A podcast intended to help busy women find the tools and the encouragement to manage their lives, their time, their stress, and their stuff so they can accomplish the things that matter most to them.
This week I’m sharing some thought-provoking ideas from books I’m reading that inspire and motivate me to think differently about life and productivity.
Productivity problem areas? This week I share my current top 4, along with some plans to "fix" them! Maybe some of the tips I found will help you, too.
It's nearly the end of the year (if you can believe it). Let's look at a few things we can do in the coming weeks to end the year on a productive note and set ourselves up for a successful 2022.
An organized closet and a functional wardrobe can be a part of our meaningfully productive life. This week Geralin Thomas and I talk about building a wardrobe that is versatile, organized, and stress-free.
In this episode we continue our recurring “Productive Reading” series, this time talking about my key takeaways from Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport. (Spoiler alert: I HIGHLY recommend this book.)
In this latest episode of our 2021 Productive Living series, Navy fighter pilot, bestselling author, and mom Carey Lohrenz and I talk about formulating a plan for success by focusing on your span of control.
In this episode we discuss returning to school as an adult student and how to balance your studies and other responsibilities, while still making time for yourself.
In this latest installment of our 2021 Productive Living series, Scout Sobel and I talk about mental health & productivity--feeling safe in your emotions, living in alignment, and going after your dreams.
We don't always have big chunks of time to devote to particular tasks or projects. Let's look at some ways to be productive when we only have a few minutes.
Self-care matters! In this installment of the Productive Living series beauty expert Jaime McLaughlin and I talk about quick and easy daily self-care that helps us be productive, efficient, and present for what matters most.
We can give ourselves permission to rest, relax and recharge without feeling guilty about it. It's possible to make time for rest, enjoy it, and still be productive.
No matter the reason, when you've let things slide for a while, getting back on track can feel like an overwhelming task. Let's talk about some tips that can help tame the chaos and reestablish some control.
Join Physician Assistant Sarah Keyes and me in this latest episode of the Productive Living series as we talk about how to taking care of our health by making simple but meaningful lifestyle choices--and giving ourselves grace along the way.
Multi-published mystery author and full-time technical writer Mary Sutton and I chat about committing to your passions and finding time for “your” stuff amidst the things you “have” to do.
The most essential things don't have to be so hard. In this newest installment of our recurring Productive Reading series I'm sharing my key takeaways from Greg McKeown's new book, Effortless.
In a continuation of the 2021 Productive Living series, I talk with chef, cookbook author, and mom Kelly Senyei about feeding our families, maximizing our productivity, and giving ourselves grace.
Sometimes in order to make space in our lives for the good and productive things, we need to weed out the unproductive things--things we do habitually that don’t serve us. In this episode we're talking about 10 unproductive things we can stop doing to be more productive.
Since productivity is such a personal thing, I thought it might be fun to share a few things you might not know about me and how they affect my productivity. I invite you to do an inventory of the personal factors that affect your productivity.
Author and college professor Betsy Hays and I talk about how we can build and nurture professional and personal relationships through virtual networking.
In this installment of our Productive Living series, I talk with accountant and certified financial coach Alaina Fingal about money and productivity--including how you can overcome fear related to your money, learn how to establish a budget, and save for your future.
This week we’re talking about habits, specifically looking at some habits that help me stay productive and a few that don’t. We also discuss how to replace "bad" habits with ones that will really serve you in your daily life.
Newlywed, Gen-Z'er, and small business owner Sarah Tulen and I talk about balancing and growing a new business (and a new marriage!), all while living in a new country.
This week's episode, which is part of our Productive Living series, features my conversation with certified personal trainer and CEO of Figured Out Fitness, Jennifer Nagel, about how a well-rounded fitness routine can contribute to our productivity and making a life that matters.
If you’re frustrated by the feeling that weeks go by with no progress on the things that matter to you, or you don’t seem to have enough time in a week to get the things done that you need and want to do, creating a schedule can help.
Often we don’t have the time to spend all day cleaning. But there are small things we can do each day to help maintain order, peace, and productivity at home.
Have you experienced burnout in your profession or career? This week's episode, the first in our new Productive Living series, features my conversation with physician and life coach Errin Weisman about how we can avoid and recover from career burnout.
This week I introduce a new recurring series featuring conversations with women who have expertise, insights, or experience in areas that are important elements of productive living.
Busy mom, podcaster, and Fortune 500 executive Whitnee Hawthorne and I talk about how she balances her professional life with her commitment to her family and her passion for helping other working moms.
