Weekly Calendar Energy Audit
These days most of us are well versed in the concept of time management, but what about energy management? Each one of us feels energized, refuels, and draws energy from different sources. If the goal is to balance our output of energy with our refuel of energy, have you taken the time to see if what is on your weekly calendar is leaving with an energy surplus or deficit?
To begin your energy audit, pull out your weekly calendar. Take a quick scan of the week ahead, from an overall perspective, and notice the first feeling that pops into your mind - excited, calm, disappointed, cold/rigid, energetic, warm, overwhelmed, maybe you make a grunting noise or have a deep exhale…no need to judge what feeling(s) comes up for you, just notice how you’re feeling. From there, look at your week, day by day, and do the same exercise with every “to do” item. Take note of the first feeling/emotion that pops into your mind, while also noting if this feeling/emotion produces an energy gain or energy drain.
Okay, the next part might feel a bit like school, but stick with me, the end result will be worth it! With your total waking hours in mind, assign a time value to each weekly “to do” item. Then total up the hours spent refueling, or feeling energetically positive, and compare this value to the total hours spent feeling drained, or energetically negative. What does the balance look like? Is there a balance or are the scales tipped dramatically in one direction?
If after completing this exercise you find that you are net positive on feeling mostly energized during your week, then, congratulations, what you have going on is working for you! Keep it up! If, on the other hand, you conclude, like most of us, that your weekly schedule is weighted more heavily on energy giving/draining activities, I have some ideas of how you can begin to bring the balance back to equilibrium.
Step 1 - Are there any activities/items that can be removed from your weekly schedule? Be honest here….do you really “have” to do everything on your weekly calendar? Yes, I agree, some things you do have to do, and we’ll get to what to do about that in a minute, but, first, what can be removed now? If you’re like me, and you refuel your energy by being alone, it might be the optional social commitments on your weekly calendar that need to go first. Yes, it’s important to connect and have community, but be careful with how much of your time/energy you “give away” if you don’t have the energy to spare.
Step 2 - Notice in particular what weekly activities make you feel energetic or excited. Is there a way to add more of these energetically positive types of activities to your weekly schedule? For me, creative brainstorming is one of my favorite energizing activities, so I try to carve out time every day to be alone with my ideas and my notebook. Exercise is also a major source of energy refuel for me and takes top priority in my weekly schedule. If you’re the type of person that draws energy from social situations, maybe you’ve noticed that you need to add more energizing social gatherings to your weekly schedule. For you, downtime in your week might need to be removed and replaced with something fun to look forward to.
Step 3 - I know you don’t want to, but you “have” to. Yes, I have many of these items on my calendar too…washing dishes, laundry, cleaning the house, etc. How can you make these activities more enjoyable for you? My go-to is music or a good podcast. Listening to something inspiring or energizing while I’m doing the things I’d rather not be doing, but have to do, makes the process more enjoyable. Another strategy when faced with something you don’t want to do, but “have” to do, is to limit the amount of time you spend doing it. For example, set a timer and clean the house for a half hour. Get as much done as you can in that amount of time and then stop, leave it for now, and come back later, again, for only a half hour at a time, if needed. The mindset shift between facing a seemingly never ending task, versus a time bound task, creates space for the energy draining activity to not feel as overwhelming.
Step 4 - Identify your source! Knowing where you draw energy from, and what types of activities energize you, will bring awareness to what needs to be added to your week in order to positively affect your energy. The goal isn’t to be energized and “on” 100% percent of the time. Many of us, myself included, draw tremendous energy from very quiet/calm sources, like reading in solitude. Ultimately, the goal is to work toward replenishing your cup, before it is drained completely. I find that once the cup has gone to empty, beneficial decision making falls apart. It is infinitely harder to remain disciplined and vigilant when you are mentally and physically exhausted. Once this total depletion takes hold, you begin making decisions from a survival instinct place, rather than from a place of thriving. Finding the gear to downshift, before total depletion happens, calling on your “source” and recharging, will allow you to bounce back to baseline, or above, more quickly!