Rick Xu first encountered the highly practical, scientifically-backed field of energy management when he was the China country manager at a multinational company. As an executive for various companies throughout his career, he had attended many workshops on leadership, management and teamwork etc. However, when he joined a training on energy management in Singapore in 2010, it opened his eyes to how diet, exercise, mindset and life mission affects not only your day-to-day life and health, but also your efficiency and even happiness at work.

没有任何培训能像这次一样让他坚持如此之久，以至于他对自我精力管理和工作效率之间的联系以及这种培训能带给中国职场人多大的意义一事产生了极大的兴趣。他感到“怦然心动”，所以他决定成为一名自我精力管理培训师。

No other training had ever stuck with him as long as this one. So much so that it sparked a fascination in him about the connection between managing your energy and work efficiency, and about the value of this kind of training to Chinese professionals. He felt an “impulse in his heart” to become an energy management trainer.   

然而，和大多数人一样，离开自己的舒适区去寻求自己所热忱的事情，对于Rick来说也并非易事。尽管自我精力管理中的理念中，也提到了在工作中的积极情绪和找到快乐的重要性，但是成为一位自由职业的培训师仍然需要非常自信和强大的内在力量。以下是他从稳定的企业工作过渡到做自己的工作的自由职业者的一些经历和感悟。

However, like most people, leaving something secure and stable to pursue his passion was not so easy for Rick. Even though a key concept of energy management is the importance of positive emotional energy and finding happiness in your career, becoming a freelance trainer took a lot of self-belief and inner strength from him. These are some of his insights into making the leap from a steady corporate job to doing what you love.

Rick在成为“精力管理师”之前

 The Tipping Point 转折点

Rick始终记得，当他决定离开他顺风顺水的公司生涯时是多么的纠结。实际上，两年前，他突然萌生了成为一名自由职业培训师的初始想法，当时他过着舒适的生活，对于很多人来说，他就是在过着“理想中的生活”。他有一份稳定的月薪，和上级以及下属的关系都很好。他对自己的公司也很有归属感，他本打算在那里一直待到退休。决心把这一切全都抛弃并不容易，这让他感到内疚又有压力。所有的想法都在他的脑海里交织着。

Rick remembers how much he struggled with his decision to leave his successful corporate career. In fact, it didn’t happen until two years after the initial idea to become a freelance trainer struck him. He had a comfortable life. To many, it would even seem “ideal”. He had a secure, monthly pay check and great working relationships with his senior management and his own staff. He felt a sense of loyalty to his company, which he planned to stay with until he retired. Throwing all this away consumed him with guilt and pressure. All these factors played on his mind.

然而通常情况下，往往只有当你意识到事情无法继续下去时，你才会做出改变。2012年，Rick陷入了危机。他的体重超重并且伴有高血压。工作使他变得易怒消极，甚至有时他会把这种坏情绪带到家里。他每天陷入了在追求更有价值的东西还是继续待在自己的舒适区之间的挣扎。直到有一天，妻子告诉他不能再继续这么下去了。他需要去做那些他真正热衷去做的事情。以上所有因素的综合作用，成为Rick离开公司，去追逐个人在自我精力管理方面的热忱的转折点。

Often, however, change doesn’t happen until you realize that things can’t continue as they are. In 2012, Rick reached a crisis point. He was overweight with high blood pressure. His job was making him irritable and negative, and he often brought his bad mood home with him. He constantly struggled with the idea of pursuing what he believed to be of greater value versus staying in his comfort zone. Until finally, one day, his wife told him that he couldn’t go on living the way he was. He needed to pursue what he was truly passionate about doing. The combination of these factors created a tipping point for Rick to leave his corporate life and pursue his interest in energy management.

今天 在Rick的帮助下 人们工作和生活的更健康

Find the Deeper Meaning  找寻深层次的意义

 “你不能只是说不喜欢你的工作。你必须深入挖掘，去找到你真正乐于去做的事，并发现其中的意义，”Rick说。“这才能让你开拓一个既健康又成功的事业。”

“You can’t just say that you don’t like your job. You have to dig deeper and explore what you actually enjoy and find meaning in,” says Rick. “This is how you create a career that will allow you to be both healthy and successful.”