Turning the calendar to a new year doesn’t actually have any meaning in and of itself, but it can be a great time to do a reset and take a few actions that will set you up for improved productivity in the weeks and months to come.
As we wrap up this unusual year, I wanted to take just a few minutes to say thank you--and to leave you with some quotes that inspire me to dream big and accomplish my goals.
This year has been challenging, to say the least. As the year wraps up, let's take time to look towards the future and think about where we'd like to be this time next year. What steps can we take now to get us where we want to be?
This unusual year has shaken us as individuals and as a society. A lot of us have had to rethink our priorities, even our identity. The upheaval and challenges have brought to the forefront of my mind some personal qualities I think are important if we want to be productive and make a life that matters.
Margaret Alabi is a busy Pharmacist by day but spends her free time coaching others to reach their full potential as leaders through The Pivot Consulting Group, the agency she co-founded. This episode features my conversation with Margaret about how she implements tools for sustainable productivity to balance her professional life with her passion for helping others grow.
Giving thanks and feeling grateful matter to our mental and physical health, to our relationships--and to our productivity. Especially in light of the challenges we've all faced this year, the Thanksgiving holiday is a good reminder of how important it is to give thanks every day.
Motivation is what drives us to act and keep acting. But internal and external obstacles can sap our motivation and keep us from accomplishing goals. How can we get--and keep--ourselves motivated to keep moving forward?
Elizabeth Hill is a busy mom, business owner, and lawyer who is trying to make the best use of her time, while also being careful to make time for herself. This week we discuss her multiple roles and her tips for starting a small business.
Our 2020 holiday celebrations and gatherings may look different from years past. This week we discuss some things we can do now to prepare for a joyous and safe holiday season.
Like many of us, mom and Realtor Sarah Im is searching for a workable balance between work and family. This week she and I talk about that search, and about raising children in a thoughtful and intentional way.
I don’t believe productivity is dependent on particular tools or apps, but we are fortunate to live in an age when there are many resources available to make our lives and work simpler and more efficient. This week I'm sharing a few of my favorite productivity tools.
This week, Mary Cheyne and I talk about finding your voice, speaking with confidence, and how to bypass your inner critic. Even if you have no interest in speaking from a stage, Mary has some great tips for speaking confidently in any situation.
No one likes to think about an emergency occurring, but it's important to be prepared. Since September is National Preparedness Month, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned about how to prepare for an emergency situation and ensure you and your household are safe.
Do you have a project you've been avoiding because you're overwhelmed, don't have time, or aren't sure how to get started, or a dream you haven't taken action on because you're afraid it's out of reach? This week we're talking about how to figure out what's holding us back and come up with strategies to get started.
Early childhood education profession, mom, and author Autumn McKay talks with me about mom guilt, practicing gratitude, and keeping kids engaged and happy during hectic times.
Productivity is more than just crossing things off a to-do list. How would you define a life well lived? It’s easy to get absorbed in our days and lose sight of the bigger picture (those things that matter most) unless we intentionally make time and opportunities to remind ourselves why we’re doing the things we do.
Professional organizer Lisa Woodruff returns to the podcast to talk with me about how we can increase our productivity and happiness by conquering paper clutter in our homes and offices using the system described in her excellent new book, The Paper Solution.
Having an overachieving "do it all, all the time" mindset can lead to burnout, discouragement, and missing out on what's really important. This week we're looking at ways to overcome the paralyzing, discouraging effects of perfectionism and move forward on the goals that matter most to us.
To achieve a goal, we have to keep saying yes to that priority when we want to say no. This week Elizabeth Benton and I talk about setting, and living by, intentional priorities.
When normal activities are suspended, whether during a pandemic or due to some other change in circumstances, we might find ourselves with unexpected free time. How can we use that free time in positive and productive ways?
2020 has been an unusual year. How have the first six months of 2020 gone for you? What do you want the next 6 months to look like? Mid-year is a good time to pause, reflect, and regroup.
It's not enough to just get lots of stuff done. We want to make lives that matter--we want our productivity to be meaningful. In this milestone episode, we discuss what meaningful productivity means and how we can order our lives so as to maximize our positive impact on the world.
Even those of us who usually practice productive habits get off track sometimes. What do you do to get back on track when everything gets away from you?
With all the hats we wear and our never-ending to-do lists, it's important to use our time wisely so we can focus on the things that truly matter. This week I'm sharing a few things I do to make time for what matters most to me.
Kris Rice and I chat about how she prioritizes wellness and tends to her most important priorities. (And don't miss the freebie she's offering TPW listeners--see the link in the show notes!)
