Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time!

If we all agree that “life is a marathon, not a sprint”, it would lead us to believe that if we really want to survive this marathon we should learn how to sustain our energy for a long period of time. Our energy is not a constant, thus learning how to manage it can prove to be the key to improving every aspect of our lives, including, and perhaps most importantly our work life.

So why is effective energy management such a hot topic among successful leaders and why are companies not stressing the importance of it among their teams?

We are all trying to stay productive and be on top of our game all the time. Our managers demand creativity and focus and delegate us tasks that require bursts of high energy. Combined with our personal goals and aspirations to be better, to do more,  to learn and experience more, we often feel overwhelmed, trying to ignore the signs of fatigue and burnout. And usually, the way we try to fix this problem of gradually increasing fatigue is to focus on tips&tricks on how to better manage our time.

We open Google search, we go to a bookstore, we enroll on an online workshop (because we have no time to waste on an in-person training) and we immerse ourselves in the ocean of information and headlines like these:

Don`t get us wrong, we are not trying to underestimate or diminish the importance of time-management skills. Habits that improve those skills, are an indelible part of strong and productive relationships and daily routine.

But what if we tried to focus on managing our energy as we do on learning how to properly manage our time? Most people think that time is their most precious commodity, but in reality, a bunch of time without energy and clear mind is a time wasted.

Energy is perhaps one of our most valuable assets that can make up for a lack of nearly everything else at work - our time, resources, and sometimes even skills. Our energy is the fuel that can get us through the day and although time can be a finite resource, energy is a totally different story. The great thing is that energy management is something we can all learn to do better and create specific rituals and behaviors that can help us stay more productive in the workplace and outside the office.

Organizations can greatly benefit from understanding the importance of effectively reenergizing their workforce. By helping their teams learn how to sustain their energy levels, companies can contribute to getting more things done in less time at a higher level of engagement and quality. Customer relationships can be improved, employees` personal satisfaction increases, as well as their engagement with work.

These are some of the very few positives that come with paying attention to out levels of strength and vitality. With the number of employees, feeling burned out and overwhelmed at work rising, organizations should try to turn around this tendency. By bringing this topic to the spotlight and investing in energy management programs or coaching advice, companies can ensure that their workforce is high performing, effective, healthy, and happy both inside and outside of work.

If you found some of those insights valuable, make sure to check out our Personal Growth collection of workshops with trainings addressing this topic.

In case of questions or requests, don't hesitate to contact us!

bTalks team

Author: Kalina Decheva