The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life

The Power of Full Engagement definitely makes the The 1% Club's Top Ten List!

Ambition without peak energy is useless. This book by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz uses an athletic metaphor to illustrate how easy it is to mismanage our energy reserves, but also, how this can be corrected. This has been required reading form my clients since its release in 2003.

You will find case studies that are easy to relate to and simple, straightforward action steps to address the real energy crisis. This book is loaded with great content and has excellent chapter summaries and a complete recap at the end of the book.

Here is one key point that you should study further: "Most of us are under trained physically and spiritually (not enough stress) and over trained mentally and emotionally (not enough recovery)." Grab the highlighter!

I've shared this book with about 7 other people. Great book to give to friends who have lost their work/life balance - and a good reminder for myself.

Since we hear so much about the challenges of time management, I really enjoyed the "paradigm" of energy management. The authors' use of illustrations with professional athletes helped drive home the point about how business professionals can apply the same principles. While reading, I took the free energy management inventory and recommend that others do, too. I found taking the exercises at the end to be quite beneficial to my own discernment and definition of purpose. Make the time to read this book!

The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz is great book that offers good information and practical recommendations which are easy to implement. The authors share real examples throughout the book that almost anyone can relate to their own daily life. I love the balance of energy - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. If you aren't happy with your life - feeling stressed, overworked, down on power, missing something, ... - read this book! With an open mind and a desire to change, you will find useful information that you can immediately begin to use to change your life.

This book is awesome, and the concepts are so true and helpful. There are way to many books out there to help manage our time, when if we focused on our energy we would accomplish so much more in day. The book covers a number of different aspects that help you become effective in your daily tasks, each one of them could fill a full book alone.

Much of the information in this book can be found in other books on time management and personal productivity. Readers will need to decide whether to revile the authors for repeating so much conventional wisdom or appreciate their efforts to gather it together in one place. Information about proper sleep and nutrition habits, for example, remains useful even when it is not new.

The unique value of this book goes beyond its organization of personal energy into physical, emotional, mental and physical energy. We have read most of these concepts before in the sales motivation literature. The book's practical value is in its advice about how to incorporate regular energy renewal routines into your life. Steven Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) calls this "sharpening the saw." These authors expand on the concept with a full range of suggestions and examples.

The authors' studies of professional athletes have taught them two principles. One is that high performers work hard to stretch their limits and increase their capacity over the long term. This is not news. The second--and more interesting--lesson is that top athletes build replenishment into both their training and performance routines. In one example they describe a tennis player who uses breathing exercises to lower his heart rate between each set. They authors argue that this kind of renewal in the middle of the game is essential to high performance. And that it generalizes from athletes to the rest of us.

I'm sufficiently convinced of the value of renewal rituals that I have used the book's advice to design two of my own. I have discovered an unexploited hour of time in the mornings between when I drop off my son at a before-school activity and when I must leave for work. It is just enough time to fit in 30 minutes of swimming that will help me face the day. I've also resumed an old habit to walk two extra miles toward home after work before getting on my commuter train. I hope that this will not only give me some additional exercise, but provide a buffer between the stresses of work and returning home. Both seem to be helping after two weeks. We'll see about the long-term.

I advise borrowing this book--or audio book--from a library or a friend to see what good it has to offer. Frankly, I wouldn't buy it if I could borrow it.

If you feel like you're not enjoying all life has to offer, than get this book.

This book explains how managing your energy, not your time, is far more productive.

Focusing on the 4 elements of power usage/renewal (spiritual, mental, physical and emotional) can help you become a more productive professional, no matter your field. The idea of renewal, that we all need pause, from micro pauses (taking a deep breath and closing your eyes), to sustained removals (two-week hiking trip for example), is one you don't hear about much. Far more often (managers in particular) people tend to think you need to work long hours almost as if it were a badge of honor to work more than the person in the cube next to you. This is a myth, the most successful people are the ones who bring high energy to their work - not the most hours. Renewal, and recharging, are the keys to keeping a healthy level of productivity.

Time is NOT money; this old saying was from our parents generation. It is wrong through and through. Focusing on your energy, and how and when you use it, will provide far more success and productivity. This book tells you how to do it and for this reason I highly recommend this book.

Having read other related books/articles by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, they've become trusted advisors for those looking to be more productive. This work helps executives develop their own strategies for maintaining peak levels of their mental and creative performance while avoiding the alternatives - being stressed-out, burnt-out and/or functioning way below their actual peak capacity.

In this book, Loehr and Schwartz have effectively translated their insights from sports life training of star athletes to business life training of so called "corporate athletes"; All aspiring and seasoned executives could benefit in dealing with the high demands on their energy by considering their strategies. Supported by interesting cases histories and scientific study results, their key message is simple and effective - that we need certain habits to manage our expenditure and renewal cycles of our energy in four key areas of our lives: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual.

For instance, they demonstrate how certain strategies like approaching life as a "sprinter", using alternating bursts of intense effort followed by periods of renewal and downtime. While this may be common sense to some who read it, how many actually follow such advice when the temptation (often supported by incentive reward systems) is so high to keep working harder and staying in the flow continuously more like a marathoner?

