You’ve been taught to manage your time like a machine.
Block the calendar. Color code your day. Jam as much as possible into every hour and hope willpower takes care of the rest.
But here's the thing: not all hours are created equal.
Because your energy isn’t equal.
You don’t have a time management problem. You have an energy mismatch.
You’re not lazy. You’re not unmotivated. You’re not bad at focus.
You’re just trying to do deep creative work at the exact time your brain wants to nap.
Harvard agrees… Your 9am brain and your 3pm brain are practically different people.
Add in research from the University of California Irvine showing it takes 23 minutes to fully refocus after a distraction, and you've got a recipe for burnout disguised as productivity.
So if you’re constantly exhausted despite “managing your time”… you're not alone. You’re just running the wrong playbook.
Most people schedule by the clock. High performers schedule by energy.
The real shift?
Stop asking: “What time should I do this?” Start asking: “What energy does this task require—and when do I actually have that available?”
Here’s how I teach this to clients:
The 6 Energy Windows Most People Ignore
Your day naturally breaks into zones. Each has a different flavor of energy. They generally look something like this:
🟨 First Thing (6–9am)Creative bursts, strategic clarity, and intuitive insight. Gold for visionaries and big-picture thinkers.
🟧 AM Window (9–12pm)Often prime focus hours for execution. Strong cognitive stamina for planning, decision-making, and deep work.
🟦 Midday Dip (12–2pm)Lower focus. Ideal for movement, inbox triage, admin tasks, or light social connection.
🟩 PM Window (2–5pm)Collaboration, team syncs, and low-stakes meetings do well here. Creative if you're an afternoon chronotype.
🌇 Wind Down (5–9pm)Integrate, reflect, connect. Great for journaling, soft ideation, and non-screen time.
🌙 Recovery Mode (9–11pm)Time to transition into stillness. If you’re “working” here, you’re paying for it tomorrow.
The Real Cost of Distraction and Task Switching
Every time you shift from one type of work to another—say, writing a strategy memo then jumping into Slack—you trigger what researchers call the “cognitive switching penalty.”
It drains mental energy. It fragments focus. It amplifies fatigue.
And most of us do it 10–100 times a day without realizing it.
Real Client Shift: More output, less burnout (no extra hours)
A marketing executive I coached was burning out hard. She had the hours blocked. She had the plan. But the energy was all wrong.
We shifted three key tasks:
✅ Strategy work → moved to 7:30am (not 4pm)
✅ Email triage → moved to her lunch dip window
✅ Team meetings → moved to 3pm (not 9am)
Same to-do list. Just reorganized by energy.
The result? Work that used to take all day started flowing in two focused blocks.
Her decision fatigue dropped, her creativity spiked, and for the first time in a year—she had energy left for her family in the evening.
Start here: The 7 Day Energy Audit
Track your natural rhythm for one week:
- When you generate your best ideas
- When you feel naturally focused
- When energy dips or distractions spike
- When you want to collaborate or isolate
Look for patterns. Then act:
- Pick one high-impact task and move it to your peak zone.
- Batch similar tasks in your dip zones.
- Stop multitasking and block 60–90 minutes for deep work.
Bonus move: Share your findings with your team or family. Co-design schedules that respect everyone’s rhythm.
Because your brain isn’t a machine.
And when you stop treating it like one?
You get more done in less time—with way less stress.
When You Work With Your Biology, Everything Gets Easier
You don’t need more productivity hacks. You need alignment.
This is how high performers and leaders protect their energy while sustaining output. It’s how they stay creative under pressure, make better decisions faster, and avoid burnout every quarter.
Instead of managing your calendar like a robot, design it like a strategist:
- Match task to energy zone.
- Batch to protect focus.
- Build buffers between shifts.
You’ll find more flow in less time.
Fast track: Align your Business and Life
Check out this productivity wheel to see how you really spend your time… and start designing your day for the version of you that actually shows up.
You don’t need more hours. You need better alignment.
If you’re ready to stop carrying it all alone—and want a trusted partner to help you choose the right tools and systems—I’d love to hold space for that conversation.
I have helped people in over 13 countries transform the way they work, free up time and energy, and increase productivity… without burnout.
Book a free breakthrough call with me here → Let’s talk.
Together, we’ll uncover simple ways to use AI that actually free you—so you can lead and live with more clarity, creativity, and flow.
P.S. If this is resonating, please find me on social!
Instagram
LinkedIn
X
Member discussion