We've all felt exhausted. Our muscles ache, our heads grow heavier by the minute, and our feet feel like we're wearing shoes two sizes too small. It's normal. It happens. But, it's important to clarify the kind of exhaustion we're experiencing. For example, you can feel busy without being productive, and you can certainly be productive without feeling busy. This is the difference between exhaustion and sweet exhaustion.

Sweet exhaustion is using every minute as if it were our last, making sure our energy is laser-focused on a particular task, and being able to complete our "to do" list without blinking. We lose energy when our mental focus is disrupted. When we use one side of our brain, then quickly jump to an entirely different section, we bleed efficiency. Tasks in factories are compartmentalized for a reason. Can you imagine what a machine would look like if it were responsible for building a brand new car (complete with new car smell) from start to finish? It'd be one, monstrously large and ugly piece of hardware.

Focus is essential for efficiency. Habits can help you channel your focus. If you want to experience sweet exhaustion, practice creating routines and compartmentalizing your day. Don't try to do everything at once--rather group similar tasks together and only work on those for the first part, then switch mid-day if you must. Some CEO's only focus on one area each day, for example: Monday is product development, Tuesday is marketing, Wednesday is customer satisfaction, etc.

Sweet exhaustion is still tiring, but the satisfaction from knowing you used each minute as efficiently as possible makes the feeling tolerable. Like an intense workout when the sweat completely changes the color of your shirt, the reward masks the feeling of pain. Build your efficiency muscles, feel the burn and smile in the face of never-ending to do lists. Don't settle for ordinary exhaustion. Practice habit formation, compartmentalization, focus, and managing each minute with urgency. By the end of the day, you'll know it, sweet, sweet, exhaustion.