How often do you feel there just aren’t enough hours in the
day?
Your to do list seems to just keep growing – at home as well
as work!
We all have moments and sometimes weeks or months like this
and, if you are like me, you work harder thinking that’s the answer. You may well
get through it but at what cost?
Tony
Schwartz would argue that most of us are chasing the wrong resource – hours
in the day rather than our own personal energy. Time is a finite resource where
as your energy can be renewed and we can have more flexibility if we learn to
manage it well. It is therefore the key to productivity and stamina.
In his report he looks at 4 areas of energy that we can
manage:
Physical energy –
are you healthy? Are you getting enough sleep, exercise and the right
nutrition?
Emotional energy
– are you happy? Do you diffuse negative emotions and infuse positive emotions?
How do you look at challenges?
Mental energy –
how well do you focus on something? Do you set aside specific times in the day
to respond to emails and voicemails? Do you manage interruptions and have clear
priorities for each day?
Spiritual energy
– why are you here? What is your purpose?
Our opportunity is to reflect on our current patterns of
work and behaviour and begin to make adjustments.
Are you heading for an energy crisis?
If you want to get a quick ‘heads up’ on how you are doing
the following questions are included in the report here,
you’ll also get some tips on where to focus.
Body
- I don’t regularly get at least seven to eight hours of sleep, and I often wake up feeling tired.
- I frequently skip breakfast, or I settle for something that isn’t nutritious.
- I don’t work out enough (meaning cardiovascular training at least three times a week and strength training at least once a week).
- I don’t take regular breaks during the day to truly renew and recharge, or I often eat lunch at my desk, if I eat it at all.
Emotions
- I frequently find myself feeling irritable, impatient, or anxious at work, especially when work is demanding.
- I don’t have enough time with my family and loved ones, and when I’m with them, I’m not always really with them.
- I have too little time for the activities that I most deeply enjoy.
- I don’t stop frequently enough to express my appreciation to others or to savour my accomplishments and blessings.
Mind
- I have difficulty focusing on one thing at a time, and I am easily distracted during the day, especially by email.
- I spend much of my day reacting to immediate crises and demands rather than focusing on activities with longer-term value and high leverage.
- I don’t take enough time for reflection, strategising, and creative thinking.
- I work in the evenings or on weekends, and I almost never take an email–free vacation.
Spirit
- I don’t spend enough time at work doing what I do best and enjoy most.
- There are significant gaps between what I say is most important to me in my life and how I actually allocate my time and energy.
- My decisions at work are more often influenced by external demands than by a strong, clear sense of my own purpose.
- I don’t invest enough time and energy in making a positive difference to others or to the world.
Next Steps
It’s been a
while since I read this report and I’ve found it useful to review it. It’s
certainly helped me refocus and identify where things have been a little out of
kilter…
What one
thing can you do to begin to redress the balance?
Drop me a line
to let me know.
‘Manage your
energy not your time’
Tony Schwartz
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