The Productive Woman

Disappointment (and worse) can result when we aren't clear on our expectations. Today we’re talking about managing expectations for less stress and more productivity. 

Self-reflection is always time well spent, especially if it's helping us grow as an individual. In this episode we’re talking about questions we can ask ourselves to help us create a life that matters

Certified financial social worker Tamara Dias joined me to talk about financial wellness and making a life that matters.

Working from home has its benefits--and its challenges. This week I talk about both--and some solutions for the challenges

How do you manage the mental load that's part of managing a household, a career, relationships, and a life in general? And how do we get others to share that mental load?

A meaningfully productive life includes a balance of solo and social time--but that balance is different for each of us.

The tools we use can make all the difference. In this episode I discuss some of the tools I use for efficient work.

This week features an installment in our recurring “Productive Reading” series, looking at key takeaways from Switch Craft, by Elaine Fox, PhD, and the tools that can help us thrive in a constantly changing world.

Swedish Death Cleaning offers a thoughtful approach to decluttering that benefits us in the present and our loved ones when we're gone.

Former NFL journalist Brooke Bentley chats with me about choices she's made over the course of her life and career, and the pressure to have it all.

What's work-life integration and how is it different from (maybe better than) work-life balance?

There are tons of resources that can help us make a life that matters. Let's look at a few of them.

What does success mean to you? In this week's installment of our Productive Living series, I chat with author, podcaster, coach, and former marketing professional Anna Lundberg about how to make the most of our professional and personal lives.

We all have moments of self-doubt and insecurity. Today we’re talking about imposter syndrome, also know as the imposter phenomenon, and a few things we can do to prevent it from hampering our productivity and our life.

We can make life (and productivity) harder than it needs to be by our own thoughts and actions--but we can also turn that around.

In this week's short episode I share a brief update on TPW plans and my wishes for you in the coming new year.

We all lead incredibly busy lives, but it's important we don't neglect ourselves or those who matter most to us. In this episode I’m sharing some elements I think are necessary for a truly productive day (and life).

Not all gifts can be wrapped and put under the tree, especially the ones that are the most valuable. This week let's consider some gifts you can give yourself during this holiday season and for the coming year...which could be your most productive ever.

Here's quick rundown of a few habits that take only a few minutes but can help you be more organized and productive every day. What can you add to the list?

In this installment of our Productive Reading series we look at Dr. Anna Lembke's fascinating book, Dopamine Nation. (Spoiler alert: I recommend it!)

This week's episode features my conversation with physician Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest, about the 7 types of rest we all need to maximize our quality of life and our positive impact on the world.

Let's talk about preparing for joy in the upcoming holiday season, all while remaining productive and keeping our most important priorities in mind.

This week's episode of our Productive Living series features a conversation with author, speaker, and executive career coach Elizabeth Pearson about productive management of business communications.

Let's talk about ways to stay productive in different seasons and how to show up at our best year-round.

Let's chat with clinical nutritionist Lahana Vigliano about the importance of gut health and hormones for our health and our productivity.

This week I talk with financial writer Emily Guy Birken about overcoming financial anxiety and confidently achieving mindful financial independence.

What are your best tips and tricks for productive and low-stress travel? That's what we're talking about in this week's episode.

Professor, vocal coach, and author Jessica Doyle-Mekkes talks about finding your voice (and your power) by speaking up with confidence in your message.

Intentionally cultivating flexibility and resilience can boost our productivity as we better navigate change and bounce back from adversity.

Creative expression is an important component of a productive life. This installment of our Creative Living series features my conversation with lawyer, novelist, and writing coach Mary Adkins about creative self-care.

This week we’re talking about productivity slumps, what we can do to avoid them, and how to manage our minds to be our most productive when they inevitably happen.

This episode of our Productive Living series features my conversation with coach, nutritionist, and author Angela Shurina about a holistic approach to productivity for maximum positive impact on the world.

Following up on last week’s episode, this week we talk more about getting it all done, looking at some of the "best practices" recommended by experts.

This week we’re starting a 2-part series about getting it all done, with Part 1's focus on some of the things I personally do to accomplish what matters most to me.

Overcoming productivity obstacles is possible with the right steps. In this week's episode we discuss ways to overcome productivity roadblocks.

The back-to-school season (or any change in seasons) is a great time to re-evaluate our daily and weekly routines to make sure they're serving us.

Let's talk about productivity myths: "productivity" beliefs that can actually make us less productive.

Tomorrow isn't promised to us, so let's make the most of today.

This week we do a quick review of some good reasons to declutter your space, your calendar, and your mind.

This week features the next installment in our recurring “Productive Reading” series, this time talking about key takeaways from Indistractable, by Nir Eyal.

This week we're revisiting an episode from the TPW archives in which I talk about saying no without feeling guilty.

This week we’re reviewing some of the basics for making time for what matters most to you, essential to a meaningfully productive life.

How can we get stuff done when we're exhausted and a nap isn't an option?

How can we stay productive even when we’re surrounded by chaos?

This week we’re talking about organizing our digital life--why it matters and some suggestions on how to organize key areas of our digital life.

Technology can be a double-edged sword when it comes to our productivity. We're discussing how to manage distractions in a digital age.

As we enter into a new season of the year, let's talk about a few small changes we can make today to create a more productive tomorrow.

All the planning in the world won't help if we don't actually do the stuff we plan. In this episode we'll finish our mini-series about the GTD® method and talk about some of the tools we can use to implement the method and get stuff done.

This week we continue our mini-series about the GTD method and talk about a crucial step in any productivity system: reflect and review.

A lack of balance in our lives can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and burnout. Let's talk about healthy ways to juggle the multiple roles most of us fill in life.

This week we’re continuing our GTD short series by talking about the clarify and organize steps.

Sometimes we "bite off more than we can chew," so to speak. Setting appropriate boundaries in our personal and professional life can protect our productivity--and our mental health.

Last week we discussed David Allen's GTD™ system. Today we’re taking a deeper look at the first component of a functional productivity system: capturing all the things.

David Allen's GTD™ system includes important concepts and tools for a productive life. This week we're reviewing the fundamentals of Allen's system.

How can we get things done when we just don't feel like it?

This week we're talking about things we can do to maximize our productivity and effectiveness at work.

Important things can get overlooked in the daily hustle. As we approach the end of this year's first quarter, let's pause, think, and commit to spending just a little of our time, energy, and attention taking care of what matters.

What is time anxiety, how does it affect us, and how can we manage it?

Many of us feel like we need to be more productive. This week we're considering why we feel that way, and some ways we can boost our productivity.

