Managing Time Versus Energy

Evolve Business Group was one of the sponsors of a WIIFM Productions presentation June 29th featuring Russell Hunter from the Human Performance Institute (http://www.hpinstitute.ca). During his talk, Russell likened a business person to a high performing athlete. There are chronic demands on energy and over time if the appropriate measures are not taken the life span of a “corporate athlete” is diminished. The key point is that energy is the fundamental currency of high performance.

In order to perform at one’s best there are four principles of personal energy management to assess:

Principle number 1 is energy is four dimensional. The four dimensions of energy are: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. All four dimensions are connected and work to create either physical or emotional based energy. The ideal situation is to move between quadrants of high physical energy & low physical energy along with positive emotional energy. This allows for opportunity based energy.

Principle number 2 is energy investment requires renewal. It is important to be able to have “micro-recovery” so that you can have sustained performance. Check in with yourself and ask what are already doing to recover in small ways throughout the day? Some examples are: getting up and stretching periodically, walking at lunch or taking a book and reading over a break.

Principle number 3 is stress is not the enemy. Stress is created simply by how we frame situations and things and attach meaning to them. Studies have shown that by experiencing “training stress” the capacity for performance increases. In other words stress is important in stretching our abilities and creating learning.

Principle number 4 is willpower is overrated. 95% of how we perform is determined by non conscious habitual behaviours. Only 5% is conscious and self-regulated behaviours. By creating specific performance rituals, these will become embedded in the 95% of non conscious habitual behaviours.

By doing a quick self assessment and a process of development based on these 4 principles, you will be on your way to becoming a corporate athlete. Enlist a partner to create performance rituals or consult us at Evolve (results@evolvebusinessgroup.com) and get training!

Who Owns Your Time?

Just returning from a networking/peer luncheon, one of the resounding issues was that of time management and who has ownership of your time. In your 8 hour day, how much of it do you dictate and how much of it is dictate and determined by you? If you are spending more than 50% of your time with your tasks, timelines and schedule being dictated by someone else then you have a productivity problem!

While other people are all too willing to fill your calendar, fill your task list and fill your head, your job is to fight them off and take control again. Your job is:
1) To recognize that your time is YOUR time and that no one makes you do anything ... you accept it.
2) Allow people will work around some of your guidelines for your time when you set them, communicate them and stick to them
3) Each day establish what is most important in your day and what YOU need to get done to maximize the impact (not just the workload) you can make.
4) To set time guidelines that give you more freedom and not become more cumbersome
5) Look at what you can delegate in your work and personal life to free up time ... list off 10 things you don't like to do and start there.

Taking all your cues from other people and allow them to manage all your time is easy. No, it is. Unfortunately it also put someone else's convenience, plan and agenda ahead of yours.

You need to start to test the boundaries of what you can control TODAY. When people take control of even small pieces of their time they start to realize they control all of it! Recognition of control is the first step in time management that many courses and books forget to mention! Yet great time management starts in your head not in your calendar. Need help breaking through the barriers on your time, ask us for help.