[283] Don’t Plan Like a Robot: Match Your To-Do List to Your Energy (Not Your Ideal Schedule)

I used to say “I don’t have time,” but what I really meant was “I’m tapped out.” In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between time and energy, because we can’t plan our lives like we’re robots. I’ll help you notice your natural energy patterns (high, medium, low) and show you how to match the right tasks to the right energy. And when your energy is on the floor, I’ll give you a simple Plan B so you can still get something done without the guilt.

3 Takeaways from this episode:

1. Your problem usually isn’t “no time”—it’s “no energy,” and planning works better when it matches your real capacity.
2. Put high-brain tasks (planning, budgeting, meal planning, decluttering decisions) in your high-energy windows and save autopilot tasks for low-energy moments.
3. A Plan B routine keeps you consistent when you’re tired—because doing the small version still counts.

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Transcript

0:00

Have you ever said, I don't have time when someone asks you to do something, but the truth is you're completely tapped out? Well, I have been there and the truth is time and energy are not the same. A lot of us feel like we don't have time, but it's really that we are exhausted and don't have the energy. So if that's you, this episode is for you. Hey there. My name is Tony Ann. I am the podcast host of the Real Happy Mom podcast. The podcast I helps busy working moms use a weekly planning routine so they can stop feeling overwhelmed and walk into Monday calm and clear. And in this episode I'm gonna help you to recognize your energy patterns a lot better. Help you see how you can match your tasks to your energy levels, and then have a plan B when your energies are super low. So last week my kids were on break from school and I had took some time off too, and I remember distinctly going to my whiteboard and writing down a list of things that I wanted to get done during the break, which included decluttering one of the closets. Cleaning out one of the kids' rooms and doing some other things around the house, and let's just say nothing on that list got done. And the reason why is because my cycle started and my energy was at the floor. I didn't feel like doing anything except laying down all day every day. So that list, mm-hmm. It didn't get done. But there were some things that got done. That didn't require a whole lot of energy, and it made it so that I wasn't feeling guilty about not getting anything done, and I want that for you. So the first thing that I want to remind you of that I had to remind myself is that we are not robots. And a lot of times we schedule things like we are robots. And when it comes to routines, a lot of times it depends on high energy every day, which is just not realistic for us as busy moms. The main point that I really wanna drive is that you can plan your routines around your energy level and not your ideal calendar. And I promise you, you'll still get a bunch done and feel great about your days and weeks. So the thing is, is that throughout the days, and especially throughout the month, our energy levels go from super high to super low, and there's some in between in there, and if you really sit down and think about it, you'll see how your energy kind of ebbs and flows throughout the days and the weeks. So think about it, when do you feel the most clearheaded? Is it in the morning, the afternoon, the evening time? When do you usually crash? I know for me it's usually an hour after lunchtime. Now, what part of your day is consistently chaotic? Is it in the morning before you get ready for work? Is it in the evenings before bed or dinnertime? I'll just give you an example just so you can see how it looks for me, so that maybe you might be able to see some of these patterns in your own life. But for me, in the mornings I wake up, and I'll be honest, it takes a couple hours for my brain to catch up with my body. But once my brain does catch up, my energy is super high. That's when I can handle all the questions that the kids are asking for homeschooling. That's when I perform the best at work, because I'm constantly making decisions on what to approve and deny. But then when it comes to midday, that's when the energy levels start to go down a tad bit. And then, like I said before. When I hit that afternoon slump after lunch, it's a no go. So by that time, my energy levels are low, and that's when decision fatigue hits. It is not a good place for me to make decisions, especially really important decisions at that time. And then of course, by the time I get to the evening, it's, I'm just looking forward to getting in the bed and going to sleep. We can match tasks to the high and low energy that we have throughout the day, and it'll make it so much better, not only for you, but everyone else around you. So here are some examples of high energy task. These are the tasks that your brain is on. It's firing all cylinders. Everything is like ready to go. Some examples of high energy tasks are planning out your week. Maybe even budgeting for the week or the month. Maybe it's writing, studying, or working on some big task. It could also be decluttering decisions, like what do you really wanna let go of and what do you wanna keep? Or it could be meal planning, thinking about what you're gonna have throughout the week or the month. Now with low energy tasks, this is when your brain is like. Pretty much off, and you just need to do things that are like autopilot. Nothing that requires any heavy decision making. So some examples of this is folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher, setting out your clothes, packing bags, wiping down counters, and prepping tomorrow's coffee or water bottles. So you see the difference here. There's totally different level task when your energy is high versus when it's low. Now that you see that we can stop assigning these high energy tasks when our brain is pretty much off, we want to make sure that we're taking into consideration where our energy levels are so that we can assign the right task for a brain at that time. And this also applies to our routines too. So there are times when we can have our normal routine, our plan A, when things are just running. On a normal day, everything's all good, but having a plan B when our energy is lower is really gonna save the day. This is a tiny version of Plan A, but it still counts. So a quick example of this that I have found myself doing many times is weekly planning. So Plan A is the full on weekly reset where I really get down dirty looking at all the calendars. I am planning things out. I am. Putting in notifications and reminders so I don't forget anything. I have everything scheduled out to a T, but then there's time when my energy is super low and I just cannot function like I normally do. So that's when plan B comes in. And Plan B is literally just looking at what's coming up and then choosing my top three priorities for the week. It's not anything major. It's just looking at what's coming up and then choosing my top three priorities. So you see it's completely different for when you're fully on and when your energy is at the lowest. So when you're tired, you can't invent options. You really need to have a menu. So I wanna give you a quick menu of things that you can pick from when your energy is at its lowest. So. First one is having a 10 minute tidy timer. Literally just set a timer either on your phone or using the kitchen timer and set up for 10 minutes and tidy up until the timer stops. Maybe it is taking a quick shower and then laying out some clothes. Or you could set out the kid's stuff by the door so it's ready for the next day. Maybe you could throw in one load of laundry and just start it. Another one is emptying out the sink or running the dishwasher. Or you could order groceries for pickup so you don't have to go in the store. Another one is choosing one easy dinner, whether it is something that is in the freezer, a rotisserie chicken that you can use in different ways, or breakfast for dinner, which is one of my favorites. Or you could write down five items on a brain dump list. And then lastly, on this list, I have going to bed early because this one is a big one and it does count. So really with this list, this is for those low energy days that are gonna help make tomorrow even easier with just something quick and simple. All right, so there you have it. In this episode we talked about knowing when your energy is high, medium, or low throughout the days and the weeks. Next, we talking about matching tasks to your energy, and then lastly, we talked about having a Plan B and helped you out with a low energy list. So hopefully you see that it's not that you need more time, you need a routine that matches your energy, and the goal is not to do everything when you're tired, the goal is to do something that counts. So tomorrow is just a little bit easier. If this episode was helpful for you, please do me a favor and give it a five star and make sure that you're subscribed so you don't miss the next one. All right. That is it for this episode. Take care, and with lots of love, I.