Your Personal Energy Has an ROI
- Alyxandra Sherwood
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
If you're new here, welcome to Story Behind the Strategy. I'm glad you're here.
One of the goals of this website is to explore the communication, leadership, and marketing lessons hidden in everyday experiences. Sometimes those lessons come from fantasy novels, movies, or memorable campaigns. Other times, they come from an ordinary Tuesday that turns into one of your favorite memories.
Lately, I've been thinking about return on investment.
Not marketing ROI
Personal Energy ROI
We spend so much time optimizing our calendars that we rarely stop to ask a more important question: What activities actually give us energy instead of simply consuming it?
Last month, I had a dentist appointment scheduled for my son. Like most appointments booked six months in advance, I had originally planned the day around work.
The schedule looked something like this:
Drop him off at daycare.
Work for a few hours.
Pick him up mid-morning.
Dentist appointment.
Come home.
Hand him off to my husband.
Work through lunch.
Finish the rest of the afternoon.
Log off at 5:00 PM.
Then life changed. A few weeks before that appointment, I was laid off. Suddenly, my calendar was empty—but my time wasn't.
Instead of filling every available hour, I decided to spend that day differently. After daycare drop-off, I grabbed a coffee and spent the morning working on Story Behind the Strategy, refining my resume, and applying for a couple of opportunities.
Then I picked up my son and headed to the dentist. To every parent's delight, the appointment finished early. No long wait. No restless toddler. Just forty-five unexpected minutes.
Old me probably would have looked at the clock and thought about everything else I could accomplish. Instead, we drove to his favorite playground. He climbed and escorted me to his favorite slide. We finally conquered the moving bridge and he had the opportunity to play with other kids.
Afterward, he fell asleep in the car for a two-hour nap while I enjoyed a quiet lunch. We picked up my husband, who happened to be home that day, and decided to make the most of the afternoon by visiting a local museum featuring a special dinosaur exhibit.
Watching my son's face light up as he explored every fossil and skeleton was worth more than anything else I could have checked off my to-do list. We finished the day with pizza before heading home.
It was one of the best days I've shared with my family this summer. That day reminded me of something important. We often think ROI is measured in dollars, promotions, followers, or productivity. Sometimes the best return comes from investing our energy where it creates lasting memories, restores our creativity, and reminds us why we're working so hard in the first place.
Ironically, I came back to work the next morning with more motivation and more ideas than if I had spent the entire day in front of my computer.
So here's my Friday thought: Start treating your personal energy like an investment portfolio.
Invest in the people, projects, and experiences that multiply your curiosity, creativity, and joy. The return might not show up on a spreadsheet. But it may just change the way you approach everything else.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll come back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as I continue exploring the stories behind communication, leadership, marketing, and the strategies that shape our lives. I'd love to have you along for the journey.
If you enjoyed this Friday Thought, you may also like:
