Why Energy Management Is Better Than Time Management
First of all, you cannot manage time, it is impossible. Time is infinite.
You can only decide what you do within time. So it’s more important to focus on the tasks and your energy levels, and prioritize the most important ones instead of overscheduling yourself and thinking that’s productive.
Time management is all about productivity and doing as much as possible throughout the day.
Energy management is about figuring out what part of the day you feel more energized so you can work on your most important tasks.
Let me give you an example. I have 3 tasks that I have to complete every day.
- Writing
- Job
- Workout
So I figured out that the best time for me to write is in the morning, when my mind is fresh, since it’s mental energy that I need to complete that task. So I do my writing, whether an article or working on my books, before I go to work.
After that, I go to work, and the last task is working out which I leave for late afternoon since it’s physical energy that is required for that activity. All I need is some food, a cup of coffee and some rest after work and I’m good to go.
Now, of course everyone is different. Some people like to workout in the morning. Some people find it easier to write at night. Some other people find it easier to wake up even earlier to do everything before going to work, so they can have the rest of their day to just relax. Everyone’s different depending on their energy levels. You just have to figure out what’s your main tasks, what is the energy required to complete those tasks, and what time does your energy hit its peak for those tasks.
Your energy levels determine the quality of results that you get on a particular set of tasks. You have a limited amount of energy every day, so it is impossible to keep your energy at its peak the whole day. You cannot give your 100% in all of your tasks if you are overscheduled, so prioritizing your most important ones during your energy peak time is a better way of operating.
Extraordinary productivity is not about time management, it’s about managing your decisions, attention and energy. — Leigh Stevens
Another one thing about energy management, is actually inside the sentence itself, managing your energy. Some people spend tremendous energy to get something done, when you could find an easier and faster way to do it. Some of them are meetings. Most of the meetings are useless. If you have the power, you could organize the meetings on Zoom without having to go from one place to another, or by simply sending an email or doing a phone call.
Energy management is about becoming aware of your energy. Not only what time should you do some tasks, but what things or what people drain your energy the most, and keep yourself away from them. Sometimes, heavy foods will make you sleepy, so maybe becoming aware of what you eat and drink can benefit your energy levels. If it’s tasks, you can outsource them, if it’s people and you cannot avoid them, well, you can find a way to minimize contact with them. It’s all about putting your energy on tasks, things and people with the highest return.
Content consumption is also a thing that can drain your energy. You should set a time for this as well. For me personally, I like to consume content only at night times, when I’m done with everything else. I get easily distracted, and I know that this activity drains my mental energy, so I choose to do it at the end of the day. Catchup with the news, do a research, read a book, watch my friend’s posts and some funny videos to relax.
So, bottom line is, you can get more done when you start focusing on energy management instead of time management. Becoming aware of your energy levels during the day, what are the most suited type of tasks that math those energy levels and how you can group them together so you can get them done in that form.
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