5 ways to manage your energy, not your time, during a career change
In recent months, I’ve been having lots of conversations with clients, peers and fellow coaches about the tension between productivity and rest and exploring the ongoing question about what we give our time and energy to.
One of my favourite quotes that informs much of the work I love to do is from Annie Dillard who says ‘how we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.’ Life is short and I really believe that what we do with it matters.
In a society that praises busyness, it can feel uncomfortable and counter-cultural to want to create more space for rest and for slower rhythms and routines. And yet many people I speak with, myself included, really struggle with issues like stress and burnout, compassion fatigue, physical and mental exhaustion and find it difficult to know how to manage their energy levels effectively to give the best of themselves to the things that matter the most.
The problem is many of us don’t value reflection time or sitting and thinking time. Or we do, but just not as much as we value productivity. And when you’re spinning a lot of plates and have a lot to get done, productivity trumps rest. I’ve begun to re-evaluate my relationship with rest and achievement and I’d love to invite you to do the same.
If you feel energetically bankrupt and this is an indicator to you that something really needs to change, it’s of course at this very time that you need the energy required to consider something new. So, how do you navigate the new and reimagine what might come next when you have nothing left in the tank?
Substantial change in your career direction, work life balance or lifestyle can feel scary and overwhelming and requires a lot of mental and emotional energy to sustain you through the ups and downs. However, depending on your mindset, simply deciding that you’re ready for change and open to new possibilities can provide you with a boost of energy for what lies ahead.
If you feel lacking in energy as you navigate this season of change and transition, here are 5 things you might like to explore:
Keep a journal of your energy levels or carry out an energy audit across your week to identify the things that most energise you and the things that most drain you. You might want to consider factors such as the amount and/or quality of sleep, your diet, if and how often you take breaks, exercise, the type of tasks and activities within your week as well as who you spend time with. It’s also important to consider any negative emotions that you might be experiencing right now as this can have a huge impact on your energy levels.
Be curious and experimental - based upon your findings from your audit or journaling, start out by setting some initial boundaries around time given to specific activities or time of day you carry out key tasks and see what feels right. Give yourself permission to change it up as needed to match your energy.
Prioritise balance - in the book, ‘The Power of Full Engagement’, Schwartz and Loehr suggest that people need to match their energy to a task in order to excel. “Every one of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours has an energy consequence. The ultimate measure of our lives is not how much time we spend on the planet, but rather how much energy we invest in the time that we have.”
As some tasks require higher levels or different types of energy, even if you have the time to complete a task, it doesn’t mean you have the energy to - there needs to be a healthy balance based upon your knowledge of yourself. Where possible, try to plan out your days with a healthy mix of activities that mirror the energy you have.
Schedule time for rest and inner work - we need to utilise different types of energy and therefore might need different types of rest. It’s important to balance energy expenditure with renewal, so make sure to include rest and recovery into your plans. We need energy to think creatively, to effectively problem solve, to increase our resilience and promote our health & well being. Schedule time for high impact activities like thinking, brainstorming, exploring and reflecting on yourself and your personal experiences. There’s a reason why high achievers schedule in thinking time.
Establish positive energy routines - as you become clearer about the things that energise you, create space for these things in your daily routine. It might be meditating, journaling, exercising, simply taking a 10 minute walk to break up the screen fatigue. Whatever it might be, establish rhythms and routines that prioritise your energetic needs.
I wish you every success as you reimagine your relationship with rest and as you pursue the things that energise you.
If you would like professional guidance and in-depth support in figuring out what you would like to see change, to go from confusion to clarity, from overwhelm to action and to pursue your new chapter with confidence, then book in for a completely free strategy session to explore the support options available.
We'll identify where you want to get to, we'll dive into what's going on for you right now, what is and isn't working and we'll identify the challenges and obstacles that are preventing you from making more progress, so you can put in place a plan of action to move forwards.
If you want this to be the time when you finally give your time and energy to what matters most to you and you're ready to make a change, do book in for a completely free chat to figure out your next steps.