The Domino Effect of a Small Setback

In the last two weeks, I messed up.

An ankle injury that’s been bothering me for a while just… wouldn’t get better.

So I finally decided to get some examinations done.

But nothing conclusive came out of it and that put me in the zone of uncertainty.

No workouts.

No workouts → no motivation to wake up early.

No early mornings → no reason to sleep on time.

No sleep → no focus during the day.

And the cycle kept repeating.

One unresolved issue created a cascade and affected all four sources of energy:

– Physical – no movement, poor sleep

– Mental – cluttered mind, scattered attention

– Emotional – low mood, frustration

– Spiritual – no stillness, no intentionality

It’s incredible how one “small” thing can throw everything off.

The truth is: you can’t optimize performance without managing energy.

And energy isn’t just about productivity hacks – it’s deeply personal, deeply interconnected.

What I learnt: It’s not about perfection but catching the spiral early enough.

And taking one small step to break it.