I ended up in the emergency room. Not because I was sick, but because I was done. Completely down and out. And here's the thing—I didn't see it coming. I thought I was just busy, just grinding, just doing what entrepreneurs do. But my body said no. That was my wake-up call.
Quick note: This wasn't yesterday—I'm fine now! But that experience completely changed how I run my business, and today I'm sharing what I learned.
Today we're talking about energy—not in some woo-woo way, but in the very real, very practical way of: you only have so much, and how you spend it determines everything. Taylor Swift said it best: "Think of your energy as if it's expensive, as if it's a luxury item and not everyone can afford it." And for the longest time, I was giving mine away like free samples at Costco.
In this episode, I break down the three-question filter that changed how I operate my business—and probably saved me from another trip to the ER. Direction. Protection. Sustainability. These three filters determine whether you're building something that lasts or burning yourself out chasing things that don't matter.
What you'll learn
- Why decision fatigue is draining your energy account faster than you realize
- The Taylor Swift principle: treating your energy like the luxury item it is
- How to spot when you're stepping over $100 bills to pick up a five
- Three questions that filter everything: direction, protection, sustainability
- Why "neutral" is still a withdrawal from your energy account
- The capacity-to-help vs. obligation-to-help distinction
- How boundary erosion happens (and how to stop it before you crash)
- Why not all energy expenditure is created equal
- The difference between being burned out from working too much vs. working on the wrong things
Key takeaways
- Your energy isn't free—it's finite, and you can't manufacture more time
- Decision fatigue is real: entrepreneurs make 100+ more decisions per day than employees
- Ask: Is this moving me closer to my goal or further away? (Your direction filter)
- Ask: Has this person/opportunity invested enough to afford my energy? (Your protection filter)
- Ask: Does this honor my boundaries or erode them? (Your sustainability filter)
- Not everyone gets access to your energy—capacity doesn't create obligation
- Boundary erosion doesn't happen all at once—it's the small "yes" when you should have said no
- The right thing can give you energy instead of taking it
- You can't build long-term if you're burning out short-term
- Every time you say yes to something that doesn't pass the filters, you're stealing from something that does matter
Try this today
- Write your "NO list." What drains energy, adds no value, or causes friction?
- Define your 3 YES priorities. What truly moves the needle?
- Run one decision through all three filters: Direction, protection, sustainability. If it doesn't pass all three, it's a no.
Even one intentional NO this week will create space for something that truly matters.
Creators & Extras
Resources
If this episode resonates, subscribe and share it with a service-based founder who needs permission to protect their energy without guilt.
#entrepreneurship #energymanagement #boundaries #servicebusiness #burnout #businessstrategy #growthmindset #decisionfatigue #sustainability #tiffanyannbottcher #protectyourenergy #filterruthlessly
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