Written by: Alice Dartnell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It's no secret that managing our time effectively can be a real challenge for leaders and business owners, but what if I told you there's an unconventional way to boost your time management skills that is actually going to serve you better?
Get ready to embrace the power of ‘energy management’ – this is your secret sauce to skyrocket your productivity and success especially as a busy business owner.
In this article, I want to share with you three energy management hacks that will transform the way you tackle your day-to-day tasks but first, what is energy management?
Effective time management is about managing your energy
As a coach specialising in time management, there is something I have noticed with people’s time management issues… they are often not because of time. But ENERGY!
Effective time management isn’t just about managing your time… it is also about managing your energy. Often time has the finger of blame pointed at it, but really its energy.
We procrastinate because we’re overwhelmed with everything to do sucking our energy or we are simply too tired. We fall victim to the scroll hole, because our brain just craves a break. We lose focus and concentration simply because we’ve been staring at the screen for too long.
You see, it’s not just time, but also energy!
1. Energy management hack No.1 Plan tasks according to your energy peaks and troughs
As a time management expert, one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give you is to plan ahead. If you’re already doing that, then you are probably planning according to the clock. For example, 10am is allocated for this project, 11am for that project.
This method works but with limited success. Our energy levels naturally ebb and flow throughout the day. Do you suffer that post-lunch afternoon slump? As Ralph Wilms explains in his Brainz article, The Daily 90-20min Reset Program For Your Brain – 5 Steps To Regeneration And Increased Productivity, our brain needs a neuro-break as our bodies cycle through energy on roughly a 90-minute cycle due to the ultradian rhythm,
Your energy at 3pm could be very different from our energy at 11 am so you need to plan ahead around your energy to reflect that!
So, instead of just planning tasks based on the time of day, align them with your energy levels. Reserve your most demanding, creative, or critical tasks for your energy peaks. When your energy is high, you'll tackle these tasks with gusto and efficiency, leading to better results. Save the less demanding or repetitive tasks for your energy troughs and watch how much easier they become.
2. Energy management hack No.2 Keep your energy (and focus) high with regular breaks
Picture this: you're powering through your work like a champ, but after a while, you start feeling mentally drained, you’re getting easily directed, your mind is wandering and your focus begins to waver. Sound familiar?
To maintain high levels of productivity, it's crucial to take regular breaks to recharge your energy and refocus.
Don't resist the break – embrace it! The brain isn’t designed to plough through work during the day without a break!
Step away from your desk, stretch, take a walk, or engage in a quick meditation or breathwork. These breaks can work wonders for your mental clarity and creativity, allowing you to return to your tasks with renewed energy. Remember, it's not about working longer; it's about working smarter. In fact, working longer actually will be detrimental to your productivity!
3. Energy management hack No.3 Beware of the energy drainers in your day
I’ve got a friend who loves numbers. Anything to do with finance, accounting, spreadsheets etc and she is in her happy place. Personally, for me, it’s not what Gay Hendricks would call my “zone of genius”. But writing content, coaching, speaking to an audience and I can do it all day and still be high-vibing.
We all have tasks that drain our energy, and others that fill us up, and we are all different in this preference!
The key to effective energy management is knowing what your energy drainers and fillers are, and not putting too many energy drainers into one day.
If you load your day with back-to-back energy-draining tasks, you'll quickly find yourself feeling exhausted and unproductive. Instead, spread these tasks throughout the week, and mix them with energising and enjoyable activities. This balance will help you maintain a steady level of productivity and prevent burnout.
Managing your energy to unlocking your productivity potential
Remember that effective time management isn't just about managing your time; it's also about managing your energy. The key to unlocking your productivity potential lies in understanding and harnessing your energy, not just your time!
As you venture forward, remember that time management is not just a set of rigid rules or rigid schedules; it's about understanding yourself, your energy, and your flow. Embrace the unconventional approach of energy management, and you'll be amazed at how it transforms your business and life, and of course your time management!
Alice Dartnell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Alice Dartnell is a time management and energy management coach, trainer, speaker, and author, who is passionate about empowering people to create a life by design, not by default! Known as an expert in time management and energy management, Alice doesn’t teach time management in the traditional sense. Instead, she focuses on the importance of energy management and mindset as the way to improve time management. Alice believes that time management actually isn’t about managing time! Instead, it is about managing you, other people, your tasks and most importantly, your energy! She works with individuals on a 121 basis, as well as through programmes, workshops, and courses. Additionally, she delivers training to org
