✨ Marketers' Guide to Thriving (not just surviving) in 2025

It's that time of year again! Yes, the red hats are out and carols are playing, but I'm referring to the time of year when we hear 'I just have to get through to Christmas' or 'I need this year to be over!' or something to that effect.

What people usually mean is they are tired. 2024 has been a record year for burnout. Statistics across the western world are showing us that all sectors and all levels within them are feeling it more than ever before. We seem to be missing the understanding around what REALLY drains our cognitive energy.

At Next Evolution Performance - that's what we do. We use neuroscience (among other things) to help people understand their cognitive energy and how to master it. So, it's also important to know what drains it.

Most of us aren't aware of the quiet holes in the bucket. A quick overview:

1. Ambiguity - our brains do not like ambiguity but we have a lot of it today. We have fuzzy backgrounds on zoom, we are unclear of our work from home / office expectations, we aren't clear on who's accountable for what. All of this ambiguity creates a continuous pull on our brain to work out what is going on and drains our cognitive energy significantly.

2. Continuous Partial Attention - A huge study this year has been on our growing inability to maintain focus. We are distracted by so many  things and truth-be-told, we cannot multitask cognitive tasks. Continuous mental switching is draining!

3. Mismatched Optimal Focus - We each have an optimal amount of time we can do hard work for. Many of us don't understand what is most effective for us and we push through to get things done. This means we are working with tired brains - a major drain on energy.

4. Lack of Real Recovery - Real recovery means mental, not just physical recovery and at regular periods. It means matching your exerted mental energy with allowing the brain to recover. Taking a couple of holidays a year will not recovery your energy mentally - it needs to be daily, hourly and weekly - matched to your optimal focus!

So, what do we do? Make some small commitments this year that will keep you away from burnout in 2025:

1. Ambiguity - get as clear as you can about everything!

2. Continuous Partial Attention - Practice focus. Set timers and work to them. Close tabs. Be disciplined.

3. Optimal focus - jump onto our website, do our short quiz and work out your optimal focus times and work to those!

4. Real recovery - get recovery at the end of every focus period. It may include movement, music, stillness, water, breathing - but do it regularly!

Make 2025 a year that you really care for your energy!

Get in touch if you want help with your high performing team and keeping them sustainable!

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Alex David's is a Co-Founder at Next Evolution Performance. Using neuroscience, Alex and the NEP team  help driven leaders and teams optimize productivity, energy, and profitability without burnout.

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