Books Summary of 

The Power of Full Engagement 

Managing Energy,
Energy, Not Time, Is
the Key to High Performance
and Personal Renewal

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

Part 1: The Dynamic of Full Engagement
Engagement
• Fully Engaged, Energy, Not Time, Is Our Most Precious Resources.

Bear In Mind

- Every one of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors has an ene rgy consequence, for better or
for worse. The ultimate measure
measure of our lives is not how much time we spend on the planet, but
rather how much energy we invest in the time that we have.

- Managing energy,
energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance. Performance is
grounded in the skillful management of energy.

- Great leaders are stewards of organizational

organizational energy.
energy. They begin by effectively managing their
own energy.
energy. As leaders, they must mobilize, focus, invest, channel, renew and
and expand the
energy of others.

- Full engagement is the energy state that best serves performance.

- Principle 1: Full engagement requires drawing

drawing on four separate but related sources of energy:
PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL and SPIRITUAL.

- Principle 2: Because energy diminishes both with overuse and

and with underuse, we must balance
energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal.
- Principle 3: To build capacity we must push beyond our normal limits, training in the same
systematic
systematic way that elite athletes do.
d o.

for managing energy – are the key to

- Principle 4: Positive energy rituals - high specific routines for
fully engagement and sustained high performance.

- Making change that lasts requires a three-step process: Define purpose, Face the Truth,
and Take Action.

The Power of Full Engagement

Old Paradigm New Paradigm

Manage time Manage energy

Avoid Stress Seek Stress
Life is a marathon Life is a series of sprints
Downtime is wasted time Downtime is productive time
Rewards fuel performance Purpose fuel performance
Self-discipline rules Rituals rules
The power of positive thinking The power of full engagement
 The Dynamics of Energy

HIGH

High Negative High Positive

Angry Invigorated
Fearful Confident
Anxious Challenged
Defensive Joyful
Resentful Connected
NEGATIVE POSITIVE
(Unpleasant) (Pleasant)
Low Negative Low Positive

Depressed Relaxed
Exhausted Mellow
Burned out Peaceful
Hopeless Tranquil
Defeated Serene

LOW
• The Pulse of High Performance:
Performance: Balancing Stress and Recovery

Bear In Mind

- Energy is simply the capacity to

to do work. Our most fundamental need as human beings is to
spend and recover energy.
energy. We call this oscillation.
oscillation.

- The opposite of oscillation is linearity: too much energy expenditure without recovery or too
much recovery without sufficient energy expenditure.

- Balancing stress and recovery is critical to high performance both individually and
organizationally.

- We must sustain healthy oscillatory rhythms at all four levels of what we term the
“Performance pyramid”: Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

- We build emotional, mental and spiritual capacity in precisely the same way that we build
physical capacity.
capacity. We must systematically
systematically expose ourselves to stress beyond our normal limits,
followed by adequate recovery.

- Expanding capacity requires a willingness to endure short -term discomfort in the service of 
long-term reward.
 The Dynamics of Engagement
Engagement

HIGH

High Negative High Positive

FULLY
ENGAGED

Unpleasant Pleasant
Energy Energy

STRATEGICALLY
DISENGAGED

Low Negative Low Positive

LOW
 Karo
Karoshi
shi - Death
Death from
from Overw
Overwork
ork

It is not the intensity of energy expenditure that produces

Karoshi burnout, impaired performance and physical breakdown,
but rather the duration of expenditure without recovery.
In Japan, the term karoshi means
karoshi  means “death from overwork”
 – most commonly from heart attack and stroke.

Research shows that there are five key factors:

• Extremely long hours that interfere

interfere with normal
recovery and rest patterns.
• Night work that interferes
interferes with normal recovery and
rest patterns.
• Working without holidays or breaks.
• High-pressure work without breaks
• Extremely demanding physical labor and continuously
stressful work.
• Physical Energy: Fueling the Fire

Bear In Mind

- Physical energy is the fundamental source of fuel in life.

- Physical energy is derived from the interaction between oxygen and glucose.

