Energy Management (Energy Management)
From the translator. I bring to your attention the article by Scott Young from the eponymous blog . I decided to leave the term “energy management” without translation, since the essential idea of the author is to contrast it with time management.
Enjoy reading!
My first acquaintance with a fellow blogger named Phil Gerbyshak took place when I published a very detailed commentary on how I perceive energy management (energy management) and time management (time management) as independent of each other things, both of which use fully. I also made it clear that I am inclined to consider the time management approach as superior to energy management in terms of peak performance.
I was wrong . I admit it. I must say, I then slowly moved into the camp of those who consider compulsory time planning and prioritization a critical factor in overall productivity and efficiency. Time management was becoming an increasingly popular area with many different techniques, the purpose of which was to help organize time in such a way as to give one hundred percent. Careful organization of your goals, objectives and priorities here makes it possible to plan your day as efficiently as possible.
')
Unfortunately, in reality it does not work quite like that. Although careful organization of priorities and time planning produced a tangible effect, I was still gnawed by the feeling that my real day never fully met the expectations that I had pinned on him the previous night. It seemed that some kind of special influence, some kind of force that is not amenable to awareness, influences my upcoming day. Now I figured out what kind of power it was. It was energy.
I recently read the book The Power of Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loher. This beautiful book actually showed me the missing parameter, which day by day did not allow me to realize the opportunities hidden in these days. Two authors of this book notice that most people are required to maintain a peak level of mental and creative performance for eight hours each day, while it is clear that this is simply impossible. As a result, people are subject to continuous burnout and stress and work much worse than their peak efficiency.
The book, in combination with some of my own experiments and searches, gave me a lot of new ideas on how to achieve peak performance and maximum productivity. The key point of the book is the realization that it is energy, not time, that is the main currency of the productive forces. The authors also note that the cycles of maximum load and deep recovery allow the use of resources at full capacity on an ongoing basis.
I always knew that in matters of performance, energy plays an important role. Being a fan of a healthy lifestyle, I sought to increase the level and quality of everyday energy through training, motivation programs and careful nutrition control. The process of maximizing energy capital allowed me to steadily increase energy for more and more productivity. Following my recent research, I am convinced that several key areas could be used to ensure maximum productivity.
My first mistake was that I did not fully understand: energy management, unlike time management, is a cyclical rather than linear process. Being linear, time management is simply a process of organizing and prioritizing, in order to get more value in less time. In other words, the goal of time management is to effectively package, organize, and prioritize actions for the sake of maximum efficiency.
Energy management does not work that way. Energy works in a system like currency, performing the function of money. In other words, energy, having spent, needs to be restored before trying to spend again. Otherwise, you will end it with a shortage. Lack of energy is not the most pleasant thing. If a person experiences fatigue, irritation, tension, upset and completely devoid of enthusiasm, he realizes that he has an energy deficit. Ultimately, there is a need for a system of checks and balances. When the body, mind, emotions and spirit finally declare themselves bankrupt, a person breaks down and burns out. Such is the possible pay for poor energy management.
Good energy management is a cycle in which full commitment and the use of resources are interspersed with periods of intense energy recovery necessary for the tasks ahead. Is this what most people do? Of course not. Most people in today's fast-paced world think they can fool the recovery process. Falling more and more into energy shortages, they somehow believe that energy management rules do not apply to them.
So, the first key point of effective energy management is to introduce into your life habits that encourage cycles of total commitment, interspersed with recovery. In the absence of balance in this cycle, the system becomes unstable. By creating such habits is meant to develop a ritual of replenishing energy. Maybe just sit in a relaxed state for fifteen minutes, or do some light exercise. Earlier, I talked about how to take one day off per week . Although I did not realize this at the time, it was the most important tool for creating such a positive energy management cycle.
The key feature of energy management is more than just managing existing energy, it is in the growth of energy supply. The main goal of energy management is the ability to pay more attention, energy and dedication to any activity. In order for the forces to increase, it is necessary to strain them, going beyond the limits of current possibilities, and then recover. Such stress opportunities most people know as stress.
