We can’t be running at 100 percent for 100 percent of the time. We need time to rest, recuperate, and recharge.
There will be days when we feel under the weather (or worse). There will be days when we are wiped out from what the world has presented to us. We still have to show up, and, as Steven Pressfield says, “Do the work.”
If you don’t have a safeguard in place — some kind of framework to guide you through these days — then you’ll spend time cherry picking tasks at random and do far less than what you could do. Then when you’re feeling better, the tasks from those “less than optimal” days will have piled up and left you overwhelmed for the next several days ahead.
My aim with this piece is to share with you the simple strategy I’ve used (and still use) to stay productive when I’m sick and tired.
Here it is: The best thing I’ve done to keep me moving forward even when I’m not at my best is to filter my to do list tasks by energy level required.
Diving into Energy Levels
I tag many of my tasks with Energy-Based Modes so I can easily see what tasks require more energy than others. There are certain tasks that I know take more mental and physical focus. Here are some examples of tasks that require high levels of energy.
