Audio Download

How to manage your energy, not your time

In this lesson we learn the key mindset shift that underlies the first two months of the course: manage your energy, not your time. Time is limited. Energy is not. Your energy — the ability to think, do, and feel your way through each day — is a dynamic system. You can grow the amount of energy you have in your reserve tank, and you can regularly recharge your energy throughout your day. Time doesn’t work that way.

In the video, we conduct an energy scan and explore how to keep your energy tank full. The ability to develop self awareness about things like decision fatigue, what your body needs, and how to refuel your energy tank are foundational skills for our first two months together in Leadership Boot Camp.

For Discussion

In this week’s discussion forum, I’d like you to reflect on the result of your energy scan/audit, and state one thing you might do differently. 

1. What does your energy scan/audit tell you about your energy management right now? You did an energy scan with me in the video, but if you are a hard numbers kind of person, use the handout and gather data to track your growth over the next six months.
2. What is one thing might you do differently to manage your energy better? We know from the research that the following activities reduce stress and refill your energy tank: meditation, modest physical exercise, yoga, prayer to a loving God, tai chi, being hopeful about the future, being grateful for what you have, petting your dog or cat, connecting with the ones you love, helping the elderly or the less fortunate, joking and laughing, and walking in nature. But every person is different. What’s best for you?

Extra credit if you comment on someone else’s post to make it a real conversation!

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For Experimentation

For your experiment this week, observe your energy meter and then try some morning joy and see how that changes things, if at all.

First, get some baseline data. Observe your energy meter for three days in a row without changing anything just yet. Notice your energy meter reading first thing when you wake up, what happens throughout the day, before and after meals and breaks, and before bed. If possible, jot down what you observe.

For the next three days, try some morning joy. What happens to your energy if you make the first thing you do when you wake up each morning something that tops off your tank? Do yoga. Go for a run. Savor a cup of coffee in a quiet house. Write in your journal. Do a little art. Try meditation (like this wonderful Zap meditation from Buddhify). Or just pet your cat or dog. You are not allowed to check your email, doomscroll, or get a few items off your todo list. Just five minutes of joy can make a huge difference to your entire day. See what it’s like for you.

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Going Further 

Read more from Tony Schwartz about managing your energy in this Harvard Business Review article. 

Or if you prefer a video, check out his TED talk.