Today I Choose to be Progressive – How to be Progressive

Every productivity guru wants to sell you their time management system. Pomodoro timers, time blocking, Getting Things Done, Eisenhower matrices – I’ve tried them all. But after 50, I discovered something none of them mention: It’s not about time. It’s about energy. And energy at this age is like your phone battery at 20% – you’ve got to be strategic about what apps you keep running.

This revelation didn’t come from a book or seminar. It came from nearly passing out in a Publix parking lot after a 10-minute phone call with a particularly draining board member. I sat in my car, air conditioning blasting, wondering how a phone call could leave me more exhausted than a full day of spreadsheets.

That’s when I realized I’d been managing the wrong resource for decades.

The Energy Audit That Changed Everything

I started tracking not what took my time, but what took my energy. For one week, I noted my energy level before and after every activity, every interaction, every task. The results were shocking.

A 10-minute call with certain people drained me more than 10-hour workdays. Saying yes to that committee meant saying no to painting on Sunday – not because of time, but because of energetic bankruptcy. Working through lunch meant my brain fog hit harder at 3 PM, lasting through evening.

Some discoveries from my energy audit:

• Morning energy is premium unleaded; afternoon energy is regular
• Creative work before 10 AM takes 1 energy unit; after 2 PM takes 5
• Certain people are energy vampires (you know who you are, Sharon)
• Meetings without agendas cost triple energy
• Skipping my morning walk doesn’t save time; it costs energy all day
• Multitasking doesn’t use energy efficiently; it hemorrhages it

The Progressive Approach to Energy Management

Being progressive doesn’t mean jumping on every new trend. It means evolving your approach based on reality rather than clinging to what used to work. And the reality at 61 is that my energy is finite, precious, and needs to be allocated like a scarce resource.

So I created what I call Energy Economics:

High-Energy Hours (6 AM – 10 AM): This is my premium fuel. I protect these hours like a dragon guards gold. No emails, no routine tasks, no energy vampires. This is when I do creative work, strategic thinking, important writing. This is when my brain actually works.

Medium-Energy Hours (10 AM – 2 PM): Good for meetings, routine work, necessary interactions. I can handle Sharon during these hours (barely).

Low-Energy Hours (2 PM – 5 PM): The danger zone. This is when I make bad decisions, send regrettable emails, agree to things I shouldn’t. Now I do mindless tasks – filing, organizing, routine responses. No important decisions allowed.

Recovery Hours (After 5 PM): Not for work. Period. This is when I refill the tank for tomorrow.

The Radical Act of Energy Boundaries

Implementing Energy Economics meant setting boundaries that seemed insane by traditional productivity standards:

• No meetings before 10 AM (but that’s when everyone’s free!)
• No calls with energy vampires after 2 PM (but they need to talk!)
• No work emails after 5 PM (but what about urgent issues!)
• No committees that meet during my high-energy hours (but you’re so good at committees!)

People were confused. Then upset. Then, surprisingly, respectful. Because the quality of my work during my protected high-energy hours was so much better than my previous scattered, energy-depleted output.

The Progressive Realization About Age and Energy

Here’s what nobody tells you about energy after 60: It doesn’t just decrease; it becomes more specialized. I have incredible energy for things that matter to me and zero energy for things that don’t. It’s like my body developed an automatic bullshit filter.

Sitting through a pointless meeting physically hurts now. Pretending to care about office politics is exhausting. Small talk with people I don’t genuinely like feels like running a marathon in sand.

But give me a creative project I care about? I have the energy of a 30-year-old. Let me work on something meaningful? I can go for hours. Put me with people who energize rather than drain me? I’m fully present and engaged.

This isn’t declining energy – it’s evolved energy. Progressive energy that knows what it wants to be spent on.

