Laura Stack - Exhaustion Cure

Contents

To my Baby Girl,
Meagan Stack,
whose love,
beautiful heart, and spirit
always give me energy

A Note to Readers

T his book is not intended to replace the advice and treatment of a physician. The information, data, behavioral recommendations, tools, and materials in this book are provided for your education and reference only and are not, nor are they intended to be, a medical or psychological evaluation, examination, advice, consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. Any use of the information set forth herein is entirely at the readers discretion. The author and publisher advise that a person using this manual consult a physician and/or healthcare provider for all medical and health-related matters and have the medical tests necessary to rule out or identify serious disease. If you are presently undergoing treatment for some condition and want to use this manual to augment those methods, please discuss this with your doctor or licensed health professional.

Because every persons health is different, there is always some risk involved in self-treatment. Please do not use this book if you are unwilling to assume that risk. The author and publisher are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any information, products, preparations, or procedures described in this book. The author and the publisher will not be liable for, and you waive any claim for, any personal injury, damage, and/or liability arising out of your reading and your use of or reliance on this book.

Acknowledgments

S ince this is my third published book, I cant help feeling a bit redundant in my acknowledgments. But I truly would not be able to be a mom, wife, business owner, speaker, and author without the support of a lot of people. Many people ask me how I can do it all. I dont. My hero and husband, John, is my rock and the family anchor that keeps things stable when my life is crazy. I am lucky to have a partner who gets it.

My childrenMeagan, twelve; Johnny, eight; and James, sixare years older now than when I penned my first book, and they are starting to understand what Im doing when I disappear for days at a time. My love goes out to them for their support while Mommy is on one of her crazy writing retreats. Even though they miss me, they know writing gives me joy and let me leave without too much hassle. I hope they always remember visiting at my hotel while Im on retreat, jumping on my bed, and swimming in the pool.

There are a few people in my life I couldnt function without. One is my mother-in-law, Eileen Stack, who selflessly gives her time to help our family. You should count yourself lucky if you have someone in your life like Eileen, who loves you, is devoted to your success, and works tirelessly to help you. Another is my mentor, Dianna Booher, CSP, CPAE, who has coached me month after month for years now and helped me avoid many stumbling blocks. Dianna has written more than 40 books (www.booherdirect.com)so I have a long way to go to catch up to herbut she encourages me to keep writing. My personal assistant, Dana Hill, is so patient and flexible and handles a million little details for me. Our best friends, Darla and Mark Sanborn (www.marksanborn.com), keep us rooted with their encouragement, laughter, and play time. Thank you for your love and support.

Thanks to my editor from Broadway Books, Becky Cole, for your support and enthusiasm for this book idea. I appreciate the wise counsel of my literary agent, Robert Shepard. When I first met Robert, I was so impressed by his immediate response and organization. He continues to be the perfect agent and a great friend.

Last, most of all, my eternal gratitude goes to my Lord, Jesus Christ, for continuing to shower His blessings upon my life.

Introduction

D oes the mere thought of embarking on a program to get more energy leave you totally exhausted? Then you might want to read this lying down. I would love to be more productive! a reader of one of my first books lamented. But Im so exhausted at the end of the day, its all I can do to get dinner on the table, put the kids to bed, and crash in front of the television. I have no desire to work on projects around the house, much less exercise or think about organizing the garage.

Its a common complaint. Lack of energy is a major culprit at work as well: people sleepwalk through the day, fuzzy-headed and lethargic. Nothing sounds more attractive than putting your head down on your desk for a quick nap. How can you possibly begin that big project that requires high levels of creativity and concentration? Yuck. Youd rather stick pins in your eyes.

You might know all the productivity tips in the world, but nothing will work if you dont have the energy to give 100 percent. Personal energy is a measure of how strong, invigorated, or up to a task you may feel at any moment. Nobody has an unlimited supply of personal energy. If you feel down, your zest ebbs and youll produce mediocre work. In periods of low energy, your productivity sinks, because you feel like youre slogging through a field of waist-high mud.

My audiences and readers of my two other books, Find More Time and Leave the Office Earlier, asked me to write this book. What are you on? they teased. Where in the world do you get that much energy? I didnt realize my trademark energy was such a key component of my productivity level. But the more I observed the habits and energy levels of productive people, the more I understood how vital your vigor is to your performance. You simply cannot perform if you have no drive or desirethe oomphto be productive. You may find yourself daydreaming about your goals and all the wonderful things you could do if you could just get up and go; but daydreaming and actually having the energy to do things are completely different.

Im going to show you how to get the energy you need to live a full and productive life. You dont have to suffer from low energy. I dont purport to cure any medical conditions, but with consistent applications of the tips outlined in this book, you will realize a huge boost in your energy levelwhatever that is for you.

Different people have different energy levels. Some people have the energy to work all day and then run around and clean the house in the evening. Others drag themselves onto the sofa and watch television all night. While its true that some people have higher natural energy levels, those with lower energy can use personal energy-management techniques to make up the difference. The good news is that you really can change your energy level.

This book is different from other energy books because it takes a holistic, comprehensive approach to energy, not simply a diet approach, or a stress approach, or a spiritual approach. It helps you look at all the boosters you need to become energeticand beat all the bandits that conspire to rob you of your energy every day.

Energy Defined

The word energy