Time is Finite. Your Energy is Not...

I have recently unshelved a classic HBR Article about managing yourself (Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time, 2007).  These principles of 'energy management' although new-agey sounding are timeless and effective.  The four energy dimensions include body, emotions, mind, and spirit, according to these authors.  These happen to line up beautifully with the wisdom from "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" Weekly Compass exercise, where you add one goal per week in four categories: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual.   Ensuring that you regularly 'sharpen the saw' for yourself allows you to put your best forward in other areas of your life. 

I have summarized the long article for you and bottom-lined their study's solutions.  DO build disciplines around these 'secrets', as proven successful for Wachovia Bank, E&Y, Sony Europe, and so forth:

1. Physical Fitness (duh)

2. Regular breaks from your office/desk throughout the day

3. Connection rituals like family breakfast after your morning prayer or workout

4. 20 minute walk in the afternoon

5. Deep abdominal breathing (exhaling 5 to 6 seconds induces relaxation and recovery)

6. Expressing appreciation to others

7. Learning to change the stories your tell yourself (this can include work with your coach on the critical voice of the Saboteur we all hear)

8. Switching time (vs. its opposite 'multi-tasking'): Fully focus for 90 to 120 minutes, take a true break, then fully focus on the next activity (perhaps you go to a conference room away from phone and email, let your phone go to voicemail, check your email only 2 or 4 times per day)

9. Identify each night the most important challenge for the next day and make it your first priority

10. Create opportunities to ask yourself a series of questions about what really matters to you (ex. What do you want to be remembered for?  What are your real priorities in life? What two work experiences in the past several months did you find yourself in your "sweet spot", feeling effective, effortlessly absorbed, inspired, fulfilled?  What are your top core values, (or, to get these, ask first what are the qualities you find most off-putting when you see them in others? )

11.  Create time for and rituals in 3 categories: 1) Doing what you do best/enjoy most at work 2) Balance of work, family, health, service -- whatever you deem important 3) Living your core values in your DAILY behaviours

12.  Organizations can also: build 'renewal rooms', subsidize gym memberships, institute no-meeting zones, agree as a culture to stop checking email during meetings