In 1913, on October 3, Federal Income Tax was made law in the USA. At that time it was just 1% to 7% of a person’s income. The song, “Carry me back” comes to mind as a way to avoid my stomach upset.
October also is National Energy Awareness Month in the USA. We’re asked to act in ways showing our awareness of how energy affects our prosperity, security and environment.
Is there any good that can come from the concurrence of these events? There are:
3 Introvert Lessons from National Energy Month and Federal Income Tax
Paying taxes is an energy drainer for me. How about you? I am not asking anything political nor wanting to know the benefits of taxes. This is simply asking do they have any affect on your energy?
Sometimes I can drive my husband crazy if I want to add something to our life to make wiser use of energy. One year I replaced our nightlights with the kind that come up pretty much at sundown. This year it was our landscape lights. The outdoor light maintenance company sold me on the idea of using LED’s instead of replacing he burned out bulbs with the same kind that usually last only a year. If you regularly add new ways into your life that contribute to wiser use of energy, raise your hand?
While taxes and energy might seem far apart in similarity, it might help to imagine that if you tax your “personal” energy every day where does that leave you as an introvert? Or, if you are an extrovert on the go?
What can you do (or not do) to go from possibly feeling out of control to in control, being regularly taxed physically, mentally, emotionally and bringing your true nature into more of your life?
Love yourself first
When we love ourself first it means we will find ways to be and act to take care of ourselves. This is in part, loving ourself. With this first step, anything else we do will be easier.
Make a decision to do this. The rest regardless of it being physical, mental or emotional energy, will fall into place.
Identify the drains
Introverts more often than extroverts have to get recharged. My husband is an extrovert and he loves his weekends – Saturdays are when he makes his rounds to his favorite coffee shops and in mornings and then in the afternoons makes rounds to his favorite places for lunch. In these travels he is hanging around people he knows.
That made my energy drop just writing his routine. Having tried this maybe once with him in the last 10 years I know this is not my energizing Saturday. I like being on my own. I get out, but it’s by myself. I know the constant in and out of gatherings of people makes me a wreck.
If it happens there is an event we’ve committed to, like a car show or someone’s house party, what I do in solitude before and after is a high priority.
I have plenty of other drainers. Don’t most of us? The point is, know what drains you. Then you can find a work around it.
Avoid extra taxation
For many, knowing how much in taxes you have to pay usually falls near or on the due date. The mental affect can be right down the drain when your accountant gives you a call with an unexpected, “You owe …” and it’s more than you counted on. What’s left after that leaves us with money for bills, obligations and discretionary spending.
Unlike with taxes if you overpay, you get some money back, our energy does not work like this. If we have an over use of personal energy, it’s usually gone.
Once you have identified your energy drains, identify what and how you might be able to prepare yourself for extra taxing events or situations.
My energy drains are quite often related to my relationships. My online friend Bob McIntosh has an insightful post about how being the extrovert when we are really more introverted can sometimes be harmful. When my extroverted husband plans to include me in events during the weekend, I know I’ll have my limits. If in looking at the schedule I find, “Wow, that’s a lot of partying,” I make some choices. True we’ve been married quite some time so he is not offended when I say, “No, I’m not interested.” While we are able to negotiate some of the events, some things are just not possible.
That is when I make sure the rest of my schedule gives me some energy reserve.
We have limited ability to influence our taxes and any celebratory days. I like to focus on what I can influence – for the sake of my energy. For me this means, start with loving myself, then pay attention to the drainers and with that, have a plan for this.
Do you know what your drainers are? How do you manage them?
Yes. I am an introvert. That being said, yes I know my energy drains. When it’s people I refer to them as energy vampires. I try to limit my exposure to those kind of people, but that’s not always possible. I need my alone time to recharge. I make sure I get it one way or another or I pay the price.
Energy vampires – a familiar one for me. It sounds like you know what to do for the sake of your best self Cheryl. Thanks.
Sincerely wish that only introverts had to pay income tax or waste energy dealing with tax authoritiess:-)
Just kidding.
Was recently looking at visiting potential customers in Denmark. Turned out the different tax systems would entail paying taxes in both countries. So to save energy and time I decided not to go ahead. Imagine having to set up a company in Denmark as well and dealing with both the Danish and Swedish tax authorities. The latter is, in some respect, worse than the IRS. How much of the revenues would I keep?:-)
You are too funny Catarina!
Wow, the Danish and Swedish tax system sounds as bad or worst than what we have with the USA IRS.
Either, you can earn it, but you can’t keep much of it. Kind of like energy? In and out.
Well Patricia, I’m not sure if I’m a true introvert, but I’m not really an extrovert. A hybrid-vert? LOL
Energy and taxes, two banes of our existence, for sure. Like you, I do have to plan for my energy. I try to get in that before and/or after time on days where there is a lot of pressing the flesh. Years ago, I did more than my share of workshops and participating in conferences. It was always important for me to have some alone time immediately after, especially if I was teaching, facilitating or presenting. Draining. Taxing.
These days, I spend most of my days working from home so the time away in meetings, events, and extended family outings doesn’t sap my energy (or tax my patience) in the same way.
Yep, you managed to tie introverts, energy and taxes into a neat package. Nicely done! 🙂
A pleasure to meet you Vernessa. Well you could be an ambivert – that’s the hybrid word. It means you could be an introvert with extrovert tendencies, or an extrovert with introvert tendencies. I’m an ambivert of the former type, and by Meyers Briggs Type, INTJ.
Thanks for weighing in on your personal energy management!
I loved Catarina’s comment! We’d all be doing confidence boosting workshops- or something. I too find being in crowds of people a total drain these days, where I might have thrived on that in my twenties. But now I really value time alone, or with my partner putting around somewhere else in the house. It’s God to explore ourselves, and out creativity in those times and that’s what really energizes me. Good post Pat
Yes AK, Catarina had me laughing with that comment.
I like how you said exploring your self, your creativity, is energizing. I bet it is for almost anyone!
Thanks.
Crowds of people are my big energy drainer, but not organized crowds like in classrooms, lectures, or organized business meetings. I get zapped by just seeing a crowd at a football game. I humored my husband and have only gone to one football game in a stadium, and one was quite enough thank you very much. Being in Munich for Oktoberfest put me on edge more than one. Yet, after that first liter of beer, I got over it 😉
Next post idea, “Beer, wine or what “spirit” to help any introvert get over energy drain.” LOL. Thanks Jeri.
You’ll laugh but my most exhilarating experience is going to the theater on Broadway and Times Square on Saturday night when it’s packed with people. That’s the extrovert in me. I love seeing the diversity of people and reaffirming my love of NY and everything it offers.Extroverts have a tendency to fill their lives with activities and then just hit a wall. I know that as much as I love being out and about and with people, I need quiet time to recharge.
Sounds, so, exhausting to me! But I get it Jeannette. I’m married to someone more extroverted. It sounds like an event he would love to be out. And then come home and crash with me! Although I would have crashed AT the event. Thanks for that perspective!
Wow this hit home for me. I find my energy drains are generally my fault in not better defining my boundaries:) So I have a lot to learn yet. Don’t get me started on the metaphor of taxation…having lived through an audit…yikes!
Boundaries are in the top 3 for me as an introvert. Otherwise I’d be laying on the floor most of the time. Not pretty. Thanks Jacqueline.
Fortunately the choices we made in terms of managing our own energy aren’t subject to audit.
LOL – as of right now we can manage our own personal energy. That’s a reason to learn the best ways that work for you. Because it that ever does become subject to audit, my guess is, I have a few ways I manage mine that would be stamped “Penalty.”