How your energy affects your business

 How your energy affects your business

As an entrepreneur, you make decisions every day, from small planning decisions to strategic decisions that can impact your business for years to come. We often focus on knowledge, data, and experience as the most important factors for good decisions. 

But one element receives less attention: your energy as an entrepreneur. Yet, it significantly determines how sharply, creatively, and rationally you can act.

Energy as a hidden factor

People often assume their brain performs at the same level constantly. In reality, your mental capacity varies throughout the day and is influenced by sleep, nutrition, stress, and physical health. Fatigue can lead to increased risk-averse behavior, while excessive stress can increase impulsiveness.

In short, you're not always thinking clearly. And that means the same entrepreneur, with the same knowledge and goals, would make a completely different decision at a different time of day.

The difference between peak and off-peak hours

Everyone has their own biological rhythm, also called the circadian rhythm.

• Morning types often make their best analyses early in the day and write plans more easily.
• Evening types experience a cognitive peak later in the day and use the morning for routine work.

Knowing your peak times is valuable. It's best not to schedule important conversations, negotiations, or creative brainstorming sessions for social media at a time when you'd normally have an energy dip.

How do you recognize your energy level?

You can visualize this by keeping a simple energy log: every hour for a week, record how fit, focused, and motivated you feel. You'll often quickly spot patterns.

In addition, signals like difficulty focusing, feeling irritated more easily, or an increased need for quick sugars are clear signs that your energy is declining.

Practical ways to use the right energy

Schedule important decisions during your peak hours.

Consciously schedule meetings and difficult strategic decisions for the part of the day when you're mentally strongest.

Take small moments to recover.

A short walk, a breathing exercise, or even five minutes without a screen can noticeably restore your energy levels.

Pay attention to your foundation: sleep, nutrition, and exercise.

It sounds simple, but many entrepreneurs sacrifice this to "busyness." Yet, these are precisely the factors that determine how your brain performs.

Create decision-making space.

Do you have to choose something important, but you feel tired? Postpone it, if possible. A good night's sleep is sometimes more effective than an extra hour of thinking.

Why your energy as an entrepreneur influences your business

Decisions are the foundation of your business. A series of poor choices can lead to missed opportunities, bad investments, and even burnout. Conversely, managing your energy can lead to better strategies, greater creativity, and ultimately a healthier company.