How to Stop Managing Your Time and Start Managing Your Energy For Lasting Productivity

#298 - Transform your productivity by focusing on energy rather than time! We dive into the art of energy management, where the true magic of productivity and well-being lies. Learn how to harness your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy by recognizing your natural daily rhythms. I'll discuss how identifying your energy peaks and valleys can empower you to handle significant tasks when your energy is at its peak and save simpler tasks for those inevitable slumps. Understand how the mental load impacts both adults and children and how these natural rhythms can help you feel more in control and less drained.

We'll explore techniques from the chi method, emphasizing the power of intentionality in boosting both energy and motivation. Often, we go through life on autopilot, but I'll share how creating a personal flow can energize and motivate you, making your actions more purposeful and fulfilling. From strategic breaks during energy dips to incorporating energy-boosting activities into your routine, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you experience life with renewed vitality. If you find this fresh approach beneficial, feel encouraged to share it with others who might be seeking a new way to enhance their productivity and daily interactions.

Mentioned in episode:
The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

Connect with Teresa on: Instagram or Podcast Website

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:09

Hey, my name is Teresa Hildebrand and this is Organized Chaos. We take a deep dive into living with intentionality, focusing on what's important in our lives so we can truly feel our best. It may feel chaotic at times, but with a little organization, the right mindset and a ton of self-love we can still thrive. Join me as we talk to other busy moms and experts who will share tips and strategies to help you reach your goals. Hope you enjoy this episode of Organized Chaos. Now on to the show. Hey friends, welcome back to another episode of Organized Chaos.

Speaker 1 0:44

So if you're juggling a million things right now, like work, business, kids, laundry, the endless to-do list, you're in the right place, because today we're actually flipping the script a bit. We talk a lot about time management on this podcast and, in fact, just a little plug if you go to OrganizeChaosPodcastcom, you'll see all of the episodes for this podcast and a ton of resources. But one of the things that I've been doing is actually categorizing my episodes. So if you're looking for something specific like time management, you can go and you'll see most of the podcast episodes that have to do with that specific topic. I'm still working on getting all of the episodes because it's almost 300. So it's going to take me a little bit of time, but if you're looking for something specific, you'll be able to go there instead of just going to a podcast platform that doesn't have it that way. So if you're looking for something specific like mindset or habits and routines, just go to my website and you'll be able to find them right away. So, like I said, we talk a lot about time management on this podcast, but what if I told you that managing your energy is actually way more important than managing your time? So you can have all the time in the world, but if your energy is on empty, nothing's going to get done and you'll just end up feeling drained. I've been there too, and you'll just end up feeling drained. I've been there too, trying to power through when my energy tank is flashing red, like when your gas tank is empty, by the way, does that happen to everybody? You wait until the last minute and then you see, oh, I need gas and you're far away from gas station, anyway. So that's kind of how we ignore the fact that we don't put into our energy management. We're just thinking about time. So today we're going to dive into how to manage your energy your physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual energy so you can feel more in control, more productive and just generally better. All right, so let's jump in.

Speaker 1 2:44

So first things first. What the heck is energy management? It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It's about being intentional with energy rather than just trying to squeeze more hours out of the day and yes, we know we all have 24 hours in the day and it's what you do with your energy really during those hours that makes a difference. But let's think about it this way we have different types of energy that we use every single day.

Speaker 1 3:12

So there's the physical energy. This is your body's ability to keep up with the demands of the day, so it's about how well you feel and rest your body. And then there's emotional energy. This is how you're feeling emotionally, your mood and how you react to the things around you. And then there's mental energy. This is the ability to focus, concentrate and think clearly. When you're feeling mentally drained, even the simplest task can feel overwhelming. And then there's spiritual energy. This is kind of how I see it. This is like the sense of purpose, your why. It's that feeling of connection to something bigger than yourself. So take a moment and just think about that.

Speaker 1 3:54

Which of these types of energy feels the most depleted for you right now? For me, it's often mental energy. Between running a business I mean keeping up with the kids and like everything in between, it's easy for my brain to feel like it's running on fumes. Midday that slump that you feel like three o'clock, that is because your mental energy is super drained, and it's not always the physical energy. I mean, it could be a combination, but we think so much and we have so much mental load that it can create this physical reaction that you feel like you need to take a nap because it's just too much.

Speaker 1 4:38

So first I want to talk about like how can you identify what's called energy peaks and valleys? Have you ever noticed that there are certain times of the day when you feel like unstoppable and then there are times when even getting up from the couch feels like an Olympic sport? That's because we all have natural energy peaks and valleys throughout the day. For example, I wake up really early in the morning and I tackle certain things, and around 9 to 11 am is when I feel the most clarity and the most physical energy. Like I'm sitting right now doing this podcast and you can probably hear in my voice that I've got a lot of energy and I've got clarity and that is my universal prime time. That's when you have the most physical and mental energy, like the clarity, and you feel your best so you tackle the most important task. But as soon as like 2ish or 3pm that's around when I pick up the kids there's like this dreaded slump that comes in. That's when I need to switch gears and focus on tasks that are less mentally draining.