Rick举了一个跨国公司的销售总监卖肥皂的例子，这位总监对卖肥皂没什么热情，他觉得自己每天起床就是只是为了去卖肥皂，来获得一定的薪水。有一天他把这件事告诉了老板，老板回答到，“不，你实际上是在挽救生命。你知道世界上每年有500万儿童因为卫生问题无法活过五岁吗？所以，你所卖出的每一块肥皂都有可能挽救一条生命。”当他想到这一点时，他的整个心态完全改变了，他的工作不仅是做做销售获取利润，其背后有着更为深刻的意义。

Rick gives an example of a sales executive for a multinational company that sold soap. The sales executive felt little passion in his job. He believed he was getting up every day just to sell more soap, in exchange for a pay check. When he told his boss one day, his boss told him, “No, you’re actually saving lives. Do you know that five million children each year don’t make it to their fifth birthday because of simple hygiene issues? So, every bar of soap you sell can potentially save a life.” When he contemplated this, his entire mindset changed. His job took on a much deeper meaning than simply driving sales and profit.

回顾了自己的职业生涯和目标，Rick坚信自我精力管理的价值，它可以给中国的经理和高管带来他们迫切需要的东西。他明白这些内容是有价值的。把工作和个人目标结合起来，可以把你的事业转变成一件可以释放个人潜力和提高幸福感的事。

When looking at his own career and purpose, Rick was convinced by the value of energy management to many Chinese managers and executives who he believed were in desperate need of what he could offer. He knew this information was valuable. This purpose and strong connection to what you do can turn your career into something that can unleash your potential and improve your overall wellbeing.

Rick享受现在的生活

Identify Your Strengths 找到你的优势

诚然，你喜欢做的不一定是你擅长的，你擅长的也不一定是你喜欢的。“你需要找出让你可以充分发挥并变得优秀的东西，从激情成就事业，”Rick说。“意识到你最擅长什么以及如何做它才能有所成就，可以最大程度地发挥你的潜力。”

Still, what you love doing may not be what you’re good at. And, what you’re good at may not be what you love doing. “What can bring out the best in you and make you great, that’s what you need to find out to make a career out of your passion,” says Rick. “Having this awareness about what you can be the best at and what you need to work on to achieve this is what will maximize your potential.”

比如，Rick说作为一名培训师，他的强项就是自己的知识储备。出于学术背景，他极具逻辑性，善于分析问题。他经常阅读有关饮食、运动、健康、心理学、神经科学、进化生物学和行为科学的科学研究和文章。他对自己的专长了如指掌，他更擅长分享自己的内容，而不仅仅是做一个演说家。想要知道自己擅长的事，就要完成自我探究和对自身优势的深度分析。

For example, Rick says that his strength as a trainer is his knowledge of the content. His science background means that he’s logical and analytical. He constantly reads scientific research and articles on diet, exercise, health, psychology, neuroscience, evolution biology and behavioral science. He knows the expertise he shares inside out. This will always be his outstanding strength, not being an animated presenter or dynamic facilitator. Knowing what you can become great at is all about self-discovery and a deeper analysis of your strengths.

总的来说，Rick的专业知识不仅包括体能的管理，还包括情绪、注意力和心态管理，这都能让你在工作中更快乐。因为积极的情绪和集中的精神是提高工作效率和生产力的最好方法之一。归根结底，他本人的经历就是一个能用来说明如何在寻得工作的意义，确定自己真正的优势，以及如何让你离开失去激情的舒适圈，获得更为幸福成功的生活的绝佳例子。

Overall, Rick’s expertise extends not only to physical energy management, but also to managing your emotions, focus and mindset to be happier at work. Because having positive emotional energy and focused mental energy is one of the best things you can do to increase your efficiency and productivity in your job. Ultimately, his own experience is a great example of how finding meaning in what you do, identifying your true strengths, and leaving what just makes you feel secure but not passionate can allow you to achieve greater success and happiness in your life.