Do I want to say that stress is good? Yes, that is what I want to say; but only when such a situation is temporary. Short-term exertion of forces, alternating with their recovery, builds up muscles. Most people, however, find themselves in a state of permanent stress. Permanent stress does not help build muscle, it kills. Long-term stress, from the point of view of medicine, is associated with the suppression of the body’s immune system, which increases the likelihood of various ailments and diseases.
Recently, I read an article on the topic of fitness, in which the author states that, perhaps, many people who fail in building muscle are doing too much, and not enough. Ignoring the recovery phase leads to the fact that their body can not adapt to the process, and therefore can not improve its shape. The same happens with people who do not use the cycle of progressively increasing loads to cope with stress. The increase in energy capacity is not due to stress, but as a result of recovery from stress.
By supporting progressively increasing loads, one can slowly but surely increase the ability to accumulate energy. Start by identifying your current energy capacity, and then push yourself to slightly exceed this level. For example, if you find it difficult to maintain full concentration, more than thirty minutes, set a target of thirty-five. Just remember: in order for such tension to be beneficial, you need to recover at the end.
I finally clicked in my head when, in the course of reading the book and subsequent research, I already received a reason known to me, which, however, I could not clearly formulate. The energy in question is not only physical energy that comes in during classes. There are other energy levels that manifest themselves in a similar manner, but no less important. Tony Schwartz and Jim Loher talk about four major energy indicators: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I do not fully agree with how specifically they understand this separation, so in some places I will use my own interpretation.
The differences in views on energy as an elementary unit of physical action and as a complex, multidimensional property give us much more opportunities to control the latter. Of course, improving health and increasing physical activity provides a tremendous amount of energy, but this energy cannot be used until the other three aspects come into their full strength.
Such knowledge allows me to think of a lot of opportunities to provide myself with more energy, and therefore more results and returns from life. I will most likely try to experiment with some of these ideas and in the coming months I will develop some new habits. In the mornings I have already begun work on raising the morning energy , but in general there are many other ideas worth considering.
A few simple ideas that came to my mind in order to get the most out of new information, for example:
So, energy management continues to be an attractive topic for me, especially with the latest addition of new information. Having understood the concept of energy cycles, one can remain with its full supply and at the same time avoid burnout. Making cycles to maintain and gradually increase the load, alternating with deep recovery, you can also increase the capacity of our energy storage. Finally, by adopting a multidimensional approach to energy, one can gain real control over the force that directs our life.
Enjoy reading!
My first acquaintance with a fellow blogger named Phil Gerbyshak took place when I published a very detailed commentary on how I perceive energy management (energy management) and time management (time management) as independent of each other things, both of which use fully. I also made it clear that I am inclined to consider the time management approach as superior to energy management in terms of peak performance.
I was wrong . I admit it. I must say, I then slowly moved into the camp of those who consider compulsory time planning and prioritization a critical factor in overall productivity and efficiency. Time management was becoming an increasingly popular area with many different techniques, the purpose of which was to help organize time in such a way as to give one hundred percent. Careful organization of your goals, objectives and priorities here makes it possible to plan your day as efficiently as possible.
')
Unfortunately, in reality it does not work quite like that. Although careful organization of priorities and time planning produced a tangible effect, I was still gnawed by the feeling that my real day never fully met the expectations that I had pinned on him the previous night. It seemed that some kind of special influence, some kind of force that is not amenable to awareness, influences my upcoming day. Now I figured out what kind of power it was. It was energy.
I recently read the book The Power of Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loher. This beautiful book actually showed me the missing parameter, which day by day did not allow me to realize the opportunities hidden in these days. Two authors of this book notice that most people are required to maintain a peak level of mental and creative performance for eight hours each day, while it is clear that this is simply impossible. As a result, people are subject to continuous burnout and stress and work much worse than their peak efficiency.
