Many of us are all too aware of time management. It seems that there just aren’t enough hours in the day and, as such, we feel the considerable need to make the most of the time we have.
There’s nothing wrong with that in theory. It’s commendable to want to make the most of our day and to achieve as much as possible. The issue, however, is that in many cases, we overlook something that is arguably even more important: energy management.
You Don’t Have Enough Time… Really?
Many of us feel as though we’d like to have more time in the day and that we could accomplish a whole lot more if we did.
What would you do with an extra ten minutes?
- Maybe you’d start a home business.
- Maybe you’d work out and get into incredible shape.
- Maybe you’d just keep the kitchen tidy.
But you probably already have all the time you need.
Think back to the week you had. Was there any point at which you weren’t being 100% productive?
- Maybe it was when you were flicking through Facebook.
- Maybe it was when you watched that 20-minute YouTube video that you really didn’t need to watch.
- Or maybe it was when you binged on four episodes of Game Of Thrones back-to-back.
In other words, you had plenty of time, but you just didn’t make the most of it. And most of us are like this.
And why didn’t you make the most of it? Simple: because you ran out of energy.
Everyone knows that time is limited, but they forget that energy is limited too.
Energy is Finite
This belief that we can do as much as we want to, as long as we can fit it into our day, is responsible for a lot of unfulfilled goals and ambitions.
Consider how many people plot a new training program. Often, they will start out by identifying they want to get into better shape (so far so good). Next, they decide they are going to follow a training program that consists of 5 workouts a week, each lasting about an hour (oh dear). What’s more, is that they do this while eating less.
The reason they were probably out of shape is that they didn’t have the energy to commit to being more active in the first place. Being stressed and tired likewise caused them to want to eat more things that weren’t conducive to weight loss.
So now, they intend to go from that, to adding four hours (7 if you add driving to the gym, showering, and more) of exertion, while having less energy in the form of food to help power them through it!
Geez, why do you think that doesn’t work?
The Solution
The solution is to recognize this finite nature of energy and realize that you need to dedicate some of your time to resting and recovering.
Just because you have the time to do something, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do it.
So, if you want to start a new training regimen, then what does this mean? It means that you need to first stop doing something else. That could mean finding ways to make other tasks less time-consuming or stressful, such as getting a ride to work instead of commuting on a crowded train, for instance.
And if you want to be more productive and get through more of your to-do list at work, what do you do?
The answer is to ensure that you’re better rested, take regular breaks, and eat for energy. Keep your energy management in mind as you tackle your task list.
Energy management is just as important as time management – and more relevant. Don’t ignore it!