Maximize Your Time and Energy

I’m guessing that two of your biggest obstacles to becoming the healthcare leader you want to be are time and energy. Maybe it’s because you put the needs of others ahead of your own. Maybe it’s because you find many things interesting and exciting and you have a hard time letting an opportunity pass you by. Or maybe it’s because you’re so busy trying to get everything done, you don’t have the time to be more strategic.

Here are some tips for maximizing your time and energy:

Get organized:  Record everything on your mind in some kind of a “collection tool” that you will come back to regularly and sort through. This becomes your master to-do list. Schedule everything in a calendar and block off time every day for the priorities and projects that have the most meaning and impact for you as a leader – those big rocks. Set aside time at the beginning of each week and each day to review your calendar, update your to-do list, and schedule in your weekly/daily actions and appointments.

Make your goals and values visible: Write out your values and your big rocks and put them where you will see them often. This will keep them top of mind when you’re prioritizing and making decisions. And – another neuroscience tip! – keeping your goals visible helps you tap into the feelings of why you want to reach them and will help you maintain motivation and energy to complete them.

Practice Self Care: This is an absolutely critical leadership behavior and one that is really tough for healthcare professionals. There are the basics – sleep, healthy eating, and exercise. To take it to the next level, you need to build mental, physical, and emotional renewal into your workday every day. And, set boundaries to give yourself time to replenish your physical and emotional energy. 

Manage Your Mindset: Look for areas where you may be making assumptions about what is and is not possible, and challenge these assumptions. If you’re not sure about what is expected of you from others, ask them to clarify their expectations. Pay attention if you’re thinking or talking about things as a "need," a "should," or a "must."  See if you can substitute "choose” or “want” when you think about or speak of doing that action. The word you use actually makes a difference in how your brain responds when something feels like a choice.  If “want” doesn’t feel truthful, ask whether you really have to do whatever it is and learn the art of saying “no.”  Pay attention to whether it’s a true need or whether it’s your own inner voice making things into a “need” or a “should.” 

Ask for What You Need and Want: Get clear on the opportunities and resources you need to be a successful leader and ask for them. Delegate other tasks that don’t require you (and only you) to do them. This not only takes things off your plate, it gives others the chance to grow. And letting others help is a chance to make them feel good.

The most successful people learn to be more selective about where they focus their time and energy. Just because you can handle everything that comes your way doesn’t mean you should.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffett

How This Connects to the Five Intelligences™

Maximizing your time and energy is at the core of Neuro-Intelligence. When you align your nervous system through renewal, self-care, mindset management, and intentional focus, you free up the mental, emotional, and physical capacity to lead effectively. You regulate stress, increase resilience, and gain access to your best thinking. Others benefit because they experience a leader who is calmer, more present, and more sustainable—someone who sets a model for healthy boundaries and energy management. And the ripple extends into the other four intelligences:

• Self-Intelligence: When you pay attention to your energy levels and patterns, you learn what helps you perform at your best. Others experience a leader who models self-awareness and demonstrates that well-being is part of leadership, not separate from it.

• Relational-Intelligence: When you set boundaries and delegate effectively, you not only protect your own energy but also give others opportunities to grow. This builds trust, strengthens relationships, and encourages reciprocity.

• Communication-Intelligence: When you’re intentional with your time and energy, you set clear expectations and ask directly for what you need. Others gain clarity about priorities, feel more confident about where to focus their own efforts, and experience a culture of transparency and mutual respect.

• Execution-Intelligence: When you prioritize your “big rocks” and say no to distractions, you model disciplined execution. Others benefit from the clarity of focus, alignment of resources, and consistency in follow-through.
  

Together, the Five Intelligences™ help you maximize not just your own time and energy, but also the collective energy of your team—creating a culture where focus, well-being, and effectiveness go hand in hand.