Have you ever taken the time to think dimensionally about, say, what the real cause was of you falling off that New Year’s resolution, or failing to hit another goal? Many will say that they lost motivation, that it was too hard or that they simply forgot about it, but in my experience, there were other factors at play. As a Forbes “Next 1000”-nominated master level life coach, as well as an author and speaker, I help women address those causes so that that they hit more of their goals. In the course of this work, I’ve found that there are foundational life circumstances and approaches that make success and productivity possible, and I’ve narrowed them down to a precious few.

1. Your inner circle

How often have you heard the sayings “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”, “Birds of a feather flock together” and “You’ll be the average of the five people closest to you”? There’s a good reason why these aphorisms are so commonly tossed around: our surroundings, including those we associate with, are a large factor in our success. So, take inventory of the people around you: Are they responding to your success dreams with indifference or disdain, or are they providing support and encouragement? This doesn’t necessarily have to be a dramatic and exclusionary judgment: Sometimes, it’s not that people are trying to keep you from flourishing, they just may not have the mind for our best interests. But in any case, it’s vital to take note of their approaches.

The hard truth is that close proximity to people who are not on same ambition level is a productivity obstacle. Staying the same is easy, and relaxing and taking it easy… is easy, but making changes and sticking to them is difficult. It’s a lot easier to stay on track when you are surrounded by people who have adopted a kindred lifestyle. And if you are forming such a group from scratch, seeking out mentorship and support groups helps enormously.

No one wants to minimize or exclude people who they care about just because they don’t have the same vision, and shrinking or adjusting an inner circle isn’t easy, but building success means weaving into our lives and careers people who are great for our futures, not just our pasts.

Related: What to Do When People Don’t Understand Your Big Dreams

2. Habits

I’ve found that a good definition of habits is “things that we do on a daily basis that are automated” — and more specifically that they’re tendencies and practices often hard to change or give up. Biting your nails when you’re nervous, lashing out when you feel confronted, and coming home from work and heading straight to the shower all fit into the category. We all sport some that are doing good, as well as others that might be actively hindering productivity.

So, consider habits you might put in place to hit your goals, as well as those you need to stop to live a more dynamic and prosperous life. Could you, say, make a habit of sitting down and writing three pages of a new book each day, or are you more likely to succumb to the distractions of laundry that needs to be done, or social media, or simply needless worry? Take inventory, as you would in business accounting: What could you replace these negative habits with?

Related: 3 Steps to Get Your Personal and Professional Life Back on Track

3. Mindset

Our view of and approach to living is built of experiences and beliefs. Some beliefs we choose, others seem ingrained, but all of them can be adapted… harnessed for greater good. For example, the principle “Success has to be hard” may sound profound, but it’s also not entirely true, and neither are blanket statements like “I’m not good at _________” or “People like me don’t get to _________”. Take a second and think of all the negative things you tell yourself when it’s time to be productive, or even simply optimistic, and train yourself to change them.

Going back to the “writing three pages a day” example. Would you approach that task with excitement, or are you more likely to regard it as a chore — an overwhelming goal as opposed to a series of manageable tasks with a true payoff at the end (even if it’s simply the feeling of completion accomplishment)? In many ways, that choice is entirely up to you.

One great pathway to generating a new mindset is consuming content that inspires action. That could be watching motivational and inspirational videos, listening to productivity audiobooks or podcasts that simply make you feel great… anything that invites you into the world you’re trying to be more productive in.

What things out there can help you develop a better approach? Where can you turn in order to enhance your ability to perform?

What’s hindering your productivity?

Related: 11 Mindset Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

One of the major plots of the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade revolves around the search for the Fountain of Youth — some magical elixir that causes a person to live forever. I watched this movie years ago, fascinated by the concept that something as simple as a sip of water could restore the vitality of those who drank from it. Why the obsession? I wondered.

Many decades, a thriving company and a few kids later, I get the allure. Not because I wish to live forever, but because who wouldn’t want boundless amounts of mental and physical fuel?

You could say our pursuit for this mythical fountain persists, only under a different name: energy. Nearly two years into this pandemic, we all want it. 

