Cycling Energy - And It's Not About Bicycles

I am now deep into the content and already feeling empowered about how to redesign the way I work, plan, organize, and manage my business and my life. I’m noticing that this is not your average Time Management course, in fact, it doesn’t even look like one.  It is all about energy and how we work with it in a positive way to achieve the feeling of timelessness and flow, instead of constantly paddling upstream against the current of daily life.  Here is the big Ah Ha for me. 

There is a cycle for everything and it is tied to everything we do!  Let me share just a sampling of how just one group of connected cycles can have a powerful effect on how you can manage your energy. 

Cycles of Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

The 4 seasons are each Cycles with their own unique qualities.  I mentioned in a past blog that during the Winter season by being inside more, in the dark more, in stillness more, that it aligned perfectly with my need to rest, reflect and evaluate my life and work.  As it turns out based on the concepts in this program, it aligns perfectly with the content I presented in my blog.

I found myself intuitively being content this winter and didn’t push myself so hard because I honored the quiet energy of the season. It was also an opportunity to meditate on what the next steps are for my business.

Moon Cycles

There are basically 4 phases of the moon - new moon, waxing moon, full moon and waning moon, each has it’s own energy and can affect us.  For example, the New Moon is commonly regarded as the first phase in the lunar month and lines up with the energy of the Winter season.  New moon time is traditionally a time of retreat, a time when we are more sensitive, introspective and intuitive.  It’s also a good time for research and making decisions.

Menstrual Cycles

There are 4 phases of the menstrual cycle – follicular, ovulation, luteal and menstruation.  During Menstruation, which also correlates with Winter energy and New Moon energy, is a great time to focus on the tasks of purging and organizing your workspace. Rearranging and simplifying, removing unnecessary paperwork and establishing new systems of organization can help you be more productive.

Daily 24 Hour Cycles

Your circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It's also known as your sleep/wake cycle.

The 24 hour daily cycles are morning, noon, afternoon, 6 PM, evening, midnight, nighttime, and 6 AM.  If we correlate with Winter, Lunar and Menstruation, then Midnight is the match for obvious reasons, because we should be asleep at that time.  However, when you are sleep-deprived you’ll notice bigger swings of sleepiness and alertness which can affect your energy level.  So the takeaway message is to get enough sleep to rest and restore your body and mind, and don’t forget the power of naps.

What Do You Think About This Approach So Far?

I’m grateful to have this information because the typical Time Management strategies just don’t work for me.  This approach targets the underlying and internal processes that when recognized can help us be truly productive and happy on our own terms.  Of course, this just scratches the surface so you might want to go deeper into exploring the other cycles not covered. 

Please share how you manage your day by honoring the energies of your unique self.