What are some best practices for managing your energy and focus as an executive?

1 Assess your energy levels

The first step is to understand how your energy levels fluctuate throughout the day, week, and month. You can use a simple tool like the Energy Audit to track your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy on a scale of 1 to 10. This will help you identify your peak and low periods, as well as the factors that drain or boost your energy. You can then plan your activities and tasks accordingly, prioritizing the most important and challenging ones when you have the most energy, and delegating or deferring the less critical ones when you have less.

2 Manage your attention

The second step is to manage your attention and focus on what matters most. This means avoiding distractions, interruptions, and multitasking, which can reduce your productivity and quality of work. You can use techniques like the Pomodoro Method, which involves working on a single task for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break, and repeating the cycle four times before taking a longer break. You can also use tools like RescueTime or Freedom to block or limit your access to websites, apps, or notifications that might distract you. And you can communicate your availability and expectations to your team, colleagues, and clients, so they know when you need uninterrupted time to focus.

3 Renew your energy

The third step is to renew your energy regularly by taking breaks, resting, and recharging. This means not skipping meals, snacks, or hydration, which can affect your physical and mental energy. It also means getting enough sleep, which is essential for your cognitive and emotional functioning. You can improve your sleep quality by following a consistent bedtime routine, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, or screens before bed, and creating a comfortable and dark environment. And it means engaging in activities that replenish your energy, such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, or socializing with friends and family.

5 Seek feedback and support

The fifth step is to seek feedback and support from others who can help you improve your energy and focus. This means being open to constructive criticism, praise, and suggestions from your team, peers, mentors, or coaches, who can offer you different perspectives, insights, and advice. You can use tools like the 360-Degree Feedback or the Johari Window to collect and analyze feedback from various sources, and identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. And it means building and maintaining a network of supportive and positive people who can inspire, motivate, and challenge you, as well as provide you with emotional and practical support.

6 Review and adjust

The sixth step is to review and adjust your energy and focus management strategies regularly, based on your results and feedback. This means reflecting on what is working well and what is not, and identifying the root causes of any problems or gaps. You can use tools like the SWOT Analysis or the PDCA Cycle to evaluate your performance and outcomes, and determine what actions you need to take to improve or sustain them. And it means being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, needs, and goals, and updating your plans and priorities accordingly.