Good books can be a source of entertainment, education, and inspiration, helping us make meaningfully productive lives. Here are a few of my favorites.
What do you know for sure? The older I get, the less certain I am about many things, but there are a few things I know for sure about productivity and making a life that matters.
Psychologist, executive coach, and author Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin has focused her career on helping women (and men) overcome Impostor Syndrome and make meaningfully productive lives.
As a longtime organization nerd, I've gathered some great tips from professional organizers whose books, YouTube videos, podcasts, and articles I've learned from over the years.
Meaningful productivity is about making a life that matters. For me, a life that matters centers on people that matter. Aside from family, friends and mentors have perhaps the most influence on our meaningfully productive life.
Working from home can be great, but if the decision to do so was made for you by outside circumstances and with little time to prepare, it comes with unique challenges.
This week's episode features my conversation with former investment banking professional Mayda Poc about how she intentionally incorporates being present in the moment into her productive life.
This week's episode of The Productive Woman podcast features my conversation with professor, wife, and mom Min Choi about how she identified her optimal hours for productivity and protects those hours for getting her most important work done.
Big changes are impressive, but great progress can be achieved by taking small actions consistently. Consider 5 small things to do every day for a more productive year.
Now's a great time to think about a new planner for the coming year. In this week's episode we look at some things to consider in choosing (and using) a planner--including some great suggestions from the TPW community.
London-based banking professional Helen Wright sets intentional boundaries between work, personal, and family commitments. We talk about what that means to her in this week's episode.
Do you ever feel disappointed in your own productivity? Me too. This week I'm sharing a few thoughts from my heart about productivity, disappointed expectations, and feeling better.
This week's episode features my conversation with law school dean and mom Natalie Rodriguez about how she structures her life for simplicity and flexibility to make room for what matters most to her.
Working mom Claire Kellems' search for order in her chaotic life has led to a blog, a business, and more peace of mind. How she got organized (and how you can too) is the subject of our conversation in this week's episode.
What does it mean to extend grace, and what does grace have to do with productivity? A conversation about grace and compassion on this week's episode of The Productive Woman.
Using experience to find clarity on what matters to her has helped attorney, entrepreneur, wife, and mom Jamie Lieberman build a career and life she loves.
Jana Arellano has made more than one big move in her life, and she's learned from every one. Her next move is helping other women develop the confidence to make their next move. How she makes it happen is the subject of our conversation.
We can't make a life that matters without making decisions, but some decisions are harder than others. How can we make decision-making a little less stressful?
This week we're discussing how hormonal changes, and the symptoms caused by those changes, affect our productivity during pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause. (And this discussion isn't just for women!)
This week I'm chatting with speaker, author, wife, and mom Mridu Parikh about how she minimizes overwhelm by simplifying where she can and by ordering her days intentionally.
Sometimes when we're looking for ways to get work done, it helps to hear about tools and techniques that have been effective for other people. This week I'm sharing a bit about the tools, systems, and approaches I use to get work done.
This week I'm talking with Jill Valdez about how intentional structure in her multi-faceted life helps her create impact, and how she's encouraging managers & business owners to empower their employees to do the same.
Looking for a worthwhile summer read? I recommend Michael Hyatt's book, Free to Focus. Hear my key takeaways in this episode, the latest installment in our recurring Productive Reading series.
This week's episode features my conversation with Australia native (but current Singapore resident) Susan Comiskey about how she makes time for speaking, teaching, and doctoral studies while making a life that matters with her husband and daughter.
Understanding why we do what we do is key to taking intentional actions that serve us--and can also help us be more compassionate toward others. If you're ever frustrated because you do things that don't make sense in light of your goals and values, you might appreciate this week's episode of the podcast.
For fashion designer, "Fashion Incubator" director, and new mom Nina Means, structuring her days with intention is key to making time for what matters most to her. Hear how she's making a life that matters in this week's episode.
Summer's upon us (at least those of us in the northern hemisphere)! With a little bit of forethought, summer can be both fun and safe. In this week's episode we consider some suggestions for both.
Does distraction interfere with your productivity and keep you from accomplishing all you want to? In episode 243 of The Productive Woman we look at some effects and causes of distraction--and a few solutions.
Working out a solution to a daily parenting challenge inspired one mom to launch a business committed to helping other moms. This episode features my conversation with Yumble founder Joanna Parker about motherhood, entrepreneurship, and finding your own way.
