Serve. Energise. Matter.
The Three Tests That Stop Heartbeating
Before you invest another 10,000 heartbeats in that 2-hour meeting, ask yourself three questions.
Just three questions. Three words.
Serve. Energise. Matter.
Why You're Heartbeating
You're in a meeting. It's been 90 minutes. Nothing has been decided. You can feel your finite heartbeats ticking away, 5,000 per hour, 125,000 gone so far across everyone in the room.
This is heartbeating: consuming finite heartbeats on work that doesn't help anyone.
But how do you know? How do you spot heartbeating in the moment?
The Three Tests
Before you commit those heartbeats—whether it's a meeting, a document, a process, or a decision—ask:
Serve.
Does this help patients, families, or staff?
Not "does this tick a box" or "does this satisfy governance." Does this tangibly improve someone's care or work?
Example: That 2-hour meeting? If it doesn't result in better care, better teaching, or better service, it fails the Serve test.
Energise.
Does this fuel you or drain you?
Work that drains you reduces the heartbeats you have left for everything else. Every heartbeat spent feeling drained is a heartbeat stolen from work that could energise you.
Example: That governance paper nobody will read? It drains you. Writing it is heartbeating.
Matter.
Will these heartbeats count when you look back?
In six months, in a year, will you be glad you invested these heartbeats here? Or will you wish you'd spent them differently?
Example: That strategy document that sits on a shelf? When you look back, those 3.6 million heartbeats didn't matter.
How to Apply the Three Tests
In the Moment
Before you accept that meeting invitation:
Does it Serve? Energise? Matter?
Before you start writing that report:
Does it Serve? Energise? Matter?
Before you create that new process:
Does it Serve? Energise? Matter?
With Your Team
When someone suggests a new initiative:
"Let's apply Serve-Energise-Matter. Does this serve patients or staff? Will it energise the team or drain capacity? Will it matter in six months?"
In Decision Papers
Add a section to business cases and decision papers:
Serve-Energise-Matter Analysis:
- Serve: [How this serves patients/staff/citizens]
- Energise: [How this energises rather than drains the team]
- Matter: [How this will matter 6-12 months from now]
What Happens When Work Fails All Three Tests
The Consequences
Failing all three? You're giving millions of heartbeats to the system that should go to change.
When Work Passes All Three Tests
Passing all three? You're transforming healthcare. You're changing education. You're improving lives.
Those heartbeats count.
Remember
Serve. Energise. Matter.
Three questions. Three words.
Before you invest those heartbeats, ask.
Ready to Stop Heartbeating?
Discover where your organisation is consuming heartbeats that don't serve, energise, or matter.