Choosing the right energy for my work this season

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Credit: Mushaboom Studio

I’m writing this on a day when I don't particularly feel like writing. It’s the kind of day where I woke up tired, and the cold, gray weather begged me to curl back up in bed with a novel and forgo work altogether. But after lingering a little longer than usual, I slowly got myself up, made a cup of coffee, and eventually ventured to a local café—where I am now, piecing my thoughts together.

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I believe in honoring your natural energy ebbs and flows. At the same time, I’ve noticed that during the winter months, I need a bit more structure to keep me gently moving forward—albeit at a slower pace than in the brighter, warmer days of summer.

This winter reflection brings me to something I learned recently in a small mastermind group I’m a part of with four other small-business owners. In our last session, my friend and fellow coach Gayatri guided us through a powerful exercise inspired by Ayurveda to pinpoint the type of energy we need to invoke to complete each project or task we’re working on. What she shared completely shifted how I think about my “default” work style and offered me new strategies I’m now experimenting with in my business.

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What we can learn from Ayurveda about work styles

In Ayurveda, different elements are associated with distinct energy qualities. Gayatri introduced us to three archetypes representing each element: 

The Deer 🦌

When I think of a deer, I imagine a graceful and slender creature bounding through a forest. There’s a lightness to its energy—dreamy, playful, and fluid—but also a skittishness, a tendency to dart away at the first sign of danger. The deer represents the air element, embodying creativity, experimentation and inspiration, but also anxiety and nervousness. 

The Dragon 🐲

A dragon, on the other hand, evokes fire and force. The energy feels focused, powerful, and decisive—but also intense, even intimidating, when unleashed. The dragon represents the fire element, channeling bold action and determination, but prone to anger and burnout.

The Tortoise 🐢

Finally, the tortoise moves at its own deliberate pace, steady and sure. It’s easy to underestimate its progress, but slow and consistent action eventually gets it across the finish line. The tortoise represents the earth element, offering slow, nurturing, and consistent energy, but prone to inertia and melancholy.  

My default: The Dragon

It didn’t take long for me to recognize myself in the dragon. My default work style is fiery and intense. When I set my mind to something, I breathe fire into it, working with laser focus until the task is done.

This approach has served me well in many ways. It’s how I’ve written multi-million dollar grant proposals in a matter of days, launched big projects, navigated career pivots, started my own business, and tackled personal and professional challenges head-on. But it’s also led to overwhelm and burnout, more than once. The dragon energy has a shadow side: when I ignore my natural rhythms and basic needs, chaining myself to my desk for hours without breaks or letting work take over my life, I end up feeling physically depleted and emotionally fried.

In recent years, I’ve swung to the opposite extreme, avoiding the dragon altogether. After recovering from burnout, I’ve found refuge in the deer’s dreamy energy, staying in the ideation phase of projects or tasks for days, if not months on end. It feels somehow safer, less risky, but also unsatisfying when I take no decisive action. What I realized after our mastermind session is that I need to invoke a new energy entirely in this season of my work.

Invoking the Tortoise: an experiment in consistency

When I mapped out what I want to achieve in the coming months, I immediately saw what’s missing in my approach: the slow, steady energy of the tortoise. 

For me, invoking the tortoise means deliberately choosing consistency over intensity. It means pacing myself, paying nourishing attention to each area of my work, from writing and marketing, to 1:1 coaching and designing our in-house programs for Emotions at Work. It means focusing on progress and practice over perfection, and taking small, meaningful steps toward my end goals.

I’ve started to ask myself: What does consistency look and feel like?

For me, it’s a few key practices:

• Writing regularly, even in small increments, instead of waiting for a huge burst of energy or inspiration.

• Blocking time in my calendar for focused work and using an app like Otto to break tasks into Pomodoro-style sessions to avoid overwhelm.

• Honoring my non-negotiables, like reading a few pages of a novel each morning, daily walks, and meeting-free Mondays.

• Practicing the “do less, but better” approach from Essentialism.

Invoking the Deer: rediscovering play 

On the other hand, there are a few areas of my work where I need more deer energy, especially in creative projects like launching the Emotions at Work podcast. 

I’ve been stuck in the planning stage and feeling hesitant to move forward. While I don’t need more ideation space, I’ve realized I need more spontaneity and play. The deer reminds me to stay curious and be playful, alongside the tortoise which reminds me to take consistent action.

For this project, invoking the deer alongside the tortoise means:

• Letting go of perfection and experimenting with messy first episodes.

• Trying different styles from solo episodes to interviewing people I admire.

• Approaching recording with a sense of fun and possibility, not pressure. 

What energy do you want to invoke in your work?

Whether you resonate most with the deer, dragon, or tortoise, each archetype offers unique gifts. As someone who values flexibility, spaciousness and ease, I’m reminded that the dragon isn’t the only way to make progress and get my work done. I believe the power lies in choosing the energy that best serves you and your goals in any given moment or season of work.

If you’re navigating a big project, career pivot, or are simply feeling stuck, consider which energy you need to tap into. Do you need the deer’s creativity and inspiration, the dragon’s determination and decisive action, or the tortoise’s slow, steady persistence? 

I’d love to hear what you discover — leave a comment below.

Let’s work together

This month I’ve supported clients in clarifying their vision for their career, navigating the job search process, preparing for interviews, saying no and setting boundaries at work, and navigating challenges and big emotions at work.

I’d love to support you to do the same.

Send me a message or check out ways we can work together: from 1:1 coaching to participating in my group program Navigating Emotions at Work.