- The two most important regulators of physical energy are Breathing and Eating.

- Eating five to six low-calorie, highly nutritious meals a day ensures a steady resupply of glucose
and essential nutrients.

- Drinking sixty-four ounces (about 2 liters) of water daily is a key factor in the effective
management of physical energy.

- Most human beings require seven to eight hours of sleep per night to function optimally
op timally..

- Going to bed early and waking up early help to optimize performance.

- Interval training is more effective than steady-state exercise

exercise in building physical capacity and in
teaching people how to recover more efficiently.
efficiently.

- To sustain full engagement, we

we must take a recovery break every 90 to 120 minutes.
Strategic Eating
Eating breakfast is critically
important.

It is equally important to eat food

that are low in the glycemic index,
which measures the speed with
which sugar from specific food is
released into the bloodstream. A
slower release provides a steadier
source of energy.
energy. The low-glycemic
breakfast foods that provide the
highest octane and longest lasting
source of energy.

By contrast, high-glycemic foods such

as muffins or sugary cereals spike
energy for short periods but prompt
a crash in as few as thirty minutes.
Even breakfast
breakfast traditionally viewed
as healthy – an unbuttered bagel and
a glass of orange juice – is very high
on the glycemic
glycemic index and therefore
therefore
a poor source of sustaining energy…
 Even small amounts
Even a mounts of sleep dept … have a significant impact  on
strength, cardiovascular capacity, mood and overall energy levels.
Some fifty studies have shown that mental performance --
reaction time, concentration, memory and logical/analytical
reasoning --
-- all decline steadily
steadily as sleep
sleep debt increases.
increases.
… Naps represent a form of strategic recovery .

- Jim
Jim Loe
Loehr
hr
• Emotional
Emotiona l Energy: Transforming
Transforming Threat into Challenge

Bear In Mind

- In order to perform at our best, we must

must access pleasant and positive emotions: the
experience of enjoyment, challenge, adventure and opportunity
opportun ity..

- The key muscles fueling positive emotional energy are self -confidence, self-control,
interpersonal effectiveness and empathy.
empathy.

- Negative emotions serve survival but they are very costly and energy inefficient in the context
of performance.

- The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies a the heart of 
effective leadership.

- Access to the emotional muscles that serve performance depends on creating a balance
between exercising them regularly and intermittently seeking recovery.
recovery.

- Any activity that is enjoyable, fulfilling and affirming serves as a source of emotional reneweal
and recovery.

- Emotional muscles such as patience, empathy and confidence can be strengthened in the same
way that we strengthen a bicep or tricep: pushing past our current limits followed by recovery.
• Mental Energy: Appropriate Focus and Realistic
Realistic Optimism

Bear In Mind

- Mental capacity is what we use to organize our lives and focus our attention.

- The mental energy that best serves full engagement is realistic optimism  – seeing the world as
it is, but always
always working positively towards a desired outcome or so lution.

- The key supportive mental muscles include mental preparation, visualization, positive self-talk,
effective time management and creativity.
creativity.

- Changing channels mentally permits different parts of the brain to be activated and facilitates
creativity.

- Physical exercise stimulates cognitive capacity.

- Maximum mental capacity is derived from a balance expending and recovering mental energy.

-When we lack the mental muscles we need to perform at our best, we must systematically
systematically build
capacity by pushing past our comfort zone and then recovering.

- Continuing to challenge the brain serve as a protection against age-related mental decline.
• Spiritual Energy: He Who Has a Why
Why to Live
Live

Bear In Mind

- Spiritual energy provides the force

force for action in all dimensions of our lives. It fuels passion,
perseverance and commitment.

- Spiritual energy is derived from a connection to deeply held values and a purpose beyond our
self-interest.

- Character – the courage and conviction to live by our deepest values – is the key muscle that
serves spiritual energy.
energy.

- The key supportive spiritual muscles are passion, commitment, integrity and honesty.

- Spiritual energy expenditure and energy

ene rgy renewal are deeply interconnected.

