Hi friend 👋,

Let’s be honest, most of us were taught to plan our year around tasks, deadlines, and obligations.

A color-coded calendar.
A packed to-do list.
A hyper-organized schedule that leaves no room for your humanity.

But here’s what I’ve learned (the hard way):

A well-planned year means nothing if it burns you out.
A full calendar doesn’t equal a full life.
And productivity without energy is a performance, not progress.

So let’s shift the paradigm.

This year, instead of building your life around tasks,
build it around your energy.

Because your energy is your power source.
And if you protect it, align with it, and plan around it,
everything in your life becomes easier, clearer, and more intentional.

Let’s talk about how.

To-Do Lists Manage Tasks. Energy Planning Manages You.

Most people plan reactively.
They look at what needs to be done and try to squeeze themselves into the schedule.

Energy planning flips that.

It starts with who you are, not just what you do.

Energy planning asks:

• When do I feel my best?

• When do I need rest?

• When am I most creative?

• When do I lose momentum?

• What drains me?

• What fuels me?

• Where does my energy naturally rise and fall throughout the year?
  

• You stop forcing productivity,
  and start aligning with your actual rhythms.

There Are Four Types of Energy You Need to Honor

When you plan your year around your energy, you’re looking at more than “how much can I get done?”

You're asking:
What kind of energy does this season of my life require?

There are four core energies:

1. High-Performance Energy

This is your “launch,” “go,” “execute,” “deliver,” “build momentum” energy.

You feel:

• clear

• focused

• disciplined

• ambitious

• motivated

These are the seasons for:

• career pushes

• big projects

• new initiatives

• travel

• leadership moments

• deadlines
  

• But here’s the key:
  High performance is not sustainable year-round.

Which leads us to…

2. Creative Energy

This is the energy of ideas, vision, expansion, imagination.

You feel:

• inspired

• curious

• innovative

• expressive
  

These are the seasons for:

• planning

• strategy

• brainstorming

• building systems

• writing

• reinventing

• content creation
  

Creative energy needs space, not pressure.

If you fill your entire year with back-to-back tasks, your creativity never gets oxygen.

3. Restorative Energy

This is the energy required to recharge — mentally, emotionally, physically.

You feel:

• reflective

• softer

• slower

• more inward-focused
  

These seasons are for:

• rest

• recalibration

• recovering from burnout

• healing

• reprioritizing

• pausing before a new chapter
  

Rest is not optional.
It’s maintenance.

4. Social Energy

This is the energy required for connection and community.

You feel:

• open

• engaged

• connected

• present
  

These seasons are for:

• friendships

• celebrations

• networking

• community involvement

• relationship building
  

Social energy expands your world, but it shouldn't exhaust you.

Most People Burn Out Because They Mix the Wrong Energy With the Wrong Season

You know what burnout actually is?

Using high-performance energy during a season that requires restorative energy.
Or forcing creativity during a season of survival.
Or pushing yourself socially during a season when you need solitude.

You exhaust yourself not because you’re weak,
but because you’re misaligned.

When your season and your energy don’t match, your body tells you.

And when they do match?
Life feels smoother.
You regain momentum.
Your decisions become easier.
Your direction becomes clearer.

Alignment makes everything flow.

Planning Your Year Around Energy: The Femme Force Method

Let’s map out a practical strategy for energy-based planning.

STEP 1: Identify Your Natural Rhythms

Ask yourself:

• When do I tend to feel most energized each year?

• When do I hit lows?

• When do I feel the need to nest and reset?

• When am I usually inspired to start new things?

• When do I feel socially open versus socially overloaded?
  

Patterns will appear.

Maybe fall is your power season.
Maybe you always burn out in late winter.
Maybe summer is your creativity peak.
Maybe Q4 is your reflection season.

Honoring your natural cycles is life-changing.

STEP 2: Assign Each Quarter a Dominant Energy

Your year might look like this:

Q1 → Creative Energy
Planning. Strategy. Vision.
Setting the tone for the year.

Q2 → High-Performance Energy
Executing. Launching. Applying for roles. Making moves.

Q3 → Social Energy
Community-building. Networking. Relationships. Travel. Summer energy.

Q4 → Restorative Energy
Reflection. Healing. Resetting. Closing the year intentionally.

Your rhythm doesn’t need to look like this — but it must work for you.

STEP 3: Build Systems That Support Your Energy

For each quarter, align your routines:

High-Performance Energy

• disciplined morning routine

• task batching

• time blocking

• strict boundaries

• limited distractions
  

Creative Energy

• walks

• reading

• writing

• visual planning

• brainstorming days

• flexible schedule
  

Restorative Energy

• slower mornings

• therapy

• journaling

• sleep focus

• reduced commitments

• grounding routines
  

Social Energy

• intentional plans

• networking nights

• events

• collaborations
  

Let your routines MATCH your season.

This is sustainable growth.

STEP 4: Build Your To-Do List Around Your Energy, Not the Other Way Around

Instead of:

“What do I need to get done?”

Ask:

“What energy do I have right now — and what tasks align with it?”

Because forcing productivity always leads to resentment.
But working with your natural energy leads to momentum.

STEP 5: Review Your Energy Monthly

Your energy isn’t static.
It shifts.

So every month, ask:

• What drained me?

• What fueled me?

• What am I forcing?

• What do I need more of?

• What do I need less of?

• What season am I actually in right now?
  

This is where self-honesty becomes power.

STEP 6: Give Yourself Permission to Change Direction

Energy planning requires flexibility.

If you’re in a season of survival, the last thing you need is pressure.
If you’re in a season of momentum, the last thing you need is hesitation.

The more you honor your season, the easier your life becomes.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Planning based on energy looks like:

• Moving slower during burnout instead of pushing harder

• Scheduling big projects during your high-energy months

• Building creativity into your calendar instead of waiting for inspiration

• Keeping your relationships strong during socially open seasons

• Allowing quiet and solitude when your spirit needs peace

• Avoiding major decisions when your energy is low

• Choosing flow over force
  

This is not about laziness, it’s about longevity.

Final Word: A Year Built Around Your Energy Is a Year Built Around Your Well-Being

Your to-do list will always refill.
Your tasks will always multiply.
Your responsibilities will always grow.

But your energy?
That’s finite.
Precious.
Worth protecting.
Worth listening to.
Worth planning for.

You weren’t meant to live a life that drains you.
You were meant to live a life that honors you.

This year, plan around your energy.
Not your obligations.
Not your expectations.
Not your pressure.
You.

A well-planned life is not one that’s full —
it’s one that’s aligned.

And alignment is how you build a life that actually feels good to live.As we embark on this journey together, I invite you to connect with us on Instagram @femmeforce_co to stay updated with our daily doses of inspiration and Femme Force updates.

P.S. If you ever have questions, suggestions, or just want to chat, please feel free to reply to this email 📧 I'd love to hear from you!