Energy tool
The Energy Ledger
A simple way to notice what spends you, what returns you, and what needs a different price tag.
What this tool does
The Energy Ledger tracks deposits and withdrawals across body, people, work, space, money, and attention. It helps you stop calling depletion laziness when the account is simply overdrawn.
Write one withdrawal and one deposit. Then add one five-minute recovery action.
Bad-week version
Use it when
- You keep pushing through and then blaming your character.
- Your calendar looks reasonable only because it omits energy cost.
- You need a weekly view of what gives back and what takes too much.
How to use it
- List the week's biggest withdrawals.
- List the week's real deposits.
- Mark one withdrawal to reduce, delay, delegate, or price correctly.
- Add one recovery deposit before the account hits zero.
- Use the ledger at the Weekly War Room.
Worksheet version
Copy these prompts into a notebook, notes app, spreadsheet, or the nearest envelope that is already judging you.
Common traps
- Counting time but not energy.
- Calling relief lazy.
- Pretending an obligation is free because it is short.
Related tools
Read the book
Want the whole system?
The Energy Ledger is one handle from Build a Life That Doesn't Eat You Alive. The full book connects it to habits, boundaries, money, work, rest, and bad-week repair.