Dig into actionable, realistic time management strategies designed for the professional working woman that mold to you.

How do we manage our energy to show up in the way that we want to in our homes, at work, to better our country, and for ourselves – when the work and the context in which we’re doing it (hey, COVID) are so heavy?

There are no right or wrong strategies here, but here are some of mine.

Your to-do list will never be done. Before you think, “Kelly, that’s depressing – not freeing,” let me offer a different perspective:

It’s an incredibly powerful thing to realize and truly absorb.

Since you literally cannot finish your to-do list, let go of the pressure to get it all done RIGHT NOW.

Okay…but it’s easier said than done, right?

It’s hard to NOT see those 49 things on the list when you’re trying to relax.

Well, what if you could figure out when you’ll do those things – and then hide them until you were going to do them?

You’d get to avoid that “looming to-do’s” feeling.

You’d get to feel accomplished at the end of the day, not defeated by your never-ending to-do list.

And you’d still know they’d get done because they’d circle back around when it was time to do them.

And THAT’s why I’m such a big advocate for putting all of it in your calendar – because that’s exactly what happens.

When we’re pulled in so many directions every day, it’s just hard to take in information and details. Harder still to retain them.⠀
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If in the midst of managing the dozens of tasks you have for the day at work, you’re also asking your brain to remember when you need to stop work to take care of the kids, when you need to start cooking dinner, when you’ll get back to that one work task tonight, when you’ll relax (can you even relax tonight?), when you’ll call your mom back, … well, it’s just too much.⠀
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It’s not going to work. And it can be overwhelming. And it takes up way too much of your brain space.⠀
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If you want some help transitioning from trying to manage it all in your head (perhaps with the help of a sea of to-do lists and post-it notes – which still require a lot of your brain to make it happen), I’m here. I’d love to help.⠀

It’s no surprise your middle-school system can’t keep up with you now-much-more-complicated modern working woman life. ⁣
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And without an effective system, you’re left to juggle and manage it all in your head. ⁣
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In short, if you feel overwhelmed (all the time or just once a week or so), it’s NOT your fault – but it is your system’s. ⁣

A secret trick for creativity, breakthroughs and success: ⠀
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Cut it out with the self-judgment.⠀
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I used to constantly put myself down for forgetting people’s birthdays, scrambling to meet work deadlines, neglecting my home life for work, and on and on.⠀
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At a certain point, I decided to just stop with the whole “what is WRONG with me?!” self-talk – and figure it out.⠀
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“It is what it is. I can’t rely on my brain to remember/manage all this stuff. So how do I still get it done?”⠀
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That’s when the magic happened.⠀

While most productivity people out there recommend Sundays or Monday mornings… I’m a huge believer in planning on Fridays. There’s just something so awesome about walking into your weekend knowing you’re on top of everything on your plate, nothing fell through the cracks, and that you have a realistic game plan to get it all […]

“Draw boundaries.”⠀
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When we say we’re too busy at work, we hear that a lot. ⠀
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But how do you know WHEN to draw boundaries? How do you know when to decline more work? How do you know when to ask for an extension on an assignment?⠀

I have reminders to call friends in my calendar ⠀
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Before you mentally lay into me thinking that’s too weird, give me a chance to explain.⠀

Good news, team! To-do lists CAUSE a lot of your overwhelm. ⠀⠀
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Let me back up – Most of you know I’m not a big fan of to-do lists or keeping track of your to-dos in list-type apps, post-it notes, etc. ⠀⠀
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I’ve always thought they don’t really help you get stuff done. ⠀⠀
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They don’t tell you whether a task will take 2 minutes or 5 hours. They don’t tell you if you need to do them during business hours when offices are open. They don’t tell you if you should do something when your energy is good or can be done when you’re tired. ⠀⠀
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I just thought they weren’t all that helpful. ⠀⠀
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But after doing this now for 2+ years, here’s what I’ve discovered: ⠀⠀
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Not only do to-do lists not help you, they actually CAUSE a lot of your overwhelm. ⠀⠀