Do you procrastinate? (Hint: We all do sometimes.) This week we're talking about why we do it, and about how to let go of regret and move forward.

Change can be hard, especially for those of us who thrive on routine. Let's talk about ways to adjust to change and minimize the stress when change disrupts our life.

Our ability to purposefully focus on what matters to us plays a key role in creating a more productive and meaningful life. Let's talk about how we can cultivate our ability to manage our attention and energy.

What is the meaning of (our individual) life? This week we consider the “meaning” part of a meaningfully productive life and why identifying that meaning can benefit us.

Let's talk about the value of planning for a productive life and tips for planning in a way that works best for you.

The beginning of a new year is a good time for a refresher on the goal-setting process--how to set goals that are meaningful and achievable.

This week's episode will be a quick check-in so I can share a couple of updates and ask a small favor!

This week we're looking at various areas to get organized in order to set ourselves up for a productive new year.

As we continue our countdown to a productive new year, this week we consider how love can help us manage our lives to maximize not only productivity, but also our own joy and peace.

As we countdown to a productive new year, may we manage our time in a way that promotes peace in our hearts, our lives, and our world.

This week we’re beginning a countdown to a productive new year, starting with a conversation about joy.

Whether because of generational differences or doctrinal disagreements, no woman should ignore--or worse, seek to silence--another. We need each other. Each of us is made stronger by listening to the others. This week on The Productive Woman podcast we’re talking about the value of relationships among women of different ages and generations.

I'm sharing a few of my favorite things--items that make my life more productive, more pleasant, or just more fun. Some could be great gift ideas--or pick one up for yourself!

With holiday gatherings coming up, this week we're talking about how to have productive conversations with people we disagree with.

In this installment of our recurring “Productive Reading” series, we're talking about key takeaways from Laura Vanderkam's newest book, Tranquility by Tuesday.

Keeping a clean & tidy space sets the stage for a peacefully productive life. Let's talk about how (and why) to make that happen.

Purpose for our productivity, and productivity with purpose, make for a meaningful life. This week we're talking about the purpose of our productivity, and how being productive can serve our purpose in the long term and in the more immediate term.

A peacefully productive life is possible. I'm sharing a few of my "rules" for creating just such a life.

Don't think of yourself as creative? This week we’ll talk about creativity and where it fits into our lives as women who care about productivity and making lives that matter.

This week we’ll talk about doing a meaningful reset as we head into the last quarter of the year and the coming holiday season.

This week's episode is a refresher on the causes and effects of stress, as well as some techniques for minimizing its negative impact on our lives and our productivity.

There are good reasons to choose quality over quantity--but sometimes quantity matters too. This week we’re talking about evaluating quality versus quantity in various areas of our productive lives.

There are many reasons why we put off doing certain things, and many times those reasons seem to make sense. This week I'm encouraging us all to rethink those reasons, and suggesting that maybe we don't wait.

We can improve our productivity by asking the right questions of ourselves.

Looking for a good read to help you on your productivity journey? This week I’m sharing 8 books I recommend and why I think they’re worth reading.

Is your productivity system still working for you? This week we talk about evaluating and tweaking our productivity system to make sure it's helping us in our quest to make a life that matters.

Being a productive woman doesn't mean doing all the things all the time. Meaningful productivity--making a life that matters requires us to consider -- when is enough enough?

Whether or not school is a part of your current life, the end of summer feels like a time of transition, which makes it a great time to pause and consider intentional changes to make this next season a productive one.

This week I’m sharing some favorite productivity advice and tools & how I use them to make the most of my time. I'd love to hear your recommendations, too.

This week we're talking about common productivity advice that might or might not work for you--and ideas for how you can modify it to meet your needs.

No matter how much we love our life, sometimes our commitments and obligations (and our thoughts) can weigh us down. This week we're considering ways we can lighten our load and make our days more manageable and enjoyable

In this latest episode of our recurring Productive Reading series, I share my favorite quotes and key takeaways from TV news anchor and YouTuber Dominique Sachse's new book, Life Makeover.

This week we discuss the importance of taking time for an effective mid-year review and how it can benefit us throughout the rest of 2022.

By taking even small actions in our home, our workplace, and our local community, we can make a difference in the world. This week we're looking at some ways to do that.

Planning is an important part of a productive life and a frequent topic of discussion on this podcast. Sometimes, though, we just need to do the next thing.

When routines turn to monotony, it can derail our productivity. Let's talk about some ways we can overcome the monotony, reengage, and stay productive

What is a productive use of time? This week we're looking at that question and offering some suggestions about how to use our time more productively.

Words matter--especially the words we say to ourselves. We can retrain our thinking in more productive directions by adopting personal mantras.

This week I'm sharing thoughts from my personal manifesto for living a meaningfully productive life--a life that matters as I define it.

What do we do when life feels monotonous and predictable and our work becomes drudgery? Let's consider ways to renew our energy and enthusiasm.

This week I'm sharing some of the things I've learned from my own daughters about the qualities we need in order to make a life that matters.

This week we're looking at productivity by the numbers--including some numbers-based tools and techniques that can help boost our productivity.

What do we do when life throws a monkey wrench into our carefully designed plans? We're looking at how to deal with unexpected disruptions.

This week we're looking at practical ways to create a to-do list that actually helps make sure you get the things done that matter most to you.

Dream big? Yes! This week we're talking about how we can achieve big dreams by taking small actions consistently.

Whether you work for yourself or for a company, workplace productivity is as important as productivity in our home. This week we're considering some ways to maintain your motivation and stay productive in your job.

Making good use of our time, energy, and attention is essential to a meaningfully productive life.

Whatever the reason, when life gets out of control, this simple reset process might just help you regain a sense of control and confidence.

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.

This week we're looking at ways to keep our worry and anxiety under control and our minds serene and focused.

Time to rest and recharge is an essential component of a productive life. This week we discuss how to make the most of time off.

In this week's episode, we continue our conversation about getting organized, this time looking specifically our time and how we can better use it.

Getting organized brings big productivity benefits. This week we consider some tips for getting our space and stuff organized.

Coming out of my January podcasting sabbatical, I'm sharing 6 simple ways we can make this year better than last year.

This week we're looking at a simple process for setting meaningful goals for the coming year.

This week we look at one way to conduct a year-end review that can lay the foundation for setting meaningful goals for the coming year.

Before we dig into setting ambitious goals for the next year, let's lay a foundation by identifying our primary values and the principles we live by.

These last few weeks of the year are a great time to clear out some clutter--physical & mental--and make space for good things in the new year!

Looking for some gift ideas (or productivity tools for yourself)? Here are a few I can recommend!

The Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to remember the ways giving thanks contributes to a meaningfully productive life.

"No"vember is a great time to think about when to say no, when to say yes, and how getting it right contributes to a meaningfully productive life.

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.

Have you ever gone on a retreat? This week we're talking about how taking a step back can help us move forward toward more productive lives.

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.

Other people's thoughts and writings can provide inspiration for our own meaningfully productive lives. 

Sometimes spending money on the right tools and carefully chosen resources can buy back time for what matters most.

This week we're talking about ways to overcome some of the most common (and frustrating) obstacles to our productivity.

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.

Productivity doesn't have to be costly. This week I share ideas for free productivity tools that can help you accomplish more of what matters to you.

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.

Developing intentional and purposeful routines can make a big difference in our day-to-day productivity.

Using words productively calls for intentionality but can maximize our positive impact on the world around us.

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.

This week I'm sharing some recently discovered productivity resources that you might find helpful as well!

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.

Looking for a simple but effective way to get your to-do list under control? That's our topic on this week's episode of The Productive Woman podcast.

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.

Mid-year is a good time to pause and reflect. Are you happy with how the year has gone so far?

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.

This week I discuss our fears surrounding trying new things and why doing things badly can be very productive.

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.

Author, auctioneer, and NYC mom Lydia Fenet and I talk about leading with confidence, negotiating for what you're worth, and networking like a pro.

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. 

Psychologist Dr. Lynyetta Willis and I discuss parenting, productivity, and family empowerment.

How do you get started when faced with paralyzing overwhelm? In this episode I share 5 tips that can help.

Author and college professor Betsy Hays and I talk about how we can build and nurture professional and personal relationships through virtual networking.

Studies show happy people are more productive. This week we're talking about things we can do to be happy.

This week I'm sharing some apps that help me manage my life, get things done that are important to me, and stay productive throughout my day.

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 we're talking about how to choose and use a paper planner to be more productive.

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. 

Special education professional, mom, and military wife Carla Swartz and I discuss balancing a busy career, parenting, and a spouse in the military.

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[...]

This week we continue our Productive Reading Series, talking about my key takeaways from Joshua Becker's excellent book, The Minimalist Home.

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[...]

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.

Being physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy leads to a more productive life. This week we consider a few healthy habits that can help.

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.

This week we're looking at what can we do in the coming weeks to ensure our year ends on a productive note and to prepare for next year.

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[...]

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.

"Keep calm" is easy to say but sometimes harder to do. The week we're looking at ways to cope productively with anxiety and stress during tough times. 

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.

This week we’re talking about how to have a good, productive week, and how to make kindness and gratitude a part of every day.

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.

This week, Majo Molfino and I talk about the 5 Good Girl Myths, reclaiming your creativity, and finding your purpose.

As we celebrate 6 years (!!) of The Productive Woman podcast, here are a few productivity tips and tools from the TPW community and from me!

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.

This week, Eva Jannotta and I chat about being the most productive version of yourself and boldly using your voice to advocate for what you want.

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.

How can you be productive during, or in the aftermath of, trauma?

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.

Healthcare executive Merrily Orsini is an advocate for home healthcare--and for taking small incremental steps to achieve your most cherished goals.

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 I'm sharing a few thoughts about life and productivity during a time of crisis, including a few suggestions for adjusting to a new reality.

What time wasters can we eliminate to make more time for what matters most? We're talking about a few of them in this week's episode.

Setting goals that matter starts with knowing what's most important to you. This week we're reviewing some principles of setting meaningful goals.

Is work-life balance really a thing? Some thoughts about what it means (and what it doesn't mean) on this week's episode.

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 features tips from women in the TPW community on how they fit healthy eating into their busy lives.

When it comes to making a meaningfully productive life, there is incredible power in focusing on the things we can control.

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.

What gets in the way of getting stuff done, and how can we overcome those obstacles and accomplish what matters to us?

Achieving our goals this year requires consistent action. What do you do if your motivation to act starts to fade as the year continues?

The beginning of a new year is a great time to declutter your space. This week's episode offers some ideas and inspiration to get you started.

Amy Landino is on a mission to help you go after the life you want, starting with a morning routine that launches and grounds productive days.

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.

This brief episode looks at four productive choices we can make during the holidays--and every day.

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.

This week I'm talking with nutrition and wellness coach Dallas Heath about how intentional self-care helps her (and us) be more productive.

Attention management is a key productivity skill--and the subject of Maura Thomas's book, Attention Management.

Cultivating gratitude helps us be happier and more productive. Hear about a few more benefits of gratitude in this week's quick holiday-week episode.

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.

What are your favorite productivity tools? I'm sharing 10 of mine on 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.

How can we influence our spouses, and others close to us, to be more productive, and why would we want to?

What does it take to be an effective, productive leader?

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.

Do isolation or loneliness affect your productivity?

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.

Getting ready to move to a new home is a project that can be made easier with a little thought and planning.

What can we do to maximize our productivity at work, wherever our workplace might be?

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.

Whether you want to focus on one thing at a time or simultaneously pursue multiple goals, make sure you like the life you're creating.

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.

The Productive Woman podcast is 5 years old! In this episode I'm sharing productivity lessons learned, dreams for the future, and 5 questions for you.

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.

Some productivity principles are worth being reminded of from time to time. Here are a few that I think are important.

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.

When evening (or other "off work" time) comes, do you use it well or let it fritter away? What are some ways to make good use of your time off?

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.

Canadian native Christiane Kenny has moved cross-border (cross-oceans!) more than once. Hear her tips for international living in this week's episode.

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.

We might not be able to stop bad days from coming, but there are things we can do to make a bad day better.

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.

This week we're considering how our habits affect productivity and some suggestions for habits to develop this year.

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.

Planning ahead is a key to living intentionally rather than reactively. But how do we make time to plan when our days are already full?

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[...]

"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.

It’s never too late to do what you’ve dreamed of. A few lessons about productivity and life I wish I'd learned sooner.

"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.

What apps, tech, tools, and services do you rely on to make your life easier? I share a few of mine in this episode.

Wife, mom, entrepreneur, and U.S. Naval Academy graduate Tauria Catlin shares how the challenges she's overcome in the past give her the courage to face today's challenges and make a life that matters to her.

In both the northern and southern hemispheres, a change in seasons is upon us. Whether moving from summer to fall, or winter to summer, what are some steps we can take to prepare to make the change of seasons go more smoothly?

Want to reduce stress, boost productivity, and enjoy your home more? Let's talk about why, how, and where to declutter our homes.