- Spiritual energy is sustained by balancing a commitment to a purpose beyond ourselves with

adequate self-care.

- Spiritual work can be demanding and renewing at the same time.

- Expending spiritual capacity involves pushing past our comfort zone in precise ly the same way
that expanding physical capacity does.

- The energy of the human spirit can override even severe limitations of physical energy.
Part 2: The Training System
• Defining Purpose: The Rules of Engagement

Bear In Mind

- The search for meaning is among the most powerful and enduring themes in every culture
since the origin of recorded history.

- The “hero’s
“hero’s journey” is grounded in mobilizing, nurturing and regularly renewing our most
precious resource – energy – in the service
ser vice of what matters most.

- When we lack a strong sense of purpose we are easily buffeted by life’s inevitable storms.

- Purpose becomes a more powerful and enduring source of energy when its sou rce moves from
negative to positive, external to internal and self to others.
o thers.

- A negative source of purpose is defensive and deficit-based.

- Intrinsic motivation grows out of the desire to engage in an activity because we value it for the
inherent satisfaction it provides.

- Values fuel the energy on which purpose is built. They hold us to a different standard for
for
managing our energy.
energy.

- A virtue is a value in action.

- A vision statement, grounded in values that are meaningful and compelling, creates a bluepr int
• Face the Truth:
Truth: How Are You
You Managing Your
Your Energy Now?

Bear In Mind

- Avoiding the truth consumes great effort energy.

energy. Facing the truth frees up energy and is the
second stage, after defining purpose, in becoming more fully en gaged.

- At the most basic level, we deceive ourselves in order to protect our self-esteem.

- Some truths are too unbearable to be absorbed all at once. Emotions such as grief are best
metabolized in waves.

- Truth without compassion is cruelty – to others and to ourselves.

- What we fail to acknowledge about ourselves we often continue to act out unconsciously.

- A common form of self-deception is assuming that our view represents the truth, when it is
really just a lens through which we choose to view the world.

- Facing the truth requires that we retain an ongoing openne ss to the possibility that we may not
be seeing ourselves – or others – accurately.

- It is both a danger
d anger and delusion when we become too identified with any singular view of 
ourselves. We are all a blend of light
light and shadow,
shadow, virtues and vices.

- Accepting our limitations reduces our defensiveness and increases the amount of positive
• Taking Action: The Power of Positive
Positive Rituals

Bear In Mind

- Rituals serve as tools through which we effectively manage energy in the service of whatever
mission we are on.
- Rituals create a means by which to translate our values and pr iorities into action in all
dimensions of our life.
- All great performers rely on positive
pos itive rituals to manage their energy and regulate their behavior.
- The limitations of conscious will and discipline are rooted in the fact that every demand on our
self-control draws
draws on the same limited resource.
- We can offset our limited will and discipline by building rituals that become automatic as
quickly as possible, fueled by our deepest
deep est values.

- The most important role of rituals is to insure effective balance between energy expenditure
and energy renewal in the service
ser vice of full engagement.

- The more exacting the challenge and the greater the pressure, the more rigorous our rituals
need to be.

- Precision and specificity are critical

critical dimensions of building rituals during the thirty- to sixty-day
acquisition period.

- Trying not to do something rapidly depletes our limited stores of will and discipline.

- To make lasting change, we must build serial rituals, focusing on one significant change at a
 Sustained High Performance In The Storm
Fully Engaged
Physically Energized Mentally focused
Emotionally connected Spiritual aligned

Energy Engagement
Managing Capacity: The quantity, quality, focus, and force
of energy that is available to perform in the storm.
storm.

Primary Capacities/Skills (Big “Muscles”)

Physical Emotional Mental Spiritual
Heart and lungs Self-confidence Focus Character
Abdominals Self-regulation Realistic optimism Passion/commitment
Shoulders and back Interpersonal effectiveness
effectiveness Time management Integrity
Legs Empathy/caring Creativity Service to others
Arms
Supportive
Supportive Habits/Skills (Small “Muscles”)
Physical Emotional Mental Spiritual
Sleep Patience Visualization Honesty
Exercise Openness Positive Self-talk Integrity
Diet Trust Positive attitude Courage
Hydration Enjoyment Mental preparation Persistence
 ACTION & DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR FULL ENGAGEMENT

Ritual-Building Strategy
(Examples from the book)
Targeted Muscle(s): Patience
Performance Barrier: Impatience
Value(s)
Value(s) driving change: Respect and kindness toward others
Expected performance consequence: More +ve energy for myself and for those around me.

