Hello, dear friend,
I have always been fascinated by people who seem to find energy for everything they want to do. How do they plan? How do they calibrate their energy? How do they succeed?
I studied many tools of time management and better planning. They all worked. Up to a point. I became very productive, but not happier. Most of the time, people admire productivity and results, but they don’t see the inner work, or the level of fulfillment, that lies beneath.
Then I discovered a tool that changed my perspective: my unique energy tank.
We cannot perform multiple tasks excellently if we do not take equal care of what fuels us. So we need to include daily, weekly, and other recurring actions in our calendars to make sure we thrive and bloom while we progress and complete tasks. It took me years to build morning routines, weekend rituals, and time away to disconnect and recharge for what truly matters. When I work and create with my energy tank full, my work does not exhaust me.
For example, I start my day with at least 30 minutes dedicated to my well-being: working out, doing some yoga, setting intentions for the day, and preparing a healthy breakfast. Weekends are dedicated to meaningful relationships, cultural events, and time in nature. A few times a year, I take holidays to explore new places, relax, read, swim, hike, or ski.
On top of this concept of the energy tank, Marcus Buckingham adds a powerful layer: love. In his book Love + Work, he shows that what truly fills our tank are the things we love. He names those things the “red threads” that give us joy, flow, and energy.
If you are wondering how to identify the red threads at work, there are three simple steps. Ask yourself these simple questions about an activity you are about to do:
Before the activity: Do you look forward to it?
During the activity: Do you lose track of time?
After the activity: Do you feel more energized, not weaker?
If you answered yes to all of them, then that activity is a red thread for you.
Love is in the Details
Buckingham reminds us that love is not vague. It’s specific: noticing the tasks, the people, and the moments that energize us, and deliberately weaving more of them into our days. Even if only 20% of your work is “red thread work,” it can radically improve your resilience and fulfilment. Studies also show that this level of energizing work can help you avoid burnout.
When I read Buckingham’s work, it connected deeply with my own belief: all is love.
Everything we do, choose, and act upon should be an act of love, for ourselves, for others, and for the work we give to the world. When our calendars are filled not only with tasks but also with fuel, and when we approach each act as love, our energy tank doesn’t just stay full, it overflows.
Action as Love, Love as Action
One day, I told my six-year-old nephew that I love him even when we are not together. He replied, “But I don’t feel your love from a distance.” So I asked, “When do you feel that I love you?”. “When you play with me,” he said.
That simple answer carries deep wisdom: love isn’t abstract, it’s action.
When you notice your red threads, those activities that energize you, you begin to see that love at work isn’t just a feeling. It’s an action. Just like a child would say.
So mentoring a colleague isn’t just mentoring, it’s love expressed through attention and guidance. Diving into data isn’t just analysis, it’s love expressed through curiosity and clarity. Building systems isn’t just efficiency, it’s love expressed through care for how others experience work.
Love in action changes things. It shifts meetings from draining to inspiring, teams from compliant to committed, and leaders from exhausted to energized. It creates movement where before there was stagnation.
And that’s the deeper truth: acting with love is the only tool we truly have to move forward. Not in theory, not someday when the mission statement is rewritten, but today, in the way we choose to work, the way we choose to lead, the way we choose to show up.
So love should not be limited to personal life. It should be a constant manifestation in everything we do, especially our work.
Which brings me to this final question: if work is the story of your life, is it a love story?