Slingshot Weekly (10/1/25) | The Energy Audit

We live in a world where everything is measured. Our steps, our screen time, our schedules. But beneath all those metrics, there’s a quieter, more powerful form of data we often ignore: our energy.

Your energy speaks before your words do. You’ve felt it - walking out of a meeting completely drained, or leaving a conversation so alive that hours feel like minutes. That’s your internal battery sending signals. And when you start paying attention, it reveals more truth than any app or calendar notification ever could.

The problem is, most of us treat low energy like a flaw to fix. We grab another coffee, squeeze in one more task, or keep pushing even when our system is flashing “low battery.” But energy isn’t a weakness - it’s information. It’s a built-in dashboard showing us what’s in alignment and what isn’t.

That’s where an energy audit comes in. It’s not about perfection; it’s about awareness. Start by asking yourself three simple questions:

• What gives me energy?

• What drains me?

• What feels neutral?

These aren’t just surface-level reflections. Pay attention to the whole context: who you’re with, the environment you’re in, and whether the task connects to something meaningful. For example, research shows that employees who find purpose in their work report higher engagement and less burnout. It isn’t just what they’re doing - it’s whether it matters.

Some of history’s most creative and resilient leaders intuitively understood this. Maya Angelou famously described writing as exhausting yet deeply energizing because it aligned with her purpose. On the other hand, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi studied “flow” moments - those times when energy and attention merge so seamlessly that time seems to disappear. Both examples point to the same truth: energy is a compass.

When we ignore it, we end up burned out, distracted, or chasing things that don’t fit. But when we track it - even for a week - we start seeing patterns. Maybe you notice that social interactions fuel you more than solo tasks, or that working outside sparks creativity in ways your desk never does. These aren’t small details; they’re clues pointing you toward a more aligned life.

So here’s the invitation: check your internal dashboard this week. Not to criticize yourself, but to understand yourself better. The goal isn’t to cut out every energy drain - that’s not realistic. Instead, it’s about making intentional choices. If you know what fuels you, you can build your days around it. If you know what drains you, you can plan for recovery or set boundaries.

Energy is the most honest feedback you’ll ever get. And when you listen, you stop wasting it on what doesn’t matter - and start investing it in what does.