Item Positive Energy Ritual Supporting the Targeted Change: Launch Da

D ate

1. 6:30 a.m. Every morning read my vision statement 4/1

2. Break every 90 minutes during work 4/1

4. Specific “emergency” ritual whenever I started felling impatient or agitated 4/1

 ACTION & DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR FULL ENGAGEMENT

Ritual-Building Strategy

Targeted Muscle(s):
Performance Barrier:
Value(s)
Value(s) driving change:
Expected performance consequence:

Item Positive Energy Ritual Supporting the Targeted Change: Launch Da

D ate
 ACCOUNTABILIT
ACCOUNTABILITYY LOG

Name:____________ Week of:_____________

Directions: Rate
Rate yourself daily in each of these areas using the 5 -1 scale (5= Excellent, 1= not successful).

Rituals Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Notes

Accomplishments: _________________________
______________________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
_____________
Additional Notes taken from Start Living with Energy by Alyssa Abbey

The Four Energies

The four types of energy are:

are: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spirit. And, these four currencies
are connected!
Additional Notes taken from Start Living with Energy by Alyssa Abbey

•Spiritual Energy
This energy is about inspiration, aspiration, enthusiasm, future vision and possibility
poss ibility,,
optimism, hope, joy and meaning to life.

- Important things to improve the spiritual ene rgy are:

1. Develo
Developin
pingg perspec
perspectivtivee on lif
life
e and what
what gives
gives happin
happiness.
ess.
2. Unders
Understatandi
nding
ng toda
today y in the cont
context
ext of a wider
wider life
life and
and time-li
time-line.
ne.
3. Livi
Living
ng you
ourr values
lues..
4. Person
Personalal develop
developmen
ment, t, growth
growth and learnin
learning. g.
5. Relax
Relaxat
ation
ion,, medit
meditati
ation,
on, pra
prayer
yer and
and time
time out in natur
nature.e.
6. Seek
Seekin
ing
g to unde
undersrsta
tand
nd the
the mean
meanin ing
g of liflife.
e.
7. Seek
Seekin
ing
g a hig
higher
her mean
meanin ingg for
for you
yourr life
life..
8. The
The abil
abilit
ity
y to
to pla
playf
yful
ul and
and lau
laugh
gh..
Additional Notes taken from Start Living with Energy by Alyssa Abbey

• Mental Energy
This has to do with alertness and concentration, learning, analysis, logical proces s, creativity
and intuition.

- Important things to maintain high mental energy are:

1. Set
Set clea
clearr goa
goals
ls and
and objec
objecti
tive
ves.
s.
2. Be dis
disci
cipl
plin
ined
ed ove
overr wher
where e your
your tim
time
e is spen
spent.
t.
3. Train your brain
brain like
like an athlete
athlete trains
trains muscles;
muscles; challeng
challenge
e it consistent
consistently
ly,, but schedule
schedule regular
regular
downtime to rest it and regain power for the next mental bout.
4. Regularly
Regularly Engage
Engage inin Activiti
Activities
es that
that stimul
stimulate
ate your creativit
creativity
y.
Additional Notes taken from Start Living with Energy by Alyssa Abbey

• Emotional Energy
This comes from relationships that give you positive feelings, conne ction, teamwork and
collaboration. It feels like fulfillment, satisfaction,
satisfaction, warth, happiness, and being valued, liked and
love.

