Why is it that we are so obsessed with managing time?

It was a bright early morning in April when I and thousands of other marathon runners, tightly nestled together, were led to the start of the race. 

High on adrenaline yet extremely nervous, I couldn’t stop contemplating  “Will I make it to the finish line?” Dare I think I wasn’t the only one.

My entire training schedule had been focused on ‘time’ - crossing that finish line in under 4 hours was my big and only goal. 

But it was during my first 10 km that I realized I’d somehow left out the most important component.

“ Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.” 

When you’re in the race, somehow, time holds little weight. Time, in and of itself, does not alter our state of being - it does not fuel our energy or deplete it.

It’s not a matter of - How will I manage my time to make it to the finish line?

But it all becomes about ‘How will I manage my energy to make it to the finish line?’ A question now more relevant than ever, in running our Marathon of Life. 

Energy isn’t something that’s continuous, energy is a resource that needs to be renewed. Unlike the continuity of time, energy is a resource that depletes and withers with the day. And what we do with our energy does matter. 

How are you managing your energy to make it to the finish line?

Think about it:

• If we’re physically tired, we’re not going to have the energy to do our best work. 
• If our mind is consumed with frustration and worries, our mental energy will take a dip and we won’t have the mental capacity to fully focus on the task at hand.
• If we’re feeling angry or anxious, our emotional energy will take a toll and that will certainly harm our output. Hello, procrastination!

We really only have 3 to 4 hours a day when we are highly energized and sharply focused to create our best work. That’s it.

So, Why is it then that we are so obsessed with managing time? Instead, shouldn’t we manage what we have control over—our own energy?

The 5 Energy Sources We Need to Manage

There are five areas that we need to pay careful attention to when it comes to managing our daily energy:

1 PHYSICAL :

Are you getting enough sleep? 

Are you making time to move your body throughout the week? 

Are you nurturing your body with the right nutrients?

2 MENTAL:

The way we think has an astounding effect on the way others perceive us and how we perform. When you feel confident, you look confident, and you will perform more effectively, increasing the likelihood of success in whatever you are doing as you increase your energy levels in the long-term.

3 EMOTIONAL:

Understanding that emotions are energy implies that they are fluid, moving resources meant to be felt and released vs. suppressed and ignored. The latter is the true culprit of stress burnout. 

What worries/ feelings clutter up your mind that you could let go of this week?

4 SPIRITUAL:

This involves any activity that nurtures your soul such as spending time in nature. How will you nourish your soul this week? 

5 SOCIAL:

Whether you see yourself as an introvert or an extrovert or someone who lies somewhere in between, socializing (even when it means another zoom call!) can have an incredible impact on your energy - we are social creatures after all.

So now that you know the five sources of energy, here’s a short exercise for you. 

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being low energy and 10 being high energy), how would you evaluate your energy levels in each of the categories?

For instance, if you’re feeling tired all the time and you circled a 3 for physical energy, then you now know that you need to give this energy source more attention. Perhaps you should consider scheduling a yoga class or two per week to replenish. Or maybe you already exercise, but you just need to allow yourself the necessity of sleeping 7-8 hours a night.

And the goal is simple - 

Crossing that finish line and finding joy in the journey.