Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time

by Joe Mastey

In his talk "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time" at RubyConf 2015, Joe Mastey addresses the pervasive issue of time management in high-tech culture and emphasizes the importance of effectively managing one's energy instead. Mastey shares personal anecdotes and statistics to illustrate how the obsession with productivity can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. He highlights that many workers feel pressured to be constantly productive, often sacrificing their personal time and well-being. His talk is particularly focused on re-evaluating productivity metrics, arguing that optimizing for energy is more crucial than merely tracking time spent working.

Key Points Discussed:
- Cultural Pressure for Productivity: Mastey surveys the audience, noting how many worked over the weekend, exemplifying widespread societal norms that glorify constant productivity.
- Consequences of Overwork: He cites statistics showing high percentages of workers logging excessive hours, leading to burnout and a lack of work-life balance. Over half of Americans have gone an entire year without taking vacation.
- Ineffective Productivity Advice: Mastey critiques common productivity suggestions that promote a culture of overwork rather than rest, such as minimizing sleep or focusing on "time thieves."
- Quality Over Quantity: He presents research indicating that effective work groups thrive when they feel valued, emphasizing energy management rather than merely increasing work hours.
- Tips for Managing Energy:

- Increase Energy: Encourage adequate sleep, good nutrition, and proper stress management.
- Use Energy Wisely: Limit multitasking and prioritize focus on single tasks to enhance productivity.
- Recharge: Emphasize the need for true rest, distinct from idle distractions.

Significant Examples & Conclusions:
- Mastey shares a compelling personal experience of feeling inadequate in a culture that glorifies productivity, questioning the validity of the mythical "10x programmer."
- He stresses the importance of breaks and disconnecting, advocating for a cultural shift towards accepting that breaks are essential for sustainable productivity.

In conclusion, Mastey encourages embracing a balanced life that prioritizes energy management. Rather than striving for the unattainable ideal of constant output, he argues that individuals can achieve true productivity through effective energy management and self-care. The key takeaways include recognizing the need for rest, prioritizing quality of work over sheer volume, and advocating for a healthier work culture that supports breaks as a vital component of productivity.

00:00:16.279 Hi, how are you all feeling at 3:00 after the first night of partying? Wow, that was really good! I'm super excited. Alright, hi! I am Joe Mastey. I am a Ruby developer and, apparently, now a conference speaker. I also do a lot of work with companies to help them build apprenticeships. Despite my experience, I have significant time management problems, so I'm here to talk about them and hopefully help all of us feel better about that.

00:00:38.520 So, let's do an informal survey because we're all friends here. Who in this room has either done work today or was working yesterday, which, as a note, was Sunday? Raise your hands! Me too. That's about 50% of the audience. So, like I said, yesterday was Sunday, and half of us were working. I have this problem where I feel a need to be productive all the time. I feel like I need to be contributing meaningful code constantly, and this has been weighing on me for the last couple of years.

00:01:21.040 We get this image of people who are constantly producing, like the Zed Shaws of the world, who put out 10,000 books every year. With the Instagram culture, it feels like this is how it's supposed to look. I see people who are so put together, while I am struggling. In the software world, I'm supposed to be this magical unicorn. Not only should I be productive 100% of the time, but I also need to be more productive than everyone else. Companies are only interested in hiring the top 10% of programmers, and there's this mythical concept of the '10x programmer,' which is more fantasy than reality.

00:01:46.439 This pressure to be more productive is hurting us all, and I think you have this problem too. I don’t think it’s just because you showed up for a productivity talk—thank you for showing up—which is a clear indication that you might feel this as well. I checked a bunch of statistics and realized I'm not alone. We are going to walk through a few studies and talk about research that supports these ideas. This talk is heavy on cited resources, and you can look them all up online afterward.

00:02:25.160 For example, a Gallup poll found that a couple of years ago, 25% of American salaried workers were working 60 or more hours a week. If we scale that back to only 50 hours a week, it jumps to 40%. If you know anyone—or if you are that poor soul—working 50 or 60 hours a week, you know that this isn't just a Monday-to-Friday thing. Nobody does 60 hours from Monday to Friday and then really takes Saturday off. This sort of work leads to a low-level burnout all day long, all week long.

00:02:58.120 Indeed, more than half of Americans have gone 12 months without a vacation. So, we end up having a conversation about how much vacation time we should have. It turns out that Americans forfeit about 25% of their vacation each year. I want to highlight this one because it really bothers me: about two-thirds of workers eat and work at their desks. Many people think, 'I have so much to get done, I'll just grab a sandwich.' And this paints a picture of an out-of-control situation where our need to be productive is consuming all of our time.

