Sustained high performance.
Isn’t that what we all aspire to? We want to bring our A Game every day in order to make a difference as leaders.
Managing our energy on a daily basis is key to giving us this opportunity for sustained high performance.
Here are some tips from time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders on how to maximize our energy for high performance:
1. Set Upper and Lower Boundaries Each Day. Don’t overdo or “underdo” on a daily basis. For example, if you are in sales set a minimum of four sales calls per day and a maximum of ten. Make sure to do at least a minimum amount to maintain momentum. And don’t do too much that you burn out.
2. Manage Your “Drive” Tendency. Maybe you are a “High Drive” person where you like to “go-go” all the time. If this is you then you probably need to lower your “Upper Boundary” some so you have time to rest. If you are a “Low Drive” person who always has to scurry at the end of a project, you probably need to increase your “Lower Boundary.”
3. Build in Rest and Recovery. We need to create systems of activity and rest. This is a human need that cannot be overcome with an energy drink (or four or five). And this is idiosyncratic to each of us. Figure out your most productive sleep patterns and take time from work on weekends.
4. Build in Breathing Room to Your Calendar. Some of the best advice I have ever had was to block times onto my calendar every week where there are No Meetings and I can actually get work done. If you do not do this yet, then I encourage you to do so. And guard that time vigilantly!
None of us has any idea what challenges our day will bring. We really need to be ready each day to face the biggest, unexpected challenge of our careers. By managing our energy effectively, we can make sure that we are ready to answer that call when it comes.
*Ideas for this blog taken from: Saunders, E. G. “4 Ways to Manage Your Energy More Effectively,” Harvard Business Review online, May 14, 2021.
