How I Doubled My Output While Working Fewer Hours
If I could travel back in time three years to when I first launched Side Quest Solutions, I’d grab my younger self by the shoulders and say, “Stop trying to work eight consecutive hours every day.” This seemingly counterintuitive advice would have saved me from burnout, improved my client deliverables, and actually increased my productivity—all while working fewer total hours.
The Productivity Myth That Nearly Broke Me
Like most entrepreneurs, I started my business with boundless enthusiasm and a dangerous belief: more hours equals more success. I’d wake up at 5 AM, power through client work until dinner, then spend evenings planning the next day’s grind. My calendar was a patchwork of color-coded blocks, each representing a task that needed to be completed.
On paper, I was doing everything right. In reality, I was watching my creativity, strategic thinking, and even basic focus deteriorate by the day.
The turning point came during a particularly intense project period. Despite working longer hours, my output quality was declining. Tasks that should have taken an hour stretched to three. Creative solutions became formulaic. My “productivity system” was producing diminishing returns, and I couldn’t figure out why.
The Energy Management Epiphany
The breakthrough came from an unexpected source—my gaming background. In role-playing games, every character has different energy meters for different abilities. When your mana (magical energy) is depleted, no amount of wishing will let you cast powerful spells.
I realized I was treating myself like a character with infinite energy pools when I actually had very specific energy types that replenished at different rates:
- Creative energy: Highest in the morning, nearly depleted by mid-afternoon
- Analytical energy: Peaked around 10 AM and again around 4 PM
- Communication energy: Strongest between 1-3 PM
- Administrative energy: Most efficient in short bursts throughout the day
I’d been scheduling creative tasks for late afternoon when my creative energy was depleted, then wondering why I was staring at blank screens. I’d been saving “quick administrative tasks” for my peak creative hours, wasting my most valuable mental resources.
Implementing the Energy Management System
Once I recognized the problem, I completely restructured my workday around energy management instead of time management:
- Energy mapping: I tracked when I naturally excelled at different types of work for two weeks, noting not just when I was productive, but what kind of productivity I was experiencing.
- Task categorization: I labeled every recurring task by the primary energy type it required (creative, analytical, communication, administrative).
- Energy-aligned scheduling: I rebuilt my schedule to match tasks with my natural energy peaks:
- 6-10 AM: Creative work (content creation, strategy development)
- 10 AM-12 PM: Analytical work (data analysis, problem-solving)
- 1-3 PM: Calls, meetings, and client communications
- 3-5 PM: Low-creative administrative tasks, planning, and email
- Strategic breaks: I implemented 90-minute focused work sessions followed by intentional 15-minute energy restoration breaks (quick walks, meditation, or completely unplugged moments).
- Energy investment tracking: Instead of just tracking time spent, I started evaluating whether my energy was being invested in high-value activities.
The Transformation: Fewer Hours, Better Results
The results were immediate and significant:
- Client deliverables improved by 40% (measured by revision requests and client satisfaction scores)
- Total working hours decreased from 55+ to 35-40 per week
- Revenue increased by 32% within three months
- Burn rate on creative projects decreased dramatically
- Client acquisition improved as I had more energy for networking and relationship building
The most surprising outcome? I began consistently ending my workday by 5 PM and taking weekends completely off—something I previously considered impossible.
The Science Behind Energy Management
This isn’t just anecdotal evidence. Research on ultradian rhythms (our natural energy cycles throughout the day) confirms that humans naturally oscillate between higher and lower alertness in roughly 90-minute cycles.
Studies show that our prefrontal cortex—responsible for creative thinking and complex problem-solving—can only sustain focused attention for limited periods before requiring restoration. Fighting against these natural rhythms doesn’t increase productivity; it depletes it.
“But I Don’t Have That Flexibility!”
When I share this approach with clients, many initially push back:
“I have meetings scheduled by others.” “My clients expect immediate responses.” “I can’t just work when I feel like it.”
These concerns are valid, but they assume an all-or-nothing approach. Even implementing partial energy management principles can create significant improvements:
- Block just your highest-value energy period (for most, early morning) for your most important work
- Batch similar energy-requiring tasks together
- Create small energy restoration breaks between different types of work
- Track and honor your unique energy patterns rather than following generic productivity advice
Your Energy Mapping Challenge
While I can’t change my past, I can share this lesson with you: tracking energy, not just time, is the hidden productivity multiplier most small business owners miss.
I challenge you to try this simple experiment:
- For one week, track your energy levels hourly (1-10 scale)
- Note what type of work you’re naturally excelling at during different periods
- Identify your highest-energy periods and the work that seems to flow most easily then
- Make just ONE schedule adjustment based on your findings
This small shift could be the catalyst for your own productivity revolution.
