Do you struggle to be productive?

If you ask a handful of people for advice on how to get more done, you’d probably get the same answer, “You need to manage your time.” But there are those who say, “Forget time management. You’re better off managing your energy.”

However, both time management and energy management are essential to productivity. They complement each other.

Actually, you should manage your time in such a way that you make the best use of your energy.

Here’s how to do that:

1. Determine your peak time.

Your peak time is that time of day when your energy level is optimal. This is when you should “eat the frog” and deal with the tasks that require the most focus and energy.

Some productivity and self-help gurus would tell you that the best time to work is in the morning, while your mind is still fresh. However, not all people are early birds. Some are night owls; they do their best work during the evening until the wee hours of the morning.

When you want to work is really up to you. What matters is that you know the best time for you to tackle your most challenging tasks and that you form the habit of doing them during your peak time.

2. Have separate schedules for thinking and for doing.

While it’s impossible to completely separate thinking and doing, it helps to plan and structure your activities before you actually start working. Write your to-do list before you go to bed and be clear about what you want to accomplish the next day. Brainstorm and plan before you work and not while you’re working.

Having a clear mental picture of what you need to do allows you to fully devote your energy to doing it. You’ll be more productive because you won’t have to stop and think about what to do next.

3. Make time for breaks.

Your energy wanes after you’ve worked for some time. Your ability to think clearly also diminishes. Powering through when you’re tired isn’t always a good idea. It’s counterproductive because you’re likely to end up making mistakes and delivering shoddy work.

Time spent on breaks is time well spent. Rest is crucial for productivity and peak performance. You must take short breaks after bursts of activity. Aside from short breaks, you also need to take days off. Weekdays tend to be stressful, so weekends should be reserved for rest and recreation.

4. Delegate whenever you can.

Delegating tasks will allow you to focus your time and energy where they really matter. Farm out the tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming. Keep the tasks that significantly impact your business for yourself.

Also, there might be some people in your team who are better than you at doing certain tasks. Leverage their expertise by assigning these tasks to them.

5. Create efficient and effective systems by streamlining your processes.

Systems allow your team to work like a well-oiled machine. They reduce mistakes and waste. They also help your team achieve consistent results from their efforts. With systems in place, you can confidently step back, allow your business to run without you, and focus on the things you do best.

However, for a system to be both efficient and effective, the processes within it must be simple, easy to implement, and cohesive with one another.

This is where Clear Simple Business can help you. We analyze and improve processes so you save time and energy and get a lot more done.

Want to improve productivity in your business? Call us today.