I don’t run out of time; I never say that I don’t have enough time anymore. I run out of energy before I run out of time. I used to follow time-management principles closely so I could get a lot done. Now I follow energy management principles. They are both based on the fact that we have a finite amount of what we need to be successful in life. We all have just 24 hours in a day, and my gas tank shrinks more and more every year I live. There was a time in my life when I had energy to burn; I rarely got tired. Now I wake up tired. So now I have principles or rules I follow to get the most done with the energy I have.

1. I ask God for strength and energy a dozen times every day. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” He meant that the weaker he was physically, the more he depended on God for strength. The Bible’s number-one prayer request is for strength. The more I ask, the more He gives. 

2. My physical body feels tired before it is exhausted, and I can allow those feelings to limit what I choose to do. My feelings can override my will if I let them. Feelings of tiredness are like the light that blinks on your car’s dash when you have one gallon of gas left, but our flesh does it when we are down to half a tank. When I feel tired, I say to myself, “ Hah, you aren’t going to fool me; I can do more.” I don’t have to act the way I feel. 

3. My emotional energy needs to be in charge, not my physical energy. If I let it, my physical feelings of tiredness will make me feel unmotivated and lazy. If I have passion and desire, those emotions will override the signals my flesh is sending to my head that I am tired. My goals are the key to my emotional energy and passion. The more I read them and think about how to accomplish them, the hotter I feel. 

4. Eat healthy. When I was young, I could eat grass and have energy. Now I need to eat healthy. I read a lot about what is good for me and what isn’t as an older man. I am motivated to eat healthy because I can feel the difference in my energy level when I do. 

5. My energy level goes down as my weight goes up. A major part of eating healthy is keeping my weight under control. 

6. When I was younger, I could function well on 6 hours of sleep a day. Very few things make me feel as weary now as not getting enough sleep. 

7. Don’t let your mouth break your back. I have a real tendency to overcommit myself. I need to be a wise steward of my energy. 

8. A basic principle of time management and energy management is that 20% of what I can do will end up with 80% of my results. So I need to choose to do high-return activities, make the most of my energy supply, and usually that is doing what I am gifted at. John Maxwell calls it “Staying in your lane.” 

9. A major source of emotional energy is the time I spend with family and friends. At times, it may seem like I waste a lot of time just hanging out with people I love and like, but the joy level in my life is usually also the strength level in my life.

10. Don’t fuss about downtime caused by sickness and injury. It is part of getting older, and God is in control. I have had two hip replacement surgeries, and I hurt my back several weeks ago and can’t do much now. I can fuss about all the things I need to do, or I can enjoy the extra rest and the extra time I get to read my Bible and talk to my wife.