Track What Energizes You and What Drains You

For years I've used a personal mood and energy rating system that I call "the battery tracker."

The minus sign ( - ) equals something draining, and the plus sign ( + ) equals something energizing.

I noticed, however, that some stuff that seemed energizing in the beginning could be draining in the end, and vice-verse; so I started noting how I felt before and after an activity.

- / - = a minus-minus is an activity I'm not looking forward to, that drains me afterwards.

+ / + = a plus-plus is an activity I'm excited about, and that gives me energy afterwards

+ / - = here, things get tricky: Plus-minus activities are what I call "second piece of pie" situations -- it's Thanksgiving Day... we've eaten a marvelous array of foods... and yet I'm sitting at the table, and the apple pie is calling me, saying "go ahead... have another... it's the holidays..." And I do, and it tastes wonderful, and then I regret it a half hour later when my stomach is saying, "Why do you hate me??".

and finally we come to:

- / + = The minus-plus category, which is also tricky; because we are human, and some things we don’t feel like doing, actually make us feel better when we have done them. (If your mother or your doctor tells you to do it, it might be a minus-plus.) For me, the quintessential minus-plus is exercise. I never want to do it at first, but after the first ten minutes it feels pretty good, and afterwards, I'm in a better mood for the rest of the day, and I sleep better that night. So for me, exercise might actually be a - / +++.

Tracking my activities this way has been very helpful for me.

If I see a - / - coming up on the calendar (e.g., an upcoming appointment I’m dreading) I make SURE to schedule something + / + to look forward to afterwards (bike ride with a friend).