HISMD: Professional Project Manager for a major retailer in Property/Facilities Management

This “How I Structure My Day” Series started from a post I did on the topic in my own life, under which a woman asked if it would be possible to see how a woman working a more full time job did it. I asked women to share, and man have people responded. All posts can be found on Instagram, and an index of them can be found here. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I do!

A quick snapshot:

• Profession: Professional Project Manager for a major retailer in Property/Facilities Management
• Partner: Yes
• Children: Yes – 15-year-old son with Down syndrome
• Twin Cities, Minnesota
• Hybrid, primarily WFH. Starting weekly in-office day in July 2025 with quarterly weeks of in-person mandatory time
• In my 50s – late bloomer – late 20s when I found my career; 30s when I married; 40 when I had our son.

More detail about her partner & family:

• Her partner works hybrid with 2 mandatory days in office.
• He has occasional travel when he is completely out of pocket.
• His schedule tends to start after 9 AM.
• He is the Night Owl.
• We share kid duties from school, medical and social activities/appointments for our son with a disability.
• We have a rental property.
• I am the primary breadwinner in our family.

On a typical work day, what does your morning look like?

WFH days: M, W-F

• Natural wake between 4:30-5 AM * COFFEE first – on a good day, I set things up the night before so my future self has a good start.
• 4:45 AM-5:15 AM: Putter in the kitchen while coffee is brewing (I could set a timer, but the grinding of the coffee beans works to wake up my senses, especially the smell of freshly ground beans) – mostly related to prepping meds, breakfast items, setting up for making lunch and dinner prep.
• 5:15 AM – 6:30AM: Engage into the day – mental and emotional set up before the family rouses. I sit in my “chair” and savor the first sips of my hot coffee with heavy cream and get my notebook out to align myself to how I feel – track wake time, CPAP sleep score/time, and spend a few minutes noting how I feel (I have been focusing on my health and healing from an injury since September 2024), gratitude and reflection and looking at my Google calendar (thanks to the Bright Method!). The items in my calendar are related to family-our personal business-work-self/personal. I am the Family Manager, Business Manager, School Communications Manager, Social Secretary, etc.. I find this time of day critical to the success of my day mentally and emotionally. It is the most inconsistent time with when the family wakes or how work items may have funneled up overnight that shifts my priorities.
• 6:30 AM: my alarm goes off to get myself ready for the day. This is, sadly, new to me since last summer when I set an alarm to strive to have time to address my own personal care/hygiene. There are more days when I get the minimum of 20 minutes to get myself ready than I have had in years, but it is, at best, 2 out of 5 work days.
• 7:00 AM: Family Time – engage in general house tasks and when we are starting to move through prep for the day. Make lunches, if applicable, rally to prep backpack(s), review the schedule of the day and confirm who is doing what duty and where.
• 7:15-30 AM: GAME ON – breakfast needs to be ready for our son for therapy appointments (2x/week) or school drop off. We drop off and do not use school transportation (husband’s own childhood experience has influence this). The goal is to have breakfast together, but this is the time that I usually have to continue with the morning engagement time tasks.
• 8 AM: Out the door for school drop off – or – transition to my home office. When I drop off, my office transition will be at 9:00 AM.

IN OFFICE DAYS – 3/5 days, 8x/year. Will be adding weekly in-office days on Tuesdays in July.

• 4:30 AM – 6 :30AM: Activities stay the same as above with an earlier time shift and no Family Time & my husband does morning drop off 95% of the time.
• 6:30-7 AM: LEAVE HOUSE: Leave for the office for commute (20-30 minutes depending on the day of the week and how late I leave) to get Princess Parking. I work Downtown and need to be in the office to get into the closer parking garage to my building. I am still healing from a knee injury and am nervous about being back in-person Downtown navigating the streets/skyways. Goal is to be butt-in-seat and logging in no later than 7:30 AM. Some days, I am taking international meetings in the car on the way in.

Do you have any hacks that help make your mornings run as smoothly as possible?

WFH Days:

• Doing something my future self will thank me for is ideal the night before. This ranges from laying things out for our son/myself, setting the coffee pot, writing Post-It notes, setting specific alarms for the upcoming day on my phone and using the time to look ahead at the social/activity schedule is key. It’s the little things that make it go well – lay out meds for the morning, pull out meat to thaw before bed are the big ones that bring calm and a head start to the day. I am best in the morning hours, so ANYTHING I can do that can free up my time to do the finances, communications, planning and life management uninterrupted will help. I spend time sifting through emails, papers, mail, forms, applications and countless websites and apps to coordinate life for the 3 of us. Think through the entire day so that I can do any tasks in the morning to set up for a smooth afternoon transition.

