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Energy and Innovation

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Terms like energy get thrown around all the time and have consequently taken on multiple meanings.  You need energy to get out of bed in the morning.  Use positive energy to make the life you’ve dreamed of.  The world is in an energy crisis.  Whatever energy really is, it seems to be everywhere.  It’s the spark.  It’s movement.  Without energy, we’d be inert blobs.  Can you imagine a successful business being described as an inert blob?  That’s because every successful business is built and sustained by energy.

The Life of the Party

You know that one guy at the party who everybody can’t just get enough of?  He’s mixing drinks one minute, playing the piano the next, letting loose with impersonations, and is always the first one on the dance floor.  What gives him the ability to possess such an abundance of energy?  It’s simple.  He’s involved, he’s having fun, and he’s being creative.

Presence

Let your instinct work for you and become fully involved in your surroundings.  Have you ever had a job that was so boring you went into full autopilot mode?  The clock ticks more and more slowly because you are not fully present.  In order to keep your brain working at a high level, you’ve got to give it something to do.  Surround yourself with challenge and immerse yourself in a dynamic environment.  You’ll be alert, productive, and truly alive.

Passion

Your largest source of energy is yourself.  Your passion has driven you since you were only a child.  Maybe you were passionate about collecting baseball cards.  Maybe you loved to jump rope.  Maybe you were the best tree climber in town.  In any case, your energy was your fuel.  As an adult, if you’re fortunate enough to make the decision to be an entrepreneur, you can fuel your work with your passion.  Don’t forget that life, and business, should include fun.  You can add fun and joy even to activities that normally seem mundane.  Stay serious and motivated, but don’t neglect your inner-child.

Creativity

Business sometimes gets a bad rap.  People have images of boring men in stuffy suits plodding around an office.  The truth is the most successful businesses are bursting with creativity.  Running a business is an art as well as a science.  Get your creative juices flowing and put them to work.  If you’re fully involved and you’re having fun, you’ve created the perfect environment for your creativity to thrive.

Building Your Business Through Yourself

Set the tone for your business by exhibiting these characteristics yourself.  Encourage creativity throughout the ranks.  Challenge employees so they remain focused and fully present in their work.  Make it obvious that while everyone’s got a position to play and responsibilities to adhere to, that’s no reason to shun fun.  By building the foundation of your business on these principles, you’ll project a dynamic and capable image to the public.

Energy may be hard to pin down, but you know it when you see it.  Let your business come to life by injecting it with fun, creativity, and purpose.

Matthew Toren
 

Matthew Toren is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor and co-founder of YoungEntrepreneur.com. He is co-author, with his brother Adam, of Kidpreneurs.org, BizWarriors.com and Small Business, BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Did it Right (Wiley).

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