Let’s analyze our daily work modes and discover our shortcomings:
- Participating in meetings.
- Communicating via emails, WhatsApp, Teams, and face-to-face conversations. (Yes, fortunately, these still exist!)
- Focusing without interruptions on tasks that require it (30′, 45′ with high concentration on the same task).
- Intentionally resting with short breaks during the day + adequate nightly rest. (10′ or 15′)
- Enjoying quality personal life every day.
Unfortunately, many of us get trapped in modes 1 and 2, leaving little room for deep concentration (mode 3) and necessary rest (mode 4). This imbalance leads to exhaustion that hampers our effectiveness and personal life (mode 5).
We find ourselves on what we call the hamster wheel filled with M&Ms: mails, meetings, mobile, and messaging of teams… with a progressive deterioration of our energy throughout the day, which goes against true balance.
And finally, some reflections to ponder:
‘Deep Focus’, as Cal Newport calls it, requires effective rest to recharge energy (Mode 4) and face high-concentration tasks (Mode 3).
If the energy is not as it should be due to not achieving “Mode 4”, it is most likely that, consciously or unconsciously, we avoid that high-concentration task and wrongly enter “Mode 2” which has those gratifying but unhelpful dopamine shots concerning our big challenges. That’s precisely why we procrastinate. The lack of sufficient energy makes us more prone to it.
One last advice we always remind our clients: we don’t manage time, but energy. Planning our day, our weeks, and months to maintain an optimal level of energy is essential to work smarter, not harder. This includes small daily activities that help us stay energized and weekend activities that recharge us physically, emotionally, and cognitively.
It’s non-negotiable for those who want to be effective and achieve the much-desired WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.
Now, I’d like to know your strategies:
1️⃣ What are your mini-activities during the day that allow you to maintain your energy in the best way during the workday? For me, morning workouts are key.
2️⃣ What are the weekend activities that allow you to return on Monday recharged physically, emotionally, and cognitively? In my case, being with my children, my partner, and my friends revitalizes me enormously.
3️⃣ How restorative are your nights of rest? Thanks to expert Jana Fernández’s advice, I’ve improved a lot in this aspect.
Working many hours, but in ‘hamster’ mode is not being a good professional; on the contrary, it’s a warning sign that sooner or later you’ll end up with problems.
