Please forward this to a high-impact leader who needs the energy edge. If this was forwarded to you, get plugged in here.

⚡ QUICK SPIN:

You crush a project.

Feel unstoppable.

Then later that day (or maybe even the next 😉), your body (or brain) crashes.

​

It’s not weakness.

It’s not poor planning.

It’s energy debt.

​

And whether you’re building bunk beds or building a business…

That bill always comes due.

🛠️ MY TURN:

For my oldest daughter’s upcoming birthday, we upgraded her bed to a laddered bunk setup.

Not a small project. But also, not a giant project.

• Took apart her old bed
• Hauled it down two floors to the basement
• Carried all the new parts upstairs
• Built the new frame, piece by piece, with a little help from a friend
• And yes...ran about 60 flights of stairs in the process

At the time? No problem.

I was in full go-mode: helpful dad, moving logistics coordinator, Allen-wrench warrior.
​

But that night, around 10 p.m.?

Boom.
​

The outside of my right calf, just below the knee, was toast. Sore to the touch. Couldn’t cross my legs. A deep, delayed ache.

​

​

That’s energy debt. And it doesn’t just hit muscles.

🧠 THE SCIENCE BEHIND ENERGY DEBT:

Let’s unpack it.

​

📈 Performance Override

During intense effort, your system releases:

• Adrenaline and dopamine (to keep going)
• Norepinephrine (for focus)
• Cortisol (to dull pain + fatigue)

These hormones let you push past your limits.

But they don’t last.

​

​

📉 Delayed Drop

After the project ends?

So does the chemical support.

​

That’s when soreness, fatigue, or brain fog hits.

​
​

📚 Research says:

• DOMS peaks 8–24 hours after physical strain
• Mental overload mirrors this pattern: leaders under pressure see a 30–40% dip in executive function post-intensity
• Our brains often miss fatigue signals until we’re already depleted

​

​

🛠️ STRATEGY: THE ENERGY LEADERSHIP RESET:

Let’s counter the debt cycle:

​

1: Build Recharge In, Not After

Recovery isn’t a reward for finishing.

It’s the fuel for what comes next.

​

2: Respect Load-Capacity Fit

Weekend warrior moves + full work weeks = a system that breaks.

Account for everything—not just what’s on your calendar.

​

3: Daily Energy Review

Ask yourself:

• Where did I spend more than I planned?
• Where am I still recovering?
• What can I say “not now” to tomorrow?
  ​

4: Decode the Delayed Signals

Soreness. Snappiness. Spinning wheels.

They’re all receipts for energy you didn’t realize you were spending.

🤗 YOUR TURN:

Have you ever hit “sore” the day after you gave your all?
​

This week, it was my calf.

Other weeks, it’s been my focus, my resilience, or my patience as a parent.

​

So I’ll ask:

⚡ Where are you quietly carrying energy debt… that hasn’t come due yet?

​
Drop it in the comments, or forward this to someone burning hard and flying blind.

👊 LET'S TALK:

I help high-impact leaders protect the thing they need most:

Their energy.​
​

That means building systems that don’t just help you recover—but help you lead better before you break.

​

👉 www.adamwbarney.com​

Cheers, Adam

​

P.S. 👉 Want to comment or share this post? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.

🎙 P.S.S. New episode of my podcast is live: Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?​

🥚 BONUS EASTER EGG FOR FULL-TILT LEADERS:

If your brain still says “go,” but your body’s whispering “stop”…

​

Listen.

​

Where does energy debt creep in most for you?
​

🧠 Late-night catch-up work

🚀 Overdelivery on under-resourced teams

🎯 Leading while running on fumes

​

🛑 Don’t wait until your calf, or your calendar, breaks the news.