There have been a number of studies in recent years identifying the need to manage our time, but even more importantly, there is now discussion in managing our energy. Many of us have probably noticed that at times we are not as sharp, as we are at others. As one ages, the phenomena becomes more evident and there is a greater need to care for one's self and health.
At times, we have possibly lived on 4 hours of sleep for literally years but "intellectually" and even more "intuitively," we understand that this can only last for a period of time, as it is not healthy on a long term basis. The adage of burning the candle at both ends, probably applies to most of us at one time or another, but we do need to recharge.
So learn and pay attention to your own energy cycles, as this is an essential first step. Are you a morning person, or a night person? But even more importantly, you will probably find certain times of the day, and at night, your productivity increases and at others, it wanes. As you learn about yourself, then you can begin to manage your work around these. Of course, there will be times you will not be able to adapt your schedule or project to work neatly around these times, as meetings are called, or an urgent project needs to be completed, but with diligence you will be able to help maximize your productivity throughout the day.
How can you manage your energy at work? Analyze your work day. You will probably see that there are surges in e-mails at certain times (just look at your e-mail list, there are time stamps), for example, or when you can best reach a client(s) or colleague(s), or there are regular assignments that need to be done. Certain days it is easier to reach people than others. Many studies show that normally Mondays and Fridays are the worst days to reach out to people, as companies have meetings on these two days to start out the week, or there are deadlines for project completion(s). Start to keep track of these surges by analyzing them, either by taking notes, or mentally observing them. You will probably begin to see that patterns do occur, daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly.
As an example, early morning calls to people may catch them before their work day has really started, or the e-mail that you send quickly comes back answered. Or, there are regular, less energy requiring activities that have to been done, so when your energy is lower, maybe this is the best time to tackle these items. Or conversely, for some people, by doing this exercise, it re-energizes them and sets them up for more "mind challenging" activities.
So, managing projects and your work cycles, can lead to heightened productivity, reduced stress and especially lead to sustained, long-term productivity. Obviously, for CEO's and Senior Managers this is even more important as world travel, with its associated jet lag, time changes and eating challenges all affect us.
The same can apply to your personal life. This has become critically important as we are globally connected, 24/7 with access to e-mail, texting, social media, television, print media, all coupled with mobile connectivity via computers, smart phones and now iPads and iReaders (Kindle, Nook).
Finally, plan some downtime, possibly away from these technological devices. Some peace and quiet to collect your thoughts, reflect on life and what goals you are fulfilling, and those that need to be initiated, can be wonderfully reinvigorating.
Good health is critical, and managing your energy and time can be major contributors to a long, enriching and productive life.
Related articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/jobs/24pre.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=The+Personal+Energy+Crisis&st=nyt
http://www.hf.faa.gov/docs/508/docs/cami/00_10.pdf
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