00:03:43.959 The result of this desperate need to squeeze every minute from our days is that 133% of workers are engaged, according to a worldwide poll. Almost twice as many people—24%—are actively disengaged. I can't quantify exactly what that means, but I'm pretty sure it’s the point at which you’re about to burn the building down and walk out. If anyone here works on a team, you should know that this negative energy spills over into the rest of your team.

00:04:05.600 Not only do you have this issue personally, but if you’re a leader, that energy cascades onto those who report to you. We face a significant problem. There's a great quote: when demand exceeds capacity, we make expedient choices. The expedient choices reflect the sacrifices we start making in the other parts of our lives; we do work at home, work in bed, and work before we eat, neglecting even the basic need to eat.

00:04:47.600 Being the child of the internet that I am, I decided that somebody must have written about this. I wish I had time to go into everything I found, but I’ve come across a lot of content suggesting ways to be productive. Some of this advice is good, but some of it we can do without. For instance, one Forbes article that I came across suggests, if you feel your brain melting, here’s a fast easy tip: push your face against the grindstone harder. Really? Thanks for that valuable insight.

00:05:41.760 Another article suggested dropping out of clubs or subscriptions if time spent on them can’t be justified. Well, I still have hobbies, interests, and friends, and I refuse to give them up because I can’t accomplish everything. It’s no secret that the more time you have for work, the more you can achieve. One suggestion simply says, 'wake up earlier and start working earlier.' This is a terrible idea; I’m not going to sacrifice my sleep to accommodate that. It’s effectively asking me not to sleep to be productive.

00:07:08.320 One of my favorites was from lifehack.org, which suggests identifying your time thieves. This metaphor implies the problem isn’t you, but external forces that steal your time—little gnomes sneaking in at night! Lifehack.org promotes the notion of 'rescuing your time from those time thieves,' but this is a counterproductive metaphor. When it comes to thinking about productivity, we often let ourselves get bogged down by panic, believing we should chase away our so-called time thieves. But there’s no unique solution to this issue; it's not that simple.

00:08:23.960 The suggestion to chase your time thieves and rescue your time sounds great, but it often leads to frustration. The more you focus on it, the worse your situation can become. I end up doing things that aren’t productive at all, and struggling with the guilt of not being productive, which then interferes with my ability to spend quality time with my family.

00:09:12.440 This is what I want my life to look like: A balance! I love work, but I also want to invest time in other aspects of my life that hold value. The reality is, I feel out of line with my productivity. My contention is that the reason for my lack of balance is that we're measuring the wrong thing. It’s valid to argue against wasting time, but optimizing what we measure is crucial. We need to focus on our energy rather than just the time spent.

00:09:40.600 Let’s discuss a particular Gallup Poll study over several years. They looked at effective workplaces and found that there’s no such thing as an effective company—only effective work groups. This raises an interesting side note. What made people productive was feeling cared for by someone at work and receiving positive feedback. These elements are not about time management or how early I wake up; they are about energy!

00:10:14.279 The quantity of time is less significant compared to the quality of energy we bring to our tasks. When you start to approach work from the lens of energy rather than purely time, many aspects start to make sense. If you find yourself faffing about on Facebook or struggling to keep up focus, it’s a sign that something is off balance. It’s not about enforcing restrictions; it's about reevaluating and rebalancing how we distribute our energy.

00:11:11.440 To regain a sense of balance, let’s discuss some tips inspired by research on managing energy. I identified three categories: getting more energy, using that energy wisely, and figuring out how to recharge. First, getting more energy is the easiest category. I know many of these suggestions will sound familiar, but their importance can’t be overstated. Let’s start with sleep.

00:12:34.640 There’s a reason I mentioned a cute tiny pig earlier: many of you aren’t sleeping enough! It’s vital to get adequate sleep. It's not just about the quantity of sleep, but also its quality. A surprising statistic: 80% of people sleep with their cell phones nearby. This poses a problem because if your phone is your alarm clock, you're likely staring at your screen before bed. Staring at screens is known to suppress nighttime melatonin, which is essential for sleep.

00:13:12.960 Additionally, if you find yourself drinking often after work, that may help you fall asleep faster; however, it may reduce REM sleep essential for concentration, motor skills, and memory. Thus, it’s just as important for your mental capacity as it is for your physical health. Adequate nutrition is another significant aspect of gaining energy. As white-collar, well-educated workers, we should prioritize nutritional needs.

