Your energy is being spent whether you approve the transaction or not.
Most of us are out here living like our nervous system has an unlimited credit line, swiping “yes” on obligations, adding little subscription charges called resentment, and then acting shocked when the balance hits zero on a random Tuesday.
So before we talk about “productivity” or “optimization” or any other word that makes you want to fake a dentist appointment, let’s do something simpler: an energy investment audit.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. Where is your time, attention, emotional labor, and money actually going, and is it buying the life you say you want?
Start here.
Step 1: Capacity Check
Let’s start with a quick capacity check. Before we even think about “optimizing” our energy investment strategy, we need to get a quick feel for how much energy is in the tank. We are going to dig deeper, but what is your gut feeling?
On this scale of 0-10 emoji representation, where do you land?
😵 😵💫 😫 😣 😬 🥴 😑 😜 🙂 😃 😍
If you are operating at the lower end of the scale, any conversation about “investment strategy” must also include a candid discussion about burnout. When your nervous system is fried, your “investment strategy becomes avoid discomfort, survive today, repeat. If you are teetering on the edge (or fully in the pit) of burnout, an energy investment audit is useful, but insufficient.
See THESE resources on stress management and burnout.
Step 2: Your Investment Thesis (Values)
This is the fun part. Aspirational values. Vision boarding. Identity statements.
“My family is the most important thing in my life.”
“I want to be an exceptional leader.”
“Health matters.”
Beautiful, but here comes the annoying part. Let’s take a look at where you are actually spending your time/energy/attention/money.
Click HERE to download our free core values exercise and guide.
Step 3: The Audit — Your Transaction History
Here is where we begin. Some of you love the idea of a tracking spreadsheet. Some of you think about collecting data and want to die a little bit. But you have to start somewhere, and you need to start with actual data. There is no getting around it. Even if the process of collecting said data and what it may reveal might be a little painful.
Time Audit: When we are thinking about pulling actual data, time is the easiest place to start, and you can use a time audit to make extrapolations to energy and attention. If you are a diligent calendar keeper, you can do this exercise in arrears by auditing “a typical month” on your calendar. If you are less diligent about calendaring, a meticulous time audit can be enlightening. I recommend doing this (at least) annually. Pick a couple of weeks to a month and REALLY track your time. Not just scheduled meetings, but all the time you spend getting ready, exercising, working, reading, reviewing, scrolling, taking breaks, staring out the window, snacking, in side conversations, driving between obligations, etc. Be truthful.
- Where does your time go?
- Are there any surprises? (Examples: Holy cow! I spend 8-9 hours a week driving my kids to and from their various activities! Wow, for every billable hour I work, I average 3 unbillable hours. Maybe I need to reconsider how I am scoping projects!)
- Does the “story” of how you actually spend your time align with your internal story of how you think you are spending your time? (We have all been shocked and horrified when we take a look at our phone screen time.)
- Does how you spend your time align with your stated values/priorities?
Thought Experiment Questions
- What/who gets my best hours?
- What/who gets my leftover hours?
- What gets my patience?
- What gets my resentment?
- What do I keep paying for (literally or figuratively) that never delivers?
Variations: If you are feeling particularly bold, you can run the same experiment with other easy-to-count and limited resources…..ahem…..money.
IMPORTANT NOTE: A reminder to use this type of exercise as an information-gathering endeavor — morally neutral and with as little judgment as possible. The goal is to collect the data so we can assess the story of prioritization it paints and consider whether we might want to make any shifts.
For example, if I have proclaimed to myself that healthy eating is a priority, but upon further inspection, I find I spend an embarrassing amount of money on questionable Uber Eats purchases, I may have to grapple with the fact that the data suggests I am prioritizing convenience over healthy eating. Here is the non-judgment part. Depending on my current situation, it may be true that convenience is more important. That is good to know, and may give me enough awareness to consciously select healthier Uber Eats options. Win!
Step 4: The Hidden Fees
The invisible “investments.” It is worth thinking about the things we do (or don’t do) that cost us energy, but have a secondary (and perhaps maladaptive) hidden WHY. These are the pernicious “investments” that people make to reduce discomfort. They are particularly insidious because they work in the short term, but compound into a mess later on.
Control: These are the things we unnecessarily hold onto because we can’t let go.
