Evaluating Relationship Investments: Prioritizing Time with Life-Giving Connections

Leaders: Are you spending too much time with people who drain your energy? It is important to invest in people and be a mentor, but be careful not to spend too much time with people who always create negative energy.

There are people in our lives who are life giving to us. They “get” us, support us, and lean in to helping us be the best version of ourselves.

Some people are neutral in their effect on us. They aren’t energy drains, but they don’t really add anything to our lives. They are often very nice, but not able or willing to go deeper in relationships.

Finally, there are the true energy drains. It is important to recognize and choose how much of our time as leaders we want to give these folks. It is good to invest in people when they show signs of wanting to grow. But, if they are simply takers and drainers we can choose to limit our time with them, if we do give them any time at all.

As we begin the 4th quarter of 2024, this is a good time to assess your relationships and where you invest your time. Spending time with the life givers can give us fuel to hang out with the neutrals and the energy drains, but we should be intentional about our relationship investment choices and the ways we give of ourselves.