Kelvin Broadus

Being an energy drink connoisseur, I am well aware of the crashing effect that can be caused after drinking many brands of them. It is an effect that can also be felt with various sodas due to the sugar and caffeine inside of them. Honestly speaking though, energy drinks should really never need to be used in the first place, yet we consume them anyway due to regular fatigue caused most often by a lack of obtaining proper rest in order to give us enough of a boost to get to through the day. Then, before we know it, we are "dragging along" because the effect has worn off.

In order to solve this problem that is so often faced, we must first understand the root cause of the issue, and then once we fix the root, the rest of issue will solve itself.

The root to this particular issue a lack of proper rest, and it can generally be solved often by getting more rest and eating a little healthier. The attempted "external" fix of drinking energy drinks and soda only provide a temporary, shallow solution to the bigger problem. Yet, how many times do we find ourselves doing the same thing with workplace issues?

Many times in the workplace we find ourselves working on projects or managing projects that seem nearly impossible. The solution is often to "add a boost" to by increasing the number of resources or having the same resources increase their workloads (such as through overtime) for these projects. But, just like with the temporary burst of "productivity" caused by the energy drinks (followed by an even larger crash), the same often occurs with the attempts to resolve the project challenges.

Instead, maybe a different approach should be considered. Just as the better solution to the "energy crisis" is found in the preliminary activities (sleeping enough hours and preparing properly the night before), the better solution for a business project is found in the pre-planning of that project. When a project has been planned and organized well considering the variable risk factors, resource-to-task ratios, and reasonable benchmarks, common stress found by having "too much to do with too little time" is often nearly eliminated.

There is always a possibility of the unexpected occurring, however, but properly planned projects and goals are normally much more effective and less stressful than those done without. So if you have projects that you will be managing, plan thoroughly first so that you can reap the benefits later, without having to use an ineffective, temporary boost.