It’s confusing, it’s unrelenting and often feels like it’s a massive waste of our time. But it’s not the business’ fault – it’s ours. Business is not conscious; it doesn’t decide whether we have a good day or bad. And regardless of how well it’s designed it will always have faults because almost by definition it is imperfect. 

Most of us spend our lives adapting so that we can fit into what business needs, but it has become obvious to me that that’s the wrong strategy. We need to make business fit us. We aren’t designed for business. We are designed to be hunter gatherers on the savanna. Up until 12,000 years ago that’s how we all existed and as we had two million years of practising it; it’s very much part of who we are. We are therefore designed to move and not sit statically staring at a screen. We are designed to be energy efficient and therefore autopilot is our preferred setting – not being smart all day. 

We work best in bursts and then need to rest. We have an inbuilt negativity bias designed to help us survive that reacts viscerally to anything new and different. These elements of who we are, are at odds with what business demands. We cannot change our very nature; but we must learn to work with it better. At Upping Your Elvis, we believe that when you get your energy right, work is easy and fun. 

And when you don’t it is quite the opposite. So, we have been experimenting for a few years now with what it takes to get our energy right everyday knowing full well that our design is not aligned with today’s business needs. With the help of many of the world’s leading experts in sleep, nutrition, focus, exercise, psychology, happiness, well-being, spirituality etc we have been living experiments to see what difference simple behaviour changes make to our lives. And it has been the most fascinating of journeys; one I know will never stop. Over that time, we have changed greatly. I now have a morning routine that is a total game changer. 

Thanks to Wim Hoff, I now cold water swim every day and although I live by the sea, I have built a natural swimming pond and a refrigerated tub! That’s how much it’s benefited my life  I nap whenever I need it. Intermittent fasting is now my norm. I never book meetings for an hour.  

I zone my day so that I think for the first 2 hrs and then can have meetings later…. I rarely drink alcohol. I use Talk It Out to understand why I am feeling the way that I do.  I spend more time outdoors. My life has transformed as a result. Not everything has worked by any means. 

Some experiments were absolute flops but that is the nature of an experiment. Life is an experiment. We have no idea how it’ll work out until it does. But what we do know is if we keep doing what we’ve always done; chances are it will feel familiar. If you want to make your work fit you better, start experimenting today. When you understand what makes you tick, and you can make that show up in everything you deliver; every day becomes more extraordinary and technicolour. It’s one hell of an adventure. 

And you are the one in the driving seat. Have fun! For more on how to get your energy right, check out my new book at: https://www.uppingyourelvis.com/books

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