Tea with the Queen

Energy management vs time management: where to put your focus

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There is no shortage of resources for time management optimisation in business. 

We have software tools up the wazoo to help us operate more efficiently, block out every hour with the help of AI robots, and schedule in our breaks to get ourselves all organised.

But even with all these productivity and optimisation tools, we still get to the end of the day ready to fall in a big heap and doom-scroll social media to zone out.

Maybe we just haven’t figured out the most effective time management tool for our needs yet. Surely there are others we can try.

Well, I think we may be focusing on the wrong thing. 

So often, we’re told to focus on time management, but what if I told you that energy is where the real magic happens?

Let me paint a picture for you. A while back, I was hit with a wave of health issues – COVID, long COVID, glandular fever – needless to say I was feeling like absolute trash. Through that time it made me realise one crucial thing: without energy, all the time in the world won’t help you show up as your best self.

I used to be all about squeezing every second out of the day, but I soon learned that no matter how tight your schedule, if your energy tank is running low, you won’t get far.

Instead of obsessing over the clock, I shifted my focus to nurturing my energy levels. And boy, did that change the game for me. I started permitting myself to rest guilt-free, taking short breaks to recharge, making sure I got 8 hours of sleep, and doing more things that light me up.

By embracing energy management, I found myself not only ticking off my to-do list and achieving more in business but I also had a clearer head at the end of the day and more time for my family.

Prior to focusing on my energy levels, my family was probably receiving the “dregs” of my personality. I was always exhausted, had a lot of things on my mind and was never really as present as I should have been. 

So, if you’re feeling like you’ve got your time management down pat and you’re still a bit of a mess, prioritise your energy instead and see how you feel!

LINKS

For a copy of Emma’s book, ‘Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive’ – https://www.emmamcqueen.com.au/book/