My close friend Mari Sierra is hosting a retreat next month (Jan 8 -17) for Entrepreneurs & Conscious Creatives in Bali and they have 5 spots left. (www.sierraymar.co/decelerate)

I thought some of my friends may be interested in their program.

The retreat is called Decelerate where the program is structured to support attendees in slowing down so they may find their core essence, their core purpose and energetic alignment with those currents, so that their creative gifts can be unleashed with full force throughout the year.

There will be daily yoga and meditation sessions facilitated by Erica Jago & Mari Sierra (internationally acclaimed designers / yoginis wink emoticon ), group facilitation by Michel Bachmann, and peer explorations and reflections with other like-minded souls in a beautiful setting.

I believe Energy Management is one of the most foundational skills for any Ambitious Creative in the 21st century.

One of the biggest problems I see in how many entrepreneurs and creatives live their lives, is that they believe there is linear relationship between time spent working and work produced.

The reality is that how much we accomplish is much more a function of how much energy we invest in our work and purpose rather than how much time we invest.

While Energy is a finite resource, it’s also a Renewable and Growable Resource.

To meet the demands of the incredibly stimulatory, fast paced 21st century life we must increase our Energetic Capacity.

Deliberately. Continuously. Consistently. Through Years of Practice, Refinement and Commitment to Mastery.

How do you increase Energetic Capacity?

By oscillating between cycles of stress and recovery.

That’s how strength and capacity is built.

In the fast paced, always on world of the 21st century, most people run their stress cycle but neglect the recovery cycle and consequently burn out.

I love Tony Schwartz basic framework, author of one of my favorite books, the Power of Full Engagement, where he describes our energy as coming from 4 core dimensions: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual.

Where we grow our capacity by developing stress and recovery habits rituals for each dimension.

This is why I work out so hard. This is why I biohack so much. This is why I master my mind through meditation and a myriad of other practices — so I can continue to increase my Energetic Capacity, creating and serving with greater and greater intensity.

Tony Schwartz also encourages people to see their life as a Series of Creative Sprints rather than a Marathon. Take a look at sprinters he says — they look like Lions, Kings of the Jungle…take a look at marathon runners, they look gaunt and on the edge of death.

Why is this?

One process is more aligned with Life’s Natural Cycle of Growth and Energetic Optimization.

Energetic optimization requires consistently asking yourself these two questions:

1) How is my energy?

2) Is my energy being allocated to what’s most important to me, my essence and my purpose?

Because when your energetic capacity and output is high, focused and directed towards the right things you are unstoppable.

So if you haven’t taken time for Recovery recently, I would highly recommend attending Decelerate as a potent opportunity to Realign and Restore your Being.

It may feel like there’s not time to take off for retreat, but what are you optimizing for? The short term or the long term?

From the short term perspective there is never time to Recover.

The Long Term perspective demands it.

And the Long Term process perspective is the only true path to Creative Manifest Greatness.

And that is one of my deepest desires for you.