Are you a master at time management?

Are you one of those entrepreneurs that has it down to a science, with your planner in hand, time blocks color-coded, and 9am – 5pm fully stocked with to-dos?

But at what time does that color-coded schedule of yours get derailed? Maybe it’s right before lunchtime when you begin to feel a little hungry.

Maybe it’s that 2pm mark when you start to feel a little drained and can’t force your mind to focus.

That schedule of yours has to-dos lined up for the next several hours, so what are you supposed to do? Power through and hope for the best?

The truth is, you can manage your time all day long, but if you’re not managing your energy levels, you’ll never be as productive as you want to be.

How are you supposed to manage your energy?

It’s really a lot simpler than it sounds, and it all starts with awareness.

3 STEPS TO MANAGING YOUR ENERGY LIKE A PRO SO YOU CAN INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND DECREASE YOUR TIME AT WORK

STEP 1: BECOME AWARE

You’ve probably noticed those points in your day where you struggle to focus versus the time blocks in which you can get twice as much done.

We all have them. Maybe you’re an early morning person who can pack a lot in first thing when your brain is on fire.

Maybe you get your wave of energy at night while you’re sitting quietly reflecting on your day.

Take a day and make note of what these timeframes look like for you.

Write down the time blocks where you felt full of energy and powered through half your day’s work, and write down the blocks of time where you struggled to make it through one simple project.

STEP 2: CREATE A SCHEDULE

Based on your findings in step 1, create a daily schedule for yourself to test out. The last thing you want to be doing is forcing yourself to work on your business from 9am – 5pm every day when your brain all but shuts down after lunch.

Forego the expected schedule, and begin creating a time blocked schedule that is personalized for you, revolving around your focus and energy.

Maybe for you that looks like waking up and working from 6am – 11am then scheduling client coaching sessions or meetings in the afternoon or evening.

Maybe it’s starting your day at 10am and working into the evening hours. Whatever this looks like for you, just make sure you’re working when your focus and energy are there so you can ensure your workday will be productive and you won’t end up wasting your valuable time.

STEP 3: CATEGORIZE YOUR TASK LIST

Based on your findings in steps 1 and 2, categorize your daily tasks into tasks that require a lot of focus and those that don’t.

For example, writing content for your business might require your full brainpower where answering those emails takes you minutes with little time and energy spent.

List out what you plan to work on in the time blocks you created in step 2 so you can wrap your mind around what your days will look like and aren’t wasting time deciding what you need to work on first.

When you’re aware of when you’ll be able to focus and when you won’t, it becomes simple to fill in the blanks.

TAKEAWAY

If you don’t have the energy to work, it’ll take you two or three times as long to complete one task. Time management is important, but only if you’re aware of your energy spent. The last thing you need to be doing is staring blankly at your computer, hoping for the best, and accomplishing little to no work.

Ultimately, if you make a point to manage your energy instead of your time, you might end up getting in a full day’s work in half the time, leaving you with more time freedom to do the things you want to do.

So let go of the expected 9am – 5pm schedule that the status quo has told you is necessary for success, and create a personalized schedule that takes your own energy levels into account. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you aren’t defining your days by the clock!

And for more tips, head here Manage Your Time Like a Millionaire with These 10 Rules!