Manage Your Energy So You Give 100% Where It Matters

When I first started working, I was convinced that this boiled down to time management. Somewhere between taking on a Corporate Athlete course at P&G and reading _The Power of Full Engagement _by Tony Schwartz and James E. Loehr, I had an aha moment that made me realise time management is really just basic hygiene. It’s a task that should be done anyway. What really made overachievers more effective was the energy they showed up with during this time.

To take a step back, here’s what I mean by energy: Growth on a philosophical level happens from the bottom up. For example, in terms of physical growth, children get taller and larger with time. For energy, transformation happens from the top down where the values you hold dear transform other facets of your mental, emotional and physical self.

Before getting into how you can maximise each block of time, you first need to get clear on what you want to get out of life. By this I mean having clarity on what your purpose is and what it is you truly value. These key values will then be anchors for your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states which then help you to bring focus to everything you do.

Take some time to write down four to five values or pillars that keep you grounded. For me, it’s family, health, career, knowledge, and lastly, the one that ties the first four together, practising what I preach. These values then form what drives how you spend 24 hours each day.

To illustrate: my health has been super important to me for the past 15 years. Because I wanted to get fitter, I started taking long distance running very seriously. With the time I put in, I went from someone who couldn’t even run five kilometres to completing many half and full marathons. I also take my vertical growth within my career very seriously. My family knows that they’re the very reason I work but have been flexible over the past decade, moving across four countries as I took on multiple new assignments and opportunities. In valuing knowledge, I’ve pushed myself to keep learning and I make time during my day to do so.

Your values will of course look different from mine. It comes down to what you view a ‘successful’ life looks like. And to borrow a quote I chanced on in a magazine that has stuck with me for years, ‘there is no everlasting success in business without success in the business of living life.’ So, take the first step and get clear on what you want to focus on so that you can start building your ‘successful’ life and bring 100% to everything you do.

I acknowledge that most of what I shared so far might seem like common sense – and I agree. The tough part, really, is putting it into practice and returning to the pillars when you’re forced to make a decision. And choosing to bring 100% to everything you do again and again.

Taking Stock

Once you’ve gotten clear on your values, start being conscious of what your energy is like through the day. For instance, do you feel more energised in the evenings? Are you an absolute zombie in the hour or so after lunch? One of the principles behind energy management is focusing on how to keep the tank full. You can start to make changes once you notice when your tank tends to get drained.

You also need to be realistic about this: you won’t be sitting at your desk giving 100% to every item on your to do list, even if they’re anchored in things you value. Accept that you will get drained, and make it a point to schedule things that help you recharge. I’ve found hydration and nutrition to be key, and make it a point to get some sun and fresh air during the day. I schedule meetings to run for 30 minutes and don’t let them run beyond 45 minutes. There isn’t a point in trying to push through when everyone at the table isn’t able to fully show up.

After you’ve mapped out your day on paper, visualise it. Visualisation, or the power of rehearsing with mental images, is something I continue to do especially before important meetings and calls. I map out the actual room in my head, where I would be seated, how I would respond to each agenda item.

In your mind, walk yourself through the day with the changes you’ve made. How will you feel during the post lunch slump? What have you prepared to do to get over the hump? This way, you’re more likely to follow through in reality, because you’re more comfortable having already ‘done’ it.

Lastly, what your energy levels like aren’t set in stone. I used to be a night owl in my twenties but have now embraced being an early riser. If you notice a significant shift, take a pause to investigate and find out what might be driving it.

You may have to start new habits, and if that doesn’t work, go back to the drawing board. Learning to manage your energy is a muscle you have to build and train. Just as someone who solves chess puzzles develops a muscle to play chess well, repeating and relearning these steps will help you to get better in managing energy through the day.

A Typical Week

To recap, my key values are family, health, career, knowledge, and practising what I preach. I’m sharing a snapshot of my day so you’ll see how these values shape how I show up through the day. I hope this gives you a better idea of how to structure your day around what matters to you.

I’m a morning person, and usually start my day at 5 or 5.30am. From the time I wake to about 7am, the whole house continues to sleep, and this time is just for me. I run, meditate, and take time to think about work or plan out my day.

My work day usually runs from 8 to 5, and for reasons mentioned above, I make it a point to take frequent breaks so that I can recharge and give it my all for each task I take on. After work, I spend the evening with my family and take night calls, if any, after a good break of two to three hours.

Over the weekend, I spend time with my family, exercise and devote time to doing things that rejuvenate me, like reading. When Monday comes around again, I’m fully recharged and ready to go.

Changing Your Habits

As you make the choice to focus on the values you deem important, there will inevitably be habits that get in your way of doing so. These habits have been something you’ve done day after day for decades – don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t able to let them go right away.

Instead of seeing these habits as ‘bad’, I suggest starting new habits that are anchored in the values important to you. For example, when I was younger I used to spend hours and hours watching television. After a hard day’s work, flopping on the couch to binge watch a whole series felt like something I was more than entitled to. Even if I didn’t always feel great after.

Returning to my key values, I saw this need to zone out and unwind as part of mental health and realised what usually got in me a better state was being outside, getting fresh air. I would much rather be walking around MacRitchie Reservoir than holed up in my living room. So I found ways to get out. Instead of watching television, I spent time with my daughter in the park or took time to walk the dog when we got one. As more time went to these outdoor activities, less time remained for me to watch television excessively and I eventually stopped this habit.

In another instance, I made a choice to skip breakfast as part of trying to change my diet to get ready for a marathon. While it got me out of the house earlier, I found that I had less energy at the start of my work day which impacted subsequent meetings. In sharing this, I hope you see that changing these habits will take time and a little experimentation. Be patient, and focus your energy on what matters.

1 Define Your Key Values

What are four to five pillars that make a ‘successful’ life to you? These pillars should be things you value and can range from career to family to health. Getting clear on this ensures you channel your energy to things that matter to you.

2 Take Stock of Your Energy Levels

Before you can start to give 100% to the things that matter, you need to be realistic about when your energy gets drained. Once you’re conscious of this, you can then start to find ways to manage it, like taking more walks to recharge for example.

3 Start New Habits

Instead of focusing on how to break bad habits, start a new habit that’s anchored in one of your key values. As you make more time for the new habit, time you spend on the bad one gets crowded out.