In Office Days:

• All of the above PLUS picking out my clothes and packing my work bag ahead of time is critical. Add getting gas and staging as much as possible in the car for afternoon/evening activities. I am the one that primarily does pick up on In Office days. The routine is still infrequent enough that something gets missed for an in-office day (mouse, charger, the appropriate notebook, etc.).

How do you transition between personal life into work mode?

• I am VERY bad at this. My working hours vary depending on projects that I have in-flight. I also work in all domestic time zones and with an overseas team. While I can typically transition out of work meetings with a time block, I am typically checking/answering emails & texts at 5 AM until I sit down in my office and will continue from 7 PM – 10 PM after dinner/bedtime to balance West Coast time and overnight projects preparing to begin at the end of the night.
• If I have personal commitments (volunteer or social engagements with friends), I am better. I admit, I take my time with my family for granted. I am working on boundaries and time blocks that are consistent and something I can calendar.

What does your work day tend to look like? What explains variation if intentional? Any strategies/tips for how you manage it?

WFH Days: 8-9 AM – 3-3:30 PM: WORK TIME – I am in meetings through most of the day

In Office Days:

• 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM: WORK TIME – Combination of Zoom meetings & in-person meetings for people to have the office connections we lost during COVID. There is VERY little time to actually do focused work. These days tend to leave more work to catch up on during WFH days.
• 2:30-5:30 PM – TRANSITION TIME – starts earlier to account for traffic and commuting. I might take the opportunity to run an errand on the way to school along the path home. When I am In Office, I have pick up 95% of the time.

When do you eat lunch (or other snacks)?

• If possible, lunch break is for 30-45 minutes between 11:30-1 PM.
• I have focused on my health since September and have lost 45 pounds! Lunch is critical to make sure that I have enough protein to sustain me.
• When my husband is WFH, we try to meet on the main level (his home office is upstairs; mine is downstairs in the basement) to chat or watch an episode of mindless tv on Netflix.
• I will protect a couple-few days/month to meet a friend/colleague over lunch for 1.5 hours. This is either in-person or Zoom or phone. Food is always involved.
• I am typically having a Diet Coke/Pellegrino during travel time and having my protein bar or other crunchy snack while in the car.

Do you schedule in breaks?

• I am VERY proud of my Life Admin Day that I schedule every other month for a full day off. I am also including my personal care for haircuts/bang trims, PT/medical appointments during the work day. That helps keep my in-check that I am a whole person and acknowledge that my flexibility for work also demands flexibility from my work.
• During a regular work day, breaks are dependent on meeting schedule.
• My husband and I have a Date Night planned once/month. We alternate scheduling and planning. This alternates between 1:1 and a Double Date. And, we have started planning a long weekend every August just the two of us.
• I have a monthly get-together with 2 girlfriends that we preschedule the dates out 6-months at a time. We alternate choosing the meeting location and time.
• Family vacations are every other year. Holidays are new to us without parents and no family living locally. We have started traveling for Thanksgiving and enjoying Winter Break at home.

How do you transition out of work mode?

• The best is to plan it. If I plan my end of day well, I transition well. Otherwise, I blend the two poorly and fight hard to reset my focus. It is important for me to schedule it on calendars for work and for my husband to see. If it is not on a calendar, it is very often assumed that I am free and available.
• I need to leave the house/office, too. Get me in the car, and I tend to have a better transition. It shifts my physical ability to be on the laptop or my phone. I just recently realized this post-Covid when I was rarely driving anywhere.
• I am better when I am physically away from my laptop. Having my office in the basement (13 steps in that flight and still having knee pain from my torn meniscus last fall helps) is really good as I am limited to only email and Slack on my phone.
• And, I have learned that work mode has seasons. My heavy season is May-October. This is when life needs to be flexible to the demands of work. Weekends are rare to demand my time these days. I have worked hard to protect that time. This helps manage expectations of my time.

What do you do from when you’re done working to your own bedtime? Feel free to share all the details!