Bottom-line: There is much here that will help an open-minded executive achieve more in all aspects of life. I recommend listening to the book while exercising.

I believe the author's are very fortunate to write about a subject so necessary in our days.
I loved the approach.
I work in Brazil as a personal Coach for Productive Principles, and will use this learning on my Lectures.

A brilliant piece of work. This book describes concrete similarities in what it takes for a World Class Athlete, and an individual in the Corporate World, to excel. It explains how to go about building skills of recovery throughout ones workday, and throughout ones life, to maximize health, enjoyment, and performance. I enjoyed reading the stories of other folks, like myself, who felt squeezed with the endless demands of work and family. While logic says, 'run faster, run harder'; this book has a message which is counterintuitive. Stop, at regular intervals, to nurture, exercise, and free-up yourself. This will actually increase your levels of energy and short circuit the cycle of burnout. Rest and recovery creates fresh inspiration, fresh energy for creativity. Life balance is a process, and this book can be a great aid for those looking to create it.

This book offers ideas about little changes you can make in your life to improve your health, happiness, job performance, relationships, etc. None of the ideas require big behavior change, or big time commitments, yet they yield big, positive results.

If you feel overloaded and overwhelmed, and too busy to even think about making time to do anything about it, this book will meet you where you are at and support you in improving the quality of your life.

This book offers ideas about little changes you can make in your life to improve your health, happiness, job performance, relationships, etc.

None of the ideas require big behavior change, or big time commitments, yet they yield big, positive results. I recommend this book if you feel both overloaded and frustrated that you are too busy to do anything about it.

I loved this book because it offers simple, practical ideas that overloaded people can use to improve the quality of their lives without having to make significant behavioral changes or significant time commitments. This type of counsel is hard to find. The book itself is a quick, easy read -- perfect airplane reading.

I loved this book because it offers very simple, very practical ideas that busy, busy people can use to improve the quality of their lives without having to make significant behavioral changes or significant time commitments. This type of counsel is hard to come by and very valuable. The book itself is a quick, easy read -- perfect airplane reading.

We need to manage our energy to perform the most important things. We often take our energy for granted and are not aware of our ebbs and flows.
We need to do the most important things when we have the most energy. We need to eat and sleep to have more energy. It originally comes from a sports performance model, but has been adapted for executives. It is also important as we grow older. Truely a new insight for me that unified a few things I ahve been learning.

I felt this book's main premise was a useful idea, but nothing novel. Expanding past one's limit, followed by a rest period resulting in growth whether physical or psychological. I liked the informational nature of the book, however, I didn't care much for the examples of actual people written about in it. I understand it is used to help prove the points, but it appeared to be fluff to me and I would have liked more information to drill the point home and more sources to back up the info.

Those opinions aside, it is worthwhile, to the point and contains enough information to satisfy reading it once, but I don't expect to re-read it.

At first look, the subtitle "Managing Energy, Not Time" smells of another 'just do this and your life will be great' self-help book. However, this book avoids most of the simplistic approaches other books take. Outlined is excellent, yet straightforward guidance on how to bring into balance a work life that is out of control or at least a bit out of whack. The simple advice given (which regretfully requires some basic self discipline - I prefer to avoid self discipline) is both helpful and if followed, effective. The book is relatively careful not to imply that applying its principles or introducing self discipline is easy. It is, however, unapologetic when suggesting that making a set of changes in how one manages one's life will make a difference. The book also lays out a very helpful distinction between one's energy and one's time - and it is a very helpful distinction - describing a truth that I had not before carefully considered. The book includes numerous case studies of actual people with which the authors have worked. I think you will be able to identify with a number of these case studies. If you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and/or lack balance in how your work life, home life, and downtime function, take a look at this book.

Nothing new here. Eat right, get plenty of sleep and drink your water and you too can have more energy. I have to agree with other reviewers that state that this book is poorly written. Instead of providing a method for creating your own energy plan, the authors give simple hazy case examples.

Nothing new here. Eat right, get plenty of sleep and drink your water and you too can have more energy. I have to agree with other reviewers that state that this book is poorly written. Instead of providing a method for creating your own energy plan, the authors give simple hazy case examples.

This book really helped me to discover how to manage my energy and not my time. It gave me skill sets to use for daily life processes.

I have recommended to over 50 people since reading the book and everyone has loved it. Great Book!

I bought this book as a requirement of a Leadeship course. This is a self-help book with some interesting advice, but repetitive, not very well written, and many common sense advice as well. Overall, don't expect much out of this book.

I am now listening to this for the 4th time.

The authors started in the business of sports training and now take what they have learned there to teach non-athletes (like the rest of us) skills to help them with the even more grueling demands of the non-athlete work career.

What they share is based on the belief that you need to manage your expenditure and renewal of energy in the following areas

Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual

They advise, despite the strong feelings of another reviewer, that you are better off going at life as a sprinter, using short bursts of intense effort followed by renewal. Yes, you can consider life a Marathon, buy who wants to hit the end just collapsing over the line, or worst yet, miles before the line.

There are case histories that they share of "corporate athletes" that illustrate the important techniques that they share.

