Just heard stress described as when a demand for change or adaptation is upon us and we lack the creative energy needed 2 rise 2 the demand. (@MetalwingDotCom)

It got me to thinking about whether this applied to the recent stressors in my life and I concluded that the tweet was poignant. Things that cause me stress generally require a high-level of creative energy or motivation and the idea of stepping up and tackling the obstacle is daunting.

A large majority of people can get by on a daily basis by going through the motions. For me, a regular work day doesn’t require adaptions or change. Somtimes I have meetings where I use a significant amount of brain power, but for the most part, I’m comfortable with what’s expected from me and confident in delivering what’s required. Great.

Conversely, there are days when I need to operate at a much higher level. Maybe I’m directing a video shoot, or pitching a VP on a change I’d like to implement to the web on a global scale. Presenting ideas to executives and getting optimal on-camera performances out of strangers is something slightly uncomfortable for me. These things require me to adapt and spend a lot of creative energy. I would like to have more of these days and less passive just-to-get-by days. The challenge is keeping the creative energy tank full.

Feeling empowered to make an impact means achieving sustained motivation and energized creativity. I have found there are things that I can do to help me conjure the feeling:

1- Exercising

A solid sweat from a run or getting your blood flowing by doing some weight training is a pretty surefire way to get your brain working optimally. Couple these with fueling your body properly and you’ve got a pretty solid formula for readiness. I’m mentally acute after playing hockey as well. Hockey is a game that demands quickness, strength and decision-making. All things that translate well into other aspects of life. I realize not everybody out there can skate (unfortunately) so choose your own poison.

2- Putting Things into Perspective

My dad died in 2008–when I was 26. I’m sure it sounds cliche, the one positive I took away from his death was the idea of living in the moment and embracing the idea of having one life to live. When I think about him and his life I get a feeling in my bones that’s difficult to put into words. I feel exhilarated. I feel a physical wave of positive energy run through my body. I feel in touch with the moment and happy to be alive and have influence on the world.

When you consider that a human life is finite, it makes the obstacles and things you need to do to improve your life seem very achievable. Thinking about my family is another way to lock things into perspective. I want to be the best and most successful person I can be for my wife and my child. My desire for the success of my entire family outweighs anything that would keep me from confronting challenges. Thinking of the people you’re living for and the people you want to make proud can help boost your energy.

3- Reading

I consider myself a relatively intelligent person, but what I’ve found is that there are lots of very, very smart people out there and some of them are kind enough to share their thoughts about business and life. In 2011 I finally set up an RSS reader that collects news articles and blog posts from web sites filled with thought-provoking and insightful information that facilitates learning, personal growth and inspiration.  I’m not talking about cheesy quotes and motivational what-have-yous. I’m talking about concrete methods on improving my professional skills and personal habits. Knowledge is power.

4- Music

This one almost goes without explanation and I imagine most people can relate to this. I use music to motivate me when I work out. I listen to music while I work. Music can affect you in different ways at different times. My favorite time to feel inspiration from music is driving through the city at night. It could be that the city feels like the appropriate environment for hip-hop music or it could be that I also feel energized by cities filled with activity. Regardless of your preference, the messages in good music can be a source of motivation.

If you have any things you do to get in the zone and perform at your best? Let me know.

Last week I traveled to Berlin, Germany for a 5-day work trip. It was my first visit to Europe and as such I had the idea to make notes on my observations. As I look over the notes on my iPhone it is mainly a list of cultural differences between the United States and Germany, but as the conference included interaction with co-workers and customers from European nations outside of Germany, I do have some reflections on more broad-reaching cultural differences.

The most noteworthy was a heightened sense of global awareness amongst the Germans and the conference attendees. Most everyone I encountered on my travels: in airports, restaurants, hotels and on the street could speak and understand English at a functional level. It’s been suggested to me before that English is the global language, so to speak, but to have this theory proven was eye-opening. What was more interesting and upon looking inward, embarrassing, was the fact that several people I met with with spoke as many as 6 languages fluently. It was on Day 3 that I made a promise to myself that I would commit to studying a second and hopefully third language upon returning home.

The first night out we ate at a small restaurant in a village that was walking distance from our hotel. The service was exceedingly slow. One small cultural difference I noted was that being greeted and offered water upon arrival for a meal was not customary in Germany. We felt slightly disrespected to be left to ourselves without so much as a welcome for such a long time (about 30 minutes). Back to my real point, which was that the menu was in German (more on that later). We were able to recognize Pizza, Cordon Bleu and Weiner Schnitzel and 6 out of 7 orders consisted of these meals. I tried something a little less recognizable but not wildly adventurous.

I’ve always felt a little uneasy figuring out payment/dividing the check when dining with a group of people I don’t know well. Since very few of us had exchanged currency yet, I suggested that we confirm acceptance of our credit cards upon arrival but was quelled by the group. Of course, when the check arrived and a co-worker offered their company Visa card to make things “simple,” we were informed that they only accepted Euros and European Credit (EC). We just narrowly pooled enough Euros to pay the check – luckily the service was poor and the expectation of gratuity isn’t quite what it is in the US. We still felt a little bad for the relatively small tip.

On our first full day in Germany we were afforded some time to adjust to the time change and do a little sightseeing. My company included me on this trip to shoot video so I set out with two companions. We took a taxi (not a cab) to the city center. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in early-October. Seventy-seven degrees without a cloud in the blue sky. Downtown Berlin was bustling. It was swiftly revealed to me that unless clearly marked by a crosswalk, pedestrians do not have the right of way. I managed to avoid any seriously close calls, but a taxi driver next to our car gave a large group of tourists a good scare following a red light.

We shot video of the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz Needle, the Museum of Germany History and a 1-kilometer remnant of the Berlin Wall. I took note of the Mercedes-Benz taxi cabs with leather interior and the wide-ranging and highly visible graffiti art on our taxi rides. One more note on driving in Germany–before a light changes from Red to Green (a jarring transition in the US) there is a yellow indicator light (genius!). It really seemed to keep the traffic flowing and seemed like an obvious convention. In the US we have a yellow light on the other side of the transition, why not from Green to Red?

In the city center we had more success in using our American credit cards. Furthermore, we found menus translated in up to 5 languages (Germany, English, French, Spanish and Russian). I attributed this to the fact that these areas were tourism hot spots. I found German beer to be good but unspectacular (disclaimer: I drink good American beer). I had it in my mind to be aware of examples of the superior German engineering we hear about growing up in America, the examples didn’t jump out at me. The German people seemed to be friendly. Several times I stopped a stranger and asked them to explain significance of monuments I was shooting or for the closest place to catch a taxi. My inquiries were met with decency almost 100% of the time. This was my first trip to Europe. Had it been up to me, Berlin wouldn’t have cracked my top-5 list of destinations. In retrospect, I’m glad the decision was out of my hands. My first trip to Europe is behind me. I learned a bit about German culture, quite a bit more about my own company and the great people we have across the globe and the most about myself. I hope to travel to Europe several times during the next 30 years of my life and upon returning I hope to communicate in more than my native tongue.