• 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM: TRANSITION TIME – Kid pick up from school or activity practice/game. Our son is very active in adaptive sports and swimming and in Special Olympics year-round. We are both still online checking-answering emails and taking calls/meetings during this time. We usually try to take turns with him if he has no activity. This is a hectic time – I want/need to be more present and in the moment during this time. We are often stressed and rushing and it feels heavy.
• 5:30 PM: Dinner/Family time
  • We are working hard to not be “lazy” about cooking for the 3 of us. It doesn’t have to be fancy, fed is best some days. I am the primary cook. The biggest struggle is when my husband decides that he does not want to eat what was planned and does not care for the other options (I will not be a short order cook). We are all emotional eaters, too.
  • We go to eat out on rare occasions and only if they are related to social activities. When the opportunity does arise when we can grab something after sports/activities with other families, we love that opportunity most. Our son does not have the same friend relationships and level of independence that typical 15-year olds have.
• 6:30-7:30 PM: Clean up/refresh – Dinner clean-up, shower, unpack from the day. Focus is on our son and getting him ready for bed and winding down for the day.
• 7:30 – 8:30 PM: Snuggle/Bedtime – Focus time on our son and getting him ready to end the day. It has been known that I will fall asleep in my chair during this time if I am not actively engaged in something.
• 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Nightly wind down- I am spent at this time of the night. My husband and I will download from the day but nothing salient can be discussed or planned during this time when my brain is fried. This is when we would tidy the main level or manage other household chores.
• 9:30 – 10:00 PM: Get Ready – Bed for me – Hubby is a Night Owl and uses the time for him. I will do my nightly routine (not as well or as often as I want) and scroll on social media or text with West Coast friends & family.
  • Mind shifts to focus on being a career project manager to becoming an advocate and learner. My son has Down syndrome and I strive to do something for the future of all people with disabilities to better their lives and opportunities. I am a daughter of immigrants and am living a life that my ancestors dreamed of…I don’t take that lightly and the privilege I have to end my day by doing something every day to be better, do better, and look for something good.

How do you tend to use your evening hours (post-kid-bedtime hours if applicable)?

• I need more energy to do more in the evenings! This season of life is leaving time with my husband on the back burner. I want to focus more on us this summer. Try better tomorrow!

What are your nighttime non-negotiables and/or things you do if you have energy?

• Clear kitchen counters and sink & start the dishwasher
• Prepare bags and stage “stuff” for the next day. This includes the everyday bags for my son and the specific activity bags for the day. This is also when I think if I need to pack snacks/meal because of timing of activities.
• Look ahead at the menu plan and meal prep something – thaw something, make a note to pick up an ingredient, gather items from the pantry
• Vacuum the mudroom and wipe down the dining table to reset the house at the end of the day
• Never miss a snuggle, kiss goodnight or tell my husband and son that I love them
• Personal non-negotiables are few and far between, sadly, because I am spent and crash hard. Should be all of the personal hygiene needs for my skin and hair.
• And, my CPAP prep (eye drops, skin prep, etc.).
• Things I do if I have the energy, shower, shampoo, dry, moisturize right before bed so that I can leisurely read a book for pleasure. Striving for 1% better…never give up.

Any tips to making your afternoons/nights run smoothly?

• It’s about mindset – truly, I have to make sure that I go into the afternoon/night resetting my mindset.
• Coffee at 3 PM helps, too, if it will be a busy night. Coffee calms and settles me vs. having an adverse effect to my sleep.
• 1. Have a plan/goal. It’s important to have a focus so that progress can be made.
• 2. Be connected – that is more intentional than I realized as a younger career woman and mom. This takes the action to choose the moment to engage and connect. This is with someone, with something, or to be somewhere.
• 3. Look forward to REST – I look forward to sleep and the day goes better for me when I know that I will be able to lay my head on the pillow at the end of the day to rest instead of collapsing from being exhausted.

Do you have any general approach or tips for sharing the load at home with a home partner if you have one?

• Mental load is REAL. And, learning your partner’s Love Language is REAL. We will be celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary this year, and, I can honestly say that it is better every year. It’s because we make the choice to want to help and to make the other person feel better. We may have awful timing and lax on occasion from paying attention, but it is wanting to do something for the other person. It is to be open and willing to grow and learn. Ultimately, we choose to be together and to align on being better together. Communication is better than ever. We have goals that are aligned and focused. We are human, don’t get me wrong, and the last 15 years have also pushed us to live through a lot that has helped us realize how important to have a partner is (lost jobs, parents, health and financial obstacles). We are mindful to not take one another for granted.
• I have also learned more about myself. I have worked through my personal generational trauma as a first-generation Chinese American female navigating an inter-racial marriage and raising a bi-racial child with intellectual disabilities. I am continuously learning, growing, failing, succeeding and building and sharing this little life of mine. It gets hard; it gets awful some days; it is also so joyful and beautiful. Because I know myself better, I have more confidence to ask for what I need and for help. It’s not always timely, and it involves getting through a lot of guilt and sacrificing my needs first, but I ultimately have a meltdown and start project managing my husband.

To the extent you can, what to do you do for fun/yourself during the week (even occasionally)?

