You’ve probably been told at some point to ‘manage your time better’. Because in many environments, the workday still follows the old logic that time in equals value out. We’re rewarded for being available and active, putting hours on the timesheet even when we’re not operating at our best. But real productivity often has less to do with hours and more to do with energy.
Our energy levels are unpredictable. Some people do their clearest thinking before breakfast; others find that focus later in the evening. Some of us live somewhere in between - a mix of good hours and foggy ones, of occasional bursts and necessary lulls.
To design your workday around energy means paying attention to your unique rhythm. Noticing when concentration comes naturally and when it drops. When you’re grasping for ideas and when they’re free flowing.
It’s not about working more or less, but working smartly. That might mean rearranging your schedule so that mentally demanding tasks land during your peak focus hours - not after back-to-back meetings. It might mean allowing recovery time between important calls or shifting administrative tasks to your lower-energy hours. Some of this is about autonomy, much of it is about self-awareness.
There’s no perfect formula to this, but aligning your work with your energy, rather than racing against the clock, makes room for deeper focus, sustainable momentum, and an overall sense of happiness in your work.
To explore in depth how empowerment and culture can reshape how we work, check out The Happiness Hacker’s Guide to Business Domination by Donna Karlin.
