What if it's not a question of time, but of energy?

Audrey Lessard
Oct 2
3 min read

Person sitting in a cafe, looking outside while holding a cup of coffee. — *Time passes, but it’s the energy you choose to put into it that changes everything.*

I must admit that if I hadn't learned how to manage my schedule early on, I probably wouldn't have gotten to where I am today. From a young age, I understood that to juggle both responsibilities and ambitions, I needed to plan. My calendar quickly became my best ally: every appointment written down, every task checked off gave me the feeling of being one step ahead. For a long time, that’s what helped me stay on track and bring my projects to life.

But over the years, and even more so since becoming an entrepreneur, I've discovered another reality. Just because an activity is on the calendar doesn't mean it's actually going to happen, or that it's going to bring me what I expect from it . I realized that I could have a perfectly organized schedule and still feel drained.

That's when I realized something essential: the truly scarce commodity isn't time. It's energy.

The myth of “lack of time”

We often say: "I don't have time."

But let's be honest: we all have the same 24 hours in a day.

We've all heard the story of the entrepreneur with two kids who manages to get up at 5 a.m. to go for a run (important clarification: no, that's not me 🤭). Who the hell does she think she is? Hahaha!

So why do some people manage it, while others struggle to carve out an hour for themselves?

It's a question of priorities, yes. Of focus, absolutely, but above all: of energy.

Energy as a hidden factor

When you do something that truly nourishes you, the energy follows. Even when you're tired, you can find motivation.

But when an activity leaves us meaningless or feels false, even 30 minutes seems insurmountable.

And it's not just about sleep or schedules. Energy also depends on our hormones, the time of day, a significant event (positive or negative), our alignment, our interests and what resonates with our values.

Yes, there are always obligations.

Let's face it: in any job, there are tasks we don't enjoy as much. We can't just say, "Oh, I don't have the energy for that, so I'll give up."

But the key is that the more we fill our daily lives with activities that truly energize us, the more we develop an inner reserve . And this reserve helps us move more smoothly through the parts of the job we enjoy less.

When the social energy bank is at zero

Take the example of an introvert. In a social setting, if their "energy bank" is already empty, t’s not a question of having available time. Even with an open schedule, the energy to participate simply isn’t there.

This illustrates that energy is deeply personal. It is not distributed equally and depends on our sensitivities, our needs and our unique way of functioning.

A little exercise to transform your look

We often associate efficiency with the ability to fill our schedule to the max. As if simply filling each box guarantees us progress. But the truth is, our schedule says nothing about the quality of the energy we put into it.

What if, instead of just blocking out time, you learned to listen to your energy?

Here's a simple, yet powerful exercise:

The next time you block off a time slot in your calendar, take a few seconds to ask yourself two questions:

Will this activity nourish me or drain me?
- In other words: do I come away from this task with more clarity, vitality, satisfaction or do I feel drained, unable to move forward?
What small action could I add today to replenish my energy bank ?
- It can be as simple as a 10-minute walk, a call to someone who inspires you, a moment of silence without a screen, or having a coffee outside just to breathe in the fresh air.

As you practice observing these nuances, you'll quickly realize that it's not the number of boxes you fill in that matters, but what happens in them. And little by little, you'll begin to invest your time not just in "doing more," but in "doing better," in alignment with what keeps you alive.