Manage Energy, Not Time

Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance. Here are the 4 key energy management principles.

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In "The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal", Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr argue that energy, not time, is the key to managing performance.

Here are the four key energy management principles that drive performance.

1. Full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual

2. Energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and with underuse so we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal

3. To build capacity, we must push beyond our normal limits, training in the same systematic way that elite athletes do

4. Positive energy rituals - highly specific routines for managing energy - are the key to full engagement and sustained high performance

Here’s how I apply it to my daily life:

1. I make sure I exercise, connect with other people and meditate every single day. Sometimes I do more of one or another but I always do a little of each one

2. I write first thing in the morning, that’s the period when I am most creative. I leave more repetitive tasks - checking email, analytics, messenger apps, etc. - at the end of my workday. I take regular breaks throughout the day, normally two small ones and then a big one (around 30 minutes)

3. I try to do a little more of everything every week, whether it’s writing more words or running 10 seconds more. You need to push yourself for more, to the point of discomfort. That’s where challenges live and personal growth comes from

4. I have a morning and night ritual: take care of my skin, meditate, journaling and practice gratitude. I tweak it whenever necessary

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