One insight that I have found helpful is that the use of will power expends energy, thus multiple exercises of will power actually increases the likelihood of us caving in later, UNLESS we create habits that make good behaviors compelling and automatic. I do not explain it as well as the authors, but they cite scientific study results that support it.

Also, if we make a commitment and specify where and when we propose to comply with our commitment, we are much much more likely to follow through and execute on what we want to do. Some interesting studies show just how big a difference this can make.

There is much more here that will help you achieve in all aspects of your life.

This is truly a great book - well written and well constructed. So often self-help books are written in a 'language' that is similar to something you might find penned inside a Hallmark card. But, not this one. This book has several examples that well illustrate the author's discussion. In addition, because of the example selection it would be surprising not to fine one's self somewhere on the pages. Take the time and read this book. It will be worth it.

Managing energy and not time is one of the most understated keys to moving to new levels in work and leisure. A quality book representing the stark reality of where we really are in modern times . A must read for all people who are searching for answers to their own lack of vitality and leading a truly worthwhile life.


Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

I have read a lot of self-help books, and none of them have ever broken things down into small enough steps so you could actually DO what they're encouraging you to do!! It's like the self-help of Self-Help books. So besides having a lot of GREAT and innovative ideas, it's also very practical as well.

As opposed to simple time management, this book covers the much-neglected dimension of energy management, arguing that it's more effective to focus on structuring your energy to optimize your productivity and your experience. To do this, the four dimensions of energy are covered (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual), and exercises and scorecards are provided to help you gauge yourself in these areas.

One powerful insight I took away from the book was the idea that self-will, discipline, is very hard to maintain for a sustained period of time (which is why indefinite resolutions to "do better" in some area often tank after a few weeks). Instead of making vague self-promises, it's better to design specific rituals that embody the values you desire to be primary in your life. They have examples of specific rituals they've helped design for people whose chief struggles are a) being focused, or b) stressed, and c) etcetera. A ritual is a specific sequence of steps done at a specific time of day, on a regular schedule. The idea is to preplan the rituals so you don't think too hard about them, and they become habits that help you stay on track and reenergize. Good to think about!

In the realm of self-help and self-renewal books, I would describe myself as curious but skeptical. So often authors don't deliver on their promises and claims. Despite its self-helpish title, I think this book provides a fresh look at personal renewal and practical solutions that are carefully described in the lives of the people they talk about. It's written to address overworked executives, but it applies to anyone whose life is OUT OF BALANCE. You may not relate to the stories of the executive life, but the tools are thoughtful and invaluable. Using rituals is an old idea, but in the context of managing energy, it takes on greater significance. I finished the book with a sense of joy that I could accomplish so much more than I thought just by managing my energy better. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book once I got over the rather odd title. It just isn't very descriptive and sounds like a title of a rip-off seminar thing.

After getting into the book, the principals of it are great! It focus on 4 aspects of life (that make up full engagement): physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The idea is that you need to focus on all 4 of these area's....and the highest level of satisfaction is only acheived with all 4.

They share great examples of real life people which makes it more interesting.

With a better titled and intro chapter, I would have given it 5 stars.

I have referred thousands of clients and audience members to this book, as it is one of the best toolkits for personal renewal and professional peak performance. The combination of practical suggestions, research-based principles, and case studies makes the content both accessible and enjoyable to read. It's an outstanding book that creates outstanding outcomes for its readers.

This book has great ideas for overworked, time-crunched, stressed-out professionals in all walks of life. You'll accomplish more if you read this and actually implement Loehr's suggestions.

I got the audio version & listen frequently when driving. I need frequent reminders!

Many people are miserable and don't seem to know why--it's an easy trap to fall into. This book helps you figure out what's zapping your energy, decide how you want to spend your energy, and renew your energy.

Full engagment is achieved when four sources of energy (primary capacities)-physical, emotional, mental and spiritual-supported by a variety of habits, are all positive in quality and strong, yielding vigor, confidence, a sense of challenge, joyfulness and connectedness. The book shows how people can reach this zone of full engagement (physically energized, mentally focused, emotionally connected, and spiritually aligned).

The book can be used as a basic guide to self development and the coaching others. This work presents an engaging new paradigm, useful in understanding organization as a reservoir of energy, and how to tap into its potential. Part II of the book presents a training system for realizing this potential on an organization-wide basis. An excellent book in content and scope.

As the authors convincingly explain, our most precious resource is energy - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. After convincing us with true stories, examples, and statistics, that we need to focus on managing our energy so that we can reduce our stress and live more satisying and significant lives, the authors present a straight forward training program to lead the reader to define purpose, face the truth about what he or she is currently doing, and then take action on positive rituals to form positive life-changing habits. The personal development plan at the conclusion of the book is a well-designed set of exercises to help the reader apply the principles learned in the book to move from theory to action.

I work as a stress management trainer for humanitarian relief and development workers around the world, so I've read a lot of self-help books in my time. This is one of the best I've read. Beautifully structured, it's finely balanced between research, anecdotes and application. It kept my attention throughout, and most pages now have highlighter on them. It's well worth the time to read and will challenge you gently, but firmly, to assess your priorities and how you are living your life.