energy management

I know that the common refrain is to say there’s not enough time or we’re all so busy, but I don’t believe it.

After all, I wrote a book on how there is enough time (for everything you want to do).

Focus on your energy levels

Time is elastic, you see, and is hugely affected by energy levels.

If you focus on things that give you energy, you’ll get more done. I realise that’s not always possible but if you intersperse must-do tasks with those energy-giving activities, you’ll find that you gain energy… and therefore, time.

Some more thoughts on increasing your energy during the workday and getting microbursts of energy.

2. Be more mindful

Consider this: if you take the time to be more intentional and mindful about your days and weeks, you’ll notice where you’re wasting time, where your energy lags, where you could use your time in a different and more effective way.

E.g. I easily waste an hour or more on Instagram every day. Once I became more mindful about this “practice”, I vowed to read a book during that time instead. I haven’t completely stopped wasting time on Instagram but I know that if I only spend 15 minutes on Instagram, I could easily read for 30 minutes or more during that time, which is of course, a much better use of my time.

It’s really about being aware of what you’re doing and choosing in that moment to continue consciously, or to choose a better way.

What are your tips and tricks to expand your time?

Energy management in the form of microbursts

A tiny bit of housekeeping before we dive into today’s post.

I want to write a series of time management posts and I know what I have on my list but I’d love to hear your time management questions.

I’m particularly interested in big picture questions, not just the “how do I do my email in 15 minutes” questions. By the way, my very best thoughts on email can be found right here.

I just read a post by Laura Vanderkam that I loved about the difference between time and energy management.

Let’s talk about that for a minute.

I think we’ve all experienced situations where we technically have the time to do something but we have zero energy.

The article talks about using microbursts to energise you.

That’s the part I most love.

As an extrovert, I get a lot of energy by interacting with people. On a day where I have no meetings, I am exhausted by lunch time and it’s all I can do to drag myself through the rest of the day.

What I can do, though, is use those microbursts, and I do… sometimes. Use the opportunity to walk to a colleague’s desk to talk through an idea in person instead of waiting for an email response. Pick up the phone to check on a few things again, instead of solely waiting for email responses.

I’ve found that I do really good writing when I go to gym after work and then use the evening for writing. The words flow better probably because of the change in the type of activity.

It’s like taking a break while you’re working to do different types of activities.

For me, any getting up and moving also works.