We’ve felt the butterflies in our stomach, or the bottom drop out of our stomach as we’re given bad news, or felt a spike of terror when something unexpected / threatening happens to us.  Our bodies ability to change our energy level rapidly to match a situation is a great built-in mechanism… but this natural mechanism has at least one glaring weakness - by default we can’t consciously control it.

This is a problem, because there are times when our energy level needs to be higher, or lower, or a different cycle than it is naturally.  Having a difficult discussion with someone you love requires keeping your energy controlled and level so you can focus on the topic at hand.  Going to the gym for a sparring session requires selectively raising and lowering your energy.  Working on a project at work requires keeping your energy stable so you can keep your focus.

Disciplines like the martial arts, yoga, meditation, etc. help train us to first be aware of our energy, and eventually control it.  This control gives us the ability to more finely control when and how our energy is used.  Going into what should be an incredibly boring meeting about financial statements?  Knowing how to raise your energy will help keep you awake.  Only have 1 hour a week to train in the gym?  Consciously raising your energy, and keeping it there despite anything else that is going on, will help you get the most out of it.  Escaping a burning building?  Putting a leash on your energy will help you from making a mistake.

Learning that your energy can be controlled, and how you can control is it an important thing we all learn.  But HOW we do it is also important.  We can’t always, for example, take half an hour to “amp up” or get control.  Sometimes you need to be ready to go NOW.  This may be due to an extreme circumstance (the burning building from before), or just because something unexpected popped up (an employee comes in with a problem).

I’ve found this to be less of a “powering up” process, and more like switching a light switch.  The exact situation that is unfolding around me certainly impacts this (escaping from a burning building would have a much different impact than sparring, for example), but the mechanism is the same.  It’s the mental difference of “ok… so, I need to get ready for X.. deep breath.. Give me sometime” and “ok, go time”.

Flipping this switch is something we can learn through practice.  The trick is just to put yourself in situations where you need that switch “on” and get a feeling for flipping it.