But for this episode, I want you to consider something else. Because what if the key to productivity isn't managing your time, but rather managing your energy? That's what we're going to talk about today. So back when I was just starting out as a freelancer, I had no fixed working hours. I was your typical night owl. Like sleeping at 3 or 4am, waking up at around 11am and that was just how it was. I accepted it. I learned to work with that schedule. But at some point, you know, I wanted to do more because I wanted to earn more as well.

So I tried all the things that you would typically do when you want to be more productive, right? I tried to schedule my life. I tried, you know, those time blocks, right? I tried buying planners and collecting those stickers because I thought that that would work for me. I probably had maybe four, five Starbucks and Coffee Bean planners my entire life. I also tried the Pomodoro technique and all that. Don't get me wrong, they helped a little. But the truth is, my productivity didn't really change. I still didn't have enough time to do other things or do more things. Until one day, I don't know what came over me, but I woke up early.

So I also started working early. And by 11am I had finished so much already. Like I've done client work, breakfast, even a few chores. And the best part was I still had the rest of the day ahead of me. So I tried it again and again and it was the same result. And that's when I realized that I have more energy in the morning. And since then, I've been slowly shifting my schedule. So before, if I would sleep at 3 to 4am and wake up at 11.

Now I'd be asleep by midnight and then waking up at 7. My ideal goal all the time is to sleep at 10pm and wake up at 5. And until now, I'm still working on it, right? Sometimes I'd be able to do it. Pero syempre, you know, schedules change, I am flexible. So Yun yung Goal and I'm still working towards that, but ngayon Madali na Lang Sakin yung Kahit Late ako Matulog Maaga parin akong NagigiSing so my question for you is, when do you have the most energy? Because if you want to be productive, maybe you should be doing your most important work during those hours. For me, that's in the morning. Yours might be different, right? Energy, it doesn't just shift daily.

It shifts depending on where we are in our cycle. And for me, there are days when I just don't have it. I don't have the energy. Like I'm not necessarily physically tired, but mentally. Like my brain fog thinking feels hard, like I'd rather nap. And honestly, I listen to that. And on those days I do less. I make sure that I reschedule my heavy tasks.

Yuma task concentration. And I also take it slow. And that is totally okay. You don't have to fight your body every step of the way, right? You don't have to push yourself. If there is a way for you to not push yourself, do that, right? You have to work with your cycle instead of against it. There are many ways to manage your energy and most of them tie into self care. But we're not going to go too deep into that today. So.

So let's just start with awareness again. Ask yourself this question. When do you have the most energy and use that window to your advantage? So just give it a try this week and let me know if it works out, you know, if that. That works for you. And yeah. So we reached the end of this episode. As per usual, I have my weekly recommendation. And this is for my fellow coffee lovers.

If you know me, you know that I love coffee and tea. But since I bought my espresso machine, I've been drinking coffee way more than I used to. And while I love it, I also don't want to depend on it, right? Because it can be addicting. And you know, I don't know if. If you've been drinking coffee for a long time, there comes a point when one cup is not enough. You have to go for another cup and then another cup, right? And so I learned of this thing called the one week reset. And every month just take one week off from coffee. So you don't need to go cold turkey.

You know, you can just. You can still have tea because tea has caffeine. So during those days I have tea. Or maybe for you, you can have less, way less coffee, right? And bakit mo gagawin yon? Because doing that one week reset would allow you to experience the benefits of coffee without being dependent on it or needing an extra cup. Right? And bakit every month because if you prolong it, effects on withdrawal, caffeine withdrawal. And I've been there and I do not recommend it. So just try it out and let me know if it works for you.

So that's it for today. Again, this is Em. And as always, take it easy, Sam.