Optimize Your Time and Energy

Managing time and energy feels complicated for most of the busy executives we work with.

Their to-do lists are never done, their email inboxes are never empty and their own desire to keep doing more and more often fuels the frenzy.

What we know is that most people struggle to be fully present for their work. The use of Mindfulness practices in the workplace has been on the rise. Take for example statistics provided by the Search Inside Yourself mindful leadership program:

• 47% of our time is spent mind wandering (58% during the pandemic)
• 70% of leaders report regularly being unable to be present in meetings
• Only 2% of leaders regularly take time to renew their energy

Yet chances are that we would be more productive if we spent time restoring our minds and bodies. When we are stressed, it’s hard to focus and bring our most creative energy to finding solutions. It’s also hard to empathize with others. Many people bring up time management in coaching because of the stress they are feeling with overwhelm. Some have developed great personal strategies and seek additional small tweaks to help them get even more out of life. Start by accepting where you are right now with self-compassion and curiosity vs. judging yourself. This can be tough work!

Years ago, when I was just beginning my coach training, I discovered I was in a full-fledged energy crisis after taking an energy management quiz in the article Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time, The article helps you think through your energy management in four categories: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Over the span of a year, I continued to work on my energy management strategies progressively. From there, I’ve been on a continuous mindfulness path with periodic coaching support to help me manage my energy. For almost a decade, I have scored in the strong to excellent energy management category consistently. If I start to feel overwhelmed or depleted, I look for the root cause and address it.

To figure out your own time and energy habits, you need to understand your personal challenges and pick a starting point where you feel likely to succeed. Nothing breeds success like success, and every small win counts. Keep building small positive habits to manage your energy, and before you know it, you’re likely to feel a significant difference.

Here are some coaching questions to help think through your individual situation:

Time management:

• What in your work environment is complicating time management for you? Who else may be experiencing these challenges and who would be willing to listen?
• What strategies are you using for email management and how overwhelmed are you by email in general?
• What technology hacks are you already using, and how effective are these in helping you manage your calendar? What’s working or not working?
• What do you wish were working better and what’s one approach you could try, to see if it helps?

Energy:

• Take the energy management quiz mentioned above. What is one thing you can commit to trying to improve your energy management? Why is that one thing so important to you now?
• What are you doing or not doing that impedes this priority for you, and how can you plan for the obstacles that may come up for you?
• How might you keep track of your progress and who can help to hold you accountable?

Mindfulness:

• How present or distracted do you typically feel throughout the day?
• What if any mindfulness practices do you practice to support your ability to focus, be more self-aware and manage your emotions?
• What stands out as an opportunity for you to explore and deepen?

Life:

• If you had two years left to live, what would you take off your list? What would you prioritize? What would you do no matter what?
• How is your current life reflecting what you say you value most? If there are discrepancies, how might you align even 1% better?
• If you were truly flourishing, what would you be doing differently? What holds you back? Who’s support and encouragement do you need and are you willing to ask for it?

You don’t have to go it alone. Working through your priorities with a coach can help support your journey. Beyond our individual challenges, there are systemic, cultural and structural challenges in our workplaces that are not adequately supporting our need for renewal. We need play time, space for connecting personally, and partnership with our organization to figure out the strategies that will support us all. Our work spans from individual support to teams and organizations, where we are committed to optimizing time and energy management that leads to flourishing.

Let's Connect