It's true.
I spent several years of my software career trying to find better ways of managing my time and using it efficiently. I wanted to make sure I was spending the most time on what mattered most.
Lately, I’ve come to realize how flawed this line of thinking is.
It’s not about time. It’s about energy.
The things we decide to put effort into require our energy. This is especially true in the nature of thought work (think code, design, creative problem solving, management, etc…)
Some of these things require more energy than others. This is why some conversations are more draining than others. This is why tackling some problems leaves us feeling exhausted, while others seem effortless or maybe even rejuvenating.
Think about your week, or maybe your month. Look at what you’ve done. Think about how you felt while doing those things and how you felt after. Do you see it now?
When I took a moment to reflect on this, I clearly saw that some things I decided to act on took less time, but more energy. This had an affect on how I spent the rest of the time I had throughout the course of the day or week. Mindblown 🤯!
I’d love to say this realization makes “time management” easier… but I’d be lying.
I’m still experimenting with how I adapt my behaviors with this new knowledge.
I’ll be taking next week off to recharge, and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this more.
Let me know if this resonates. Let me know if you’ve already learned and/or acted on this.
Always learning,
~ Dave