Whether Elon Musk, Angela Merkel or the Queen: for all of them a week lasts as long as for the rest of humanity - 168 hours. It is all the more astonishing how differently this time is used. While some rule a country or revolutionize driving, others struggle through the 40-hour week. Of course this has to do with many factors. But the fact is that some people start significantly more with their time than others. The American blogger and author Michael Hyatt also observed this phenomenon and gave the child a name: the time-energy paradox. Because despite the identical number of hours available, the energy levels differ from person to person - and for each individual also from day to day.
Hyatt therefore advocates focusing on energy instead of time management. He is not alone in this. Mathias Fischedick, career coach and author of the book “Doing more without being done”, knows that our energy level has a great influence on our performance. “Our time is limited to 24 hours a day. On the other hand, we can increase our energy level, ”he says. “Our biggest mistake in thinking is the assumption that we are machines that don't really care whether they make a movement at four o'clock in the morning or at three in the afternoon.” People have different levels of performance depending on how they work and what time they are. External influences also determine our energy level. “The three biggest energy robbers are: too many stimuli, the desire to please others, and clinging to the old,” says Fischedick.
Especially through social media, many people have the feeling that they have to play along everywhere and always have to be available. The brain is programmed to perceive all stimuli and take them seriously - even if they are not important. “When I work, I would turn off the cell phone or mute it. And if I have to concentrate on doing something, I would close my mailbox so that I don't even notice whether an e-mail is coming, ”he advises. At the same time, it pays to use digitization to your own advantage. “In the digital world, where so much is constantly changing, you waste your energy struggling to do everything the way you always do,” says Fischedick. Checking now and then whether things can be done more easily and efficiently is not only good for productivity, but also for the energy budget.
Even those who keep their ideas to themselves and constantly submit to others waste energy.
Fischedick advises more courage and a healthy dose of selfishness: "When I have an idea that I am convinced of and implement it, I have a lot more energy than when I follow others in silent obedience."
The will to change
For Christiane Barho, career advisor in Frankfurt, the topic of energy is essential in time and self-management. In her opinion, the energy balance is a mosaic part that can only work in combination with good time and self-management. "Only when I understand what is the reason or trigger for a lack of energy in me can I change something," she says. Healthy sleep and a balanced diet as well as a clearly structured everyday life are decisive for a robust energy balance. Creatures of habit have bad cards at Barho: "Anyone who says they cannot change their habits really does not want to." It does not matter whether someone is self-employed or employed. Everyone can judge whether a task costs them more energy than is useful,and delimit yourself accordingly. “The environment won't be enthusiastic about that at first - but then you have to endure it,” says Barho.
Differentiation, healthy eating, exercise and adequate sleep are also important sources of energy, according to Mathias Fischedick. Breaks also play a major role. “No top athlete can perform well in the long run if he doesn't give his body regular breaks. The same goes for the world of work, ”he says. A lunch break is not enough. Instead, people should take a little break every 90 minutes or so to recharge their batteries. So that breaks are relaxing for body and mind, we should spend them away from the screen. "Going for a short walk, delivering a package to the post office, folding laundry, doing a few yoga exercises or simply looking out the window - such activities can give us a short break," says Fischedick.
His tip: make provisions for stressful phases in good times. “It's best to make a list of personal SOS energy donors,” he advises. It can be a piece of chocolate, a good mood song, a conversation with someone you trust. If things don't go so well, a look at the list can help. “On the one hand, it's nice because you can immediately feel a positive effect. On the other hand, you make yourself aware that you are self-effective and can influence how you feel. "