I woke up at 4:30.
I had a nasty headache, and my stomach was turning.
I couldn’t sleep because I had so many problems on my mind.
All I wanted to do was hide, eat some junk food, and rewatch episodes of Rick and Morty until I felt completely numb.
I started my second business two years ago in 2021.
(The first one failed miserably.)
In that first business, I didn’t put in 100% of the effort I was capable of.
I said I wanted to start a business, but in reality, I wanted the things a business could get me—not the lifestyle of a business owner.
I was also young and lacked the qualities a successful entrepreneur needs.
I was distracted and scared.
I ran away from the work that simply needed doing.
Eventually, after six months in business, I had to quit—with… 0 customers.
I felt like a total failure.
At that moment, I truly believed I would never make my dreams come true.
But six months later, I decided to give business another try.
This time, I committed to doing whatever it took to make it work.
Sleepless nights.
16-hour workdays.
Sacrificing my personal life and health—for 24 months straight
The result?
The business grew.
I was "successful".
On the outside, things looked great.
But inside?
I felt miserable and drained.
Hopelessness and depression followed me everywhere.
I had the success I wanted, but I couldn’t enjoy it because my tank was empty.
Simple things like going shopping, driving, or even hitting the gym felt impossible.
Sadness would strike me out of nowhere.
My creative mind was completely shut down.
I was in survival mode.
Finally, after a disastrous argument with my partner the night before and waking up this morning at 4:30, I decided to make a change.
I didn’t want to stop building my business and slowing down wasn’t an option.
So what did I do?
I looked for a way to have more energy.
I started Googling: "How to have more energy?"
Most of what I found was worthless generic advice for average people — not for someone in my shoes.
No progress.
I sat in my car, dreading another day of hard work, but I put on a podcast instead of music.
By accident (or luck), I heard a piece of advice that enabled me to completely change how I view energy.
And by accident (or luck), I heard something that changed everything.
The host said:
“Think of yourself as a battery.”
Simple. Almost too simple.
But that night, I followed his advice.
I wrote down two lists:
What charges me up
What drains me
That moment was powerful.
Here’s what my list looked like:
Things that charged me up:
progress
gratitude
investing in myself
learning
surrounding myself with positive people
walks in nature
lifting heavy weights
eating healthy
trying new things
planning
conversations with friends
meditation
being in the present moment
journaling
Things that brought my charge down:
Just naming these things gave me so much clarity.
I was able to be more mindful of the things I wanted and didn't want in my life.
But here’s what made the biggest difference:
I didn’t try to add more “good” things first.
I focused on eliminating the “bad” ones.
Once I removed the noise, the good stuff came naturally.
Addition by Subtraction.
And the result?
My energy came back.
My joy returned.
My business actually grew faster.
Because I was doing things with people I liked and admired.
I was doing them in a way aligned with who I am.
This enabled me to achieve even more success because I was authentic.
I also discovered energy resources I didn’t know I had.
And for the first time in a long time - I felt like me again.
It turns out that when you do things that feed your soul, the normal perception of work dies.
It’s not work anymore.
It’s creativity, art, play, and joy.
It’s flow.
This is how your success is created:
By aligning what you’re good at, what you can do for other people, and what brings you fulfillment.
So how can you experience the same result if you also feel drained and unmotivated?
Just do what I say, and trust me—it will change the reality around you.
1)
Take a piece of paper
2)
Divide it in half
3)
Write “Things that charge me up” in the left column.
4)
Write “Things that bring my charge down” in the right column.
5)
Write down as many things as come to mind.
You can use my examples for inspiration, but make sure you have your own too.
Be as specific as possible—if John from work brings your charge down, write the dummy down in the right column.
6)
On the other side of the paper, describe two things:
7)
Add things that come to mind to your columns.
8)
Now visualize: What would life feel like at 100% charge?
How would you talk, walk, move?
Where would you live?
What care would you drive?
What food would you eat?
Who would you be in a relationship with?
What would you believe about yourself?
How would you treat others?
What goals would you actually pursue?
What would stop scaring you?
How would you view the problems you have now?
Take your time and imagine it in details.
Try to behave like that version of you now.
9)
Be ruthless and very disciplined about eliminating things that bring your charge down.
The rest will take care of itself.
This is how you can live your best life and become the best version of yourself.
Not who he wants you to be, or who she wants you to be.
But who YOU want to be.
(BONUS)
A list of practical tips/habits I made for myself to boost my energy on a daily basis:
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
Avoid insulin spikes early in the day, stay low-carb
Make decisions quickly—they weigh on your mind and slow you down
Pay attention to how your body reacts to everything—you have a compass inside you
Eat a minimum of 30g of protein in every meal
Drink 3–4 litres of water
Force a smile onto your face as often as you can—mirror neurons will shift your mood.
Avoid caffeine after 11 a.m.
You are your own battery.
And YOU get to decide what your charge is.
So start acting like it.
Much love,
Adrian
