One of the hallmarks of all successful and high achieving men and women is that they are always determined to get the very most out of life. They are fully engaged. The successful person in Maslow's words, wants to "become everything he or she is capable of becoming."

You may have a thousand different goals over the course of your lifetime, but they will all fall under one or four basic categories. These categories are, a desire for happy relationships, a desire for interesting and fulfilling work, a desire for financial independence, and a desire for good health. Everything you do is an attempt to enhance the quality of your life in one or more of these areas.

The common denominator for all of these areas of desire, and the essential requirement for achieving each of them, is high levels of energy. To achieve even a small amount of success in any one of these areas requires the development and expenditure of energy. It is the critical element you must have to accomplish anything in life.

Your goal should always be to constantly increase your return on energy. You need to be continually organizing and reorganizing your time and resources so that you can get the very most pleasure, satisfaction, and rewards from the time and energy you put in on a daily basis.

Just as companies have financial capital, you have human capital. Your human capital is composed of mental, emotional, and physical energy. The more of it you have to invest, and the more intelligently you invest it, the greater your rewards will be, and the higher your returns on the amount of your life that you invest in your activities.

There are two major sets of needs that everyone has. These are deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs refer to the needs that most people have to compensate for their deficiencies, real and imaginary. The great majority of people spend the greater part of their lives compensating for their deficiencies rather than realizing their potential.

Growth needs are the needs that you have to become better in the areas of your life that are most important to you. There is a natural evolution in the development of human personality, from negative to positive, from focusing on deficiency needs to dedicating yourself to satisfying your growth needs. The common denominator is always growth, your becoming more and more, and of realizing your full potential.

It is not the amount of time that you spend at your work or on your relationships that will give you the best results. Rather, it is the amount of yourself that you put into the time that makes the difference. For example if you've gone to bed late, gotten up early, and gone to work tired, you may be physically present for eight hours but the quality and quantity of work that you will accomplish during that period of time is only a small percentage of what you can accomplish when you are fully rested, healthy, and filled with enthusiasm.

In every area of your life, it is the quality of the time that you put into your activities that determines the rewards and satisfaction that you will receive. And the quality of your time depends on your energy level.

One of the characteristics of all successful men and women is that they work hard. They all have high levels of energy and vitality. Since high levels of energy are central to everything you accomplish it is very important that you do the things that build and sustain your levels of energy.

Maintaining the proper weight is a key to maintaining high levels of energy. Excess weight tires you out. It taxes your heart, lungs, muscles, and other organs in your body. Extra weight forces your body to burn up more energy than it normally would, just to maintain your proper body functions. Losing weight will increase your energy levels almost immediately. Your self-esteem will go up. You will feel healthier and happier. As you loose weight, you will feel a greater sense of power and personal control. When you reach your ideal weight you will feel better about yourself and you will be more effective in everything that you do.

The foods that you eat have a major impact on your energy level throughout the day. Changes in your diet can make you feel fresh, more alive, and filled with greater vitality. Studies have shown that one of the best ways to increase the longevity or your life is to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. And cut back or eliminate wherever possible your intake of sugar, salt, and flour.

Regular exercise will do more to enhance your levels of energy than anything else. When you exercise on a daily basis you will feel better and live longer as well. Regular exercise enhances your digestion, reduces the number of hours that you need to sleep, increases mental capabilities, and keeps your emotions level.

There are three basic types of exercise: flexibility, strength, and endurance. Flexibility exercises, like yoga, are excellent because they increase the overall flexibility of your muscles and joints. Strength exercises, such as weight lifting make you feel strong, confident, and competent to do the things you want to do in every area of your life. But the most important exercise to increase your levels of energy and endurance are aerobics. You should do some type of aerobic exercise three to four times a week, for at least 30 minutes.

In addition to proper diet and exercise you need to have proper rest and relaxation as well. On average, you need seven to eight hours of sound sleep each night. Some people can get by on less. But you should plan and organize your evenings so that you are "early to bed and early to rise." Remember, nature demands balance in all things. If you are going to work hard, during the day, you must take time off to rest and recuperate in the evenings and on the weekends.

Deep breathing at different times during the day will not only increase your levels of energy but it will also keep you fresh, calm, and relaxed. When you practice deep breathing you should fill your lungs to the count of ten, hold in for the count of ten, and then exhale to the count of ten. You should make a habit of doing deep diaphragmatic breathing two to three times each day.

You cannot have any great success or achievement without having a positive mental attitude. The more positive you are, the more energy you will have. The more positive you are, the happier you will be. The more positive you are the more positive people and situations you will attract into your life. The more positive you are, the easier it will be for you to get the cooperation of other people. And the more positive you are, the more effective you will be in every area of you life.

Your level of energy is the true measure of how well you are doing in the mental, emotional, and physical realms. You must be deliberate about building and maintaining high levels of health, energy, and vitality. You must maintain the proper weight, eat the right foods, and combine your foods properly. You need to exercise regularly, get lots of rest, and practice deep diaphragmatic breathing each day. Above all, you must have the kind of positive attitude that makes you feel good about yourself and makes other people feel good about being around you. When you have high levels of energy each day, you will achieve your goals and become a success in whatever you set out to do.

Copyright? 2005 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America's largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

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