— On YouTube, 20% of the creators have 80% of the views.
— In your wardrobe, you probably wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time.
— In your relationships, 20% of the people probably bring you 80% of the joy.
This law also applies to your vision for the future.
To create it, there is a whole list of potential actions you could take.
But within that list, there exists a small number of “20%” actions, that if you focus on, will generate 80% or more of the life you want.
Therefore, if you want to make it a reality, it’s vital to identify this 20%, so you can invest your energy in the inputs which will have the highest return on energy expenditure.
So, a couple of questions to think about…
1.) What is the future you want?
2.) What are the 20% of inputs that—if you focus on—are going to lead to 80% or more of the life you want to create?
5.) Taking Your Foot Off the Brake
There are two things I try to keep in mind when launching new projects:
(1.) The initial phase will require a disproportionate investment of energy.
(Just as a rocket burns up 80-90% of its fuel in the first 2-3 mins to break out of Earth’s atmosphere.)
(2.) Although the first point may be true, each of us has a psychological predisposition to do the opposite.
That is, to conserve energy and maintain the status quo.
When we start a new project, we subconsciously assume it will involve an indefinite amount of energy investment in this new direction.
And if we’re already overstretched, this is kind of a big deal.
So naturally we hold back.
Sort of like driving with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake.
Compare the difference in how much energy you’d expend under the following two conditions.
In condition one, you’re told to start running and that it might last for hours, maybe even a full day.
You have no idea when it’ll be over, and it’ll be up to someone else (e.g. a drill instructor from the army) to decide when you get to stop.
In condition two, you’re told to run 5 all-out 100m sprints.
When they’re complete, you’re done.
Which situation would you be more likely to conserve energy in?
In the first scenario, it makes sense to hold back and not deplete yourself, while in the second, you’re free to go “all out” because you know the endpoint is near.
The same applies to creative projects.
A clear end-point frees our mind from its tendency towards energy conservation.
Therefore, a practice I’ve found helpful when launching a new project is to set a clear “decision point” in the near future.
This is a consciously chosen future “fork-in-the-road”, where, by the time you’ve reached it, you’ll have gathered enough experience to make an informed decision about whether to continue, change direction, or end the project entirely.
If you make it to your decision point, and realise it’s not working for you, then you can end the project early without any shame.
(There are few times in life when quitting and winning go together, but this is one of them.)
Doing this up front helps us to take our “foot off the brake”, press down hard on the accelerator, and go all in during the initial phase of a new project.
6.) Channeling Anxious Energy in a Productive Way
Speaking of new projects, we leave for our Camino Fellowship tomorrow.
This will be a weeklong nature immersion for leaders interested in making a meaningful impact in the world, in a way that energises them and aligns with their gifts and values.
In essence, it’s about laying the foundations for a working life where you get paid to play, while walking one of Europe’s most iconic routes.
We’ll do workshops in the mornings and walk the Camino in the afternoons.
I’ll be guiding the group through a 6 step framework from my upcoming Aligned Creator Book.
Although I’m excited, facilitation is new territory for me.
I’m usually behind the scenes, focusing on bringing out the best in others via interviews or connecting teachers with audiences.
So, after the cohort was confirmed, I began to feel uneasy about the prospect of facilitating the entire week myself.
Then I remembered something Tad Hargrave shared during our Holistic Coaching Summit last year.
It was about “stress-testing” workshop material in lower stakes environments before the big day.
A little bit like how standup comedians prepare for specials by testing their jokes in front of small audiences in random comedy clubs.
This allows them to get feedback on what’s working well—and what isn’t—before the main event.
I liked the idea and figured that if anything would ease my nerves, this would be it.
So I set up a six week online “pilot”, which took a group of 12 through the exact steps of the framework we’ll be using on the Camino.
Although participants paid, the conditions were that if they attended all six sessions, completed the experiential work, and a short feedback form after each session, they’d get a full refund.
So it was a win-win.
The cohort got a free learning experience, while I got to sharpen the framework and improve next week’s Camino experience.
The takeaway?
Simulation is a powerful antidote for anxiety.
If you can design a low stakes experiment which simulates the main event, all of the anxious energy which usually goes into counterproductive rumination, now gets channeled in a way that leads to confidence, learning, and improving the material.
So, if you have something important coming up, ask:
Is there a way I can pilot this?
And if so, what is the simplest form it could take?
7.) The Energetic Osmosis of Biographies
Since the majority of this newsletter has focused on energy, I’ll conclude with a pattern I’ve noticed in recent years.
When I’m in the process of reading a great biography, it has an energising effect that spills over into the rest of my life, shifting my perspective, motivation, and behaviour for the better.
It’s almost like the energy the protagonist musters to overcome their challenges “transfers” by a process of osmosis—allowing me to come by easily, what they’ve struggled hard for.
Now my own problems feel more manageable as a result.
A few I’ve found energising in recent years include:
— King by Jonathan Eig
— Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson
— Becoming Myself by Irvin Yalom
What about you?
Good biographies are hard to come by, so if you have any recommendations, hit reply on this email, and let me know.
A 30 Second Favour Request:
Can you think of a friend of colleague who might enjoy this newsletter?
If anyone comes to mind, it’d be greatly appreciated if you could share this signup link with them:
And if you’d like to give them a better idea of what to expect, they can see past editions here:
Thanks for your help, and see you next month!
