Conserve Energy, Not Time
May 16, 2024 | By David M. Wagner
I’ll admit, I can get a little carried with trying to save time.
Time, after all, is one of our most precious resources as leaders.
Example: Today, I’m attending the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits’ annual Conference and Expo, where I’ll be presenting 3 Keys to Making Strategy Matter (come say “hi” if you’re here!).
There’s a shop here in Concord (where the conference is) that I’ve been wanting to hit up.
My original plan: save a trip by visiting the shop after the conference!
But then I wised up.
I might be able to get to the shop before it closed. But at the end of the conference today, instead of focusing my attention where it belongs (on meeting amazing nonprofit leaders), I’d feel rushed and anxious to get to the shop on time.
No Time, Less Energy
Combining trips might have saved time, but I would have expended extra energy trying to do too many things.
That realization caused me to reflect: how often do I squeeze in too much, only to get less out of (or put less into) the experience?
This is the cruelty of being busy. Running from one task to the next depletes our energy quickly. And we’ll likely be less engaged (sometimes noticeably so) or make a mistake when our energy isn’t 100%.
When you feel pressed for time, ask yourself, “would I be better served by squeezing in everything I have planned, or by changing plans?”
Reclaim Your Energy
Here are a few quick ways to conserve (or reclaim) your energy:
Take breaks. When I recognize that my energy is waning, I’ve gotten better at stepping away from the task at hand and going on a short walk. The movement and fresh air are usually enough to get my energy back up. As a bonus, I can often get in some quality thinking time while I’m walking.
Schedule breaks, transition, and overflow time. Back-to-back-to-back meetings take their toll – on our mental, as well as our emotional, capacity. Use your calendar to your advantage by building in time to prepare, time to reflect, and time to do…whatever serves you at that given moment.
Do things later. When you feel the pressure of too much to do, look for tasks and meetings that aren’t as urgent as they might initially appear – and push them to a later time or date. (This is one of a few tips I’ve written about for maintaining boundaries.)
Do less. Some tasks may not require you to do them – or, to be done at all. Delegate when possible, and invest in other techniques to spend less time fighting fires.
Your time is precious. But how you expend and preserve your energy will determine how effectively you use that time.
I coach leaders on techniques like these to maximize their effectiveness while retaining their sanity. Set a free consultation with me if you could use an energy boost.