It's still cold here in Ocean City, NJ, but signs of life are appearing. OCNJ is a vacation town. Off-season it's very quiet. There's barely a car on our street. This week with temps stretching to hit the 50s there are a few more on the street. It's welcome because it means we get to meet the neighbors. We moved to this block because we heard great stories of the the friendliness of the people. I can't wait to the warm summer months. A cocktail, the beach, a good book, and new friends to share it with!

I finished my first week of triathlon training with my new coaches. It was quite the step up in my level of activity, but it was a good balance of getting moving and resting. My coaches incorporated a lot of stretching. I'm good at the cardio, but need to work on stretching more. It's all about managing energy - eating better, moving more and being well rested.

On Energy Management

My life is busy. Your life is probably busy too. At my company, Estenda, I am Chief Operating Officer (COO). I lead numerous business development efforts, sales, marketing, and internal people management. A full load. On top of that I started my triathlon training for this year and I'm working on the book, Productive Harmony. A lot is going on. How did we get here?

I graduated in the early 90s with a Computer Science degree and worked my way through a bunch of companies as a software developer and worked my way up until starting Estenda, way back, in 2003. I attribute two things to my success over the years - 1) technology is important but it's really about people and 2) energy management is important.

Right out of college, I worked for US Steel as a software developer. I thought I hit it big because their corporate headquarters is the tallest building in Pittsburgh. I had visions of looking down at the tiny people on the street. I wound up on the 7th floor in an office packed with discarded furniture. Software folks didn't get much respect back in the day. It's not what it is today, but I loved that job. The hard part was the back to back to back 100 hours weeks to get the job done. I ate poorly, didn't get the sleep I needed, and exercise was not a thing. In your 20s you can get away with a lot and your body recovers, but even this was pushing it. Through the last year or two of college and these early days I put on a lot of weight. Burning out was a clear possibility.

I moved through several other companies experiencing similar situations. It was not uncommon. In 2003, married with two kids starting a company, I hit the proverbial wall. I was overweight, tired, and future health was questionable. I started working out, running, and eating better. I lost 50 pounds - the weight of a small kid! I didn't necessarily feel bad but losing that weight made the world of difference. The first thing I'd suggest in your life is to build awareness of your current situation.

My life goal is to live to 100+ with a good quality of life. I used to say one hundred, and then someone asked "Why only 100?" They were right, so I adjusted the goal. Energy Management is a huge part of my life. Work, Training, Life - to manage it all, be productive and not burnout takes an effort. That's where the idea of the book - Productive Harmony - originates. I want to share my story, the story of others on similar journeys, explore how we as a society got here, and most importantly how do we do better, particularly as an individual.

Eat better, move more, and be well rested. It improves your productivity and helps you find not balance, but harmony. Balance implies all things are equal and that's not reality. Some days, different activities take precedent. My daughter's getting married this summer. Work continues, the author experience continues, triathlons continue. Managing energy not time will let me get everything done and enjoy life!

Cheers to Energy Management!