Energy management
The older I get, the more I realize how much energy management plays into my productivity.
- If I run on hyperfocus for an extended period (weeks+), I get a lot done. But I also burn through my tank, and need a long period of low productivity and menial tasks to recover.
- If I run at half speed (or more likely, a mix of bursts of productivity and distractability during any given day), I feel far less accomplished, but never burnt out.
Neither one is better than the other. They’re just the two different modes I tend to operate in.
I think the key for me is recognizing which mode I’m in, what that means for me and my productivity, and accepting that rather than fighting it.