Every business in the world — for profit or non profit — is familiar with measuring ROI (return on investment). But what if ROI isn’t as important as something else – ROE. Return on Energy.
Think about the bullet points that make up your job description. No doubt, some of them are boring, annoying, mind-numbing even. But somewhere in your job description lies that one bullet (or many bullets hopefully if you love your job) that just jazzes you — the thing you wish you could spend your whole day doing, your whole life achieving, and never tire of no matter the circumstances. That bullet point is your greatest in ROE. And in order to take your day-to-day life from mundane to exciting, from stressed out to calm, and from tired to vibrant, you need to find ways to increase your ROE.
How, though, with all of the things you need to do on the “I hate this” list, can you find time to insert the “I love this” list?
- It’s easy to spend all day doing the things we love in our job. Don’t. Because spending all day doing what you love in your job eventually means you’ll have to spend a whole day doing what you hate. Instead, spread out your tasks to include a day that is stacked with things in the low end, middle end, and high end of your ROE spectrum. This balance will make your energy level more consistent across the board.
- Recognize when low energy times are on the horizon. Maybe you have an all day staff meeting coming up and you simple don’t get energy from being in groups like this. Prepare for this low energy time by inserting more high energy tasks both before and immediately following. It will build up your energy reserves, and then quickly replenish them exactly when you need it.
- Keep track of what keeps your ROE up and what doesn’t. Chances are, you’re going to look for a new job sometime in the future. If you know 100% what keeps you high on energy and what makes you slump, you can look for jobs that include more of the former and less of the latter.
Energy is just as big of an investment in your life and business as cash is — so don’t spend all your time on ROI when what you really need is a big lesson in ROE.
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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