energy-management

name	energy-management
description	Maps energy levels to task types for optimized daily scheduling with peak performance time blocks and recovery periods.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Energy Management

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Map personal energy patterns to optimize when you do which tasks
• Design a daily schedule based on energy levels rather than arbitrary time slots
• Identify energy drains and build recovery rituals into the workday
• Maximize output without burnout by working WITH your biology

DO NOT use this skill for morning routines (use morning-routine-builder), task prioritization, or health/wellness planning. This is for aligning work tasks with natural energy cycles.

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Core Principle

TIME MANAGEMENT IS A LIE — YOU CANNOT MANAGE TIME, ONLY ENERGY. MATCHING HIGH-ENERGY TASKS TO HIGH-ENERGY WINDOWS MULTIPLIES OUTPUT WITHOUT ADDING HOURS.

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Phase 1: Energy Audit

Map the user's natural energy patterns.

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Wake time	"What time do you typically wake up?"	6:30 AM
Work hours	"What are your typical work hours?"	8 AM - 6 PM
Peak time	"When do you feel most alert and focused?"	Mid-morning
Crash time	"When do you hit an energy low?"	After lunch
Task types	"List your main work activities (creative, analytical, admin, calls, etc.)"	No default
Current pain	"When do you feel least productive?"	Afternoon

Energy Mapping Exercise

Ask the user to rate energy levels 1-5 for each 2-hour block:

## Energy Map

| Time Block | Energy (1-5) | Current Task Type | Ideal Task Type |
|-----------|-------------|------------------|-----------------|
| 6-8 AM | [X] | [What they do now] | [What they should do] |
| 8-10 AM | [X] | [Current] | [Ideal] |
| 10 AM-12 PM | [X] | [Current] | [Ideal] |
| 12-2 PM | [X] | [Current] | [Ideal] |
| 2-4 PM | [X] | [Current] | [Ideal] |
| 4-6 PM | [X] | [Current] | [Ideal] |

GATE: Confirm energy map before designing the optimized schedule.

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Phase 2: Task-Energy Matching

Categorize tasks by energy requirement and match to energy windows.

Task Energy Categories

## Task Classification

### Peak Energy Tasks (Energy 4-5 required)
- Strategic thinking and planning
- Creative work (writing, designing, building)
- Complex problem solving
- Important client conversations
- Learning new skills

### Moderate Energy Tasks (Energy 2-3 required)
- Client calls and meetings
- Collaboration and feedback
- Research and analysis
- Project management
- Decision-making

### Low Energy Tasks (Energy 1-2 sufficient)
- Email and inbox processing
- Administrative tasks
- Data entry and filing
- Social media scheduling
- Routine follow-ups

Optimized Schedule Template

## Energy-Optimized Daily Schedule

| Time | Energy Level | Task Category | Specific Tasks |
|------|-------------|--------------|----------------|
| [Peak window] | HIGH (4-5) | Creative / Strategic | [User's highest-value tasks] |
| [Moderate window] | MODERATE (3) | Collaborative / Analytical | [Meetings, calls, reviews] |
| [Low window] | LOW (1-2) | Administrative / Routine | [Email, admin, scheduling] |
| [Recovery window] | RECHARGE | Break / Movement | [Walk, rest, nourishment] |

GATE: Present the optimized schedule for feedback.

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Phase 3: Energy Protection

Build systems to protect peak energy and manage dips.

Energy Drains to Eliminate

Help the user identify and address common energy killers:

## Energy Drain Audit

| Drain | Impact (1-5) | Solution |
|-------|-------------|----------|
| Checking email first thing | [X] | Delay email until after peak work block |
| Back-to-back meetings | [X] | Insert 15-min buffers between meetings |
| Decision fatigue | [X] | Batch decisions, create defaults for recurring choices |
| Context switching | [X] | Batch similar tasks, use time blocks |
| Poor nutrition/hydration | [X] | Prep snacks, set water reminders |
| No breaks | [X] | Schedule 10-min breaks every 90 minutes |

Recovery Rituals

Design 3-5 minute recovery activities between energy blocks:

• 5-minute walk (physical reset)
• Breathing exercise (nervous system reset)
• Hydration + snack (fuel reset)
• Music or silence (sensory reset)

Peak Protection Rules

• No meetings during peak energy windows
• Phone on do-not-disturb during creative blocks
• Email and Slack closed during deep work
• "Office hours" for questions — do not be available all day

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Phase 4: Sustain

Build long-term energy management habits.

Weekly Energy Review

5 questions to ask every Sunday:

1. Which days did I feel most productive? What was different?
2. Did I protect my peak energy windows this week?
3. What drained my energy the most?
4. Did I take enough recovery breaks?
5. What adjustment do I need for next week?

Seasonal Adjustments

Energy patterns shift with seasons, workload, and life changes:

• Re-map energy levels quarterly
• Adjust schedules during high-stress periods (launch weeks, tax season)
• Accept that some weeks will be low-energy — reduce expectations, do not push through

Energy Score Tracker

## Weekly Energy Score

| Day | Morning | Midday | Afternoon | Evening | Overall |
|-----|---------|--------|-----------|---------|---------|
| Mon | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [Avg] |

Track for 2 weeks to validate the energy map and refine the schedule.

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Anti-Patterns

• Scheduling creative work during energy lows — you cannot force creativity at 3 PM if your brain peaks at 9 AM.
• No recovery time — running at peak energy all day leads to burnout. Build in recharge blocks.
• Fighting your biology — if you are not a morning person, do not force a 5 AM creative block. Work with your rhythm.
• Ignoring energy data — tracking energy for a week gives you actionable data. Guessing gives you a bad schedule.
• Packing every minute — the best schedule has white space. Over-optimization creates rigidity.

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Recovery

• User's energy is low all day: Check sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress levels first. No schedule optimization fixes chronic exhaustion.
• User cannot protect peak time (meetings scheduled by others): Block peak hours on the calendar as "Focus Time" before others can book them.
• User's energy pattern is unpredictable: Use a flexible system — do the highest-energy task available whenever a high-energy window opens, rather than a fixed schedule.
• User pushes through energy dips: Reframe breaks as productivity tools, not laziness. A 10-minute break at 2 PM produces better output at 2:30 than powering through.
• User does not believe in energy management: Track for 5 days. The data will show productivity differences between peak and low windows.