Here’s a story for you:
Shaan Puri’s fitness coach was in a bit of a pickle. His driver’s license had expired 2 years before, so every time he got in his car, he’d get a gnawing sense of dread.
Are the cops gonna pull me over?
Of course, he could’ve got it renewed… but going to the DMV was almost as bad as driving without one.
Anyhow…
One day, he decides enough is enough.
He goes online, and finds his nearest DMV. Google rating: 1.5 stars.
Then, lightbulb moment:
“Shaan,” he declares, “I’m gonna make this a 5-star experience.”
“How?” asks Shaan.
“I’m gonna be a 5-star customer.”
So the day arrives, he gets himself into a great mood, puts on his best clothes and walks into the DMV with a smile, where he’s met with a huge line of customers…all pissed off, fuming, and all having the 1.5 star experiences (as advertised).
Nevertheless, he keeps his posture good, smiles, and makes small-talk. He asks the staff at the door how they’re doing — all this attracts the attention of one of the staff members.
“Can I help you?” asks a woman. He explains his situation, and asks who can help.
“I can help you,” she says. “Follow me.”
Next thing you know, he’s cut the line, gets his license renewed (without even taking the test!) and walks out having a 5-star experience.
🪞 Your world is a reflection
What’s the moral of the story?
If you bring gloom, you’ll often get gloom back. If you bring energy, you might get something better.
It’s underrated, but…
In a world where the default is misery, negativity, or just total indifference, bringing even a bit of energy to a situation is basically a career hack (and a life hack, honestly).
⚡ Inject energy into routine tasks
See, it’s people skills 101 to make others feel good.
Usually, we think this means asking people about themselves, but energy is just as important. People like those who lift them up and make them feel energetic; nobody wants to chat with a dementor.
So how do we do it?
By remembering that even the smallest jolt of positivity can stand out in a dull setting. You don’t have to be over-the-top — just be the opposite of “meh.”
Here are some things I’d keep in mind.
🗣️ What you say vs. how you say it
How’s it going?
Fine, you?
Not bad, not bad.
Yawn.
Why so boring? Part of it is the content, sure, but mostly it’s the delivery. A “How are you?” asked in a flat, “I couldn’t care less” tone won’t perk anyone up.
Change it to:
- Dean! How was the hunting trip?
And you’ll get back “Oh, man. It was epic. Blah blah blah.” with a spark.
Give energy, get energy back. Newton’s 8th law. Ok maybe not but you get the idea.
A little genuine enthusiasm goes a long way.
Even with friends, adding more high-fives into conversations can turn ordinary small-talk into something a bit more fun.
🎪 Learn showmanship
To demonstrate how the housing market was gonna go boom, Jarred Vennett could’ve done what everyone else does: wheel out a powerpoint with so many stats it’d put my Grandma to sleep. (No offense, Grandma).
But he didn’t.
Instead, he used a much more energetic (and thus, persuasive) method:
Jenga.
Everytime a mortgage tranche failed - bam! - he threw a block into the bin. Instead of sleeping, the investors are thinking, whoa, what’s going on here?
TL;DR:
For injecting energy, showing often beats telling.
Two easy ideas:
- If you’re presenting to your team, think about a small prop, a relevant anecdote, or a quick demo. Doesn’t have to be fancy — just something that breaks the monotony and keeps people awake. Even a simple whiteboard beats slides.
- Even using a single colorful slide, funny picture/meme (if appropriate) or a short story at the start is a cheat code to bringing the energy.
🔀 Pattern interrupt
An enterprise B2B deal is going nowhere so the sales guy does something pretty rad:
He sends the prospect an email consisting entirely of the lyrics of Justin Bieber’s, What do you mean? 😂
🎵 What do you mean?
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no… 🎶
Guess what?
It closed the deal.
The lesson:
Pattern interrupt where appropriate. It’s an easy way to ‘bring’ energy.
Obviously don’t start using song lyrics in your emails (necessarily), but here are some simple things you can do right away:
- Play around with your email signoffs:
- => Instead of, “Best Regards,” maybe, “Have a splendid Monday afternoon”
- => Instead of, “Don’t leave children unattended,” try, “Children left unattended will be given double espresso + a kitten.”
- Dropping a team member a voice note instead of a long email
- Move the meeting outside if you can ("walking meeting")
🫶 It’s not just about them — it’s also about you
You might think: “Why force high energy? I don’t want to be fake.”
Fair.
But it’s not just for others. It’s also for you.
Because when you bring a spark to a dull moment, you often make it more bearable — or even fun — for yourself.
- For instance, if you’re stuck doing a boring chore at work, turning it into a mini-race (beat your best time) can keep you engaged.
- If you’re waiting in line for something, decide to strike up a conversation or at least smile at the next person. It might go nowhere, or it might amuse you for two minutes. Either way, it’s less dreary.
Think about that DMV story. No one likes the DMV. But what if you convinced yourself it was going to be a great experience — and actually left the DMV with a smile? You're the one who's benefitting.
The point is: energy isn’t just about pleasing people; it’s about making mundane life less… mundane.
📞 Make your calls a 5-star experience
Most people dread calls — Zoom calls, sales calls, weekly check-ins. But you can bring fun, positivity, and yes, energy to these situations:
- Set the tone early. Greet people with a bright voice. Ask something beyond “How’s it going?” like “What are you looking forward to this week?”
- Use visuals or quick polls. For a video meeting, share a funny (but relevant) image, or pop a simple poll in the chat. Or change your Zoom background to something fun and contextual — it’s a simple pattern interrupt.
- Aim for short and sweet. If it’s a recurring meeting, see if you can wrap it up in half the usual time. Everyone loves getting time back in their day.
Remember, the idea is not to be a clown but to offer a small spark in a sea of grayness.
Finally…
🔋 Fill your cup
To give off energy, you’ve obviously got to have some to begin with — it’s tough to pour from an empty glass. So, before obsessing over tips and tricks, remember the basics:
Sleep. Move. Eat healthy.
If you’re perpetually exhausted, it’s way harder to be that spark in a boring setting.
