Energy Management: Manage Resources, Not Time
The more effort you put into your work, the faster you will complete it, and thus you will be able to accomplish more.
How to manage to do it all? It might seem like the answer is time management: make a list of tasks, plan how much time each one will take, and stick to the plan. But in reality, it's a bit different. You get to the first task and it takes you not 30 minutes, but an hour and a half. Before you start the next one, there's an urgent call that takes another half an hour - and now the plan is out of the window.
Advocates of an alternative approach suggest managing not time, but energy. If you have the strength and the mood to work efficiently, then it will be easier for you to cope with the tasks, make decisions and distribute your attention. This approach does not cancel out calendars and to-do lists - it just puts your physical and mental state first and suggests taking care of it.
Types of "energy"
The authors of a famous article from Harvard Business Review identified four main sources of energy. (They wrote more about it in the book "The Power of Full Engagement")
Physical energy. This is your overall physical well-being. To maintain it in good condition, the authors suggest getting enough sleep, incorporating regular physical activity into your daily routine, reducing alcohol intake, and switching to a healthier diet.
Emotional energy. It's a sign of your emotions: positive or negative. It is better to do work with calm optimism and self-confidence, rather than with a burst of anger, irritation, or indifference of a tired person. Emotional recharge can be provided, for example, by breathing practices. Any acts of gratitude also help: you can talk to a colleague or even write a letter to a person who helped you in the past. Finally, the authors of the article recommend learning to look at the problems that arise during the working day from a different angle: "How will I relate to what happened in six months?" "What did I learn from this experience? What useful have I got from it?" In this way, there is a greater chance that local crises will not drain all your strength.
Intellectual energy. That to which your thoughts and attention are directed. For focused work, the principles of Deep Work are ideal: remove external distractions (such as a smartphone) and dedicate a period of time to the current task and only to it.
Spiritual energy is related to the sense of purpose in life. If your daily tasks align with what you believe in and what you see as your purpose, then you have the strength to accomplish them. You can determine your values and goals by taking a personality trait test or by creating long-term life plans.
Short test
Body
I rarely manage to sleep 7-8 hours a day, and I often feel tired in the morning.
I often skip breakfast or replace it with a snack.
I don't do much exercise (cardio load less than 3 times a week, strength training less than once a week).
I don't take short breaks for rest during the workday and often have lunch at work or skip meals altogether.
Emotions
I often feel frustrated, impatient, or anxious while working, especially when difficulties arise.
I spend little time with my family and close ones and when I'm with them, I don't give them all my attention.
I don't have enough time to do activities that bring me the most pleasure.
I rarely express gratitude to people and also rarely praise myself for my achievements and talents.
My thoughts
I find it hard to focus on one thing; I easily get distracted throughout the day, especially on my phone.
Most of the day I am solving immediate problems and not spending enough time on activities that will bring more benefit in the long run.
I don't spend enough time on self-reflection, planning, and coming up with new ideas.
I work in the evenings and weekends and almost never turn off work notifications.
Spirit
At work, I don't often do what I'm best at and what I love doing most.
There is a big gap between what I consider important in life and how I actually spend my time and energy.
External factors have a greater influence on my decisions than my internal sense of purpose and destiny.
I don't dedicate much time and energy to positively impacting my environment and the world.
If you marked between 7 to 16 points, you have a clear energy deficiency. Pay attention to the sections with 3-4 points — these are the ones you should focus on.