CONTEXT

Most people think time is their most valuable resource.

I disagree. I think it’s energy.

Why? Well, if your energy is drained, it’s impossible to use time well.

So… how do you increase your energy?

Eliminate things that steal it.

Let’s get started.

METHOD

The Personal Energy Audit:

1. Review

Look back on your calendar from the last 7 days.

(Your meetings should already be in there. Easy.)

Add in some time blocks for any big activities you did (e.g., tasks at work, social events, workouts, etc).

2. Rate

Reflect on each task hour-by-hour, and mark it as either:

Green: (After doing that, I had more energy than when I started).

Examples might be:

• Deep work on a project you love

• Coffee with an inspiring friend

• A morning workout

Or Red: (After doing that, I had less energy than when I started).

Examples might be:

• Work meetings with no agenda

• Household chores

• Events you said ‘yes’ to out of obligation

(There are no neutrals. Neutrals are red.)

3. Remove

Notice the patterns. For everything red, ask yourself 3 questions:

• I) Does this need to happen? Really?

  If it’s not mission-critical, eliminate it. Make ‘no’ your default.

• II) If it does need to happen… do you need to be the one to do it?

  Could you delegate it? (You’d be surprised how much can be outsourced: laundry, meal prep, scheduling meetings, etc.)

• III) If you need to be the one to do it, how can you make the experience more energy-raising?

  Examples:

  • When doing chores, listen to a playlist or audiobook you love

  • For all meetings, ask the owner for a written agenda in advance

WHY IT WORKS

You’ll be shocked by how many energy-draining things in your calendar don’t actually need to happen.

The goal is to spend most of your time (75-80%) doing things that energize you.

Keep eliminating, delegating, or optimizing the “reds” until you hit that ratio.

Hat-tip to Matt Mochary (one of the best executive coaches in the world). He makes all of his clients do this— including the CEOs of Reddit, OpenAI, Notion, among others.

You can actually check out Matt’s other productivity tips in this legendary google doc. (I kinda can’t believe he gave his whole technique away for free).

Much love,

Jade

P.S. Come say hi on Instagram 👋🏼 Every morning, I share a quick “thought of the day” to reflect on.

And a very warm welcome to the 1,200+ who have joined since last week!

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