Speaker 1 5:53

And I have found that you know, we want to know how the kids' days have gone. Like we'll ask them like, hey, how was your day, how was school? And you know you'll get a I don't know. I was fine. You get some of those answers. But I kind of started to think a bit on the flip side, where the kids have spent I don't know, seven and a half hours at school and they're mentally drained, and then you start asking them these questions. They really don't wanna answer, they just wanna chill. And then later on during the night, like in the evening time, when they have more energy, then they want to talk about everything and that's when I'm like I don't have the capacity to do that.

Speaker 1 6:33

But we all, as humans, go through this. This is a really great exercise. Take like a week and track your energy levels throughout the day. Notice when you feel the most alert and when you feel like you're dragging. It can be super life-changing to like align your most important task with your energy peaks. Imagine trying to do your most creative work when you're running on empty. It's just not going to work. So, find that universal prime time for you. We all kind of have it, and we may have. Find that universal prime time for you. We all kind of have it, and we may have you know more than one. But just try and figure that out by tracking your energy levels.

Speaker 1 7:12

Okay, let's move on to maybe some strategies that can like boost or even protect your energy. So, because we can't just leave it up to chance, we need to figure this out. How do we actually boost that energy when we really need it? But first let me go into how do we replenish our energy. So this can be as simple as taking a five-minute stretch break, grabbing a glass of water or going for a quick walk outside. I like to call these like micro-recharges. It doesn't have to be like a big deal, it doesn't have to be this big event. Even the tiniest break can make a big difference. And then you want to guard your energy. So think of this like putting like a fence around your energy reserves. One of the best ways to do this is by setting boundaries. Maybe that means saying no to things that drain you, or carving out time in your day just for you, without the guilt.

Speaker 1 8:11

Let's talk about the energy vampires for a second. Now I read this book, the Energy Bus and I forget the author's name, but I'll put it in the show notes and he talks about energy vampires. So these are people or activities that just suck the life out of you. It's okay to limit your exposure to these things. Your energy is super important and it's precious, and you need to protect it. And then you want to fuel your energy, so find those activities that naturally give you a boost. For me, it's going for a walk or spending a few minutes journaling. It sets a positive tone for. So what about you? Maybe it's dancing in your kitchen or something, or maybe it's calling a friend, or it's listening to your favorite playlist. Whatever it is, make sure you're building it into your day, all right.

Speaker 1 9:02

So let's move on to how we can actually put this all together and create a plan. So here's a simple three-step plan for you so you can get started with managing your energy. Three-step plan for you so you can get started with managing your energy. So step number one is track your energy peaks and valleys Next week. Jot down when you feel energized and when you feel drained. You'll start to see kind of like this pattern. Step number two choose one energy boosting activity. So pick one small thing you can do every day to give yourself a boost. It could be as simple as a five-minute breathing exercise or a quick walk around the block. Step three is set energy boundaries. Protect your energy by setting a boundary as much as possible. Maybe it's turning off your phone an hour before you go to bed or saying no to some commitment that's going to drain you. It's all about, like, the really small changes that make the big impact over time. You don't have to overhaul your entire day to see results. You just start with one thing. All right, so let's recap.

Speaker 1 10:09

Today we talked about the difference between time management and energy management, about the difference between time management and energy management. So we talked about that. There's physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy, and how to identify your natural energy peaks and valleys, like your universal prime time, and how that can help you work smarter and not harder, and we put together a simple little plan that can help you start managing your energy, starting today. Imagine if you could go throughout your day feeling energized and capable instead of drained and overwhelmed. It's totally possible and it all starts by being intentional about how you're using your energy.

Speaker 1 10:52

Now, this is part of my chi method, it's the I part intentionality, and I do this with my clients and we go through kind of like this energy management and it goes along with motivation, because so many times we go through life just going with the flow. Now we want to create a flow, but we don't just want to go with the flow. We want to feel energized and we want to feel motivated. So I do this specifically because many times when I get on sessions, people are taking action. They're just not taking either the right actions or they're taking actions with very low energy, and that makes a difference. It's not just about taking actions, it's about the way that you take those actions and the reason why behind you taking those actions. So I challenge you to try one of these strategies today.

Speaker 1 11:46

Maybe take a break when you're feeling an energy dip, or pick an energy boosting activity to add to your routine. All right, well, I hope that was helpful. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you found this episode really helped you, please take a moment to follow or leave a review, or send it to a friend. Remember you manage your energy. You're not just managing your day, you're changing the way you experience life. All right, I hope you have an amazing rest of your day and I'll see you next week.