The Tuesday That Proved the Point

Last Tuesday was a perfect case study. Old me would have:

• Started with emails at 6 AM (reactive mode)
• Had back-to-back meetings from 8-12 (energy drain)
• Worked through lunch (no refuel)
• Pushed through the 3 PM crash with coffee and willpower
• Left at 6 PM exhausted, grumpy, unproductive

Progressive Energy Management me:

• 6-9 AM: Wrote important proposal (high-energy, creative work)
• 9-10 AM: Walk and breakfast (energy refuel)
• 10-12 PM: Two strategic meetings (medium energy, engaged)
• 12-1 PM: Real lunch, outside, no phone (energy restoration)
• 1-2 PM: Handled emails, routine tasks (appropriate energy match)
• 2-4 PM: Administrative work, filing (low energy, mindless)
• 4 PM: Done. Completely. No guilt.

I accomplished more in those focused hours than I used to in 12-hour days. Because I matched tasks to energy, not time.

The Progressive Truth About “Laziness”

People sometimes think this approach is lazy. “Must be nice to stop working at 4 PM.” “I wish I could protect my mornings.” “Some of us have to be available all the time.”

But here’s the progressive truth: Working constantly at 50% capacity because you’re energetically depleted isn’t heroic. It’s inefficient. It’s outdated. It’s like insisting on using a flip phone because smartphones seem too easy.

Being progressive means recognizing that the old model – time in equals productivity out – is broken. Especially after 60, when energy is the constraining factor, not time.

The Energy Vampire Registry

I keep a mental list (okay, it’s an actual list) of energy vampires. People who, regardless of the time spent with them, leave me drained:

• The Complainer: Everything is wrong, nothing will help
• The Drama Creator: Every interaction is a crisis
• The Boundary Crosser: “I know you said no calls after 5, but…”
• The Time Thief: “Got a minute?” means 45 minutes minimum
• The Emotional Dumper: Uses me as free therapy
• The Never-Satisfied: Nothing is ever good enough

Progressive energy management means limiting exposure to these people. Not being mean, just strategic. They get my low-energy times if they get any time at all.

The Energy Donors (Yes, They Exist)

Conversely, some people actually give energy:

• The Enthusiast: Genuinely excited about projects
• The Problem-Solver: Brings solutions, not just problems
• The Laugher: Makes even difficult work enjoyable
• The Appreciator: Notices and acknowledges good work
• The Efficient Communicator: Says what needs saying, then stops

These people get my premium hours. Meetings with them are investments, not expenses.

The Physical Component of Energy Management

Being progressive about energy also means acknowledging the physical reality of being 61:

• My energy peaks and valleys are more extreme
• Recovery takes longer than it used to
• Stress has immediate physical consequences
• Skipping self-care isn’t an option; it’s energetic suicide
• What I eat directly affects afternoon energy
• Sleep quality determines tomorrow’s energy quantity

So I progressively adapted: Protein-heavy breakfast for sustained morning energy. Walk breaks to reset energy. Actual lunch breaks (revolutionary!). Afternoon stretches to combat the 3 PM slump. Evening routines that promote sleep quality.

Today’s Choice

Today I choose to be progressive about energy management. Not because I’m lazy or uncommitted, but because I’ve learned that energy, not time, is my most valuable resource. And progressive thinking means evolving beyond outdated models that no longer serve.

I choose to protect my high-energy hours for high-value work. To match tasks to energy levels rather than forcing through with depleted reserves. To see energy management not as a luxury but as a necessity for sustainable productivity.

Being progressive at 61 means recognizing that what got me here won’t get me there. The hustle-until-you-drop mentality that built my career would destroy my health now. The always-available approach that made me indispensable would make me exhausted now.

Progressive means progress, and progress means adapting to current reality rather than clinging to past practices. My current reality is that energy is finite, precious, and when managed strategically, more than sufficient.

Today I choose to be progressive. To treat my energy like the valuable resource it is. To work smarter, not harder (that cliché that’s actually true). To recognize that at this age, managing energy isn’t just progressive thinking – it’s survival.

And when Sharon calls at 4:30 PM wanting to discuss her latest crisis? Progressive me sends it to voicemail. Because protecting tomorrow’s energy is more important than depleting today’s reserves.

That’s not selfish. That’s progressive. And at 61, it’s absolutely necessary.