Energy Mapping

Purpose

Understand your natural energy rhythms and create a work schedule that leverages your peaks instead of fighting your biology. This skill helps you stop wondering "why can't I focus?" and start knowing exactly when focus is possible.

When to Use

Use this Skill when you need to:

• Understand why some times of day feel impossible to work
• Optimize your schedule around natural energy patterns
• Stop scheduling important work during energy crashes
• Build a sustainable daily rhythm
• Work with, not against, your chronotype

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Identify Your Chronotype

Understand your natural sleep/wake preference.

Ask the user:

• "If you had no obligations and could sleep whenever you wanted, when would you naturally go to bed and wake up?"
• "When do you feel most mentally alert—morning, midday, afternoon, or evening?"
• "Do you consider yourself a morning person, night owl, or somewhere in between?"

Identify chronotype:

• Lion: Early riser, peaks in morning, crashes early evening
• Bear: Follows solar cycle, peaks mid-morning, dips after lunch
• Wolf: Night owl, slow morning, peaks afternoon/evening
• Dolphin: Light sleeper, variable energy, often anxious

Output Variable: chronotype

Step 2: Track Energy Patterns

Map actual energy throughout the day.

Ask the user to reflect on typical days:

• "Walk me through yesterday (or a typical day). When did you feel sharp vs. foggy?"
• "When do you usually hit an afternoon slump, if ever?"
• "When do you get your best ideas or do your best thinking?"
• "When do you feel restless or have trouble sitting still?"

Map energy levels by hour:

• High energy windows (9-10 focus capability)
• Medium energy windows (6-8)
• Low energy windows (3-5)
• Crash windows (1-2)

Output Variable: energy_map Context Used: chronotype

Step 3: Match Work Types to Energy

Identify what work fits each energy level.

Ask the user:

• "What types of work require your sharpest thinking? (creative work, strategy, complex problems)"
• "What work can you do on autopilot? (email, admin, routine tasks)"
• "What work is best done with restless energy? (meetings, collaboration, movement)"

Create work-energy matches:

• High energy: Deep work, creative tasks, complex decisions
• Medium energy: Collaborative work, planning, learning
• Low energy: Admin, email, routine tasks
• Crash time: Breaks, walks, naps, light reading

Output Variable: work_energy_match Context Used: energy_map

Step 4: Design Ideal Day Template

Create a schedule aligned with energy.

Using the energy map and work matches, design:

Morning:

• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]
• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]

Midday:

• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]
• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]

Afternoon:

• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]
• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]

Evening:

• [Time]: [Activity based on energy]

Include:

• Buffer/transition times
• Break windows
• Protected focus blocks
• Meeting windows (if applicable)

Output Variable: ideal_day Context Used: energy_map, work_energy_match

Step 5: Create Implementation Plan

Bridge from current schedule to ideal.

Ask the user:

• "Looking at your current schedule, what's the biggest mismatch with your ideal day?"
• "What constraints do you have? (meetings you can't move, family obligations, etc.)"
• "What's one change you could make this week to better align with your energy?"

Create plan:

• Non-negotiable constraints to work around
• Quick wins (small schedule adjustments)
• Bigger changes to advocate for
• Backup plans for imperfect days

Output Variable: implementation_plan Context Used: ideal_day

Step 6: Generate Energy Map Document

Create the final energy optimization guide.

Create document with:

Your Energy Profile:

• Chronotype: [Type]
• Peak hours: [Times]
• Maintenance hours: [Times]
• Recovery needed: [Times]

Your Ideal Day: [Hour-by-hour template]

Work-Energy Matching Guide: | Energy Level | Best For | Avoid | |--------------|----------|-------| | Peak | [Work types] | [Work types] | | Medium | [Work types] | [Work types] | | Low | [Work types] | [Work types] |

This Week's Changes:

1. [Change 1]
2. [Change 2]
3. [Change 3]

Energy Boosters: [Things that raise energy when needed]

Energy Drains: [Things to avoid or minimize]

Context Used: All previous steps

Output Format

Your Energy Map

Chronotype: [Lion/Bear/Wolf/Dolphin]

Daily Energy Pattern:

Energy
  ^
10|     /\
 8|    /  \      /\
 6|   /    \    /  \
 4|  /      \  /    \
 2| /        \/      \
  +------------------------> Time
    6am  10am  2pm  6pm  10pm

Ideal Day Template: | Time | Energy | Best Work | Avoid | |------|--------|-----------|-------| | 6-8am | [Level] | [Type] | [Type] | | 8-10am | [Level] | [Type] | [Type] | | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Your Energy Rules:

1. [Rule 1]
2. [Rule 2]
3. [Rule 3]

Tools

• basile_create_document - Creates the energy map document

Example

Input: Developer who struggles to code after lunch and wonders why Output: Wolf chronotype identified, energy map shows morning sluggishness, peak 10am-1pm and 8pm-11pm, recommendation to protect 10am-1pm for complex coding, use afternoons for meetings/code review, and optional evening coding session.