My Energy Profile Worksheet

This worksheet will help you understand your unique energy patterns and identify your most important tasks. By mapping these two, you can design a more effective and less draining day.

Part 1: My Daily Energy Tracker

Think about a typical day or week. How do your energy levels fluctuate? Use a scale of 1 (very low energy/fatigued) to 5 (very high energy/alert).

Part 2: Identifying My Vital Tasks

These are the tasks that require your best mental energy and contribute most significantly to your long-term goals. They are often important, but not always urgent.

1. List 3-5 of your most vital professional or personal tasks that require deep focus, creativity, or problem-solving:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What kind of energy do these vital tasks require? (e.g., creative thinking, analytical focus, sustained concentration, social interaction)
   
   
   
   

Part 3: Reflecting on My Energy Profile

1. Based on your Energy Tracker, when are your peak energy times (when you feel most alert and capable of deep work)?
   
   
   
   

2. When are your low energy times (when you feel tired, distracted, or less effective)?
   
   
   
   

3. How well do your current vital tasks align with your peak energy times?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. What types of tasks do you often do during your low energy times? Are these tasks suitable for those periods?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Strategic Schedule Design Activity

Now that you've identified your energy patterns and vital tasks using the Worksheet: My Energy Profile, it's time to put that knowledge into action! This activity will help you intentionally design a segment of your day to maximize your energy and productivity.

Goal

To redesign a portion of your daily schedule by aligning your vital tasks with your peak energy times and allocating low-energy tasks to your natural troughs.

Materials Needed

• Your completed Worksheet: My Energy Profile
• Pen or pencil
• Blank paper or a digital scheduling tool (optional)

Instructions

1. Choose a Time Segment (5 minutes): Select a 3-4 hour segment of your typical workday or week that you want to optimize. For example, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, or a specific afternoon.

   • My Chosen Time Segment:
     
     
     

2. Current Schedule Snapshot (5 minutes): Briefly list what you typically do during this chosen time segment. Don't censor, just write down your reality.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Recall Your Energy & Vital Tasks (5 minutes): Look at your Worksheet: My Energy Profile.

   • When is your peak energy within this chosen segment? (If not, consider how you might shift the segment, or which tasks are still best for that energy level).
   • What are your 1-2 most vital tasks that could fit into this segment?

4. Redesign Your Schedule (10 minutes): Now, on a new piece of paper or in a blank digital document, create a new, ideal schedule for your chosen time segment. Be intentional!

   • Prioritize Vital Tasks: Place your most vital tasks during your peak energy times within this segment.
   • Allocate Low-Energy Tasks: Schedule less demanding tasks (e.g., emails, administrative work, meetings that don't require intense focus) for your lower energy times or just before/after a break.
   • Integrate Breaks: Plan for short, restorative breaks (5-15 minutes) within your natural ultradian rhythms.

My Redesigned Schedule for [Chosen Time Segment]:

Reflection (5 minutes)

1. What was the most challenging part of redesigning your schedule with energy in mind?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What benefits do you anticipate from trying this new approach?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. What's one small change you can commit to implementing from this redesigned schedule in the next week?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

The Power of Intentional Energy Allocation

In a world obsessed with doing more in less time, the concept of "time management" has often taken center stage. We are taught to cram our schedules, back-to-back, with tasks, striving for efficiency. However, a growing body of research and the lived experience of countless professionals point to a more sustainable and effective approach: energy management. This isn't about how many hours you work, but how wisely you use your energetic capacity throughout the day.

Why Energy Matters More Than Time

Time is a finite resource; everyone gets 24 hours a day. Energy, however, is renewable. Our ability to focus, be creative, solve complex problems, and engage effectively fluctuates throughout the day. Ignoring these natural fluctuations in our energy levels can lead to:

• Burnout: Constant depletion without adequate recovery.
• Decreased Productivity: Spending more time on tasks with diminishing returns.
• Reduced Quality of Work: Errors and less innovative output.
• Increased Stress: Feeling constantly behind or overwhelmed.

By intentionally allocating your energy, you can achieve more impactful results with less effort and greater well-being.

