#54 - Manage vs Create

Managing puts you in a box. It says “here’s your resources, careful how you use them.” Create says, “how do I get more of what I want with what I have?” This is the intersection of time management and energy management. What do you want to create? Is it more time in the day for what you want to do? Is it improved grades? Is it higher quality workouts? If I sit down and write a paper when my energy it might take two hours. That same essay with low energy would take at least four—just by completing it when I have high energy I “created” two additional hours for myself. The trick of course, is that how to create can be different for different people. I’m going to provide some examples from my own life that will help you think about how you can create quality for yourself.

A typical day for me has two training sessions, class time, homework, exam study, and some kind of meeting. Of course I like to have fun too! To maximize the quality of my workouts, we spread them out as much as possible; one early in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Immediately after the first training session, I make sure that my energy will be high for the whole day by eating a quality breakfast. Then I tackle something difficult—I pick whatever would take a long time if my energy were low (usually an essay or project). I focus on getting a rough draft of the difficult stuff like math, new ideas, etc. I don’t bother with editing or formatting because that’s something I can do with low energy. I go to class when I have to and I never let my energy run down by skipping a meal. If I start to struggle with something, I move on to a different task that is appropriate for my level of energy. Once I’ve either completed everything or my energy is depleted I do the things that either recharge energy or don’t require any to still enjoy. For me this is when I hang out with friends, watch a movie, play video games, etc. Then I make sure to be in bed early enough to be at my best tomorrow.

Based on this example there are three key takeaways.

Prioritize

Pick the difficult tasks that require your best energy and would take longer with low energy and get them done when your energy is high. Skip anything that you can do another time with low energy. Also remember that maintaining your energy is a priority—don’t skip meals, maintain hydration, etc.

Be willing to switch tasks

Once your energy fades or you run out of time, switch to something else. As your energy fades, you can go back and do the “easy” stuff you skipped when you were high energy.

Know when to call it

Finally, know when to move on to an easier task or be done for the day. It may not be the same for you as it is for me and it also can vary day by day. Experiment with your energy and see how you can maximize what you want more of.

This section might seem a little abstract, but for an athlete it’s critically important. When you aren’t at your best, the benefits you get from training/practice is minimal. How can you manage your energy better so that you reach your goals?