236: Energy Management for Entrepreneurs: Stop Fighting Your Natural Rhythms and Start Getting More Done

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Energy Management for Entrepreneurs: Stop Fighting Your Natural Rhythms and Start Getting More Done

Tired of forcing productivity at the wrong times? Time management isn't working because you're ignoring the most important factor: your energy. In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, execution coach Cindy Gordon reveals energy management productivity strategies that help you work with your energy, not against it.

Discover why energy management vs time management is the shift every overwhelmed entrepreneur needs, how to manage your energy by matching tasks to your natural rhythms, and the Reality Check Method for strategic energy-based scheduling.

Perfect for overwhelmed female entrepreneurs and small business owners who are done fighting their natural energy patterns and ready to schedule smarter, not harder.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why time management fails when you ignore energy management productivity
• Energy management vs time management: the fundamental difference that changes everything
• How to work with your energy levels instead of forcing productivity
• The 4 types of work energy entrepreneurs need to understand
• Energy mapping framework: match tasks to your natural high and low energy times
• Real examples of entrepreneurs who stopped fighting their rhythms and started getting more done
• How to manage your energy strategically for maximum business results

If you're a business owner ready to manage your energy, not just your time, this episode will show you exactly how to work with your natural rhythms for better results.

Resources mentioned:

• The Reality Check Method at ExclusivelyCindy.com
• The Growth Collective - $1/day business support membership
• Weekly productivity tips (link in show notes)

Keywords: energy management productivity, work with your energy, energy management vs time management, how to manage your energy, manage your energy not your time, natural energy levels, entrepreneur productivity

🎯 You don't have to figure this out alone! The Growth Collective is your $1/day business support community with weekly office hours, strategic frameworks, and entrepreneurs who get it. Less than your coffee, more than a mastermind. Details at https://exclusivelycindy.thrivecart.com/the-growth-collective/

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

💌 Join 1,400+ entrepreneurs getting exclusive overwhelm solutions and productivity strategies straight to their inbox - sign up now! https://cindygordon.myflodesk.com/countmein

Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
it's 2:00 PM and you're staringat your most important project,
the one that requires deepthinking and creativity, but
your brain is done so you forceyourself to focus anyway, and
three hours later, you'veaccomplished what should have
been done in an hour.
You're not bad at productivity.
You are just scheduling thewrong tasks at the wrong energy

(00:20):
times, hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, aself-made entrepreneur, busy mom
and execution coach.
I've built and sold multipledigital businesses, and I can
tell you that the shift fromtime management to energy
management completelytransformed how much I get done,
so when it comes to working withyour natural rhythms instead of
constantly fighting them, I getit.

(00:41):
I've been there.
Before we dive in, if you're notgetting my weekly productivity
tips yet, grab them using thelink in the show notes.
They are my behind the scenessystems that I use to stay
productive while running mybusiness.
I'm about to show you how tomanage your energy strategically
in just about seven minutes perday.
here's what's probablyhappening.
You've got a calendar that isperfectly time blocked.

(01:04):
You've scheduled every hour ofyour day, but when it's time to
do the strategic planningsession or write the important
proposal, you just can't, yourbrain feels foggy.
You have the time, but you don'thave the mental capacity, so you
force yourself to do it anyway.
And what should have taken youan hour, takes you three.
Or you end up scrolling socialmedia because your brain

(01:26):
literally cannot do that levelof work right now, time and time
again, the women in my programstell me that they feel like
productivity failures.
They've tried every timemanagement system and nothing
sticks.
The women in My Dollar a Daybusiness support membership, the
Growth Collective, describe thisperfectly.
They're scheduling the rightamount of time for tasks, but

(01:47):
doing them at the completelywrong energy times.
Here's the truth that nobody istelling you.
Time management doesn't workwhen you ignore energy
management.
You can have all the time in theworld, but if you don't have the
right energy for the task, thattime is useless.
Your brain has limited decisionmaking and creativity, energy

(02:10):
think of it like a battery thatdrains throughout the day.
Every decision, every problemyou solve, every complex task
uses up that charge.
Different tasks requirecompletely different types and
levels of energy.
Strategic planning needs highcognitive capacity, fresh, sharp
thinking, responding to routineemails that needs very little

(02:32):
mental energy.
But most entrepreneurs scheduletasks based upon urgency or
available time slots, completelyignoring whether they actually
have the right energy or not Forthe task at the moment, when you
force high energy work into lowenergy times, everything takes
longer, the quality suffers, andyou end up exhausted.