00:14:13.240 Eating healthy foods will ensure that your body has the energy it needs to perform. Have you ever had an energy drink like Red Bull? Sure, it gives you a quick boost, but long-term reliance on that will only hurt you. Stress management is also crucial. A moderate level of stress is beneficial to enhance our productivity, but excessive stress, just like overexerting a muscle, can create crises.

00:14:41.040 Moving on to the next section—spending energy wisely! Studies show that using willpower can diminish as we exert it, but interestingly, this is only true if you believe it. If you tell yourself that you have unlimited willpower, you’ll likely exceed your expectations. Multitasking? It doesn’t work. Research indicates that multitasking hinders productivity.

00:15:31.440 While some people assert they excel at multitasking, studies show they actually perform worse than those who aren’t skilled in it. The drop in IQ during multitasking is akin to what you’d see if you smoked weed or stayed up all night! A consequence of multitasking is a diminished capacity, resulting in inevitable burnout. The key is to focus on one task at a time without getting distracted.

00:16:34.920 One commonality in our lives is that many tasks remain unresolved, occupying valuable mental space. Thus, if you can take the time, although it may not seem efficient, to tackle those loose ends and check them off your list, you free up that mental energy for other responsibilities. It’s about prioritizing what needs to be finished so you can move forward!

00:17:54.800 Shifting to the recharge aspect, rest is not the same as idleness, and idleness is not the same as rest. When you do nothing and allow your brain to process without external stimuli, it shifts into a default mode which is crucial for cognitive functioning. The problem arises when we don’t engage in true rest but fill our downtime with distractions like scrolling through social media or mindless gaming.

00:19:37.079 A compelling parable resonates with this idea: two monks are bragging about their masters—one can walk across a river without a bridge, while the other is simply present and fully engages in carrying wood or water. The beauty of this thought lies in being present with whatever you are doing, which spills over into the rest you take.

00:20:22.600 So, when I say you should eat breakfast, take walks, or listen to music, I'm not suggesting you multitask these activities. Instead, they should be moments of disconnection. Additionally, alternating periods of activity and rest is vital. Our modern work mindset is built around the misconception that we can function efficiently for long hours without adequate downtime, often leading to burnout.

00:21:35.920 People might think they're thriving on making these sacrifices, but the truth is they aren't. The same colleague often feels exhausted, saying every day is the same. In pursuing the ideal of constant productivity, we neglect our need for substantial downtime—so take legitimate breaks and completely detach from work.

00:22:44.640 To recap, focus on energy—it is the real currency of our efforts. Time may matter, but it is not what we should prioritize. We need to reevaluate how we manage our energy intake, expenditures, and recharge. While productivity unicorns may not exist, a balanced life is achievable, and it is a life worth striving for.

00:23:54.280 Thank you very much! I believe I have time for questions. I also have stickers to give away, and I'm on Twitter if you’d like to connect.

00:24:33.400 So, does anyone have questions? There’s a question about the 'two-minute rule' on to-do lists: if you can do it in under five minutes, get it done immediately. I suspect that’s a bit orthogonal to being productive. Where we get in trouble is believing that we can accomplish everything in one go and then squeeze in those small tasks, leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed without disconnecting. Does that make sense?

00:25:43.080 Another question raised defined the loop of disconnecting and taking breaks. When your focus shifts to internalizing, allowing your mind to wander and imagine, you let your brain recharge. If you’re engaged in gaming or similar external-stimulus activities, it won’t help with true rest.

00:26:45.360 A question about feeling guilty for not working arises—accepting that taking breaks is part of a broader productivity system matters. Engaging in time management doesn’t always mean hours of work. Understand that inefficient 'seat time' doesn’t equal effective output. You need to give yourself permission to take essential breaks to prepare emotionally and mentally for productivity.

00:27:56.080 An anecdote from a contractor's point of view highlights a disconnect in expectations. Other professionals share that it's great to work 60 hours a week, which sounds like a badge of honor. Instead, the reality of consistent productivity lies in taking legitimate time off.

00:29:00.880 It’s essential to understand that the conclusions drawn during a talk like this won’t immediately change your routine. We face the challenge of shifting perspectives and understanding that if we find ourselves avoiding important tasks, it’s essential to disconnect and recharge. I love this Ruby community, and I stress that none of us are terrible people for needing breaks.

00:30:00.760 This blatant normalization of being overworked is unhealthy, and I think it’s time to advocate for break-taking unapologetically. Taking breaks isn't just practical; it's an essential part of sustainable productivity. Thank you for engaging with this topic, and I'm happy to answer any more questions afterward!