Managing your time and energy
- Agnes Molnar
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
There are thousand books and training programs available about time management - still, most of us struggle with it. ⌛
"I am not disciplined enough", "I tend to drift my time blocks", "Hours and days just disappear" - I hear these a lot from coaching clients as well as from friends. And honestly, I experience the same sometimes... 😳
Juggling many roles: being a mother, business owner, consultant, coach is not easy. Add a crazy travel and family schedule. And yes, I want (and need) time for myself, for my friends, long forest walks and yoga sessions, sipping coffee in the sunshine, or just reading with no distraction. - I could not live without a system that helps me to balance my time and energy. This is still not perfect at all, I still struggle sometimes, and I always try to learn and try new things, what works, what doesn't work. It's a lifetime learning, but there are a few things that work for me quite well.
Time blocking
I always plan my week in advance. Days are short and can become segmented easily. But if I know what my focus should be on, it's much easier. I try to schedule most of the regular project calls and short meetings into the same day every week. Why? - This makes that particular day more challenging, I am always exhausted in the evening, but at the same time these short calls don't segment any other day then, which is a big win to me.
I also have strict no-meeting days, when I work on tasks that need my focus and attention. Excluding (or at least, minimizing) interruptions makes wonder!
Energy management
I don't only manage my time, but I'm also very conscious about my energy. My calendar is color-coded by energy levels. If something is recharging my batteries, it's green. If something drains my energy, it's red. This way, it's easy to see which days are off-balance, and when I need to be more conscious, by relaxing more, walking outside, meditating, doing niksen, etc.
Don't (always) make "done" be your goal
There are some things that can never be "done". Set goals that can be measured, and more importantly, you know when you are finished.
"I'll talk with some people" is not specific enough. "I'll reach out to three contacts" is much better.
"I'll improve my website" is not specific enough. "I'll update my about page" is much better.
Always set time boundaries
Decide how much time you want to spend with something, e.g. two hours. If you can do it faster, great. If you can get done less in this period, that's ok, too. It doesn't need to be perfect, try to become an observer of your own schedule and patterns. What and why takes longer than estimated. What takes shorter. Why? Etc. - Observe and learn, align as you progress. Your estimates will never be perfect, but it can be easier over time.
Also, decide when you do not want to work. Schedule exercise time as an important meeting with yourself. If you work across time zones, make it clear when you are available and when not. (For example, late night or early morning meetings only one day per week.) Make sleep and eating healthy a high priority. Because they are.
Be conscious of yourself as a whole
You are not a machine. Some days you wake up energized and happy, some days things happen and you want to retreat into a cave and never leave again. Some days doing something takes 30min, other days the very same task takes 4 hours. It's all fine. You are a human being. Embrace it.
If you know a hard period of time is ahead of you, plan your tasks and time blocks around it. Crazy travel schedule? Moving to a new place or country? Demanding schedule in family? Project deadline? Divorce? - Plan more relax and recharge time. Make yourself top priority. Because you are.
If you want to discuss your time management challenges, I am always happy to have a virtual coffee (or in-person in Eindhoven, Netherlands). Just book a time that works the best for you, I'll be there: 🗓️ Contact | Agnes Molnar
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