Unlocking Productivity: Navigating the Divide Between Time and Energy

Over a period of time, I have had new responsibilities that I voluntarily accepted.  I was honored to accept them and they have been rewarding in various ways.  They have also added tasks to my schedule.  

Recently, I have found myself lamenting, “I just don’t have time for this.”  I also noticed I was a bit edgy, whiney and prone to complaining.  In a word, I have been negative, a trait I never care to see in myself.

But, as I assessed the actual time my tasks were taking, I couldn’t honestly say that it was adding up to as much time as it “felt” like it was totaling.   

Then I had a revelation.

There’s a big difference between “time” and “energy.” 

It wasn’t that I didn’t have the time.  It was the draw the responsibilities were having on my energy.  Because of the energy drain I was experiencing, when I did have the “time”, I didn’t have the energy, the mental capacity, or the “bandwidth” as one of my friends calls it. 

When you are making decisions about what to say ‘yes’ to and what to say ‘no’ to, it’s important to not only consider the amount of time something is going to take.  It is also critical to assess what mental energy it will take.

Because when you’ve physically finished completing the task, you may have time left.  The thing you may not have is the mental capacity to focus on and complete a new task.  And, if you’ve poured your energy into things that aren’t your path or passion, you may drain yourself of the energy to fully devote to the things that are your passion and purpose in life.

The thing I’ve discovered in my own life is some of my most important priorities weren’t getting their deserved attention.  Not because I didn’t have the time.

Because I didn’t have the energy.