It’s not a motivation problem. It’s an energy mismatch
It’s been a while since I wrote last — sorry about that. Lately, I just felt… tired. Low on energy and motivation. A bit off.
And my first instinct wasn’t curiosity. It was judgment.
“Why am I so tired?”
“I should be able to handle this.”
But it’s not about capability or motivation problem. It’s just a mismatch in energy.
For those I’ve worked with, you know I talk a lot about energy budget.
It’s easy to plan our weeks based on time or what we should get done, and completely miss that different things cost very different amounts of energy.
A full day of meetings is not the same as a day working on your own.
Starting something new is not the same as doing something familiar.
Thinking, deciding, pushing things forward — that’s not the same as just doing.
Being in uncertainty, constantly reworking and rethinking — is not the same as having a plan and simply executing.
It all looks like “work”, and individually, each part is fine. But it drains you very differently, and over time, that adds up and kind of creeps up on you. At least for me.
So here is my best tips how to make your week based on the energy you actually have and not the one you wish you had.
My best tips on how to be smart with your energy
Map your energy
Before the week starts, ask yourself:
What energy am I going into this week with? What do I need more of and less of?
Then look at your upcoming week:
What does it mostly contain?
A lot of social? Thinking and creative work? Execution? Uncertainty or more structure?
Add the opposite
Based on your energy level and what your week contains, plan and prioritize the opposite. Which often also means removing something to make space.
If you have a week with a lot of:
Social → allow yourself more alone time, or short breaks between meetings
Thinking → add more doing or movement (simple tasks, cooking, short walks)
New/challenging → add more familiar and easy (tasks or people)
Regaining energy isn’t always about lying on the sofa. It’s often about creating contrast to what you already have a lot of.
Be kind to yourself
Negative thoughts will just drain more of your energy and push you harder.
Remember. Its not about your capability, its often too much of the same things.
And we’re usually very good at noticing when we don’t manage what we wanted and much worse at seeing what we actually do.
So try this:
Notice what you did manage. Write it down, even daily, if needed.