Understanding Your Natural Rhythms: Beyond the Clock

Our bodies operate on several natural cycles. While circadian rhythms dictate our sleep-wake cycle over 24 hours, ultradian rhythms are shorter cycles, typically lasting about 90-120 minutes. During an ultradian cycle, we move from a high-focus, high-alert state to a natural dip in energy, focus, and creativity.

• The 90-Minute Focus Cycle: Think of it like a sprint. You can maintain high intensity for a period, but then you need recovery.
• The Need for Breaks: Just as our bodies need sleep after a full day, our minds need short breaks after an intense ultradian cycle. These aren't just coffee breaks; they are opportunities for true mental and physical recovery, allowing your brain to consolidate information and recharge.

Recognizing and respecting these internal rhythms is the first step towards intentional energy allocation.

The Energy Audit: Discovering Your Patterns

Before you can redesign your day, you need to understand your current energy landscape. An "energy audit" involves tracking your energy levels, mood, and focus throughout a typical day or week. As you did in the Worksheet: My Energy Profile, pay attention to:

• Peak Energy Times: When do you feel most alert, creative, and capable of deep concentration? For many, this is in the morning, but it varies.
• Low Energy Times (Troughs): When do you typically experience dips, fatigue, or difficulty concentrating? The mid-afternoon slump is a common example.
• Energy-Gaining Activities: What activities genuinely recharge you? (e.g., exercise, spending time in nature, connecting with loved ones, creative hobbies).
• Energy-Draining Activities: What tasks or interactions consistently deplete your energy?

This self-awareness is critical for making informed decisions about your schedule.

Prioritizing for Peak Performance: Identifying Your Vital Tasks

Not all tasks are created equal in terms of energy demands or strategic importance. "Vital tasks" are those high-impact activities that require your best cognitive resources and contribute most significantly to your long-term goals and values. They are often complex, creative, or strategic. In contrast, "low-energy tasks" are routine, administrative, or less demanding activities.

• The Eisenhower Matrix: A helpful tool to differentiate between urgent/important, important/not urgent, urgent/not important, and not urgent/not important tasks.
• Focus on Important, Not Urgent: Your peak energy should primarily be reserved for the "important, not urgent" tasks that drive significant progress.

Strategies for Intentional Allocation

Once you know your energy peaks and vital tasks, you can proactively design your day:

1. Schedule Vital Tasks during Peak Energy: Block out your peak energy times for your most demanding, high-impact work. Treat these blocks as non-negotiable appointments.
2. Allocate Low-Energy Tasks to Troughs: Use your lower energy periods for administrative tasks, routine emails, meetings that don't require intense creativity, or simply for breaks.
3. Plan for Strategic Breaks: Build short (10-20 minute) restorative breaks into your schedule after each 90-120 minute work cycle. Step away from your screen, move your body, or engage in a mindful activity.
4. Batch Similar Tasks: Group together tasks that require similar energy or mental states to reduce context switching.
5. Protect Your Recovery Time: Ensure you have adequate time for sleep, exercise, and personal rejuvenation outside of work hours.
6. Learn to Say No: Protect your energy and time by politely declining commitments that don't align with your priorities or energy capacity.

Combatting Common Energy Drains

• Multitasking: It's a myth for deep work. It fragments attention and depletes energy faster.
• Constant Interruptions: Create "focus zones" or communicate boundaries to minimize disruptions.
• Lack of Clear Priorities: Without knowing what's vital, everything feels equally demanding.
• Poor Sleep and Nutrition: Fundamental pillars of sustained energy.

By shifting your mindset from merely managing time to intentionally allocating your energy, you empower yourself to work smarter, not just harder. This leads to not only greater productivity but also a profound sense of control, reduced stress, and ultimately, a more fulfilling and sustainable professional and personal life.

Energy Architect: Design Your Day with Purpose Script

Warm-Up: Energy Check-In (10 minutes)

(Teacher says): "Good morning/afternoon everyone! Welcome to 'Energy Architect: Design Your Day with Purpose.' Today, we're going to explore how to work smarter, not just harder, by understanding our most valuable resource: our personal energy."

"To start, I want you to take a moment and just check in with yourselves. How are you feeling right now, energetically? On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is completely drained and 5 is buzzing with focus and vitality, where would you rate yourself? Just a quick mental check.