The book, in combination with some of my own experiments and searches, gave me a lot of new ideas on how to achieve peak performance and maximum productivity. The key point of the book is the realization that it is energy, not time, that is the main currency of the productive forces. The authors also note that the cycles of maximum load and deep recovery allow the use of resources at full capacity on an ongoing basis.
I always knew that in matters of performance, energy plays an important role. Being a fan of a healthy lifestyle, I sought to increase the level and quality of everyday energy through training, motivation programs and careful nutrition control. The process of maximizing energy capital allowed me to steadily increase energy for more and more productivity. Following my recent research, I am convinced that several key areas could be used to ensure maximum productivity.
Energy cycles
My first mistake was that I did not fully understand: energy management, unlike time management, is a cyclical rather than linear process. Being linear, time management is simply a process of organizing and prioritizing, in order to get more value in less time. In other words, the goal of time management is to effectively package, organize, and prioritize actions for the sake of maximum efficiency.
Energy management does not work that way. Energy works in a system like currency, performing the function of money. In other words, energy, having spent, needs to be restored before trying to spend again. Otherwise, you will end it with a shortage. Lack of energy is not the most pleasant thing. If a person experiences fatigue, irritation, tension, upset and completely devoid of enthusiasm, he realizes that he has an energy deficit. Ultimately, there is a need for a system of checks and balances. When the body, mind, emotions and spirit finally declare themselves bankrupt, a person breaks down and burns out. Such is the possible pay for poor energy management.
Good energy management is a cycle in which full commitment and the use of resources are interspersed with periods of intense energy recovery necessary for the tasks ahead. Is this what most people do? Of course not. Most people in today's fast-paced world think they can fool the recovery process. Falling more and more into energy shortages, they somehow believe that energy management rules do not apply to them.
So, the first key point of effective energy management is to introduce into your life habits that encourage cycles of total commitment, interspersed with recovery. In the absence of balance in this cycle, the system becomes unstable. By creating such habits is meant to develop a ritual of replenishing energy. Maybe just sit in a relaxed state for fifteen minutes, or do some light exercise. Earlier, I talked about how to take one day off per week . Although I did not realize this at the time, it was the most important tool for creating such a positive energy management cycle.
Stress and physical well-being
The key feature of energy management is more than just managing existing energy, it is in the growth of energy supply. The main goal of energy management is the ability to pay more attention, energy and dedication to any activity. In order for the forces to increase, it is necessary to strain them, going beyond the limits of current possibilities, and then recover. Such stress opportunities most people know as stress.
Do I want to say that stress is good? Yes, that is what I want to say; but only when such a situation is temporary. Short-term exertion of forces, alternating with their recovery, builds up muscles. Most people, however, find themselves in a state of permanent stress. Permanent stress does not help build muscle, it kills. Long-term stress, from the point of view of medicine, is associated with the suppression of the body’s immune system, which increases the likelihood of various ailments and diseases.
Recently, I read an article on the topic of fitness, in which the author states that, perhaps, many people who fail in building muscle are doing too much, and not enough. Ignoring the recovery phase leads to the fact that their body can not adapt to the process, and therefore can not improve its shape. The same happens with people who do not use the cycle of progressively increasing loads to cope with stress. The increase in energy capacity is not due to stress, but as a result of recovery from stress.
By supporting progressively increasing loads, one can slowly but surely increase the ability to accumulate energy. Start by identifying your current energy capacity, and then push yourself to slightly exceed this level. For example, if you find it difficult to maintain full concentration, more than thirty minutes, set a target of thirty-five. Just remember: in order for such tension to be beneficial, you need to recover at the end.
Energy is not only physical
I finally clicked in my head when, in the course of reading the book and subsequent research, I already received a reason known to me, which, however, I could not clearly formulate. The energy in question is not only physical energy that comes in during classes. There are other energy levels that manifest themselves in a similar manner, but no less important. Tony Schwartz and Jim Loher talk about four major energy indicators: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I do not fully agree with how specifically they understand this separation, so in some places I will use my own interpretation.