• I love to eat out with my husband and friends.
• I love to cook.
• I get excited when I can tell our family’s story about Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics and inclusion.
• I want to share my experiences as a member of the Sandwich Generation caregiving for my parents & in-laws while starting a family of my own.
• I want to be a Connector and help the navigation of families to services and opportunities for their differently-abled kids and families. This all includes investing time to volunteer, consume information locally, regionally and nationally on disability rights, medical, educational and social supports.
• If you saw me in the wild, you would think I am addicted to Diet Coke, am always eating something delicious and seem to be connected to my phone as an appendage.
• I am passionate about what and who I love!

Do you outsource anything on the home front?

• 1. Housecleaning was the very first thing I outsourced. This has looked different over the seasons of life. Currently, we have a monthly clean that I hope to work up to a bi-weekly when I grow up.
• 2. Instacart/Shipt/Target Drive-Up – I used to travel a minimum of 212 miles RT when I worked on an amazing project for 1.5 years. I was a caregiver to my 80+ year old mother and had a young son with a husband who worked very rigid hours. I had to find some way to get groceries to my mom when I couldn’t be there to drive her to the store. And, Costco/grocery shopping on the way home was crazy. I bought into the estimated time savings that Instacart tells you at order confirmation – GAME CHANGER. Worth the annual fee; worth tipping people who shopped for me and my family to free up physical time I did not have.
• 3. Amazon – all of it; any of it. I don’t have to drive all over town looking for something on the list that I wrote on a Post-It. Sending things to the house; to others; for myself when I was traveling and those widgets and bobbs that they seem to have when you are looking for the most obscure things.
• 4. Virtual assistant – she helped move projects that I needed to have done so that I could feel like I accomplished something in the last 10+ years. I work with her on a project basis and pay an hourly rate. LIFE SAVER.

If you haven’t answered already, do you move your body/exercise? If so, what does that look like and how often? Thank you!

• I am in the phase where I am trying to figure this out. I am sedentary. I do NOT like being outdoors. This is from a person who has been “big-boned” her entire life and is plus-size. I was an athlete through high school and into the first years of college before injuring my ACL. The BEST thing that happened to me in the last year was tearing my meniscus. It forced me to go to PT twice a week and do the work with the most amazing therapist I have ever known (SarahB, you saved my life!). I need to add strength training and stretching sooner rather than later. I am trying to figure out how to do it. This is the next goal to focus on.

Anything else you’d like to add? I think we all enjoy hearing details that might feel odd or small to share, so add anything you’d like!

• Being a parent of a child with an intellectual disability is something that I am proud of but also need people to know how much this adds to the mental load. There is no end to the emails, the texts, the brain space and the paperwork that comes with managing health items with the medical team, communicating to school staff, teachers, and coaches when your child is limited in speech. It is a never-ending journey to stay on top of the present, remember the details of the past, and keep on the current trending topics and challenges while still having your eyes and ears open in front to make sure you are ready for the next stage. There is a constant search for activities to support both the social and physical and emotional aspects of our son. At age 15, he is behind the typical-aged person who is more independent and carving out their own way. There are safety, community and financial concerns that our attention as parents. I find myself joining more groups in school and in the community and to engage in social media platforms to consume as much information and have as many resources as possible to stay informed. I want to be the Connector, the Influencer for Change, and the best person for our son and his friends for their future.

That’s a wrap for this one!

Thank you so much to this woman for generously sharing. This is part of a series. Most posts are found only on Instagram (due to time constraints for me). You can find an index of them here. The goal is to show how women from different industries, with and without kids, with and without partners, with family living with/near them and not, wfh to 1+ hour commutes, etc. structure their day. Enjoy!

And if you would like to contribute (all posts are published anonymously to allow you to share the nitty gritty details without concern), you can by filling out this form. Thank you!

A reminder of the ground rules to ensure women continue wanting to share about their days and feel safe doing so.

• Encouraging comments always welcome!
• If you have questions or even hang-ups about what someone shared, you are welcome to ask a question for the sharer in the same kind, genuinely curious way you would if you were looking at that woman in her eyes. She might respond through me.
• If comments are judge-y or mean-spirited, I reserve the right to delete comments. I can handle being criticized about my own work here (and even still, to a degree – I’m also a person), but I go into full mama bear mode when people come after my people – including women who are being vulnerable and sharing in the first place.
• Thanks to the vast majority of people who are so kind!

New here? Welcome!

I’m Kelly Nolan, an attorney-turned-time management strategist and mom of two. I teach the Bright Method, a realistic time management system designed for professional working women. In addition to this fun new series, I share bite-sized time management strategies here and on Instagram. Thanks for being here!