Over the last 96 hours I have spent 10 hours filling in little circles on standardized tests (and I’m not done yet), spent a little under 10 hours in the South Bay meeting or pitching, and a handful of hours working out in the gym leaving myself so sore I haven’t been able to walk without hurting all weekend.
All three circles – emotional, intellectual, and physical – were at empty by Saturday afternoon.
I know lots of people who are busier than I am as they require a full entourage to keep them going each day. But what makes my schedule exhausting is the changing of gears. In one day, I spend six 45-minute blocks in different academic disciplines and then different chunks of time on business, athletics, and social. All these areas require different types of focus and energy. Our Academic Dean reported that it takes on average 13 minutes for the brain to become completely assimilated in a new subject area after sitting down in a new class. I suspect this is similarly true in life.
As the craziness continues, I return to my focus on managing ENERGY not time.