Time Management Is Cool...But What About Energy Management?
Energy management may be a less popular concept. But you DEFINITELY know about time management. From the time you started school, you’ve been instructed to use your time wisely. Be productive. Am I right? That’s the only way you’ll make something of your life…at least that’s why they say.
But in real life, it frequently feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Unless you’re Beyonce. Lol.
I remember that meme floating around Instagram a few years ago that said “You have the same amount of hours in. a day as Beyonce.”
On first thought you’re like “truuuue! I need to get my sh** together.”
But there’s a few things wrong with that statement that could be a whole ‘nother post. But if you look at it, you don’t have the same kind of support as Beyonce if you’re a regular working person like myself. No army of people on deck supporting you with tasks, freeing up your time to focus on your craft or the other things that matter to you. I’m not complaining, but just pointing that out because the comparison is unfair.
Secondly, you, I, Beyonce, your cousin, your BFF, your mentor, etc…we all have different levels of energy. We are not the same. Literally, physically, and figuratively.
Human design shows you how you are mechanically designed and how your energy flows. Based on which centers you have defined, undefined, and open can hugely impact how you use your physical energy, mental energy, emotional energy, etc. If you want to learn more about what your human design can tell you about yourself, here are a few blog posts to get you started:
WHAT THE HECK IS HUMAN DESIGN?
HOW TO RECOGNIZE YOUR POTENTIAL FOR BURNOUT USING HUMAN DESIGN (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!)
Back to time management, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with wanting to make the most of your day and achieve as much as you can. But here’s the thing: with a focus on time management we frequently overlook something even more important. ENERGY MANAGEMENT!
Energy management is important for everyone, regardless of your human design type. But I’d like to point out that if your type is a Manifestor, Projector, or Reflector, you do not have the consistent energy radiating from a defined sacral center. So it’s even more important to pay attention to how you are using the juice you do have. (I like to call sacral energy the juice lol)
STOP LYING TO YOURSELF ABOUT TIME
Now, I say this respectfully because I too have experienced these lies. But I bet you feel like if have more time in the day, then you’d be able to accomplish a whole lot more. Am I right?
What would you do with an extra ten minutes?
Maybe spend more time working on your side hustle?
Maybe you’d finally start working out again?
Maybe you’d stop skipping your self care practices?
Here’s something you may not want to hear.
You already have the time you need to do the things you need to do.
Think back to the week you had. Was there any point where you weren’t being 100% productive
Maybe it was when you spent 1+ hours scrolling through Instagram. That explore tab always gets ya!
Maybe it was when you watched that 20 minute YouTube video that you really didn’t need to watch.
Or maybe it was when you binged on four episodes of Squid Game back-to-back.
In other words, you had plenty of time, but you just didn’t make the most of it. And most of us are like this. So no shade here. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. But the point is a lack of time is not always the culprit.
The real reason why you’re not making the most of your time? Simple: because you ran out of ENERGY.
Everyone knows that time is limited, but they forget that energy is limited too.
Energy is A valuable asset because it is finite. Most people don’t view it like that, but it’s true.
This belief that we can do as much as we want to, as long as we can fit it into our day, is responsible for a lot of unfulfilled goals,
loss of peace,
shortage of satisfaction,
a longing for surprise,
and yearning for a greater feeling of success in your life.
Take a look at fitness goals as an example. Let’s say you’re planning on getting your body snatched before summer. So you make a goal to get in better shape (yay you!!). Next, you decide you’re going to follow a fitness challenge you bought off Instagram or join Equinox and you commit to 5 workouts a week, each lasting about an hour (Lordt!) And you plan to do this all while eating less.
The reason you were probably not in the shape you’d hoped for is because you didn’t have the energy to commit to being more active in the first place. Being stressed and tired likewise caused you to want to eat more things that weren’t in alignment with your body goals. Choosing between eating snacks and being a snack is tough. I get it!
So now, you intend to go from that, to adding four hours (7 if you add driving to the gym, showering, and more) of exertion, while having less energy in the form of food to help you power through it!
Bruh! That’s a lot! Why do you think that doesn’t work?
THE SOLUTION
The solution is to recognize this finite nature of energy and to realize that you need to dedicate some of your time to resting and recovering. Again, rest and recovery are necessary no matter what your human design type is. I point this out because there’s a misconception that Generators and Manifesting Generators can get away with pushing through when their bodies are drained. You are human. And humans need rest.
Just because you have the time to do something, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do it.
So, if you want to start a new fitness plan, then what does this mean? It means that you need to first stop doing something else. That could mean finding ways to make other tasks less time-consuming or stressful (delegation and automation, hello!), or finding a way to combine your fitness goal with something else, like working out with friends for the connection & socializing aspect.
And if you want to be more productive and get through more of your to-do list at work, what do you do?
The answer is to ensure that you’re better rested, take regular breaks, and eat for energy. Keep your energy management in mind as you tackle your task list.
So many times, in the quest for being more productive, getting more done, and accomplishing our goals, we push through and force ourselves to have energy when we simply do not. This may help in the short term, but in the long run, your body will eventually tell you when it has had enough (hint: burnout is real)
While time management is a valuable skill, energy management is just as important. Don’t neglect it