In writing for The New Yorker, Nick Paumgarten aptly describes this elusive quality: “You know it when you got it, and even more when you don’t,” he says. “This is the enthusiasm and vigor you feel inside yourself, the kind you might call chi, after the ancient Chinese life force or the pronouncements of the storefront acupuncturist.”

As an entrepreneur, I am no stranger to the tiredness and fatigue Paumgarten speaks of. “For months, during the main pandemic stretch, I’d get inexplicably tired in the afternoon, as though vital organs and muscles had turned to Styrofoam,” he writes. “Just sitting in front of a computer screen, in sweatpants and socks, left me drained.”

There’s this myth in the business world that we shouldn’t share our struggles; that we should always maintain the appearance of strength — otherwise, our careers and reputations could be at stake. But I think there’s an error in keeping our challenges under wraps. It’s human to feel the weight of everything we’ve lived through — to have days when our overwhelm feels palpable.

Every day I’m confronted with tasks that pulse with urgency, hundreds of emails awaiting my reply — an overflow of requests and decisions to make.

In my early days of building Jotform, I’d often joke that I needed a clone. But what I’ve learned since is that it’s not more “fuel” we need — it’s to stop seeking more energy in order to hit peak productivity. 

What we badly need is balance.

Related: Understanding Entrepreneurial Burnout (And How To Deal With It)

Why boundaries are essential to preserving energy

“The key to success at work and in life isn’t really starting strong, it’s staying strong,” writes Harvard Business Review contributor Elizabeth Grace Saunders.

Almost anyone can muster enough gumption for a short burst of high-energy effort, she says. “But what about after that initial burst? Do you still feel the same a few months or even a year into your new job, goal, or project? Have you abandoned your ambitions? Do you continue to push on while fighting signs of fatigue or burnout? Or do you wildly vacillate between hyper-productivity and getting nothing done?”

Creating that staying power, according to Saunders, is about managing our time wisely to avoid burning out.

In Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, he asks us to pause and ask: Am I investing in the right activities? 

“Essentialism,” McKeown writes, “is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”

Related: How to Spot Entrepreneurial Burnout (Before It’s Too Late)

What really matters?

We live in a society that is always pushing for more. Distractions abound, so it’s only natural that we believe our reserves to be limited. Because we feel incapable of doing everything, we read endless articles on how to “hack” our energy levels — how to boost our productivity to do all the things. 

But I’d like to suggest this paradigm shift — behind our never-ending pursuit for that mythical fountain of energy, is this: an obsession with perfectionism and work addiction. 

When the bar for what we need to get done keeps getting higher, we’ll never be enough. That’s why the way of the Essentialist advocates for clarity and understanding the reality of tradeoffs: We can’t have it all or do it all.

Which leaves us with this core question: What really matters?

As much as entrepreneurs are driven and self-motivated to achieve success, they also need to grasp the value that our time is a limited resource. 

At Jotform and in my personal life, balance is critical for ensuring a healthy culture. But maintaining those boundaries has been a process. 

In the beginning of building my company, I didn’t model the best behavior — answering emails long into the night and on weekends, always being “on.” But to show an example of how we’ve evolved over the years: I now ask that all employees erase Slack from their phone. 

My concern isn’t for my team to have “more energy” but to use their peak hours on what’s most essential — on what matters most.

Related: How to Set Boundaries as an Entrepreneur

Block out breathing room

“To have staying power, you need to keep your work within sustainable boundaries — and you need to work at a sustainable pace,” Saunders encourages. “There are days when back-to-back meetings are necessary or when you need to go from task to task to task. But for most people, this strategy doesn’t have long-term viability.”

We need breathing room — whether by designating a no-meeting Thursday, blocking out a 30 minute window to take a stroll outside in the sun, or taking a week off to fully recover — this is the balance needed to have that staying power.

This is what I know for sure: “Hacking” energy is a sexy trend. But restful, rejuvenating downtime is the true elixir for living a healthier, happier life. 

Related: How to Take Time for Yourself to Fully Recharge