Someone asked me recently if I had a guiding principle that helped me decide what new work to take on, and how I decide how much time to spend pursuing my various interests. It’s a great question. Entrepreneurs have an idea a minute, and it’s often difficult to know which ideas to invest time in. A mentor of mine gave me this principle some years ago, and I try to live by it.
Go where your energy is strong.
Does the path you’re on give you energy just thinking about it? Then follow it. If it doesn’t, consider a new direction.
Easier said than done, perhaps, but you can start with small steps. Do you love to sing (write, play tennis, carve wood) but find you don’t make time for it? Find a teacher and begin lessons, or block out an hour twice a week to practice or engage in the activity. Is your life of work not fulfilling at the moment? What one change can you make that might release your energy? Maybe you need to have a conversation with your boss or staff, review priorities, or ask for a change that would make you look forward to walking into the place where you spend a third of your life, instead of dreading...