"

"Now, think about your typical day. When do you usually feel your best? When do you typically hit a slump? What activities seem to boost your energy, and which ones drain it? Take 60 seconds to jot down a few thoughts on this.





"

"(Pause for participants to jot down notes.)"

"Alright, let's share a few thoughts. Who feels comfortable sharing one thing that tends to boost their energy, or one thing that really drains it?"

"(Facilitate a brief discussion, noting common themes like caffeine, exercise, certain types of meetings, etc.)"

"Excellent! It sounds like we all have some intuitive understanding of our energy. Today, we're going to dive deeper into making that intuition a powerful tool for designing our days with purpose."

Introduction: Beyond Timeboxing (15 minutes)

(Teacher says): "(Transition to Slide Deck: Energy Architect - Slide 2: Beyond Timeboxing)"

"For a long time, the dominant advice for productivity has been about 'time management.' We schedule every minute, use calendars, and try to squeeze more into our day. But how many of you have found that even with a perfectly scheduled day, you still feel exhausted or unproductive?


"

"The truth is, time is finite – we all get 24 hours. But our energy is not constant. It fluctuates. And managing that energy effectively is often far more impactful than just managing time. We're going to shift our focus to energy allocation – intentionally placing your most important work during your highest energy times."

"(Transition to Slide Deck: Energy Architect - Slide 3: Your Body's Natural Flow)"

"This isn't just a 'feeling'; it's rooted in science. Our bodies have natural cycles, not just the 24-hour circadian rhythm that governs sleep and wakefulness, but also shorter cycles called ultradian rhythms. Think of these as 'mini-cycles' within your day."

"Essentially, for about 90 to 120 minutes, our brains are wired for high focus and performance. But after that, our energy naturally dips. This isn't a sign of weakness; it's our body telling us it's time for a short break to recover. Pushing through these dips leads to fatigue, mistakes, and ultimately, burnout. We'll be talking more about how to use these rhythms to your advantage."

"(Transition to Slide Deck: Energy Architect - Slide 4: Mapping Your Energy Curve)"

"So, the first step is understanding your unique energy curve. Are you a morning person, full of creative energy at 8 AM? Or do you hit your stride in the late morning or afternoon? Knowing this is like having a superpower for scheduling."

"(Transition to Slide Deck: Energy Architect - Slide 5: What Are Your Vital Tasks?)"

"The second crucial piece is identifying your vital tasks. These are the tasks that require your peak mental energy – the ones that move your biggest goals forward, demand deep focus, creativity, or complex problem-solving. They're often important but not always urgent. It's easy to let urgent-but-less-important tasks fill our peak energy slots, leaving us with no gas for what truly matters."

Identify Your Energy Profile (20 minutes)

(Teacher says): "To help you get clear on your own energy and vital tasks, we're going to work through the Worksheet: My Energy Profile. Please grab a copy of the worksheet."

"Part 1: My Daily Energy Tracker. I want you to reflect on a typical day. In the first column, rate your energy level for each time block from 1 to 5. Then, fill in what you're usually doing and how you feel during those times. Be honest with yourself – this is about your reality. You have about 7-8 minutes for this section."

"(Pause for 7-8 minutes. Circulate to answer questions.)"

"Alright, let's move to Part 2: Identifying My Vital Tasks. Based on your professional or personal goals, what are 3-5 tasks that genuinely require your best focus and energy? These are the tasks that, when completed well, make a significant difference. Then, think about the kind of energy these tasks demand. You have about 5-6 minutes here."

"(Pause for 5-6 minutes. Circulate.)"

"Finally, Part 3: Reflecting on My Energy Profile. Use your completed tracker and vital tasks to answer these reflection questions. This is where you synthesize your observations. Take about 5 minutes."

"(Pause for 5 minutes.)"

"Now, in pairs or small groups of three, I'd like you to briefly discuss what you discovered. Were there any surprises? Did you notice a clear pattern? What was one vital task you identified? You have about 5 minutes for this discussion.


"

"(Facilitate small group discussion.)"

