How to Organize Tasks by Energy with Multiple Jobs: The 'Energy Circles' Method Step-by-Step

Managing multiple jobs isn’t just about time—it’s about energy. Some days, you reply to emails effortlessly (high energy), while on others, reviewing invoices feels like climbing a mountain (low energy). If you assign a task that requires deep focus to a low-energy moment, you’ll either procrastinate or produce subpar work. This is where the 'energy circles' method—classifying tasks by the energy they demand—becomes essential for freelancers and professionals juggling multiple projects. In this guide, we’ll explain how to apply it in practice, with concrete examples and how Foco helps you implement it seamlessly.

What Are 'Energy Circles' and Why Do They Work for Multiple Jobs?

Energy circles adapt time-blocking and the Eisenhower Matrix, but focus on mental energy rather than time or urgency. The idea is simple: group your tasks into three circles based on the energy they require:

• High-energy circle: Tasks demanding deep focus, creativity, or complex decision-making. Examples: writing a technical report, designing a strategy for a client, or coding.
• Medium-energy circle: Tasks requiring attention but not peak concentration. Examples: reviewing contracts, organizing files, responding to non-urgent emails, or follow-up calls.
• Low-energy circle: Mechanical or repetitive tasks you can do almost on 'autopilot.' Examples: uploading invoices, tagging expenses, transcribing notes, or updating spreadsheets with existing data.

The advantage of this method for those managing multiple jobs is that it avoids context switching—that mental leap between different types of tasks that drains more energy than the work itself. If you mix a high-energy task (like writing an article) with a low-energy one (like uploading invoices), your brain takes up to 23 minutes to refocus. By grouping tasks by energy, you reduce friction and make the most of your productivity peaks.

The most common mistake when managing multiple jobs isn’t lack of time, but assigning high-energy tasks to low-energy moments: that’s how work piles up and quality suffers.

How to Apply 'Energy Circles' in Practice: Step-by-Step

1. Identify Your Energy Peaks (and Those of Each Job)

Not all jobs require the same type of energy. For example:

• Job A (graphic design): Requires creativity (high energy) for sketches, but medium energy for color adjustments or low energy for uploading files to the cloud.
• Job B (social media management): High energy for content creation, medium for scheduling posts, and low for analyzing metrics.
• Job C (accounting): Low energy for data entry, medium for reviewing invoices, and high for resolving discrepancies.

List the typical tasks for each job and classify them into the three circles. If you use Foco, you can create energy tags (high/medium/low) for each task and filter them later. For example, when creating a task like 'Draft proposal for Client X,' add the tag #high so you can group all high-energy tasks at a glance.

2. Assign Time Blocks Based on Your Energy (Not Urgency)

Traditional time-blocking assigns tasks to fixed hours, but it doesn’t account for how your energy fluctuates. With 'energy circles', the approach changes:

• Mornings (high energy): Reserve this block for high-circle tasks from your most important jobs. For example, if you’re a developer, schedule coding hours here; if you’re a consultant, use this time to analyze client data.
• Midday (medium energy): Ideal for medium-circle tasks, like meetings, calls, or document reviews. It’s also a good time for administrative tasks across jobs, such as updating databases or responding to non-urgent emails.
• Afternoons (low energy): Dedicate these to low-circle tasks, like uploading invoices, transcribing notes, or organizing files. In Foco, you can filter all tasks with the #low tag and batch them without switching contexts.

In Foco, use the calendar view to assign each energy block a color (e.g., green for high, yellow for medium, gray for low). This way, when you look at your week, you’ll see at a glance if you’re balancing task types effectively. You can also group tasks by due date and prioritize them based on your available energy that day.

3. Use Recurrence for Low-Energy Tasks

Low-circle tasks are often repetitive and easy to procrastinate. To prevent them from piling up, set them as recurring in Foco. For example:

• Upload invoices to the cloud: weekly recurrence (every Friday at 4:00 PM, when your energy is low).
• Review social media metrics: monthly recurrence (the first Monday of each month).
• Transcribe meeting notes: daily recurrence (at 5:00 PM, after your main workday).

When you mark a recurring task as done, Foco automatically creates the next occurrence, so you don’t have to remember it. This is especially useful for freelancers with multiple clients, where administrative tasks multiply.

How to Organize Tasks by Energy with Multiple Jobs in Foco

Most productivity tools are designed for a single project or job, forcing freelancers to use multiple apps or tabs. This creates two problems:

• Context loss: Jumping between Trello, Asana, or Google Tasks for each client fragments your attention and makes it hard to see all your tasks in one place.
• Lack of flexibility: Generic apps don’t let you group tasks by energy or filter them by job type, which is critical when managing multiple projects.

Foco solves this with a design tailored for multiple jobs. Here’s how it makes applying 'energy circles' easier:

1. Separate Jobs, United in One Dashboard

In Foco, each job (client, project, or personal area) is an independent container with its own color. For example, you can have:

• Client A (blue): Web development tasks.
• Client B (green): Social media management.
• Home (red): Personal tasks.

