Time management is a topic we often mention in our studies and life. Sharing how to use time rationally, how to improve the efficiency of time utilization, and try to do more things in a limited time always resonates with people. But on the other hand, when we are motivated to do things, we are full of energy and feel that time is not enough. When we lack the motivation to do things, we usually get stressed and suspect about our abilities, why we do so poorly in time management, so undisciplined. Facing the long to-do list every day, it inevitably gets upset and has difficulty concentrating. Inefficient time utilization has been exchanged for low-quality output which causes us to have to extend the studying and working time to make up for this shortcoming.

Time management is more assuming that people are rational, able to follow the schedule without emotional thinking. But in fact, it is a more general concept and does not apply to everyone. We are human beings, sometimes frustration will surpass the sense of accomplishment brought by task completion.

Time is a limited resource, energy is different. Physics defines energy as the potential ability that can be used at work. In this book, the authors believe that we can increase capacity by managing our energy to achieve high performance. The principle for managing our energy is based on rituals of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy recovery.

Physical energy

As we know, most of our discomforts, such as tiredness, anxiety, stress, are caused by imbalances in life. A healthy physical condition can generate more energy. In the contrast, malnutrition, irregular diet, lack of exercise, no good work and rest time, and lack of sleep will all lead to a decline in physical energy and unable to mobilize the maximum potential. And it will affect the emotional control and concentration of doing things. Here the authors recommend taking small meals, 5-6 meals/day with balanced nutrition, keeping 7-8 hours of adequate sleep, and insisting on doing interval training to raise the physical energy level. Abdominal breathing and meditation are also mentioned which can help with stress releasing and recovering. Physical energy represents the quantity of energy, is the fundamental element of high performance.

Mental energy

Many people extended working and studying hours to cope with a heavy workload. The authors claim that this is ignoring the fact that the highest form of creativity depends on a rhythmic movement between engagement in and disengagement, thinking and letting it go, activity and rest. People working long hours without regular breaks is easily getting distracted, make more mistakes, and feel exhausted. Dr. Jim Loehr, one author of this book has been working with many top-level athletes. He found that high-rank high performing athletes are usually having lower heart rates by taking more frequent short ritual recovery and disengagement during the intense match, and they are having better results. In the contrast, lower -rank low-performing players who have been intense throughout the match are making more mistakes.

The same principle is valid in the business world, the state of long-hours high-intensity cannot bring us high performance. We should learn how to switch between engagement and frequent disengagement in studying and work-life to raise better performance. In the book, it suggested after every 90-120 minutes of working/studying, take a 10-15 minutes break. So that people are more creative, active, and have high performance.

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”

― Leonardo da Vinci

Emotional energy

Emotional energy refers to emotional intelligence as the ability to manage emotions cleverly to promote positive energy. It’s the quality of energy and needs to be renewed every now and then. In the book, it says the key abilities that charge positive emotions are self-confidence, self-control, social skills, and empathy. It is important that the emotional energy is enjoyable.

Authors suggest that we need to improve our awareness and experience of how do we feel at different times throughout the day, then try to figure out how to build the emotional energy ritual. It can be started with creating an enjoyable working and living environment, increasing intimate relationships, or enhancing the enjoyable feeling by hobbies and personal interests. The physical challenge is often a source of positive emotions. Reflection also can help us to find out what has been done well or improperly, what can be improved, in order to increase our emotional capacity.

Spiritual energy

If a person’s daily work and activities match the values he believes in, and they are done meaningfully, he can gain spiritual energy. Meanwhile, if a job is significant to a person, he will also feel the more positive energy, be able to concentrate more, and show stronger perseverance.

Spiritual energy is the ability to live in our deep values. It generates our motivation and it’s us why to live. The authors tell that to gain spiritual energy, people should first clarify the priorities of the affairs, and then establish corresponding rituals in three areas. First, engage in what you do best and like best. Second, properly allocate time to all aspects of life. Third, implement the core value in daily behavior. Based on our own values, we need to create our own road map, have our own judgment and make our own meaning.

“One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment.”

– Viktor Frankl

Habit formation

Many research shows that 95% of our decisions are subconscious, only 5% of decisions are controlled by perseverance. Our behavior is very much led by our habits. In the way that only when the positive energy rituals become our habits, they can play a role in us. When we understand ourselves, we will reconcile with ourselves, find out the problem, and solve the problem. When we turn these solutions into our daily lives, we can get freedom and great comfort from them.

Although some parts of the book are not new to us, the author has proved with facts that when a person does positive energy management and transforms them into lifestyle habits, that person will live more positively, happily, and efficiently. Maybe it’s not an easy process to transform from cognition to habit, but it’s worth taking action.