Experts are now saying that productivity and success have more to do with how you manage your energy than it does with time management. As a worker or owner in today’s business environment, we often try to do everything that gives us more time. And I am not trying to say that there is anything wrong with that approach. But don’t limit yourself to that alone.
Eating healthy, staying fit, spending time with our children and connecting with others all take time and we do have to schedule some of our pursuits. Although we do not always want to admit it, we all only have 24 hours in a day and a successful and happy life will depend, in part, on how we allocate those 24 hours. However, when we are looking at the time constraints on our activities, we also need to consider another matter. That is: whether we are overlooking the fact of will we have the energy for those pursuits.
Trying to adhere to certain times to manage everything can leave us all exhausted so that we’re not even able to relax and enjoy ourselves when we’ve “scheduled the time” for it. I think for some time now the older generation has had this matter under better control that we gave them credit for. When I was younger I would “snicker” at seeing older ones asleep in their chairs or on the park bench. I thought they didn’t have anything important to do and just felt “more comfortable” taking a nap and letting the time pass them by. However, could I have been wrong?
Now that I have become a member of that older generation, I’ve found out that most often you have to conserve your energy during the day to make sure you are able to deal with the “more important” things that now fill your life and daily schedule. As I stated, I think the older generation had this simple truth figured out a long time ago. It was only us younger and less experienced ones who didn’t really understand the logic behind their actions. We might have thought they had become weak and uncaring. The truth is they understood what it means to conserve your energy for those things more important to you that you want to get accomplished.
They knew the alternative to managing your time is to manage your energy effectively. It works by taking time for recovering from those lengthy sprints you take so you can finish the marathon with ease rather than anguish. It’s making sure of the really important things in your life and being able to enjoy them now that you have or have made the time for them.
Here are some tips that can help you manage your energy more effectively:
· List how you like to rejuvenate yourself. Make a list of what makes you feel refreshed, more creative and lifts your mood. Writing these things down will help to remind you about the benefits of these uplifting activities. For example, watching a great series or show you’re following on television, sipping a cup of tea and listening to music can be very rejuvenating to your energy levels. And quite enjoyable too.
· Double the time you usually take for breaks. Don’t stick to a time table when it comes to reviving your energy level. Take an hour rather than half an hour and have fun with whatever you’re doing. It’s true our workloads and other commitments may make this a bit more difficult for some, but try your best.
· Reward yourself for every goal reached. Do you have lots of projects and it seems you’ll never finish them to be able to relax and enjoy yourself. Break those projects down into parts and reward yourself after you complete each one – rather than waiting until the entire project is finished. You may also need to realize that some of your “projects” are not really that important and should be removed from your “to-do” list.
· Make frequent recovery stops. While you’re on that mile-long sprint, you may feel the need to stop and renew your spirits and your energy. Do it! You’ll feel so much more like completing the marathon and you’ll be happier at the finish line. And keep in mind that you don’t always have to be the first one to cross the finish line. Calculate your own personal pace and stay with it!
Managing your energy is a much more effective way to get through life rather than putting time limits and making schedules for everything. Your inner energy thermostat doesn’t pay any attention to the time table you’ve created. Instead, make your energy the most important factor in the long marathon you’re up against.
And never forget that as you travel down the road of life, YOU will forever be your own worst enemy. You will be the one who creates the greatest problems for yourself. That’s because we’re only human!
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
THOUGHTFUL GEM
"The wisest thing is not that you have
the extra energy to finish the race,
but knowing at what point to use it!"
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