Stop the Drain: How to Detect and Protect Your Energy Leaks.
Identifying Your Energy Leaks: November’s Call to Audit Your Power.
November has a quiet wisdom about it. It’s the natural pause before the rush of December, the exhale before the new year’s inhale. It’s the ideal time to look back — not with guilt or frenzy, but with clarity. Before we rush to write resolutions or set goals for 2026, this is our opportunity to run a personal “energy audit.”
Because let’s be honest — it’s easy to write a list of what you want next year. But the real question is: what will you have the energy to sustain?
We talk endlessly about time management, but the truth is, time is finite. What’s infinitely more precious, and often mismanaged, is our energy. Our energy is the currency of our creativity, resilience, and effectiveness. Yet, most of us operate with unaddressed "leaks" that siphon away our vitality, leaving us running on empty.
If you constantly feel depleted, overwhelmed, or burnt out, it’s not always about doing more — it’s about understanding where your power is secretly going. Your goal isn’t just to manage a calendar; it’s to manage your energy flow.
So as the year draws to a close, think of this as your November audit — a time to inspect what’s been draining your power and consciously plug those leaks. Because 2026 won’t belong to the most organised, or even the most disciplined.
2026 will belong to the most energised.
The key to a high-impact life isn’t grinding harder; it’s radical self-observation. When you can’t self-observe, you can’t self-correct. It’s time to become an energy detective.
Your 8-Point Energy Audit: Becoming the Detective.
To protect your energy, you must first identify what’s draining it. Use these powerful questions as your self-audit checklist. Grab a journal and allow the uncomfortable truths to surface. This is the real preparation work for a powerful 2026 — not setting more goals, but clearing the energetic space for them to thrive.
1. The Relationship & Environment Factor: Who and Where Recharges You?
What people, places, and habits fill you with energy?
Identify your "Power Sources." Is it a morning walk in nature? A strategic conversation with a specific mentor? A place with natural light? Schedule these non-negotiables first. These are the inputs that generate the confidence and capacity needed for your most demanding work.
What people, places, and habits drain you of energy?
Identify your "Energy Sinks." Is it a specific colleague who complains relentlessly? An open-plan office desk? The habit of endless social media scrolling? Once you identify an Energy Sink, the only choice is to limit, distance, or eliminate it. Your responsibility is to yourself first.
2. The Tolerance Tax: What Are You Simply Putting Up With?
What are you tolerating?
Tolerations are the background noise of life that constantly costs you emotional energy. It could be a squeaky door, an overflowing inbox, a messy office, an inefficient process or an unaddressed conflict with a team member. Every I'll deal with that later is an energetic debt you pay interest on daily.
Create a "Toleration Takedown List." Spend 30 minutes attacking the smallest, most annoying items. The momentum and peace you gain from eliminating small irritations will immediately free up mental bandwidth.
3. The Biological Rhythm: Working Against Your Flow.
What times of day are you energised or drained of energy?
When in the month or year are you energised or drained of energy?
We are not machines designed for 24/7 linear productivity. Everyone has chronotypes (are you a morning 'Lark' or an evening 'Owl'?) and hormonal cycles that affect peak performance. Trying to do deep, focused work when your brain is naturally sluggish is a massive energy drain.
Design your day around your "Peak Performance Windows." Schedule your most complex, creative, or high-stakes tasks during your highest energy hours. Reserve low-energy times (like late afternoons) for administrative tasks, emails, or passive learning.
4. The Boundary Blunders: Taking on Too Much.
What do you take on that you should leave to others?
This is about saying "yes" out of habit, obligation, or the belief that "it's faster if I just do it myself." This stems from a fear of incompetence in others, a fear of being blamed, or the fear of disappointing others. Delegation isn't just about efficiency; it's an act of self-care and a vote of confidence in your team.
Use the "Only I Can Do" Filter. Before taking on a new task, ask: Is this task crucial for my highest-level contribution, or can someone else do it 80% as well? If the latter, delegate, even if it feels uncomfortable.
5. The Transition Traps: Carrying Emotional Luggage.
Do you ever carry over any negative energy from one activity to the next?
Do you ever feel depleted but still plough into your next activity without a break, even though you know you should take a breather?
Your brain doesn't like abrupt stops. Jumping from a tense client call straight into a creative brainstorming session guarantees a lower-quality result. You're bringing the baggage of the last activity into the next.
Institute a 5-Minute Transition Ritual. After a demanding activity, do one of the following before moving on:
Step outside for a breath of fresh air.
Do a Brain Dump—jot down three thoughts from the last task to officially "close" it. Or write down the small and big things taking up mental bandwidth. Then circle the top three and schedule them into the calendar.
Do two minutes of stretching. This physical separation signals to your nervous system that the threat or demand has passed.
Final Thoughts: From Awareness to Action.
November is your energetic checkpoint — the bridge between reflection and renewal.
You can’t self-correct what you can’t self-observe, but observation without action is just awareness dressed as progress. The only choice we have now is to begin. When you see a clear pattern, act on the insight.
Add more things that fill your tank. Schedule a "Power Source" habit immediately. Eliminate the ones that cause energy leaks. Send the email to delegate or clear the clutter now.
Your reputation isn’t built on being constantly busy; it’s built on consistent, high-quality output — and that requires protecting the very energy that makes that quality possible.
As you close out the year, let this be your quiet rebellion against burnout: not resolutions written in haste, but habits built on renewal. Your ultimate confidence isn’t found in relentless self-sacrifice; it’s forged in the quiet power of keeping the promises you make to yourself, including the promise to protect your well-being.
Here’s to plugging the leaks, finishing the year grounded, and stepping into 2026 fully charged — because 2026 belongs to the most energised.
Warm wishes,
Lori