Are You Surge Protected?

Recently I was working on my laptop when a huge clap of thunder and a flash of lightening hit. Poof! My computer went down. All I could think was, “Did I just blow up my computer with that surge?” I was not plugged in with a surge protector and immediate panic set in. That dread in your stomach that, “This could be bad.” Luckily, my computer was fine. Many of today’s versions have some built in protection. But remember when all computers needed a surge protector?

Do you still have a surge protector? Most would answer with an emphatic, “YES”. Because if the thought of a surge of outside energy burning up your computer terrifies you like it does me, then you want to make sure your information is protected.

Do you do the same for your day? Do you protect your day against surges of energy?

Let me explain. We all have a finite amount of energy to devote to our day. Part of it goes to family, a bunch of it goes to work and then we usually squeeze in a bit of energy for ourselves. That may be a workout, reading a book or a little Netflix at night. But during our day, someone or something can catch you off guard and arrive with their needs.

These disruptions in the flow of your productivity or your team’s can cause a shut down. Your work gets interrupted by an outside force.

How do you deal with these events? These surges often happen during crisis and it becomes necessary to re-route your energy. But what if the outside force interrupting your productivity isn’t an emergency or crisis. It is just raining, no huge thunder or lightening.

You are going to have to guard your energy. Put up your protector and let these interruptions, whether a person, project or distraction know that you are not going to be deterred. Being productive, owning your energy and not shutting down for someone else’s issue are key to staying powered up.

A few tips to make that happen in your day:

1. Schedule your day before you start it – the night before works great for this
2. Leave space each day to help others. That way when you are interrupted you can give them a time that you have available to help them.
3. If you have tasks that needs to be in a No Interruption Zone, let team members know you won’t be available.
4. Schedule breaks in your day for communication. Return calls and emails then.

For more ways to protect your day from energy drains, power up and stay resilient sign up  for resources or visit www.KathyParry.com