When our children grow up and leave our nest, the transition can be hard. How can we make launching our kids a positive experience for them--and us?

Canadian designer Crystal Collinson juggles multiple roles by setting up productive systems that let her get the important things done.

Curious about podcasting? About how I manage a legal career & 5 kids? About productivity tools I recommend and techniques I use? I invited listeners to ask me anything. My answers in this milestone episode 200 of The Productive Woman podcast.

For four years and nearly 200 episodes, we've talked in The Productive Woman community about making a life that matters. What does that mean?

Are you on track for the year you want? Mid-year is a great time to pause and ask yourself some key questions to focus your energy and attention for the second half of the year.

Being productive in the best sense can result in the freedom that comes from the confidence that you are enough, you’re doing enough, and you can create a meaningful life. This episode looks at connections between productivity and freedom.

How does the definition of productivity change from one stage of life to the next? Recent retiree Vicki Judd shares some thoughts on making a life that matters during the changing seasons of life.

Do you ever feel like quitting? I do. Knowing why it happens can help us come up with solutions and keep pressing forward toward accomplishing what matters most.

What can we do to stay on track when we're struggling to stay focused? This week we look at some possible reasons for that struggle, and some ideas that might help.

Juggling two very different careers requires careful balancing and self-awareness. Professional organizer and singer Kay Patterson (known on social media as The Organized Soprano) shares how she does it--and has a lot of fun along the way.

Tracking and measuring personal metrics as a tool for self-improvement has benefits for individuals and groups, but those of us interested in the quantified self should be aware of potential risks as well.

Have we filled our days with so many commitments we've left no time for fun? Worse, have we forgotten how to have fun? The TPW community has some suggestions to help us correct that!

Engineer and leadership consultant Coryne Forest shares tips on how she manages multiple roles and multiple passions--a fulltime day job, a business helping women excel in STEM careers, her family, and self-care.

Becoming a mom is a wonderful thing, but it has some challenges, too. How can new moms be productive in the best sense?

Bigger isn't always better. In this episode we consider the why and how of downsizing your home.

Broadcaster and CFO Natali Morris is intentional about creating a life that matters through financial freedom, and she shares with us how she and her husband worked to make that a reality for their family.

Got the spring cleaning bug but little time to get it done? Some tips for fitting it into your schedule--if you want to!--in this episode.

How can we make email less overwhelming and more useful? A few tips and tools that can help.

What role do discernment and self-care play in a meaningfully productive life? Executive coach & author Jodi Womack shares some tips and tools in this week's episode.

Many productivity conversations assume a 9 to 5 work schedule. How can you stay productive if you or others in your household work nights or weekends or some other non-standard schedule?

Courtney Carver's newest book, Soulful Simplicity, makes a compelling case for clearing the clutter out of our schedules, our homes, and our minds to make space for a meaningfully productive life.

Award-winning author Susan May Warren shares how she gets things done by using a time management approach that keeps rhythm, balance, and the big picture in mind.

Is "having it all" a possibility for 21st-century women (or men)? What does having it all mean to you? We consider some important questions in this episode.

How do motivation and habit interact to get and keep us productive?

Lawyer and yogi Tyree Ayers is constantly balancing the demands of her law career and passion for living a healthy and fulfilling life and encouraging others to do the same. She shares how she makes time to pursue both her vocational and avocational passions.

How do your relationships affect your productivity? And how can you make time to nurture the relationships--professional & personal--that mean the most to you?

If your year got off to a strong start but your progress is faltering a bit, tweaking your routine with one of these productivity tools and techniques might give you a boost.

Delegation is a key productivity tool. So why don't we do it more? In response to a listener question, we take a look at how delegation can help us to be more productive, and how we can improve our delegation skills.

It's easy to fall into the traps of self-criticism and negativity when your productivity isn't where you want it to be, whether the cause is self-inflicted or out of your control. Author and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs shares how she overcomes these challenges.

The better we're able to focus on what matters most, the more productive we'll be. This week we're discussing how focus impacts our productivity and how we can improve our focus.

If you want to make a life that matters, where do you start? In this episode we're looking at 10 essentials to building a meaningfully productive life.

We're kicking off the new year with some valuable lessons on financial empowerment and productivity from Certified Financial Planner, podcaster, wife, and mom Hilary Hendershott.

As we wrap up the year, it's a great time to review this year's accomplishments and give some thought to the coming year. What would future you thank you for doing today?

Writer and speaker Courtney Carver shares insights about voluntary simplicity and intentional living.

The support and accountability of other women can improve your productivity. Five women who've been providing each other that support and accountability for over a year and a half share their experience.

The beginning of the winter holiday season seems like a good time to consider how gratitude can affect our productivity.

Dr. Brené Brown's books offer ideas and principles that can help us in making a life that matters.

It’s hard to make a life that matters when we’re spending our time reacting to what other people want instead of proactively pursuing the goals and objectives that are most important to us.

We can all learn some lessons on self-direction from graduate student and TPW listener Maria Bengtson, who shares how she keeps herself on track to finish her dissertation while still living her life.

Taking a look at physical & mental clutter--how it affects us, and some thoughts on conquering it.

When life is filled with obligations that leave us feeling overwhelmed, do we have a choice? Can we make a change?

Professor Beatriz Martín-Pérez shares how she's navigated the challenges of caring for loved ones while pursuing professional success.

Self-care is not time off from productivity; it's an essential element of a productive life. How can we make time for self-care in an already full life--and why should we?

Is it too soon to start celebrating the holidays? Probably. But not too soon for a few steps that can help us prepare for the best holiday season ever.

Nutrition coach and former advertising professional Michelle Pfennighaus shares thoughts about how ruthless prioritization (and banana peel tea) help her manage a busy life.

The back-to-school season (or any change in seasons, for that matter) is a great time to re-evaluate our daily and weekly routines to make sure they're serving us.

Some thoughts on what it means to raise productive kids, and how to do it.

Sephra Scheuber is working out a system that allows her to be productive as a musician, a teacher, and a student, while making her faith and her relationships a priority.

Some thoughts about making it work when you work from home.

Getting back into your regular routine after a vacation without sacrificing the relaxation you gained can be a challenge. Here are some thoughts on how (and why) to do it.

When you have a full-time job and a family, how do you make time for what matters to you personally? Sonia Harris shares how she's doing it.

When we're not making progress on a goal we've set for ourselves, is letting go ever the right choice?

A regular weekly review helps us stay on top of our commitments. So why don't we do it? In response to a listener question, we look at how (and why) to make the weekly review a part of managing our busy lives.

Mandy Hanson's approach to productivity offers ideas even for those of us who don't live with chronic pain like she does.

