The Bright Method Podcast: Realistic Time Management and Productivity for Working Women & Working Moms

111. Getting Less Stress In Your Life Isn't Always Efficient – And We Need To Own That

Sep 1, 2025

In this discussion, the host challenges the notion that efficiency equals happiness. They advocate for prioritizing peace and clarity over mere productivity. The conversation highlights the importance of creating breathing space in our busy lives to reduce stress and increase joy. Practical strategies include padding your calendar and letting go of unnecessary commitments. Grounding questions are proposed to help reflect on desired life pace and feelings, emphasizing the idea that less stress can lead to better quality work and more fulfillment.

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INSIGHT

Less Stress Beats Pure Efficiency

Kelly Nolan argues that reducing stress is often the real goal of time management rather than pure efficiency.
She shows that saving minutes can increase stress while padding time reduces pressure and improves experience.

ANECDOTE

Kid Drop-Off That Validated Padding

Kelly recounts a morning driving kids to school and camp where built-in wiggle room prevented stress despite delays and traffic.
She contrasts this with squeezing time which would have created rush and anxiety for the same tasks.

ANECDOTE

Arriving Early At The Airport

Kelly describes her airport routine of arriving 1.5–2 hours early so travel feels calm and unhurried.
She accepts extra idle time at the airport in exchange for low stress and smoother logistics.

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When US society talks about time management, the conversation often assumes the goals of productivity and efficiency. Do more in less time. Move faster. Cram it all in. But here’s the truth I want to unpack today: I believe our real goal for time management (at least for people similar to me) is more peace of mind and clarity and less stress, and less stress isn’t always efficient — and that’s okay.

Today's episode digs into:

Why American productivity culture gets it wrong by idolizing efficiency as the key to getting the life you want.
How to reframe your goal so that calm and breathing space (not constant speed) drive your decisions.
Why creating margin in your day — even if it’s “inefficient” — leads to better quality work, more joy, and less burnout.
Three practical strategies to help you implement this shift:
1. Build in padding to your calendar (for commutes, deadlines, and transitions).
2. Let go of commitments to make space for that padding.
3. Ask grounding questions like “How do I want my life to feel?” and “What do I want the pace of my life to be?”

As I share in this episode, I still want to do a lot — from running a business to raising kids to having a full life outside of work. But the only way I can do it with any joy is by optimizing for less stress, not more efficiency.

If you’ve ever felt like productivity hacks left you running faster but enjoying less, this episode will give you a fresh, practical framework: optimize for breathing space, not efficiency.

Enrollment for the Bright Method program opens September 10 at 10:00 AM CST. With this 10-week system, you’ll learn how to bring these ideas into your own life using a realistic, calendar-based approach that accounts for everything — personal and professional. Learn more at kellynolan.com/bright.

Links you might enjoy:

🌿 Free 5-Day Time Management Program Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm.

📱 Follow me on Instagram Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time.

✨ The full Bright Method™️ program If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind.