My colour-coded calendar didn’t save me. This sentence did

My colour-coded calendar didn’t save me. This sentence did

I get asked this a lot:

And I have to admit it just seemed to happen…

It wasn’t one big dramatic moment where I threw my calendar across the room.

Although… there were days I came close. 😆

Like a lot of women in business, I had all the usual signs.

The overloaded calendar.
The tired brain.
The never-ending to-do list.
The “yes, of course I can do that” habit.
The procrastination that looked like laziness but was actually depletion.
The feeling that no matter how organised I was, I still couldn’t quite get ahead.

But the real light bulb moment came when I read The Power of Full Engagement by Dr Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

One line landed hard:

Time is finite. Energy is rechargeable.

Boom. Light Bulb Moment

That was when I stopped seeing my problem as a diary problem.

Because I had been trying to squeeze more out of a fixed resource.

More meetings.
More tasks.
More colour-coded blocks.
More “just push through.”

But time was never going to expand for me.

Energy, on the other hand, could be renewed, protected, directed, and strengthened.

That changed everything.

I started asking different questions.

Not:
“How do I fit more into my day?”

But:
“What work deserves my best energy?”
“Where am I leaking energy before I even begin?”
“What am I saying yes to that is costing me clarity?”
“When do I naturally think, create, decide, and lead best?”

That shift changed how I worked. And now it is the shift I help other high-achieving women make too. Because you can have the most beautiful calendar in the world… But if your energy is flat, scattered, or drained, that calendar will not save you.

Managing your time helps you organise your day.
Managing your energy helps you actually live and lead inside it.

That’s the difference.

With Focus and Intention

Heather

P.S. If this one hit home, you’re not alone. I write for high achieving women in business and leadership who are done with busy and ready for clarity. Follow me Heather Hutchings on LinkedIn for real conversations on leading with energy, not exhaustion.

Enquire about bringing me to speak at your next leadership event at [email protected] or enquire about applications for my “Hidden Advantage” group coaching program.

Full calendar. Tired brain. To-do list not moving.