The year's midpoint is a good time to pause and review whether you're headed in the direction you want to go.

Continuing our occasional series on books that have influenced my thinking about what it means to live a productive life, this episode features some of the highlights from Charles Duhigg's fascinating book about habits.

Sales professional and single mom Shelly Clayton shares her approach to creating productive days and making a life that matters.

How well does your to-do list work for you? This episode features 10 tips for making the most of whatever tool you use to manage your tasks.

How do the words we say (and think) affect our ability to accomplish the things we care about?

How can you manage a life that involves multiple roles and a variety of interests? College professor, business owner, & single mom Jennifer Fleury shares how she's doing it.

We’ve talked about the value of planning ahead to keep life moving smoothly, but what about when you can’t? What do you do when your life is in transition, you can’t plan ahead, and your routines get thrown out of whack?

Once again The Productive Woman community came through with ideas for how to spend time on Sunday (or whatever day you choose) setting yourself up for a great week.

A chat with business coach, podcaster, wife, and mom Katie Krimitsos, who shared her approach to balancing structure and flexibility in building a schedule that works for her and her family.

Recorded with a milestone in mind, this episode features a few thoughts about what it means (to me) to live a productive life--and how that's changed over time.

Few things have more impact on how we experience our life--on what we accomplish or what we don’t, whether we’re happy or not--than the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what's possible for us.

Professional singer, vocal coach, and YouTube star Freya Casey of Germany is also a single mom to a young daughter. She shares some of the systems and tools she uses to manage it all--and some of the struggles she's faced--in this episode.

When a listener asked for suggestions on how to fit exercise into an already jam-packed life, The Productive Woman community came through in a big way. Inspired by a conversation in The Productive Woman Community Facebook group, we look at why exercise is important, and how we can get it done.

Many women (and men) are struggling to manage a job, children, a spouse, or life as a single parent. On top of that we're trying to find time for personal interests (or just to get some sleep). What do you do when it's all too much?

This week's guest, public relations pro and single mom Amanda Berlin, is all about making the best use of her talents and skills to make a life (and a career) that matters--she calls it using her powers for good.

This episode, sharing key takeaways from Gary Keller's The ONE Thing, is the first in a new recurring series in which I'll share key takeaways from some of the books that have influenced my thinking on productivity and making a life that matters.

Very few of us have only one project going at a time. The many roles we play in life, our various areas of interest and responsibility, all can be sources of projects that compete for our time, energy, and attention. Managing those multiple projects is a challenge that requires intention and discipline. This episode offers[...]

Award-winning author Maria Dismondy knows what matters to her and is determined to prioritize those things. In this episode, she shares how she's intentionally built her life around her most important priorities.

What's on your to-do list? If you have some "tasks" that have hung around on that list for a long time with no action, they might not be tasks at all. This episode looks at the difference between a project and a task, and why forming your to-do list with the right one can help[...]

We've spent a few episodes talking about the process of turning a dream to a goal and then taking action on it. Sometimes it helps to hear examples of how a process works. This episode is a walk-through of the Dream to Done process applied, step by step, to two examples.

We all face challenges in our journey toward making a meaningfully productive life. My guest in this episode, Dr. Kesha Moore, reminds us how we choose to approach those challenges will make all the difference.

Continuing our Dream to Done mini-series, this time we’re looking at what to do once we’ve created a goal: how to make time to take action on it, and how to motivate ourselves to keep going until we’ve completed it.

Part 2 of our Dream to Done mini-series looks at the difference between a dream and a goal, and offers some steps to turning your dream into a goal (or series of goals) that you can actually take action on.

When we are uncertain of where or how to start, our dreams may seem out of reach. What stands between you and your dream of a life that matters?

Artist and author Kara Benz (also known as Boho Berry) and I talk about building a business and living an intentional life--and a little about bullet journaling.

Big goals are awesome, but here are 14 simple things--small tasks that will take half an hour or less--that you can do this week (or next) to simplify your life and set yourself up for a great year.

Managing a multi-dimensional 21st-century life is easier when you're organized. Fortunately, professional organizer Lisa Woodruff says being organized is a learnable skill. In this episode we chat about how she does it, and she shares some tips AND offers some great free resources!

As the new year begins, are you making resolutions you'll abandon in a month or setting achievable goals? Are you basing your goals on unconscious expectations, or looking forward with a sense of expectancy?

As 2016 comes to a close, my year-end wrap-up process is a way to take a look at lessons learned this year and use them to create a plan for an even better year to come.

For author and leadership coach Puja Madan, one key to living a meaningully productive life is found by tuning in to the rhythms of life, time, & energy.

Most of us look forward to the holidays, but the season has its challenges. How can we stay peaceful and enjoy the season?

Productivity doesn't mean "doing stuff" all the time, and you don't need to feel guilty for taking a break.

When it comes to staying focused and productive in a multi-faceted life, a support system can make all the difference. Author & life coach Tasha Scott and I talked about how she makes it work.

Nobody's born organized. It's a skill, and we can learn it. Continuing on our "Mindset Matters" theme, this week we look at that and other skills we can learn to be more productive.

Our habits can have either productive or unproductive results. In this episode we look at how habits are formed, and how we can mold them to get the results we want.

New Zealand graphic designer and yoga teacher Alissa Smith shares her approach to balancing a life of diverse interests and commitments and being present in whatever you're doing.

What we believe can make us more productive, or less so. What do you believe about yourself, about your abilities and options, about your circumstances? Do your beliefs about these things help you be more productive?

Time thieves steal time we could otherwise spend on what really matters to us. What are time thieves, and how can we defend ourselves against them?

Organization expert Rashelle Isip joins me to talk about ways we can take control of our schedules and our space, making room for the things that matter most.

When the demands of a busy life start to "stress you out," how do you handle it? It's important to have a strategy in place when stressful situations arise. Recently when I began to feel overwhelmed by the stress of multiple demands at work, I implemented my Emergency Stress Protocol. I thought I'd share it[...]

Productivity isn't only about using the right tools and techniques; it's also about having the right mindset. Our attitudes can make all the difference in our productivity.

How do you manage competing priorities of a business and a family you love? Jessica Rhodes, founder and CEO of Interview Connections, shares her thoughts on being a business owner and a mom of two littles, and the role that compromise plays in having it all.

In response to recent questions, I thought it was a good time to give an update on some of the productivity tools that help me get the right things done. I'd love to hear about the tools that help you stay productive.

Most of us save certain items with sentimental value, things that trigger special memories for us. For some of us (not naming names), everything has sentimental value, and the mementos can turn to clutter. What if we need to downsize the number of mementos we've saved? How can we better manage our mementos?