Does having children interfere with productivity or does it motivate us to be productive? This episode offers some thoughts on motherhood and making a life that matters.
Episode 239 of The Productive Woman podcast features my conversation with humanitarian aid & community development consultant (and wife and mom) Jennifer Choi, who shares lessons learned about making a multi-faceted, multicultural life that matters.
Making a life that matters has its challenges--for all of us. Can I encourage you to believe there's nothing wrong with you if you struggle sometimes to make it all work the way you think it should?
What tools do you think are most important for being productive and making a life that matters? I share my list in this episode--and a couple of them might surprise you.
Consuming content and learning new things is valuable, but to achieve our goals and make a life that matters, we have to do something with what we learn. Thoughts on consumption, creation, and contribution in this week's episode.
Decluttering is a hot topic these days. For some, the logical outcome of decluttering is minimalism. But who we are matters more than what (or how much) we own. Finding a balance between clutter and convenience can contribute to a productive life.
To make a life that matters, we have to know what matters most. How do we decide among all the opportunities and commitments to figure out what matters most--where we can best focus our time, energy, and attention?
Productivity systems and resources are just tools. They're a means to an end, not the end itself. The end is a life that matters, as you define it. This week's episode looks at productivity, peer pressure, and intentional choices.
Swedish journalist Jane Andersson recommends the Swedish concept of lagom (loosely translated as "just enough") as a key to making a meaningfully productive life.
In this latest episode of our recurring Productive Reading series, I share my key takeaways from James Clear's outstanding book, Atomic Habits, a book about how small habits can have big impact on our productivity.
Canadian executive and philanthropist Karina Hayat shares how she makes time for making a difference through focusing on her professional and personal priorities.
Are you making progress on your goals for this year, or has progress slowed because you're not consistently taking action? This episode offers ideas on how to reignite your fading motivation so you can keep moving forward to accomplish what matters most to you.
Entrepreneur, business coach, and author Natalie Eckdahl talks about the importance of managing our mindset, and shares how the support of an intentionally assembled team helps her accomplish what matters most to her.
Last week we talked about resolutions and goals--things we plan to start doing this year. This week, let's consider some things to stop doing (and what to do instead).
As the new year begins, are you making resolutions, setting goals, or both? What's the difference, and how can they work together to create the results you want?
What matters most to you, and how will you make room for it in your life in the coming year? In this last episode of the year, I share some thoughts I'm pondering as the year ends and a new one begins.
Disappointed with your progress toward the goals you set for yourself this year? Let's talk about things you can do to start down a more productive path.
Tech executive, award-winning food blogger, wife, and mom Vicky Volvovski shares thoughts on managing a busy life with a centralized system, and on brainstorming solutions to challenging projects.
Some of us (raising my hand) tend to focus so much on the future that we forget to be present today. On the other hand, it's easy to get so wrapped up in our day-to-day commitments that we forget to step back and look at the long-term big picture. A challenge for many of us is to plan sufficiently for the future without letting worries for the future cloud our present.
"Time keeps passing whether or not you think about where it's going." Laura Vanderkam, author of Off the Clock & other books about productivity and time management, encourages us to be intentional about how we use our time..
A few simple habits can make a big difference in our day-to-day productivity and help us accomplish more with less effort. In this episode I share a few small habits that help me make time for what matters most.
Is your to-do list getting the better of you? Let's review some task management basics that will help you get your list under control and make real progress on the projects that matter most to you.
Most of us don't like conflict, but it's an inevitable part of the human condition. It doesn't have to derail our productivity, though--if we can find constructive ways to deal with it.
"If you’re having a hard time getting things done because you're anxious and totally depleting yourself, maybe it's time for you to spend some time on yourself in quiet." Katie Krimitsos returns to The Productive Woman to share lessons learned about the value of silence and solitude in making a life that matters.
Why is the Productive Reading series a part of The Productive Woman podcast? Because reading can contribute in a big way to making a life that matters.
Wish you had more free time? Get some practical ideas and wise advice from Jeff Sanders in his newest book, The Free-Time Formula. This is the next in our Productive Reading series.
"Wealth is about more than money." This week's episode features my conversation with "America's Money Maven," Patrice Washington, about living intentionally, creating a better mindset about money, and making a life that matters.
If our definition of a productive woman is one who orders her life in such a way as to maximize her positive impact in the world, what can we do to expand our influence and make a positive difference in the world around us?
Is it possible to be both productive and peaceful? I believe it is, but I'm not always experiencing it lately. Some thoughts about why, and how to "fix" it, in this week's episode.