- Physical - This is the primary and fundamental source of energy. Physical energy is regulated by diet, sleep and exercise. This energy is mobilized regardless of whether the task is physical or not. Most of us are engaged in work that does not particularly require physical activity, but physical energy continues to be extremely important. Physical energy describes such a characteristic of energy as volume.
- Mental - Mental energy is the ability to concentrate, analyze and create. These top-level abilities essentially characterize the quality and clarity of your thinking. Mental energy is necessary for all people, whatever their profession and their hobbies. I consider mental energy to be the basis for such properties of energy as concentration or direction. The level of mental energy can be raised, alternating the load and recovery, with the help of mental exercises and tasks, in-depth study of something and creative activity.
- Emotional - Emotional energy is the ability to manage and support your emotions. People who have a lot of emotional energy will be positive, enthusiastic and happy. The low level of this type of energy manifests itself as irritability, discouragement and dissatisfaction. If physical energy characterizes volume, mental energy indicates direction, then emotional energy corresponds to a qualitative assessment. A high level of energy, but directed towards negative goals and accompanied by emotions of hate or anger, is extremely devastating and destroying.
- Spiritual - I really like the way Tony and Jim define spiritual energy. In this case, they introduce this concept not as a religious or metaphysical kind of energy, but as energy that appears in a person when he associates himself with any goal. I have already noticed earlier how important it seems to me that having a goal in life. Regardless of religious beliefs, the goal seems to me an integral component of a successful life. As these two authors point out, the life purpose and the accompanying spiritual energy are the most significant and most effective form of energy. With a strong sense of purpose, energy can arise, even when there are barely enough physical, mental and emotional possibilities. Spiritual energy embodies the power, or effectiveness, of energy.
The differences in views on energy as an elementary unit of physical action and as a complex, multidimensional property give us much more opportunities to control the latter. Of course, improving health and increasing physical activity provides a tremendous amount of energy, but this energy cannot be used until the other three aspects come into their full strength.
Such knowledge allows me to think of a lot of opportunities to provide myself with more energy, and therefore more results and returns from life. I will most likely try to experiment with some of these ideas and in the coming months I will develop some new habits. In the mornings I have already begun work on raising the morning energy , but in general there are many other ideas worth considering.
A few simple ideas that came to my mind in order to get the most out of new information, for example:
- Constructive unloading - Full dedication uses the available resources in full, it is advisable to maintain it only for a short jerk. Experimenting with constructive unloading techniques, it is possible to accelerate the process of energy recovery. By this it can be understood that with your mind or body you are completely devoted to an occupation that has nothing to do with a task that requires energy expenditure. I know that many people use similar techniques with reading fiction, drawing or meditation. Energy has one tricky property: sometimes it is better not to recover when you do nothing, but when you do something completely different.
- Shorter cycles of work - Despite the fact that, being engaged in educational and other activities, I rarely worked longer than 90 minutes without a break, I planned to work eight hours a day in the summer (mainly on this site). Now I wonder if the “work for 90 minutes with a rest of 15 to 30 minutes” method will not be more productive over a long distance.
- Breaks in goal setting - goal setting for me is a constant habit. Setting goals is a powerful tool for achieving focus and effectiveness, but I also note that it requires a lot of energy. It may be useful to act in the long-term cycle of goal-setting and then on-site inspection and soil sensing. I mentioned earlier how I feel that a temporary departure from goal setting can increase horizontal growth , but now I’m thinking that this approach couldn’t, besides, strengthen long-term energy sources.
So, energy management continues to be an attractive topic for me, especially with the latest addition of new information. Having understood the concept of energy cycles, one can remain with its full supply and at the same time avoid burnout. Making cycles to maintain and gradually increase the load, alternating with deep recovery, you can also increase the capacity of our energy storage. Finally, by adopting a multidimensional approach to energy, one can gain real control over the force that directs our life.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/181756/
All Articles