Many aspects of our personality can affect what productivity approaches and tools work for us, and what challenges we face in making a productive life. In this episode we look at some of the unique productivity challenges and strengths of introverts and extroverts.

I recently sat down for a conversation about productivity, self-care, and attitudes about money with money coach Jennifer Hemphill. I did it for the TPW listeners, but I ended up taking notes for myself.

Waiting. It’s something that we all have to do--often reluctantly--at times, but so often, we CHOOSE to wait. We tell ourselves that we can’t take action or move forward. Let’s talk about why we need to STOP WAITING and start making progress toward the goals that matter most to us!

Have you tried using a Bullet Journal? You know I love my digital task manager, but I've been trying something new--and I like it!

It was an honor (and a lot of fun) to celebrate the 100th episode of The Productive Woman with Natalie Eckdahl, founder of Biz Chix, a supportive online community for women entrepreneurs. But Natalie wasn't my guest. Instead, I let Natalie turn the tables on me!

Measuring our worth by our accomplishments, or by other people's opinions of us, leads to insecurity and exhaustion. Not exactly a recipe for a meaningfully productive life. Author Mary DeMuth has some wise advice for counteracting those tendencies and finding contentment.

You don't have to completely overhaul your life to make progress toward your goals. Small changes can reap big rewards in making a meaningfully productive life.

Celebrate The Productive Woman's 2-year anniversary with me by looking back at some of the wise insights I’ve gleaned from conversations with the amazing productive women who've joined me on the show.

Law professor, wife, and mom Eboni Nelson encourages us to look to ourselves to create our own happiness and success, without apology and without guilt.

We've reached the middle point of the year, so it's time for a mid-year review. How are you progressing on the goals you set for yourself in January? I'm sharing the process I use to figure out how I'm doing and make sure I stay on track for a productive year.

What would you do if you didn’t feel held back by how you perceive your body? Body image coach Melissa Toler has some suggestions on how we can set aside body image worries and live the life we dream of.

What does it mean to live a balanced life? Is it even possible in the 21st century? In this episode we looked at these questions and considered some steps we can take to figure out what balance is right for us, and how to create it.

Getting tasty and nutritious meals on the table as part of a busy schedule can be a challenge. When listeners asked for help with this ongoing task, I reached out to our Productive Woman community for ideas on how to streamline the process. And the community came through with some great tips and suggestions!

Podcast pro and entrepreneur Elsie Escobar is a passionate advocate for women finding their own voice and their own way--even when it comes to productivity. She shared some of her tips for managing a busy life, and a lot of encouragement, during our conversation for this episode.

A look at a few of the tools, routines, and motivators that have been helping me stay productive these days.

When you're sick but need to be productive anyway, what do you do? This episode features some suggestions based on recent experience.

A chat with marketing pro, wife, and mom Deedra Determan about keeping priorities front and center.

When life is crazy busy it's easy to lose focus. Taking time to ask yourself some key questions can help keep life on track.

When we feel like we're not being as productive as we need to be, it’s tempting to think switching tools and or changing our system will make all the difference. But will a change in our productivity tools or systems always improve our productivity?

Writer and marketing professional Maia Olson of Smile Software shares time-saving tips and the productivity tools that help her balance personal and professional commitments.

Our emotions can affect our productivity, for good or bad. When you're in a "funk," what can you do to address it and get back to getting things done?

Clutter, it seems, is a universal problem in 21st-century society. How can decluttering create space in our lives and minds for better things? Join me for a conversation with Julie Sheranosher of Israel and Priscille Livenais of France about decluttering. Also--a free printable to guide you through your own decluttering process!

Women's wellness expert Bridgit Danner shares her tips for developing the habits that will keep us strong, healthy, and productive. (And don't miss the link for information about her upcoming free online women's wellness summit!)

If I had only 30 minutes to share the most important productivity tips I know, these 5 principles are what I would share--the principles and strategies that help me become and stay productive, and some of the tools I use for each.

I think you'll enjoy my conversation with wife, mom, editor, and podcaster Emily Prokop, who shares how attention deficit (ADHD) affects her as an adult, and the tools and techniques she uses to stay on task and accomplish the things that matter to her.

One key to accomplishing the things that matter most to us is the ability to give our focused attention to our most important tasks. Sometimes that's easier said than done.

Returning to a full-time job after maternity leave isn’t like going back to work after a vacation. Being both a new mom and a busy professional takes a lot of planning and, ideally, support both at home and at work.

We all have those times in our life when we feel like we just can’t get ahead. Even when it's the result of a legitimate life crisis, it’s still easy to beat ourselves up for not accomplishing all we want to do. Sometimes, circumstances are such that we simply need to go into "survival mode"[...]

Creative entrepreneur, author, and business coach Jennifer Lee shares her approach to managing a multi-faceted life, maintaining both productivity and joy.

Stress seems to be an unavoidable part of 21st-century life, and it has consequences--negative effects on our body, mind, emotions, and relationships. In this episode we look at some steps we can take to cope with, and even minimize, stress.

Often the hardest part of any task is just getting started. There are things we can do, though, to make it easier to get past that hurdle and start gaining momentum toward accomplishing the things that matter most.

Planning and preparing healthy meals can be a challenge for busy women. Chef and registered dietician Allison Schaaf offers some great thoughts on managing a busy life and getting nutritious meals on the table--and she's offering a special deal for listeners for a service that can help.

Lack of confidence in our skills and knowledge can discourage us from pursuing our goals. Where can we learn what we need to know to move forward confidently toward achieving our dreams?

Are you happy with the life you're living? Is it the life you've intentionally chosen and built for yourself, or are you following a path you just fell into--or one chosen for you by other influences? What keeps us from living our own lives? As we kick off the new year, maybe it's a good[...]

Taking time in the last few weeks of the year to assess (and celebrate!) the present year and set a direction for the coming year can help you get 2016 off to the best possible start. Let's talk about my process for a year-end review that lays the foundation for the coming year.

You may remember Julie Sheranosher as one of the co-hosts on a previous episode of The Productive Woman, the international conversation about "Productivity Your Way." This time, Julie and I talk one-on-one about her strategies for managing time and energy to create a productive life.

It's not unusual to face obstacles in the pursuit of our dreams or goals. But how many of those obstacles do we create ourselves? In this episode, I examine some of the lies we tell ourselves and offer some suggestions for counteracting the lies to help you accomplish your goals, no matter how big or[...]

