If you've ever felt like you're never able to hit your stride or live a productive life, then it's probably time that you started managing your energy more effectively. After all, managing your energy is one of the biggest keys to success: nobody can perform well if they don't have any of their power left in reserve.
Luckily, there are a number of simple ways to manage your energy so that it lasts longer and is more equally dispersed throughout the day — some of which we'll go over in this post.
We start with the big one.
The best way to manage your energy is to get up half an hour later.
I know, I know — it's not exactly a statement you're going to want to hear right away. But this is the sort of thing that could change your life for the better, so stick with me! It's one of those things people (including myself) have used as a way to change their lives for the better, and it's actually based on something scientists have studied in depth.
Many people have also referenced a book called The Power of Full Engagement by Dr. Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz which discusses the same thing.
If you're still not sold on getting up half an hour earlier, think about it this way: if you wake up at 7:30am, then your immediate development will be positively affected by the first 90 minutes of your day. (Don't forget to factor in the time it takes you to get to work, prepare your breakfast, and get into shape!) On average, most people don't devote these first 90 minutes of their day to serious self-development.
Why start managing your energy now?
Because it's one of those things that could really help you make tangible progress in your life very fast. Even an extra half hour of self-development could make the difference between your life being one of complacency and one of accomplishment.
Next up, let's highlight a few ways to manage your energy throughout the day.
Manage Your Energy with These Three Steps
First off, if you're looking for ways to manage your energy throughout the day, there are three steps you need to implement: organize, regulate, and conserve.
Organization
Organization is an essential part of managing your energy day in and day out. This can be done by keeping a planner, or utilizing some other form of organization so that you're able to easily organize your day.
Regulation
Regulation is the next step in managing your energy throughout the day. Without regulation, all your organization and planning will go to waste! To regulate yourself, you need to find a way to keep yourself on task at all times.
This doesn't mean you have to spend every waking moment in the gym or studying for school — it can be as simple as keeping up with an outline for a project that you need to get done, or making sure that you make it to your next workout. Once you find a regulation strategy that works for you, your organization and planning will be much more effective!
Conservation
The final step in managing your energy throughout the day is conservation. Once you've established the first two steps, then it's time to consider how to conserve what energy you have left.
Calmly conservation is probably the most important tool in keeping your energy throughout the day. Instead of getting wrapped up in your to-do list and wasting your time stressing out about things you have planned, take some time to calm down. You'll notice that your energy level will be more consistent throughout the day, and you'll have an easier time staying on task!
How to Manage Your Energy Effectively with a Task List
One of the easiest ways to manage your energy is to use a task list. If you're not familiar with task lists or reminders, they're essentially strategies that allow you to set reminders for yourself throughout the day.
By utilizing this tool, you can be sure to remain focused on the things that require your attention at all times. In this way, you'll be able to avoid wasting energy on random or unimportant things throughout the day.
The best part is that task lists are super simple to implement, and they don't take much time or effort to set up. All you need to do is write down everything on your to-do list each morning and/or evening.
Another incredibly effective way to manage your energy is to implement the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management strategy that can be used to enhance a number of different tasks. In this article, we'll go over how you can use the Pomodoro Technique to help manage your energy for easy success.
As you may already know, the Pomodoro Technique utilizes a timer and a task list to help you stay focused and on task. The idea behind the Pomodoro Technique is that you'll break your work down into intervals — 25 minutes of work, followed by a 5 minute break.
If it's applicable to your goals, then you can take another 15 minute break after completing four intervals. This means that you'll end up with a timer that looks like this: 25 minutes of work, 5 minute break, another 25 minutes of work, another 5 minute break, and finally 15 minutes of more work before taking a long break.
Not only will this keep you focused and on task, but it'll also keep your energy levels consistently high throughout the day. Plus, it's an incredibly simple way to manage your energy — you can even do it while you're working a job that doesn't allow for much break time!
The bottom line is that the Pomodoro Technique is one of the easiest ways to manage your energy throughout the day.
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