As humans living on this floating planet we call earth, we all know that time is one of our most significant commodities.
Unfortunately, it is finite; it can’t be renewed, earned back, held onto, or reproduced. On the other hand, as a resource, energy is far more elastic; we can bend it until it breaks, stretch it out as far as we need to, and store it for as long as we must.
Sarah Linton from Tides of Change, an organisation that investigates the betterment of people’s productivity and wellness in the business world, recently spoke to a TNG online meeting about managing your energy and not your time.
The only adequate resource on earth is time; everyone gets the same 24 hours so how you choose to engage that time is very important.
We can do nothing to earn time, but Linton believes that you can make the most of the time allotted to you by managing your energy.
Linton’s quick tips on managing your energy and not your time by creating tiny habits within your different “energy tanks”:
Body
How you take care of your physical body will impact everything you do. An example of taking care of your physical body is being aware that what you put into your body will affect what it puts out; such small things as drinking enough water will help to give you an extra boost of energy.
Making sure that you take care of your nutrition and feeding your body the right things will affect you.
For example, what you put into your body can affect your sleep quality. So, the better the nutrition, the better your rest is and the more productive and energised you will be for your day.
It’s not about completely changing your diet overnight, but small, consistent steps make a huge difference in the long run. Adding more and more energy to your pot, bit by bit.
Mind/Inspiration
Multitasking has often been seen as a measure of great intelligence when in reality, multitasking undermines productivity.
Segment your work, prioritise.
Set up an allotted amount of time dedicated to your different tasks each day. This allows you to give that specific task the required attention and energy for a better outcome. Be clear and unwavering about the road map of your day so that you can be successful in completing everything you need to.
Emotions
Knowing how to ride the emotional wave saves energy. Monitor how you react and just save your breath.
When working with many other people, monitoring your emotions is essential.
Be very mindful of how you react to the things that come towards you during the day. A favourite motto is “not every battle needs to be fought”, which is heavily applicable to work.
Not everything deserves your emotions.
Manage your energy by taking a step back, taking a breath, and responding correctly.
It’s essential to recognise that time is out of your control, but energy is something within the realm of your power.
Look after your physical wellbeing, your mind, and your emotions and in doing so, manage your energy. There are so many things coming your way every day that threaten the security of your energy, so being mindful and intentional is essential.
Never forget that you can never get your time back.