When you're seeking success in a demanding profession, can you still make family and personal time a priority? Attorney Demetra Liggins says yes, but it doesn't come easily. She shared some tips and tools that help her manage it all.

Productivity is about making a life that matters to us. Recently I was part of a panel comprised of women from three countries, all of us podcasters who focus on productivity. Priscille Livenais of France, Julie Sheranosher of Israel, and I had a great conversation about our different approaches to creating the life you want[...]

With so many options available, how do you know which task management tool is the best for you? Let's discuss some of the factors you should consider. The best tool is the one you'll actually use.

Business consultant and marketing coach Ling Wong manages her own life (which includes a husband and two young children as well as a thriving business!) and encourages her multi-passionate, multi-talented clients to avoid distraction and stay on track through clarity and discernment.

You might be surprised to learn that the most successful, accomplished women you know struggle with feeling like a fraud. It's known as Impostor Syndrome, and we're going to look at where it comes from, how it affects our productivity, and what we can do to overcome it.

We spent a lot of our time at work. Let's look at some of the barriers to productivity at work, and some suggestions on how to make our time at work as efficient and effective as possible.

Katie Floyd is a self-described attorney-by-day, geek-by-night. On top of a full-time law practice and pursuing a master’s degree in Law & Taxation, she is also the co-host of Mac Power Users, a weekly podcast focusing on getting the most from Apple technology. Let's talk about how she gets it all done.

Planning a project can be a daunting idea, especially when there are multiple components to keep track of. An organized approach can keep you focused and prevent a project from becoming overwhelming. Let's talk about turning a project into a series of manageable tasks, from beginning to end.

For those of us who have children at home, they have a major impact on the way we live our lives, including how we manage our time. In episode 59 of The Productive Woman, we begin a conversation about how we can be productive women and good moms.

Are you a working mom, wearing many different hats and trying to do it all well? Lawyer and mom Leann Guzman understands--she's right there in the trenches with you. Hear our conversation about how she manages a professional career, personal goals, and a family she loves--and her very practical tips for how you can get[...]

We get a lot of satisfaction from those days when we get a lot done & make progress toward our goals, but how do we respond to an unproductive day?

We know that overwork is hazardous to our health and to our productivity, yet 21st century women (and men) often let work fill our days, nights, and weekends. How much is too much, and how do we know when (and how) to quit?

Are your days so full of activity and noise that you can't find time to think about your goals, much less take action on them? Let's talk about some things we can do to create time and space for creative thinking.

Like a lot of us, novelist Jill Kemerer sometimes tries to take on too much. Listen in on my conversation with Jill about how she manages that urge while she juggles a full-time writing career and her family's busy schedule.

Sometimes the scariest thing in the world is letting others see the "real" us. But when we hide behind the mask of who we think we're supposed to be, we miss out on joy and deprive the world of the gifts only we can give. In Episode 53 of The Productive Woman podcast, we look[...]

Getting Things Done, by David Allen, offers a framework for managing life in a way that lets us be both productive and peaceful. Let's look at how it works.

Trying to balance business and small children? Wife, mom, and media business owner Izabela Russell and I had a great conversation about the challenges of operating a thriving business (or two!) while raising small children.

How has the first half of 2015 gone for you? On The Productive Woman's milestone 50th episode let's talk about reaching milestones and figuring out what to do next.

Do you want to make a difference in the world, or at least in the world closest to you? I do. Let's talk about how, and where--and how to overcome the things that might stop us.

As hard as it is to believe, a full year has gone by since the first episode of The Productive Woman hit iTunes. I thought I'd share a few lessons I've learned over this past year about productivity and about life.

The Productive Woman goes international! Priscille Livenais--a French businesswoman and productivity blogger--and I chat about the challenges of business travel, the value and limits of self-sacrifice, and so much more

No matter how much we try to stay positive and productive, sometimes our emotions can interfere with our ability to get things done. If a bad mood is hampering your productivity, there are things you can do to improve it.

How we see our physical selves can have a huge impact--positive or negative--on our confidence, and therefore our productivity. Listen as I discuss body image issues with wife, mom, author, blogger, and speaker Heather Creekmore.

Change is inevitable, but it's also stressful and can wreak havoc on our productivity. So how can we manage our lives so that we can not only survive it, but come through it better than we went into it?

Productivity is a tool, not a goal. We want to manage our time and organize our lives better in order to have the time to make a life that matters. Productivity is not a one-time-do-it-and-done thing, but a process of growth and improvement over time. In this episode I'll share some of my favorite resources[...]

How do you get off the 21st-century hamster wheel and make the meaningful life you've dreamed of? Vanessa Hayes is a podcast host, public speaker, and professional organizer, but she's also a busy woman just like the rest of us. In this episode she shares her tips for maintaining margin, living intentionally, and simplicity.

We've talked in the past about developing the habits that help us be more productive, but what are some things productive women don't do?

What drives us to do -- or try? How do you keep yourself moving on a task or project that's hard? Our motivation matters. So what is it, where does it come from, how do we lose it, and how can we get it back?

Monika Kristofferson is a professional organizer, but she's also just a busy woman like the rest of us. In this episode she shares her tips for managing a busy life as a single mom with two teenaged daughters.

Email is a great invention and can be a useful tool, but it can also be a distraction and a time suck. This week we'll look at some tips for managing email so it enhances, rather than inhibits, our productivity.

We've talked about the reasons and process for decluttering in previous episodes, but if clutter's getting out of control and you don't have time for an big clean-up project, maybe just a few quick and dirty tips will help.

It's easy--or maybe just easier--to be productive when things are firing on all cylinders and all's right in our world. But what happens when that's not the case, when in the midst of one of life's "storms" you get up in the morning and look at your schedule or your to-do list and think "I[...]

A whole industry has been built up over the years around the concept of productivity. It's been the subject of decades of study and countless written words. Experts have identified the keys to productivity--rules that we're taught to follow in order to maximize productivity. But what if those rules don't work for you? Can you[...]

Many women feel isolated in their efforts to advance in their careers, learn the skills they need to accomplish their goals, and become the person they want to be. In this episode we'll talk about one solution: finding a mentor. We'll look at what mentoring is, what the benefits are (on both sides), how to[...]

Very few of us have lives focused on just one thing. Most of us instead juggle multiple roles, and try to do well at all of them. Author, attorney, and homeschooling mom Cara Putman understands the challenges of a multifaceted life. Dubbed by a friend as the "Do-It-All Mom," Cara shares openly about the not-always-pretty[...]

In an increasingly noisy world, one key to true productivity and to building a life of lasting significance and satisfaction is learning to identify and pursue only what's essential, purposely eliminating the nonessential from our lives to make room for what really matters. We can learn how by studying Greg McKeown's wise and profound book,[...]