(02:52):
It's like trying to run amarathon after you've already
run the marathon.
Your body physically can't do itno matter how much willpower you
throw at it, and your brainworks the same way.
Let me break down thefundamental difference because
this shift changes everything.
Time management asks, do I havetime for this?
Where energy management asks, doI have the right energy for this

(03:16):
right now?
Time management tells you whento work nine to five time
blocks, scheduled hours.
Energy management tells youwhich work to do when based upon
matching task requirements toyour actual energy capacity in
that moment.
You can't think your way intohaving more energy at 3:00 PM
but you can absolutely scheduletasks that don't need high

(03:40):
energy for 3:00 PM and save thatstrategic work for when your
brain is actually sharp.
Here's how to work with yourenergy instead of fighting it.
Start by tracking your energypatterns for just three days.
Notice when you feel mentallysharp versus foggy.
Motivated versus drained.
Don't change a thing yet, justobserve.

(04:01):
Most entrepreneurs discover thatthey have about two to four
hours of high cognitive energyper day, and it's usually in
specific time, windows.
Next, you're gonna categorizeyour tasks by energy type, high
energy work includes strategicplanning, content creation,
complex problem solving, newclient proposals, financial

(04:21):
decision.
Medium energy work are thingslike client calls, team
meetings, and networking.
Low energy work is where yourbrain can practically be on
autopilot.
This oftentimes includes emailresponses, scheduling,
organizing files, or socialmedia posting.
Then reality check your currentschedule.

(04:42):
Are you doing high energystrategic work during your
natural low energy times?
That's why everything feels sohard.
You're not bad at productivity.
You are literally just fightingyour own biology.
Next, you're gonna map yourtasks into your energy times.
Schedule your most strategicwork for your high energy
windows.
Save the administrative tasksfor when your energy naturally

(05:05):
dips.
This isn't about finding moretime or working more hours.
It's about matching the rightwork to the right energy.
I suggest building this intoyour Sunday planning routine.
So when you're planning yourweek ahead, don't just schedule
the tasks, categorize them byenergy requirements first, and
then slot them into times thatmatch your energy patterns.

(05:28):
the biggest obstacle thinking.
You need to track thisperfectly.
You don't even a rough awarenessof I'm super sharp in the
mornings, or my brain iscompletely mush.
After lunch is enough to startscheduling a little bit smarter.
Start with just moving one highenergy task to a better time
this week and notice thedifference.

(05:49):
What shows up as procrastinationis often just your brain telling
you it doesn't have the rightenergy for that specific task
right now, instead of fightingit, ask, is there a different
task I can do with the energythat I have than schedule that
high energy task for when you'reactually sharp, this approach is
woven into how I've ran mycompanies in the past and what I

(06:10):
currently do.
So here's what I've changed.
I used to schedule my strategicwork, the stuff that actually
grows my business for afternoonslots, because that's when I had
free time.
I'd sit down at 2:00 PM to workon a new program or write
content, and then three hourslater, I barely made progress.
I just thought that I wasundisciplined, and then I

(06:31):
started reality checking my own.
Energy patterns.
Turns out my brain is sharpestfrom nine to 11:00 AM.
That's when I can thinkstrategically solve complex
problems and create contentefficiently by 2:00 PM My brain
is already in low energy mode,which is perfect for emails or

(06:52):
admin work, but terrible forstrategic thinking.
So now I protect nine to 11:00AM like it is my most important
client meeting of the daybecause really it is.
That's my time.
That's when I work on revenuegenerating projects, strategic
planning, anything that requiresreal cognitive horsepower.

(07:13):
But those emails, scheduling andorganizing, I do those at 2:00
PM when my brain is slowlycoasting away.
Same amount of work, half thestruggle.
Here's what I want you toremember today.
The most productiveentrepreneurs aren't the ones
who force themselves througheverything.
They're the ones whostrategically match their tasks
to their energy capacity.

(07:34):
So stop asking yourself, am I amorning person or a night
person?
And start asking, what kind ofwork can I do with the energy I
have right now?
This simple shift transforms howyou schedule and how much you
accomplish without burning out.
If you like this approach toenergy management, productivity,
and other topics like this, Iwould love to see you inside My

(07:57):
Growth Collective, my Dollar aDay business support membership,
where we tackle real challengeslike working with your energy
instead of fighting it.
When you stop forcingproductivity at the wrong times
and start schedulingstrategically, everything
becomes easier.
Track your energy for three daysthis week.
Notice when you feel sharpversus foggy.

(08:19):
Send me a DM on exclusivelyCindy, and I would love to learn
about your energy patterns.
And remember, you've got this.

Speaker (08:27):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(08:49):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.