- Feels Like: Responsibility, high standards, protecting competence, delegation hesitancy
- Costs: Creativity, trust, agility, shared ownership
- Classic Sign: “It’s faster if I do it myself.” (It isn’t. It’s just familiar.)
Approval: These are the things that we do to people-please and signal “in-group coherence.”
- Feels Like: Being a good person, being “easy,” being liked, experiencing unexplainable resentment
- Costs: Self-respect, clarity, boundaries, honest relationships
- Classic Sign: You say yes, then punish yourself or others silently with stress and/or passive aggressiveness.
Urgency: These are the things that “must be done right now,” but is that really true?
- Feels Like: Productivity, importance, busy as a virtue
- Costs: Depth, strategy, the mental space for strategy
- Classic Sign: Everything is a fire, including things that are not on fire, or don’t need to be on fire.
Avoidance: This one is particularly sneaky because it is the invisible group of things that you don’t do.
- Feels Like: Invisibility or a subtle nagging, “future you’s” issues/problems, obliviousness, nothing (because you literally don’t know what you don’t know)
- Costs: Growth, transparency, self-honesty, future-you’s sanity
- Classic Sign: You are shocked when the “bill” (consequences of avoidance) comes with interest.
Step 5: Assess Your Spending (Your Current Energy Portfolio)
There are many ways to allocate your energy spending. Here is a simple way to think about where your time & energy go. Consider your energy investment in these 9 domains.
- Body (health, energy, sleep, movement)
- Mind (emotional health, stress load, attention)
- Work (role, workload, leadership, boundaries at work)
- Financial (stability, agency, planning)
- Relationships (family, friends, community, belonging)
- Home/Environment (space, logistics, safety, peace)
- Rest/Play (joy, recovery, restoration)
- Growth (learning, skill-building, comfort zone stretching)
- Meaning/Contribution (purpose, impact, legacy, community)
For each domain, ask these questions:
- What am I investing in, and how much? (time, attention, emotional labor, money, stress capacity)
- What return am I getting?
- What hidden fee am I paying (control, approval, urgency, avoidance)
Step 6: Make a Plan to Rebalance Your Portfolio
This isn’t a call to radically rebalance your energy portfolio. Sit with your assessment. Let it marinate. Are there small adjustments you can make that will make a difference or free up some energetic capacity?
For each domain, ask these questions:
- Is there something on this list that no longer serves me and can be eliminated?
- Is there something on this list that could be or needs to be reduced?
- Is there something on this list that could be or needs to be increased?
- Is there something missing from this list?
The Quick Check-In (10 minutes)
- Name 3 things that you say matter the most right now.
- Circle the one that is the most vulnerable under stress (most likely to get ignored).
- Look at the last 7 days. Where did your best energy go?
- What got your emotional labor? Was it voluntary or reflexive?
- What hidden fee showed up most: control, approval, urgency, avoidance?
- What are you currently over-investing in? (either too much energy, not enough return, or both)
- What are you under-investing in?
- One rebalance move. (baby steps for the win!)
- What could you stop funding for 2 weeks as an experiment?
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is awareness and choice. You likely don’t need a total overhaul, but it is wise to regularly take stock of where your energy is going. Regular energy investment audits are a fantastic tool to inspire yourself to greatness, set yourself up for success, and prevent burnout and apathy.
Small rebalances create big returns, especially over time. Your energy is already being spent, make sure it is buying the life that you want. Invest on purpose, and your life will start paying you back. ♥️
XO,
Anna
The World’s Most Fun Leadership Newsletter (Probably).
Subscribe for free. Stay for the honesty, chaos, and a weekly leadership reality check.
🌸 Spring Cohorts Are NOW OPEN!
This spring, we’re hosting two live, six-week leadership cohorts designed for humans who lead real people in real situations.
SHE and ManageSmart are fully virtual, highly interactive programs grounded in Tactical Emotional Intelligence™—helping leaders build the clarity, confidence, and communication skills that actually show up at work.
Whether you’re navigating your identity as a leader or managing people day-to-day, these cohorts offer practical tools you can use immediately—not theory that lives in a notebook.
Enrollment is now open for Spring 2026. Learn more HERE.
🧰 Free Leadership Resources:
