Forget productivity. Focus on your energy.
When you think about productivity, what do you think of? Burning through to-do lists or getting to the fabled “inbox zero”? Perhaps that Medium post you read about the 100 Secrets of the World’s Most Productive People?
To me, productivity isn’t about getting more done. In fact, it’s usually about doing less. To me, productivity is about getting more of the right stuff done. It’s less about a secret hack, and more about simple, sustainable strategies that pay off in the long run.
Working at Google for Startups, I’ve met countless founders and startup employees from around the world all struggling with the stress of managing their workload. I’ve shared with them what I’ve learned from five years at Google, and now I want to share with all of you.
Let me start by saying that doing the work that matters most is hard. This is especially true in the modern workplace where to-do lists seem endless and distractions are abundant.
We need to challenge the myth that working more equals getting more done. Research shows this, yet most companies ignore it.
What I’ll share in this post is a few simple ways you unlock greater “productivity” (doing what matters) through balancing your energy. In order to maximize your time, and unlock deep focus, you need to start with your energy.
But first, a small caveat: I believe that productivity is personal. If you find something relevant here, take it and try it on for size. If it works, keep it, and if it doesn’t that’s okay too. I’m not proposing an all-or-nothing solution, but rather some simple tips that if done consistently, make a huge difference (at least they have for me).
Tip #1: Understand thy energy
A key principle of energy management is that time is finite but energy is not. We all have the same amount of hours in a day, but if left unattended, our energy waxes and wanes, making some hours less productive than others.
While time is fixed, you can take back control of your energy, allowing you to do much more with the limited hours you have.
According to The Energy Project, there are four sources of energy that we can draw upon: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The secret is building consistent, sustainable habits to renew each.
Below are examples of habits I’ve built to renew each source of energy.
Physical: when I start feeling sluggish, I shut my laptop* and walk down and back up 3–4 flights of stairs. It takes five minutes but works wonders.
Emotional: I love listening to my favorite music, intentionally. Try really tuning in and enjoying a song. It sends my emotional energy soaring.
Mental: close those tabs. When I lose focus during the day, I completely close all my Chrome tabs, then I re-focus on one simple task. Trust me, if the tab was important, you’ll find your way back.
Spiritual: I find spiritual renewal through keeping a joy journal. Each night, I jot down at least one thing that made me feel joyful that day. It’s my personal take on a gratitude journal.
*All of these habits work better sans-technology. Try leaving your phone behind on your breaks and see if you feel the difference.
Tip #2: Work hard, rest hard
Another key principle of energy management is that we need to balance expenditure with renewal. Put simply, we need breaks.
In the modern workplace, I’ve seen that taking real breaks is often overlooked. Whereas when you’re working a physically demanding job, you really need rest points throughout the day, many knowledge workers might not feel justified in taking real breaks. And if we do take breaks, we’re often turning to social media, or checking our personal email inboxes, which don’t actually allow our body and brain to rest.
If we don’t stop to recharge and renew, we will burn out.
Renewal comes through taking breaks, and the secret to good breaks is intention. Carve out time throughout the day to intentionally renew one of the four sources of energy listed above.
Rather than jumping from a focused state of work to a less focused state of work (like checking email), shut down your tech and take a real break, if even for a few minutes.
While recharging in our daily lives is essential, I’d also encourage you to think about longer-term renewal, whether that’s through “unplugged weekends” or longer holidays where you intentionally focus on renewal. You don’t need a yoga retreat to do this. A simple week truly disconnected from work (no checking email!) can recharge you completely.
Tip #3 Find your rhythm
Our bodies are operating on an energy clock called the Ultradian Rhythm. Every 90–120 minutes, our body needs a break. Too often, we ignore it.
You know the feeling of a full-fledged energy crash? That feeling when you get home at night, too tired to even watch Netflix? That’s the feeling of ignoring our natural energy cycles
Learn to notice your energy flow, and work with it. When you find yourself yawning, or reaching for your phone to check Instagram, this is probably your energy alarm clock calling for a break.
When you start to feel attention waning and energy waning, then remember the first two tips, and take time for an intentional renewal of the four sources of energy.
Need some help noticing when you should break? Check out a break reminder app like Time Out for Mac, which will give you small nudges during the day to recharge.
If at first we don’t succeed…
What I’ve laid out above sounds deceivingly simple. Take a few breaks during the day, walk up some stairs, and I’ll become more productive?
In short, yes. These small tactics, applied consistently over time, will yield great results.
However, they will only work if you apply them in your own life. Remember, productivity is personal, and what works for me might not work for you. My goal here was to share a few ideas that you can try on for size in your own life, and see if they stick.
Above all else, if you try to implement one of these tactics, and fail, that is a sign that you’re human. And that’s great. We are not after perfection here.
Be kind and compassionate to yourself, and don’t beat yourself up if you try these for a few days, and then forget for a week. Just brush it off, and re-commit to the practice.
Wishing you more energy, focus, and time to work on what matters most to you!
