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Managing Time for a Better Life, Part 3

We all have the same amount of hours in a day. Are yours quality hours? Do they look and feel the way you want them to?

We don’t always have control over that. It’s tough to live simply in America these days—we can’t be the way people used to before cars and computers and cell phones. We take in more information, go more places and have more conversations with more people in a day than people did even 50 years ago. It’s a whole new world, and we’re on a magic carpet ride that feels more like a treadmill.

And we think if we don’t do all of those things to the max while accomplishing something extraordinary that we’ve somehow failed at life. Why do we think that?

Well, we don’t know exactly. But we do know some things because we try our darnedest to live well and to empower our customers do so, too. So far in this three-part series we’ve discussed the importance of managing energy as well as time and some great ways to do that.

For example, we need to think about whether we’re spending most of our energy on top priorities or using it on less important things. And we need to minimize empty brain calories in this information-crammed, over-stimulating environment in which we live.

Those things help to manage the scarce side of energy and time, but sometimes energy is a thing that can be fed and time can seem relatively fast or slow. What can you do to boost your energy levels and make your days feel less frenetic?


  1. Know what gives you energy, and do it. Often. (And we don’t mean drink more coffee, haha.) We all need sleep and movement. But some folks recover from stress better with sleep and others with exercise. Extroverts feel energized after a party; introverts feel rejuvenated by alone time. Some people find that music feeds their souls; others love being outside in nature with only the wind and the birds in their ears. And laughter is always good medicine. What’s your secret sauce? Don’t deprive yourself.
  2. Remember that energy can multiply…but it’s still finite. If you’ve ever trained for a race or athletic competition, you know that you get more energy as you use it. You also know that if you’re asking a lot of yourself, you must rest more and eat better. Even the best athletes need rest. If you push yourself too hard for too long without allowing recovery time, you’ll deplete your energy so much that your performance will start creeping backward despite your striving.
  3. Slow down time by meditating and taking stock. Experts say part of the reason time passes faster as we grow older is that we stop paying attention. Remember those childhood summers that seemed to go on forever? We have the power to slow down relative time: we simply must press pause, notice the world around us and engage with it—allowing ourselves to be in the moment.

Do you have a secret sauce for managing time and energy well? Please share it here! And Sleep Tight, Urbanites!