Activity: Strategic Schedule Design (25 minutes)

(Teacher says): "Excellent discussions! Now that you have a clearer picture of your energy and your vital tasks, we're going to put this into practice with our 'Strategic Schedule Design' activity. Please refer to the Activity Guide: Strategic Schedule Design."

"The goal here is simple but powerful: to redesign a segment of your day by intentionally aligning your vital tasks with your peak energy times."

"First, choose a time segment you want to optimize – perhaps 3-4 hours of a typical workday. Then, briefly list what you currently do during that segment. Just a quick snapshot."

"(Pause for 5 minutes.)"

"Now, looking at your completed Worksheet: My Energy Profile and your chosen time segment, you're going to redesign your schedule. Use the blank table provided in the activity guide, or a blank piece of paper if you prefer."

"Here’s how:

• Prioritize Vital Tasks: Place your 1-2 most vital tasks during the parts of your chosen segment where your energy is highest.
• Allocate Lower-Energy Tasks: Use your lower energy times, or periods just before/after breaks, for tasks that are less demanding.
• Integrate Breaks: Don't forget those strategic 5-15 minute breaks to recharge, especially after an intense period of focus. Remember those ultradian rhythms!"

"You have about 10-12 minutes for this redesign. Be creative, be intentional, and imagine what your most productive and energized self would do."

"(Pause for 10-12 minutes. Circulate, offering guidance and answering questions.)"

"Fantastic effort, everyone! Let's take about 5 minutes for personal reflection on your redesigned schedule, using the questions at the bottom of the activity guide. What was challenging? What benefits do you anticipate? What's one small change you can commit to?


"

"(Pause for 5 minutes.)"

Reading & Reflection (10 minutes)

(Teacher says): "To further deepen your understanding and provide you with some additional insights, I've prepared a short reading: Reading: The Power of Intentional Energy Allocation."

"I encourage you to take the next 5-7 minutes to silently read through this document. It reinforces many of the concepts we've discussed and offers more strategies for sustainable energy management. As you read, think about how these ideas resonate with your own experience and your newly designed schedule.


"

"(Pause for 5-7 minutes of silent reading.)"

Cool Down: One Small Step (10 minutes)

(Teacher says): "(Transition to Slide Deck: Energy Architect - Slide 7: Your Energy, Your Design)"

"Alright, let's bring it all together. We've talked about ultradian rhythms, identifying vital tasks, and strategically designing our days. It can feel like a lot to change at once."

"For our cool-down, I want each of you to think about just one small, actionable step you will take to implement intentional energy allocation in the next week. It doesn't have to be a complete overhaul, just one step forward. It could be:

• 'I will block out 90 minutes for my vital task first thing in the morning.'
• 'I will take a 15-minute walk after lunch to combat my afternoon slump.'
• 'I will review my schedule weekly to align tasks with my energy.'"

"Write down your one small step in the Cool Down: One Small Step handout.


"

"(Pause for 2-3 minutes for participants to write.)"

"Would anyone like to share their 'one small step' with the group? Hearing each other's commitments can be incredibly motivating."

"(Facilitate a brief sharing session or collect the handouts.)"

"Thank you all for your engagement today. Remember, managing your energy isn't just about being more productive; it's about fostering your well-being and creating a life that feels more balanced and purposeful. I encourage you to experiment, be patient with yourselves, and keep refining your 'Energy Architect' skills!"

Warm Up: Energy Check-In

Welcome to our session on energy and time management! To get started, let's do a quick energy check-in.

Reflect and Respond:

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is very low energy and 5 is very high energy, how would you rate your current energy level right now?
   
   
   
   

2. Think about a typical day for you. What is one activity or task that almost always boosts your energy?
   
   
   
   

3. What is one activity or task that almost always drains your energy?
   
   
   
   

4. Briefly describe how you feel during your most productive times of the day.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Cool Down: One Small Step

We've covered a lot about understanding your energy and designing your day with purpose. It's not about making drastic changes overnight, but about taking intentional steps.

Your Commitment:

1. Based on today's discussion and activities, what is ONE small, actionable step you will commit to taking in the next week to better align your energy with your vital tasks?

   • Think about a specific action, a time, or a habit you will start or stop.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. What is one positive impact you hope this small step will have on your productivity or well-being?