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

So, here’s something I struggle to motivate and make time for – working out. While I’ve never loved working out, I used to be really good at it – four to five times a week, I’d get out of bed before dawn to take a 5:30 am gym class for 45-60 minutes and then march off to work.

But after my daughter was born and enough time went by that my body felt up for working out again (a lot longer than six weeks later, btw…), I still didn’t do it. Why? Because I couldn’t do it like I used to. Working out five days a week for 45 minutes would require me to give up too much of my precious, now-limited time. I wanted that time to work or recharge. So – I didn’t work out. At all.

Do you know what I mean? For you, it may not be working out – it could be a fun hobby you used to love but can’t devote the same amount of time to as you used to, so you just don’t do it at all.

While I live in California, my happy place is Colorado. If you also have a happy place in another state or travel for work, just a reminder that starting October 1 of this year, our normal driver’s licenses won’t cut it. You’ll need a federally-compliant card called a REAL ID (or your passport) to fly domestically.

Part of my goal when it comes to time management is to help you avoid those last-minute scrambles. To that end, I just want to make sure you’re aware of and acting to be ready for this big change.

It ain’t sexy. But it’s effective.⠀
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Want to make 2020 one for the books — hitting your business and personal goals out of the park?⠀
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It all comes back to the time you devote to them.⠀

It’s been a while since I shared a tech tip! So let’s kick off the new year with a fun one. ⠀

Surprise: I have a messy calendar! Before you start shouting, “explain yourself!” (I get it — we get heated about calendars around here ), I will.⠀

My lack of natural organization makes me pretty darn good at what I do now — helping you learn how to organize your time.

Anyone else get kind of anxious when new year’s resolutions talk crops up? Probably because I learned at an early age that they don’t really stick, I feel a twinge of defeat whenever they’re discussed. Am I alone here??⠀

Recently, I had a great conversation with one of my favorite people. On our walk to get coffee, we talked about the difficulty of saying “no” or “later” to a new project.

We both like to say something like, “given everything on my plate right now, I can turn to this on X date” — and either hope they’re good with the later date or, in some cases, turn to someone else.

But here’s the problem: Due to people-pleasing guilt, we often throw out a date that will only work if we work nights/weekends on our current projects to make ourselves available. Time we’re sacrificing from our people we want to spend time with.

Whether you’re an attorney managing a partner or client’s expectations or an entrepreneur managing those of a client or collaborator, you know what I’m talking about.

Planning doesn’t always work out. Obviously, sometimes life throws you curveballs. And sometimes plans don’t work in more subtle ways.

In my lawyer days, I used to workout first thing in the AM. So after my daughter started sleeping through the night, I recovered from months of sleep deprivation, and I got my early mornings back, I scheduled working out for that first-thing-in-the-AM slot. After all, that’s what had worked for me for years.

But, while I had no problem getting up at 5am, I found myself consistently ignoring that “Quick Workout” calendar alert. Me! The person who harps on and on about your calendar.

Instead, I wanted to work — to research issues for clients, to work on my online course I’m releasing next year, etc.

When you find yourself consistently ignoring a planned activity, it’s not a sign planning doesn’t work or that something is wrong with you. It’s just a little nudge that the activity is either not scheduled at the right time or may not be the right activity for you in the first place.