From pooped to pepped: the Gordon way

05:46 PM CST on Thursday, January 22, 2004
By ALINE McKENZIE / The Dallas Morning News www.dallasnews.com

He's not a trained physiologist, psychologist, or any other kind of ologist. But fired up with the zeal of a convert, Jon Gordon is on a mission to give people more energy.

And by golly, whether it's through speeches, a new book, conversations with strangers or postcards he hands out like Halloween candy, he's bound and determined.

It's not difficult, he tells people through seminars and his book, Become an Energy Addict: Simple, Powerful Ways to Energize Your Life (Longstreet Press, $21.95).

"A lot of it is stuff you may have known before, but it's a reminder, and the action steps show you things that you can do," he says on a recent visit to Dallas from his home in Florida. Eat simple foods, get in touch with nature, take moderate exercise. And, maybe, check your e-mail only three times a day, so the constant distraction won't get in the way of your productivity. Ignore call waiting and focus on the person at hand. Be a relaxed driver.

The book has very short chapters, capped with practical steps and mini-contracts you can make with yourself to define exactly what you'll do. For instance, it's easy enough to recommend a daily walk. But he adds the tip of laying out your walking clothes at night, so it's easier to get dressed and motivated in the morning.

Want to get involved in charity work? Write out a small contract, stating how many hours you plan to devote to it, what precisely you will do, and when you'll do it. "My philosophy is success comes with small things," he says. "When you do small things, then you start to do the big things."

Mr. Gordon, 33, looks as if he's always lived this way. Toned, with broad shoulders, he speaks with animation, making large gestures to help drive home a point. But it wasn't always that way for him. Just two years ago, he was tense, often angry, and controlling, to the point that his wife was considering leaving him.

"I was really very miserable in a lot of ways, and, my wife said, very negative," he says. "I just begged her to stay, but it was a good wake-up call. I thought, 'Why am I not happy, and how can I be happy?'

"The family had moved to Florida, where he telecommuted in a high-tech job. Then he lost the job and decided to open a franchised restaurant.

"I had a breakthrough moment where I literally got down on my knees and surrendered," he says. "I said, 'God, please guide me.'

"He had two months of savings to live on, but the restaurant was losing money. "As my last dime went out of my savings account, the restaurant made a profit," he says. He now owns three franchises and is opening a fourth.

He began changing his life in other ways. He mended fences with his wife, with whom he has two young children.
He reconciled with his father after a longtime estrangement.
"It was like a hundred-pound weight was lifted off my shoulders," he says.

He does just a little bit of weightlifting – 10 minutes, three days a week – and does some walking or running every day. He has lost 10 pounds and developed his muscle tone on this regimen.

It was his brother, David, who came up with the term "energy addict" for the new him, which Mr. Gordon immediately loved. His friends all say it describes him perfectly, he says.

He began researching: "A lot of it was 'a-ha' moments – these are things that our mothers have been telling us for years," he says.

For instance, there's eating breakfast. "Breakfast eaters are more productive and alert at work, they have more energy, and they tend to be thinner," he says.

And he can't help sharing the results. "I don't force it on people. It usually just happens," he says.

On the plane to Dallas, he began talking to the woman next to him. She told him she was unhappy with her boyfriend but hadn't mentioned anything because she feared he would leave her. By the end of the conversation, Mr. Gordon had her considering that staying in an unhappy relationship out of fear wasn't good enough.

Getting more energy can take more than a simple "cheer up and take a walk," he acknowledges. People who are depressed, he stresses, should seek professional help.
"Once you're controlled and balanced, start taking responsibility for your energy and well- being," he says.

'Energy Addict' basic steps

Here are some of the "Energy Addict's" basic steps:

Eat breakfast, especially one high in protein and fiber.

Drink plenty of water.

When you feel stressed, take 10 breaths, focusing on your breathing.

Sleep at least eight hours a night.

Exercise, even if it's just a 20-minute walk.

Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

Neutralize "Energy Vampires," or negative people who waste your time.

Story: http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/fea/texasliving/stories/012404dnlivenergyaddict.8d0ee.html