Low Energy, Same Commitment

For the past few weeks, my body has been operating at half capacity.

Normally, my energy sits at an eight or nine out of ten. I move quickly. I hold a lot. I create momentum in my days. That’s my baseline.

But during this stretch, I’ve been waking up most mornings feeling like I’m at a five. Not sick enough to cancel everything. Not well enough to feel fully like myself. The cough lingers. My stamina hasn’t fully returned. And I don’t like it.

Earlier this week, I decided I was fine. It was just a lingering cough. So I rode my bike to meet a friend for coffee. I told myself this was proof I was back.

I sat with her for two hours. We talked. I kept up the conversation. I pushed myself to stay in my usual rhythm because I wanted to feel normal again.

When I got home, I was depleted. Irritated. I didn’t want to answer emails. I didn’t want to make decisions. I didn’t want to be responsible for anything. I just wanted the day to leave me alone.

What unsettled me wasn’t just the fatigue. It was what the fatigue represented.

I’m someone who follows through. If I say I’ll do something, I do it. For my clients. For my family. For my work. So when my energy dropped, something in me felt threatened. If I wasn’t operating at full power, was I still dependable? Was being highly energetic the proof that I cared? Did slowing down mean I was slipping?

That’s where the shift happened.

Low energy didn’t mean low commitment.

The next morning, I had a class to teach, clients to support, and a podcast to record. I’m committed to releasing at least one episode every week (if you’re interested in listening to this week’s short episode on this topic, click here.

I didn’t cancel everything. I looked at my agreements and asked which ones truly required me and which ones could wait. I adjusted my pace. I simplified where I could. I showed up for what I had clearly committed to.

There were moments this week when I didn’t love everything on my plate. I didn’t feel like taking on every responsibility. And yet I still cared about the people and the agreements attached to them. That distinction matters.

Commitment isn’t about doing everything at full speed. It’s about clarity. It’s about knowing what you’ve said yes to, honoring that, and being honest about what you don’t have the capacity for right now.

Sometimes that means delegating. Sometimes it means postponing. Sometimes it means doing less than you normally would — but doing it cleanly, without resentment.

My body isn’t asking me to quit my life. It’s asking me to allocate my energy more consciously.

There’s a narrow space between canceling everything and pushing yourself into burnout. I’ve lived on both ends before. This feels different. 

I honor what truly needs me. I communicate when something needs to shift. I let go of what doesn’t require my full force.

This week reminds me that integrity isn’t about operating at full power. It’s about alignment. It’s about showing up in a way that is true to both my agreements and my actual capacity.

Sometimes courage looks like pushing harder.

And sometimes it looks like choosing carefully where your energy goes — and letting that be enough.

Listen to the Top 2% Global ranking Podcast by clicking here