Hey friend,

Do you also sometimes look at ultra-successful people and wonder: "How do they do all of this?!"

It seems like some people operate on another level.

Take Beyoncé.

We all know that Sasha Fierce, is prolific in her creative projects and epic performances.

The Queen even started Parkwood Entertainment, a holdings company spanning movies, music, and fashion.

But here's a strange fact, friend:

Yup. We all have the same 24 hours.

This old productivity meme originated on Molly-Mae Hague’s Diary of a CEO podcast. (FWIW, she took a lot of heat for it).

Now putting aside that Beyoncé has a supporting team of nearly 100 people, there’s a kernel of truth here.

There is a fixed amount of hours in each day.

Which means there’s a limit to what can be accomplished by Queens, Kings and ordinary plebes.

Time management completely misses the mark

Now to deal with these pesky 24 hours, you’ll hear the same advice over and over again.

Wake up earlier.

Use a Text Expander.

Automate paying your bills.

Take cold showers.

Yes, the cacophonous choir of $10 Work.

Yet deep inside, friend you know the truth.

This won't put a dent in your endless to-do list.

Common hustle culture productivity advice got one thing horribly wrong.

Time Management. just. does. not. work.

Here's what to do instead.

Learn how to manage your energy

Here's a simple idea.

Our energy fluctuates throughout the day.

So why not match your best energy with your most productive activities?

Let me offer myself as a case study.

As a father of two young kids, I have peak energy right after I wake up, meditate and work out.

As the morning progresses (and the coffee kicks in), the energy continues to increase.

Around lunch, my full tummy makes me lethargic and my energy starts to wane.

Then at around 3 pm, right as I go for that cookie or Diet Coke, my energy violently plummets.

Here's what this looks like as a graph:

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4 steps to manage your energy

Yo, we are pumped for your shift into energy management. Just follow these 4 simple steps.

Step 1: Create your energy map

Steal our energy map!

Yup, we made it just for you.

It's in a public (and free Coda document) that you can download here.

Once you've got the link, here's how to duplicate the template:

Step 2: Identify and protect your high-energy zones

Psychology researchers have found that people can focus on average 4-5 hours each day.

Take a look at your energy map.

Do you have more than 4 bars at level 7 or above?

Once you’ve identified these zones, you must protect them ruthlessly.

Use calendar blocks, anti-distraction software, airplane mode, whatever it takes to use those 4 hours for strategic thinking and your highest-leverage $10K Work.

If you’re on fire in the mornings, please (we beg you) do not spend those hours responding to Slack messages.

Step 2: Identify your low-energy zones

Now look for dips below level 5.

If you’re a morning person, these may be at the end of the day. This is the time to batch your low-value, $10 Work.

Put on some headphones and get to Inbox Zero, pay those bills and reorganize your Notion workspace.

(Heck, we encourage you to even grab our preferred cocktail, a Skinny Margarita.)

Step 3: Can you transform your low-energy zones?

Here’s where it gets spicy, my friend.

What separates energy from time?

Time is finite and cannot be replenished.

Energy is (theoretically) infinite and can be restored.

Can any of your low energy zones can be flipped into higher-energy zones?

This is where you can lean into the other categories and look for triggers and causes. For example:

• The heavy Italian hero you had for lunch could be replaced with a salad with healthy fats (avocados) and protein (fish)
• Does a certain 1:1 zap you of your energy – can you move it around?
• When you need a cookie for that afternoon boost, could u swap it with a brisk walk (or some burpees)?
• Where can batching similar activities remove the friction of context switching?

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Your turn! Show us your energy map

Seriously, thanks for reading this far.

We'd love to see your Energy Map. Hit Reply and attach a simple screenshot!

With gratitude,

Khe + the RadReads team

PS Tomorrow's email includes a free workshop on the ultimate cheat code, The Weekly Review.