energy management

Time management is a subject that peaks our interest. I think it is a line that grabs us because we find time so scarce. Most of us long for more hours in the day. The concept of getting better use of our time appeals to us. However, a book that I recently read challenged my thinking on time management. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr, Tony Schwartz is a book that emphasizes energy management. They suggest building routines and habits throughout your day that will increase your energy at key points.

As ministers, our days are often gobbled up by the demands of our tasks, conversations, and people. We often fail to prepare ourselves for the most crucial tasks and come to these tasks with insufficient energy. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to maximize their performance.

Using their impressive work with athletes and corporate executives, Loehr and Schwartz lay out the new rules for getting exceptional results in any performance context. Instead of managing time, manage energy between performance sessions to maximize emotional recovery for the next time you push your personal limits. Don’t rely on discipline alone; it takes too much effort to micromanage at every moment. What’s needed are routines–effective and even rigid practices that optimize recovery between performance sessions. – Audiofile

For me, this book transformed my weekly schedule. It helped me see that more hours do not mean more productivity. In fact, the opposite may be true.

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