- Important things to create more emotional energy are:

1. Buildi
Building
ng self-a
self-awar
warene
eness,
ss, self-
self-con
confid
fidenc
ence
e and self-co
self-contr
ntrol.
ol.
2. Feelin
Feelingg empa
empath thy
y and
and seeki
seekingng to
to unders
understan
tand
d othe
others.
rs.
3. Ensur
Ensurin
ingg other
otherss feel
feel val
valued
ued and
and deve
develoloped
ped..
4. Motiv
Motivati
ating
ng and
and influe
influenci
ncing
ng other
otherss in a posit
positive
ive way
way.
5. Givi
Giving
ng your
your lov
lovee and
and ener
energygy free
freely
ly..
Additional Notes taken from Start Living with Energy by Alyssa Abbey

•Physical Energy
This is represented by the four ‘S’s: Stamina, Strength, Suppleness, and Speed. It’s a relaxed
relaxed
bodily readiness, quickness, lightness, feelings of physical confidence and wellness.

- Important things to maintain high physical energy are:

1. Good quality sl sleep
eep.
2. Regul
egula
ar rel
rela
axation.
ion.
3. Good nunutrition.
4. Physica
Physicall exercise
exercise that
that enhances
enhances cardiov
cardiovascula
ascularr endurance,
endurance, strength
strength flexibil
flexibility
ity and speed.
speed.
Map of Consciousness Additional Notes
by David Hawkins. taken from
David Hawkins books

This map clearly

demonstrates
demonstrates that the
energy currencies of 
Spiritual, Mental, Emotional
and Physical are connected.

Any activity that is above

200 points in the log column
is charging up the energy,
and below that is
discharging the energy.

To a great extend, that this is

 just like the filling the
leaking bucket challenge...
Just that for personal energy
bucket,
bucket, the size is not fixed,
and become bigger or
smaller depends on
individual development
Additional Notes taken from Self-Hypnosis Revolution
Revolution by Forbes Robbins Blair

In his book, Self-Hypnosis Revolution

Revolution, Forbes Robbins illustrate on how to re-program
the mind for success in every area, ( Physical Wellness, Mental Wellness, Career &
Relationships, Spirituality), of our life while we go through our daily
Finances, Relationships,
routine. Everything we do, including chores and everyday tasks, suddenly become
potent opportunities for self-empowerment! We can practice this simple, powerful
method while we take out the garbage, brush the dog, drive to the store, clean the
house, or during just about any other activity.

The idea is to make every activity to associate with a positive thinking /affirmation,
/affirmation,
write it down onto the paper and memorize
memorize it. After that it would
would automatically
become a “Ritual-like” activity that help to charge up the energy instead of draining it,
as some of the activities were not so interesting….
Additional Notes taken from Self-Hypnosis Revolution
Revolution by Forbes Robbins Blair
Program Planner (Example from book)
Target Area: Mental Wellness
Start Date: End Date:

Activity Key Associations Self-Suggestion

1. Arising Action, volition “I take action in order to establish

and maintain health thinking
patterns.”

Understanding, Information, “I establish and maintain excellent

2. Comm
ommunica
icating
ting
rapport rapport with
with all level of my
my mind for
balance and well-being.”

Assimilation, thoughts, beliefs “I chew on thoughts and beliefs that

3. Eating
uplift my mind and emotions.”
emotions.”

4. Cleaning Purification, order, “I clean my thoughts of 

maintenance accumulated confusion and I restore
order.”

5. Using the Toilet Release, elimination “I let go of wasteful thoughts,

beliefs, and behaviors.”

Restoration, processing “I process all thoughts and

6. Sleeping
emotions to create total mental
(going to sleep) wellness.”
 Program Planner
Target Area: Mental Wellness
Start Date:
End Date:

Activity Key Associations Self-Suggestion

 Summary of all summaries

1. Live a balanced life,

life, which includes Physical, Mental, Emotional and
and
Spiritual.

2. Consciously design your personal “Rituals” which can be use routinely

and effortlessly in the day to day activities. It is a very effectively way
way to
get the messages across to the Subconscious Mind with the right Intention.

“If you can think it, you can do it.

If you can visualize it, you can become it.
Where your imagination leads, your reality will follow ...”
- unk
unkno
nown
wn

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