If the phrase "leadership challenges" makes your skin crawl, you could be facing burn-out. While you may have a good handle on the basics of time management, what you may really need is better energy management, writes AmyK Hutchens, founder of AmyK International.

"Time is a constant; energy is a manageable, renewable resource. What's eating your energy and what refuels it? Your answers will influence your strategy for energy management within the constraints of time," Hutchens writes in a post at CIO magazine.

The place to begin managing your energy better is in managing your thoughts, she advises. Focus on positive results that are possible, and stick with facts. Concentrate on asking better questions, rather than simply providing reports. Always take the time to prepare for meetings by spending five minutes coming up with thought-provoking questions. 

Don't skip on other tried-and-true energy boosters, such as regular exercise, adequate sleep and a healthy diet. The list of duties never ends, but facing it can be easier if you take small steps to recharge your own batteries.

"Take a stretch break, buy a piece of fruit instead of chips, or plan to leave the office earlier just one day a week to catch up on sleep and/or give yourself some much needed alone time to refuel," she writes.

For more:
- see AmyK Hutchens's post at CIO

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