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

Ever feel overwhelmed after saying yes to a new project or responsibility? Discover how the Diderot Effect, originally linked to consumerism, applies to time management. Each new commitment can lead to a chain reaction of responsibilities, leaving you buried in tasks. Learn how to better estimate the true time cost of your commitments and say yes with clarity. Explore the maker vs. manager distinction and find strategies to ride the curveballs life throws your way, turning chaos into control.

In this episode, I'm talking with Heather Hubbard, a former Big Law partner who now leads transformational retreats to help women hear and reconnect with themselves. Heather works with women who've done all the "right" things—built successful careers, checked all the personal boxes—and yet still feel unfulfilled or surprised by how they're feeling. If that resonates with you, I think you're going to really enjoy this conversation. Heather shares how a two-week unplugged vacation to Tanzania changed everything for her and why unplugging is so critical to hearing your own voice. We also dig into why many of us don't realize how disconnected we've become from our real wants, how childhood versions of ourselves can serve as clues to the joy we're missing, and why being bored can actually lead to good things. You'll also hear us talk about: Why people-pleasing and fear are often what actually hold us back from doing what we want Why saying yes to something always means saying no to something else (and how to be more intentional about it) What comes up for high-achieving women when they finally create quiet and space for clarity—and how powerful that can be We also walk through what Heather's retreats actually look like—from the luxury setting to the no-phones-allowed policy to the types of transformations people experience (and they're not always what people expect when they walk in the door). Even if attending a retreat isn't on your radar right now, Heather shares bite-sized strategies you can start using today to begin reconnecting with yourself, including how to hear yourself again even in the midst of a busy, noisy life. Resources mentioned: Heather's retreat info and free assessment: https://www.heatherjoyhubbard.com/brightmethod Heather's podcast: Hustle & Flow Heather on Instagram: @heatherjoyhubbard Other 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.

Explore the complexities of 'living up to your potential' and why it can be troubling. The discussion challenges the notion of fulfilling potential, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing personal happiness over societal expectations. Discover how chasing this elusive concept can lead to dissatisfaction and misaligned choices. The speaker shares personal experiences, highlighting the impact of external pressures on decision-making. Ultimately, it’s a call to redefine success based on genuine desires rather than a blurry concept of potential.

Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, a triple board-certified sleep physician and founder of Restful Sleep MD, shares her journey from battling insomnia to becoming a sleep advocate. She highlights the critical link between sleep and overall health, revealing how inadequate rest can exacerbate anxiety and depression. Listeners gain practical strategies for enhancing sleep quality, particularly for busy women and those with ADHD. Dr. Afolabi-Brown also discusses unique challenges in high-stress jobs and offers tips to improve sleep in demanding environments.

Allison Schaaf, a registered dietitian and trained chef, shares invaluable insights on tackling the time-consuming challenges of meal planning for busy families. She emphasizes simplifying the process with effective strategies that don’t require constant reinvention. Allison discusses practical ways to involve kids in cooking, making meals more enjoyable. The behind-the-scenes of her meal planning service, Prep Dish, highlights its role in easing the invisible workload of meals while promoting healthier eating habits and family engagement.

In a heartfelt milestone, the host reassures listeners that mastering time management is achievable, even amidst life's complexities. A balanced blend of digital and paper planning is discussed, catering to diverse tech skills. Real success stories highlight how commitment to the process can transform organization and task management. The speaker shares personal anecdotes, debunking the myth of perfection while emphasizing that everyone can learn these essential skills. It's an empowering message for women feeling overwhelmed but ready to take control.