If you're struggling to make progress on accomplishing the things you care about, if you start lots of projects but don't finish many, perhaps you're feeling the effects of a lack of focus. For some of us, the biggest challenge to productivity is the temptation to chase too many rabbits. One tool that can help[...]

One of the keys to being a productive woman is having a system in place to track and manage all the things we need to do in each area of responsibility. The options for task management systems and tools are as varied as we are. Nothing works for everyone, but there really is something that[...]

Is the life you're living an accident, or the result of conscious, purposeful choices? This episode features a conversation with tech podcaster (and retired aerospace engineer) Allison Sheridan about how important it is for women to make conscious choices about their life, and to acknowledge that the choices are theirs to make.

Sometimes our best-laid plans don't pan out. Failure can either paralyze us or propel us into growth and new beginnings. This week we consider some thoughts about how to recover--and learn--from failure.

Much of the quality of our life, including our productivity, depends on the habits we employ. In this episode we look at how schedules, routines, and rituals can help us establish habits that let us be more productive, achieve our goals, and build the life we want.

Why is it so hard to get ourselves to do the things we most want to do? Few things in life are more exasperating than the way we sometimes sabotage our own goals. In this episode we look at some of reasons we block our own success, and offer some suggestions to address those issues,[...]

In celebration of reaching the milestone of episode 25, I'm sharing 25 great productivity tips--some from listeners, some from special guests, and a few of my own. Thank you so much to all those productive women who contributed their great tips and suggestions for this episode.

Writer Karin Beery joins me to talk about staying productive when facing health challenges and caring for family members. She offers great tips and suggestions. I especially liked her perspective on how to handle those days when everything gets away from you.

2014 is winding down, and 2015 is upon us. While we want to stay in the moment and enjoy the holiday celebrations, there's still a little time to give thought to the coming year and what we want to accomplish. In this episode we look at 5 important productivity principles to keep in mind as[...]

Tis the season . . . for giving gifts. In case you're still shopping for those last few gifts, or in case you're looking for ideas to give those who want to gift you!, this episode offers some productivity-boosting options for all the folks on your list, including gifts at a variety of price levels.[...]

Even new moms can get things done! This week business owner, horsewoman, and new mom Jamie Clark Samples joins me to talk about the challenges of running a small business while caring for a new baby. Jamie offers some great suggestions and encouragement.

When I recently put the question out on social media, asking listeners what topics they'd like to hear about on upcoming episodes, several asked for suggestions on productivity apps for smart phones. It's a question I often get asked by friends and colleagues, since I'm known to try lots of apps. In this episode I[...]

The holiday season is a time filled with family and friends and joy . . . and often, for those of use whose schedules are already busy, even more stress than usual. This week we're going to look at some steps we can take to minimize the stress, and maximize the joy, of the holiday[...]

21st century life is cram-packed with activity, stress, and tension, and a lot of us have a hard time letting it go long enough to relax, rest, and recharge. Learning to do so, though, will reap dividends in our physical, mental, and emotional health, our creativity, our relationships, and ultimately, in our productivity.

Productivity is a good thing, but there are potential pitfalls we should be aware of in our pursuit of productivity. In this episode we look at seven of those pitfalls, and consider how we can avoid them and stay on track toward making lives that matter.

In episode 14 we started a conversation about decluttering. This week we look at it again, talking about a step-by-step process for decluttering and organizing our homes (or workspace) one room at a time.

We'll pick up in a future episode on our mini-series on decluttering, but this week I thought I'd share a little of my heart on something I've been dealing with lately--discouragement. It can interfere with our productivity and our quality of life in general, but there are some things we can do to disable its[...]

How do you feel about the stuff you own? Is every possession in your life something meaningful to you, or is your space overwhelmed with too much stuff? If you're like most people, it's likely the latter. In this episode we begin looking at the clutter of possessions in our lives, what it does to[...]

As we enter the last quarter of the year, it seems like a good time to pause, consider what we've accomplished so far this year, re-evaluate what we want to do in the time that's left, and set ourselves up for success in the remaining months of this year.

Every woman is unique, and her life and schedule and style are unique. So there's no such thing as one right way to manage your life or time, and there are no tools that work for everyone. Every woman develops the system that works for her, and we can learn from each other by sharing[...]

Sometimes, no matter how organized we are or how carefully we plan, life just takes over and throws way too much at us. When there's too much to do and not enough time to get it done, we can feel panicky, stressed, and overwhelmed. I've developed a simple 15-minute process that can help bring me[...]

Travel can be stressful, but there are lots of things we can do to make it less so. I asked my connections on Facebook to share some of their favorite tips for productive and stress-free travel, and in this episode I share their tips, as well as some of my own.

Tons of studies show that healthier people are more productive, but modern life makes staying healthy and fit a challenge for all of us. How does health impact our productivity, what are the basics that contribute to good health, and how can we get healthier without spending all our time thinking about it?

Do you find it difficult to say no? I do. The desire to be liked or the sincere desire to help makes it easy to say yes, and sometimes we end up regretting it.

Having high standards is a good thing. Striving for excellence is a good thing. But taken to extremes, these can become perfectionism, which can paralyze us and prevent us from accomplishing the things that matter to us. The key is to find that balance that lets us enjoy the process and the results of our[...]

Even if we go through an intentional process of setting our goals, we might face obstacles in our efforts to actually achieve them. Being prepared for those obstacles helps us overcome them. In this episode we continue our discussion of goal-setting, looking at some of the obstacles that may interfere and some of the things[...]

Continuing our series on goal-setting, this week we talk about a step-by-step process for setting goals.

Following up on our look at the big picture in episode 2, this week we begin a short series on goal-setting. This episode looks at what a goal is, and how it differs from a dream or an objective, and suggest some ways to set yourself up for success.

Little things can make a big difference in managing the demands on our time. This episode is a quick flyover of the things that help me on a daily basis.

When people think about productivity, they often think about calendars and to-do lists and project management, and all of those things are a big part of what we will discuss in coming episodes. But there's a big difference between being busy and being productive. True productivity requires a purpose to guide the activity. In this[...]

Welcome to the first official episode of The Productive Woman. In this episode I share a little about who this podcast is for, why I created it, what I'll be covering, and what the format will be. I also offer a little information about myself, so you can decide whether you think I'm someone you[...]

It's been six months in the making, but with much fear and trepidation, I share here my first, very short, very rough "pre-episode" of The Productive Woman, a podcast created to help busy women find tools and encouragement for managing their lives, their time, and their stuff.