Why is energy management more important than time management?

In Adams' book "Reconstructing the Mind," he introduces a new concept called "energy management." After reading it, I suddenly had a breakthrough!

We usually pursue high efficiency and high performance!

But how to achieve high efficiency?

In the past, we often talked about "time management": making a schedule to ensure how much time each day is spent on serious work. However, in reality, time management can make you passive and unfree. You often can't control yourself, and few people can stick to it. Don't blame yourself; I found I also can't persist.

Here is an essential point we need to see clearly: truly maintaining high efficiency over the long term is not about being more disciplined, but about being better at following human nature. Self-discipline is hard, but going with human nature makes everything flow naturally.

Self-discipline = continuously exhausting willpower; whereas willpower is a limited resource and is quickly depleted by decision-making, emotions, social interactions, and anxiety.

Energy management = requires almost no willpower: because it’s not about "forcing yourself to do," but about: doing the most suitable things at the most optimal times. Not only does it not deplete energy, but it can also produce dopamine.

For example, based on my own experience, the energy levels at different times of the day vary across seasons. Sometimes I am full of energy, suitable for creative work; sometimes I am relaxed, suitable for social activities; sometimes I prefer exercising, or just resting, etc.

For instance, at this moment, from 9 to 11 a.m., my thinking is most active. So you might see that many of my mental activities—such as writing, review, and investment decisions—are completed during this period.

In the afternoon, my state isn't as good, so I use that time for casual exercise, reading, listening to podcasts, or meetings. This acts as a system reset for me and actually yields better results.

Everyone's energy distribution is different.

Below is a quote from Teacher Wan Wei Gang's sharing, which I strongly agree with:

Adams' official working hours are from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m., during which his brain is at its peak. He wakes up, draws comics, drinks coffee, then writes.

How important is matching energy with activity? Adams says, for easier energy management, you should find a job that allows you to set your own schedule, and if possible, choose a life partner who gives you freedom.

Energy is not only related to time but also to environment.

Adams' experience is that working alone at home is not the best environment for writing; in fact, it can be very distracting. He found that the best environment for writing is a place where you can actively ignore the people around you, such as a café or a snack shop. There are many people and various noises, but because they are strangers, you can block them out and focus on writing. There is research that confirms this.

Rather than saying you can't produce anything, it's more accurate to say you're not writing in the right environment.

So if you can't keep going, change your environment. If necessary, go out traveling and find a scenic spot to write. You must find the feeling that allows you to write.

Ultimately, energy management is not just a productivity tool but a form of self-respect.

In the past, we were too used to managing life with "time": what time to get up, what time to work, what time to finish tasks. It seemed that as long as we cut time into fine slices, life would automatically improve. But in reality, this kind of management is easy to lose control of and can lead to self-blame, which backfires.

When you use your low-energy self to fight high-intensity demands, the so-called "procrastination," "laziness," or "poor self-control" is actually your body sending a distress signal. You need to recognize your emotions and accept them.

What energy management does is to look at life from a different perspective: no longer asking "Can I push myself a little more," but instead asking "What is my current state suitable for?" Go with the flow, follow human nature!

People are not machines. True long-term stable output comes from riding the trend, not from brute force. So, when you start arranging your life based on energy rather than willpower, many problems will naturally disappear:

In the end, high efficiency is not about draining a day, but about using every bit of energy where it should go.

Therefore, true mature life management is never about being harsher, but about better cooperating with yourself.