Today, we're talking about career transitions and job searches—and I'm excited to bring on a guest to help us with it: career coach Julia Lynch. Inside the Bright Method, women gain clarity around where their time is going. And once some see it all laid out in front of them, they realize that it's not just a "them" issue, it's that their industry or employer just isn't the right fit for the life they want. That clarity often kicks off the desire to make a job move. To help with that process, I brought on Julia Lynch. Julia is a personal brand strategist and career coach who helps high-powered women make bold career moves by networking smartly and packaging their experience in a way that opens new doors. She's also the woman behind the Instagram handle @smarterinasec and Substack Varsity Reader. In this episode, we cover: The first step you need to take before you even start networking. Why it's your job to create the story about who you are and what you bring to the table—so others can take that story and market you to others. Why you should start networking before you need a job. How some senior-level jobs are shifting into more "fractional" roles—and what that means. What a career coach like Julia really does and how to think about whether working with one makes sense for you. What to ask if you're thinking about hiring a career coach. We also talk about the reality that if you've been heads-down in one industry for a decade or more, it's hard to know what else is out there—and how working with someone who knows the landscape can help you move faster and smarter. Whether you're already thinking about a move or just want to be ready in case you want to make one down the road, I think you'll find this conversation helpful. Julia's website is linked here, and you can set up a free discovery call with her here. You can also find Julia on Instagram at @smarterinasec and on her Substack, Varsity Reader—she's a great follow for both smart career advice and fun recs. Thanks for being here—and here's to making career moves that better align with the life you want. Additional 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.

In this episode of the Bright Method Podcast, I dig into something I wish I'd fully appreciated earlier in my career: your boss likely has no idea what's actually on your plate. That's true whether you work for multiple people or just one—and it matters when it comes to managing your workload in a realistic and less overwhelming way. We'll cover: Why you shouldn't assume the work being assigned to you is reasonable or doable What it looks like to truly take ownership of your workload—and why it's empowering Why understanding your own capacity is the first step in managing your workload Why this empowers you to propose solutions you want and protect the kind of work you enjoy What to do when your boss won't adjust your workload—and how that clarity can still serve you Why boundaries "work" even when they don't go the way you want them to I also talk through how a visual, calendar-based system helped me go from feeling constantly underwater to confidently managing what I could take on—and even turning down work in a clear, strategic way. Plus, I share a client story about how this clarity led to a more reasonable workload and enjoyable work that made a bigger impact. If you'd like a free way to get started with this system, check out my 5-day Reset & Refresh series at kellynolan.com/refresh. You can also DM me the word "refresh" on Instagram to get the link. 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.

In this engaging discussion, life coach Michelle Gauthier, host of the Overwhelmed Working Woman podcast, tackles the pervasive issue of people pleasing among high-achieving women. They explore how this tendency can sabotage personal time and goals, and share insights on recognizing subtle cues of people pleasing. Michelle introduces her "Love & Fit" test to help assess requests, offers specific phrases to say no confidently, and suggests gamifying the process of reclaiming time. This episode is packed with practical strategies for setting boundaries and embracing a more intentional life.

>> Click here for the list. Recently, I shared on Instagram that I re-did our wills, trusts, etc. in Minnesota. We'd done it in California, where we lived when our first daughter was born, and we amended there when our second was born. And then we needed to re-do them here. When I shared, I got a lot of "ah I need to do that too" messages and questions about how to get started. It also prompted other conversations around parts of adulting that we know are important but we don't do because they don't seem urgent and/or we don't know where to start, so we avoid them. I get it. I also had someone ask me to to do a podcast episode on some of this stuff, so I started outlining it – and it got a bit unwieldy. So, this will be a two-part-er: This week's episode and next. For the list of all the things discussed in the episode (remember: typo-ridden; function over perfection), click here. A full transcript of this episode is available on my website about two weeks after the episode is published. To find it, click here and then select the episode. -- To take my free 5-day program, the Reset and Refresh, click here: https://kellynolan.com/reset-refresh. To learn more about and sign up for the Bright Method 8-week program, click here: https://kellynolan.com/the-bright-method-time-management-course-with-kelly-nolan. I also share actionable bite-sized time management strategies on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/_kellynolan_/. Come hang out with me there!