In Panorama mode, you see all tasks from all jobs at once, each with its container’s color. This helps you quickly identify which high-energy tasks you have pending in each job. If you need to focus on one, switch to Foco mode, and the dashboard filters only that job’s tasks, eliminating distractions.

2. Unlimited Tags to Classify by Energy

You can create custom tags like #high, #medium, and #low and assign them to each task. Then, use Foco’s filters to group all tasks of the same energy level, regardless of which job they belong to. For example, if you have medium energy today, filter all tasks with the #medium tag and batch them.

3. Calendar View to Assign Energy Blocks

In Foco’s calendar view, you can see your tasks alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events. Assign each energy block a color (e.g., green for high, yellow for medium) to plan your week based on your available energy. If you have a long meeting (medium energy) one day, schedule low-circle tasks afterward, not creative ones.

4. Voice Capture for Low-Energy Tasks

Low-circle tasks are often the most procrastinated because they require little mental effort but time to log. With Foco’s voice capture, you dictate the task, and the app transcribes it automatically, detecting dates, priorities, and recurrence. For example, say: 'Upload Client X’s invoices to Drive, recurring every Friday at 4:00 PM, tag low', and Foco creates the task already configured. This is ideal for freelancers on the go or with little time to log tasks.

Practical Example: A Day in the Life of a Freelancer Using 'Energy Circles'

Imagine you’re a freelance graphic designer with three clients and personal tasks. Here’s how you’d apply 'energy circles' in a typical day using Foco:

• 7:00 - 9:00 AM (high energy): Foco mode for 'Client A (blue)'. Tasks: Design logo (tag #high) and review brief (tag #medium).
• 9:00 - 11:00 AM (medium energy): Panorama mode. Tasks: Meeting with Client B (tag #medium), respond to emails (tag #medium), and update portfolio (tag #low).
• 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (high energy): Foco mode for 'Client C (green)'. Task: Create mockups for campaign (tag #high).
• 1:00 - 2:00 PM: Break.
• 2:00 - 4:00 PM (medium energy): Panorama mode. Tasks: Review contracts (tag #medium), schedule social media posts (tag #medium), and upload invoices (tag #low).
• 4:00 - 5:00 PM (low energy): Panorama mode. Tasks: Transcribe meeting notes (tag #low, recurring) and organize files (tag #low).

At the end of the day, review in Foco which tasks are pending and reassign them to another energy block if needed. If you’re on the Plus plan, the daily briefing summarizes what you accomplished and what requires attention the next day, helping you adjust your planning.

Conclusion: Organize Tasks by Energy and Boost Your Productivity

The 'energy circles' method isn’t just theory—it’s a practical way to align your tasks with your actual energy, especially when managing multiple jobs. The key is to:

• Classify each task by the energy it requires (high, medium, low).
• Assign time blocks in your calendar based on your energy peaks, not urgency.
• Use tools like Foco to group tasks by energy, filter them, and avoid context switching.

If you try this method for a week, you’ll notice you complete more tasks with less effort because you’re working with your energy, not against it. And if you juggle multiple projects, Foco gives you the flexibility to apply 'energy circles' without complications. Start today: create your energy tags, assign tasks to the right blocks, and watch your productivity—and well-being—improve.

FAQ

How do I know which tasks are high, medium, or low energy?

List your typical tasks and ask: Does this require deep focus (high), moderate attention (medium), or is it mechanical (low)? For example, coding is high; replying to emails, medium; uploading invoices, low. Test for a week and adjust based on how you feel.

What if I don’t have high energy for important tasks one day?

Reassign those tasks to a medium or low-energy block, but make them shorter. For example, instead of writing a full report, draft an outline. Use Foco to move the task to another day or break it into smaller subtasks.

Can I combine 'energy circles' with other methods like GTD or Eisenhower?

Yes. 'Energy circles' focus on energy, while GTD or Eisenhower prioritize by context or urgency. You can combine both using tags in Foco: for example, a task can be #high (energy) and #urgent (Eisenhower). Here’s how to apply GTD with multiple jobs.

How do I prevent low-energy tasks from piling up?

Set them as recurring in Foco and assign them to fixed blocks in your week (e.g., every Friday afternoon). You can also use voice capture to log them quickly and avoid procrastination.

Is Foco better than Trello or Asana for managing multiple jobs?

It depends on your needs. Trello or Asana are designed for a single project or team, forcing freelancers to use multiple boards or apps. Foco is built for multiple jobs at once: you have all your projects in one place, with colors, tags, and views that make applying methods like 'energy circles' easier. Features like voice capture or Foco mode are ideal for avoiding context switching. If you want to dive deeper, here’s how to group tasks by job type to avoid context switching.