Do you often feel that you just don’t have enough time? Often getting more time is not the answer, but getting more energy is:
Tony Swartz and Catherine McCarthy in their classic Harvard Business Review Article suggest the following ways to find more energy:
Physical Energy:
- Get enough sleep.
- Have 3 episodes of cardiovascular activity per week.
- Eat small meals.
- Take brief and regular breaks away from work throughout the day.
- Monitor the signs that your energy is flagging – restlessness, yawning, hunger...
Emotional Energy:
- Breathe deeply when ‘negative’ emotions start surfacing.
- Express appreciation to others in detailed and specific ways often.
- When you face conflict with another person, as a first step, ask what the other person may be experiencing.
Mental Energy:
- Do high concentration tasks away from phones and email.
- Quarantine at least an hour in the morning for deep focused work.
- Have designated times for email and phone calls.
- End your day by identifying what you will work on as your 1st priority the next day.
Spiritual Energy:
- Organise your work to do more of the things you excel at.
- Know what is most important to you (family, friends, career) and specifically allocated time for these things.
- Know your core values and live them.