Managing energy - not time

“The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not.”

Managing my energy levels is something I have been working on. This post will keep me accountable and serve as a reminder of how to be more productive now that I’m working a full-time job and looking to program on the side.

I picked up The Power of Full Engagement and finished reading it recently. I wanted to figure out what tips and tricks that successful people have picked up and learn from it.

“We are oscillatory beings in an oscillatory universe. We exhaust our mental and emotional energy and do not spend enough time recovering.”

To achieve this, it is recommended to fully disengage in order to maximize our engagement time.

The book emphasizes on the importance of balance in your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energies. While this all may be obvious, it's often forgotten and brushed aside like some kind of ancient saying.

Exercise is the first key step in improving your mental focus and overall health. I decided to default on action and improve my physical energy by exercising this summer. After work, I'd go for a quick jog which helps release any tension I had from sitting down at my desk all day. I’m not a big fan of running, but since it's free, I do it anyways to improve my cardio. As of today, I’ve ran a total of 50.3 km, which is probably more than I’ve ever ran before. Since its colder, I've taken a break from running, hopefully next year I’ll be able to double this.

I highly recommend this book as it goes through various case studies of many working professionals and the solutions to many of similar everyday issues that we face.