How you can transform your career by being more aware of your energy consumption

Taking better care of your energy isn’t just about sleeping well, recharging the batteries on the weekend, and going for a run. For deep transformation, you’ve got to really tackle the way you spend your energy when you’re at work. I’ve been using the GC Index profiling tool with clients and we’ve been exploring what work naturally energises and depletes them, and considering what implications this has for the work they do and the way they spend their days. I’ve been challenging my clients to consider their energy consumption on a much deeper level. 

I’ll begin with a Taylor Swift quote (if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I’m a proud Swiftie). She says:

“Think of your energy as if it’s expensive, as if it’s a luxury item… What you spend your energy on, that’s the day”. 

And she’s right. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been adding a new tool to my coaching toolkit. It’s called the GC Index, and is a leadership profile tool that’s a bit different. It’s not assessing your skills, or describing your personality. Instead, it highlights the way you naturally bring energy to your work. 

As I’ve been starting to use the tool with my clients, we’ve been unpeeling a new layer of self-discovery together, which is absolutely essential to transformation, and building a life that you love. 

Energy consumption

At the start of every day, you’ll have a certain amount of energy. How much you start with will depend on whether you slept well, what you ate yesterday, what you did yesterday, whether you’re in generally good health etc. But you’ll start with a (hopefully) full battery. 

Through the day, you’ll do things and experience things which will deplete that battery. You’ll also do things and experience things which will energise you, and recharge that battery a little bit. Those days when you finish work and flop on the sofa unable to even cook dinner - those are the days when the battery is fully drained. The days when you come home and suggest a trip to the cinema - that’s when you’ve still got a bit left in the tank. 

And wouldn’t we all like to enjoy more of those days when you finish work and still have a bit left in the tank to actually live your life?  

So, when we think about those things and experiences that deplete the battery, and those things that energise the battery, we often go to the standard “wellbeing” stuff. Exercise, healthy food, laying off the screens, getting good sleep etc. And these are all undoubtedly important. Implementing good habits will help you to recharge that battery, ready for the next day.  

But for many of us, focusing only on what we’re doing in our (perhaps) two or three hours of leisure time each day  misses a greater opportunity. For many people, we spend a larger proportion of our lives at work than anywhere else. By considering deeply what energises you within your work, and what drains you within your work, you can unlock the door to real transformation. 

So, let me take you back to the GC Index - a tool which acknowledges that each of us have our own natural preferences around what drains us and what energises us. 

The GC Index

The GC Index asks a number of questions, and then produces a profile, which shows where your preferences lie. My own profile shows a strong preference for what’s known as ‘polishing’ - a drive for improvement, and making things better. In my work I get to do this a lot - helping my clients to grow and develop and become better versions of themselves. Even on those days when I’m working with lots of clients, I don’t end the day by flopping exhausted on the sofa. I feel buoyed up, energised, and excited for what’s to come. 

My profile also shows a ‘strategist’ preference - for spotting patterns, connecting the dots, and building a compelling vision of the future. It’s such a natural fit with the work I do now. Helping my clients spot patterns in their past, their experiences, their beliefs, helping them see an alternative future, and then gently pushing and encouraging them to grow and develop towards that improved future. I love preparing for coaching sessions as much as I enjoy being in them. 

The areas where I have a lower preference also tell a story. They explain why I burned out in my last job. For example, ‘playmaker’ work drains me. This is work which involves collaborating with others, bringing everyone on the journey, and involving everyone. It was a big part of my previous role. I worked in that space most days. I got fairly good at it. But it exhausted me and drained me. 

One of my clients describes himself as a natural when it comes to solving complex problems. He has a strong preference for being an ‘Implementer’ - he finds this easy and does his best work when he’s turning a problem or an opportunity into reality. But he has a low ‘Strategist’ energy. And when we look back at the work he’s found hardest, it’s been when he has to come up with a grand vision or a longer term plan. He can do it, but it’s hard yards. 

So, we can pose a question - when he’s looking for his next role, does he slog away doing work he finds difficult, uncomfortable and tiring? Or does he lean into what gives him energy and comes naturally to him?

So what?

By understanding your natural preferences, you can begin to understand how you show up at work, what drains you, what energises you. Knowing this can give you clarity about what to delegate, and to whom. It can help you to build a team who bring complementary energy. It can give you information about what types of work you might find harder, and who you can turn to for a boost. You can also reflect on making bigger changes and consider whether aligning your work more closely to your preferences might give you the career ‘oomph’ you’re looking for. 

Here’s something to reflect on: 

💛What energises you most at work? How much time do you get to spend doing it? 

💛What drains you the most? Is it something you can avoid most of the time or is it a big part of your role? 

If you’re interested in the GC Index (including it’s amazing powers in team building and organisational design), you can learn more about it here. And, if you’d like me to take you through your own GC Index profile, drop me a line. I’ll be accredited as a “GC-Ologist” very soon, and I’ll be running an introductory offer of a GC Profile plus 60-minute review session for just £250. 

From Liv 💛

P.S. If you’ve found this useful, then please join my weekly email community for regular doses of wisdom like this, straight to your inbox. If you’re interested in working with me, then check out my 121 coaching packages and use this link to arrange an initial chat with me. And if you’d like me to talk to your team, organisation or community about this, or any of my other articles, then please reach out via email to enquire about speaking/workshop engagements.