Focus your life on doing things that make you feel a personal lift. 

I used to think that meant chasing excitement. The definition has expanded. 

For example, I’ve realized I feel a personal lift when I do things I used to avoid—whether it’s an ordinary task that makes me healthier, a task where I can overcome my dread of boredom, or showing restraint. (That last one is important.) 

Getting one of those tasks done can give me a personal lift, whereas leaving them undone eats away at it.

Conversely, better understanding difficult emotions I deal with—overwhelm, anger, envy, disappointment, despair, amongst many others—and how to respond to them has also been a great help to managing energy. For example, instead of reacting to anger by working more aggressively, I can respond with curiosity; what’s actually making me feel upset? Spending a few breaths pausing and considering this is, almost always, much more productive than just working (which usually just leads to distraction anyway).

If you ever feel stuck managing your time, try managing your energy instead.