Energy Management vs. Time Management

Today we are talking about time management versus energy management. So often, my conversation with high performers is about time – having enough time to do it all. But where I re-orient that conversation is toward energy management.

Time is a finite resource, but energy is a renewable one. When we speak about “managing,” we must think about managing our energy. Time management is a piece of the puzzle, but a separate conversation. How you manage your energy determines how much you get out of your time.

The energy that you bring to your time defines how you progress forward. Think back to your college days when you had that paper due – when you had enthusiasm and freshness from a good night’s rest versus the times you “crammed.” I can remember staying up all night, and the difficulty of still trying to put my thoughts together.

In both cases, we may have spent the same amount of time, but the energy that we had available for the project was completely different. So, I invite you to rethink about approaching your projects and your priorities from a place of energy versus a place of time.

There are two important things about energy management that I want to touch on today that are difference-makers – rhythm and engagement.

In rhythm, this is where we look at how our energy is supported. Energy operates on a rhythm. The earth goes through a cycle every day, every year. There are so many cycles that are about energy – withdrawing our energy to rest, and coming back with new energy, with bountiful energy. So there has to be a rhythm for you to have sustainable energy. That's why we have things like burnout – we don't have that rhythm. If we take that time to renew and come back, that's what sustains our energy. You must know and be attuned to your rhythms. This encompasses many things, not just your rest. It includes the fuel that you use in the form of food. If you just had a sugar-filled drink instead of vegetables, grains, and protein and then try to do something very creative or intense, there's going to be two different outcomes.

The second piece is engagement, or enthusiasm. Where is your heart and your mind when you're working on something? Imagine you're working on a creative project. Your body's there, so the physical component is there. But is your mind there and is your heart there? The more you can engage with what you're working on or the people you're with determines how much energy flows into the moment. You’ll be astounded by how much can be created with a little bit of presence. When presence is lacking, it is very difficult to see the progress we're looking for.

Having this conversation about moving toward our goals shift from time to energy management is really a whole different ballgame. That's one of the things that differentiates high performers from those who are feeling like their potential remains untapped. Feeling like you're not moving toward your goals as quickly as you want leads to feeling unfulfilled even if you've achieved a lot.

How can you look at your day-to-day in terms of energy management versus time management?

If you are seeking more out of this conversation, please reach out to me via my website. You can download free eBook there or book a call with me, and we can talk much more about this and how it applies to your situation.