Work + Life Harmony | Time Management, Organization and Planning for Overwhelmed Women

When did we all collectively decide that December 31st gets to define whether we succeeded or failed this year? December 31st is just a day. It's not a final exam, it's not a measure of your worth, and it definitely doesn't get to be the weapon that determines if you had a good year or not.Right now, your inbox and social feeds are probably flooding with "finish strong" messaging. And if you're like most women I work with, you're looking at your goals, trying to enjoy the holidays, and feeling behind. But what if the problem isn't you? In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what's happening with this toxic messaging and what you can do instead to actually feel good about your year.In This Episode, I'll Cover:Why December 31st isn't actually a report card for your yearThe problem with "finish strong" messaging and why I refuse to participateWhat steady state planning is and how it's different from sprinting to deadlinesWhy moving a goal date doesn't make you a failureHow to look at your year without tying everything to one arbitrary date________________________________💻 Free Training Overwhelmed? Frazzled? Tired of your calendar controlling you? You’re in the right place. Sign up for my free, on-demand training and learn how to take control of your time—no matter what life throws at you. 👉 https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining ________________________________ 📱 Get The Pink Bee App Access planning tools, trainings, and support all in one place. 👉 https://www.onelink.to/qxdcwu ________________________________Thanks for tuning in!Megan 🩷🐝www.megansumrell.comwww.instagram.com/megansumrellwww.youtube.com/@the_pink_beewww.facebook.com/megansumrell

If your mornings feel like a logistical nightmare and every week brings new arguments over the same unsolved problems, you're not alone. Between school pickups, work meetings, and trying to keep everyone on schedule, it's easy for families to fall into patterns of conflict and power struggles. But what if there was a proven, neuroscience-backed system that could reduce fighting, build connection, and actually teach your kids (and spouse) problem-solving skills?In this episode, I'm sitting down with Tia Graham, a Certified Chief Happiness Officer, bestselling author, and expert in the science of happiness. Tia shares the collaborative problem-solving method that transformed her own family, especially when traditional parenting tactics weren't working. Whether you're dealing with morning meltdowns, bedtime battles, or recurring disagreements with your partner, this framework will help you stop the cycle of frustration and start building stronger, more connected relationships at home.In This Episode, We'll Cover:Why traditional parenting methods (rewards, consequences, timeouts) often make things worseThe three-step collaborative problem-solving frameworkHow to identify unsolved problems versus focusing on behaviorsThe importance of letting solutions be a compromise, not all your wayConnect with Tia:www.tiagraham.comwww.instagram.com/tiaegrahamwww.linkedin.com/in/tiagrahamOvercoming mom guilt resource: www.tiagraham.com/overcoming-guilt ________________________________💻 Free Training Overwhelmed? Frazzled? Tired of your calendar controlling you? You’re in the right place. Sign up for my free, on-demand training and learn how to take control of your time—no matter what life throws at you. 👉 https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining ________________________________ 📱 Get The Pink Bee App Access planning tools, trainings, and support all in one place. 👉 https://www.onelink.to/qxdcwu ________________________________Thanks for tuning in!Megan 🩷🐝www.megansumrell.comwww.instagram.com/megansumrellwww.youtube.com/@the_pink_beewww.facebook.com/megansumrell

Struggling to follow through on your plans? It's time to stop looking for external solutions! Discover why turning the focus inward can lead to real breakthroughs. Explore common barriers like perfectionism and mental clutter that often derail your progress. Learn how short-term discomfort can prevent long-lasting guilt. Find out the crucial question to ask yourself for intentional action instead of guilt-driven choices. It's all about building determination over fleeting motivation. Unlock your potential from within!

Discover the true value of your time and why many women undervalue their unpaid work. Learn that replacing caregiving and household tasks can cost over $200,000 annually. Find out how to calculate your real hourly rate as a business owner, unveiling surprising insights about your economic worth. Overcome fears of outsourcing by understanding the strategic benefits it brings. This conversation encourages you to shift from guilt-driven choices to empowered decisions that honor your time.

In a thought-provoking conversation, Kristen Carder, a certified life coach and host of the I Have ADHD Podcast, challenges the notion that ADHD is a superpower. She highlights how this narrative can be harmful and emphasizes the importance of validating struggles. Kristen reveals that procrastination stems from emotional regulation, not laziness, and explains why motivation is unreliable. Instead, she advocates for using purpose and willingness to fuel actions and encourages building emotional resilience to face discomfort. A must-listen for anyone navigating ADHD!

You know that feeling when you create the perfect plan for your week, and then by Tuesday everything has already fallen apart? Maybe your boss changed priorities, your kid got sick, or three unexpected things landed on your plate. So you tell yourself planning is pointless and just stop doing it altogether. The planning systems you've been taught were never designed for the life you're living.Most planning advice out there assumes you're working with a perfect week. But you're not living in a perfect world. Your life has turbulence built into it, and that's not your fault. In this episode, I'm breaking down why traditional planning fails women with unpredictable lives, and I'm teaching you how to create plans that actually work with your reality instead of pretending next week will magically be different.In This Episode, I'll Cover:Why traditional planning systems fail women with unpredictable livesThe pilot analogy that changes everything about how you view planningHow to create an "emergency fund" with your time (not white space)Why abandoning planning means abandoning control of your destinationThe exact mindset shift that lets you plan for turbulence instead of perfection________________________________💻 Free Training Overwhelmed? Frazzled? Tired of your calendar controlling you? You’re in the right place. Sign up for my free, on-demand training and learn how to take control of your time—no matter what life throws at you. 👉 https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining ________________________________ 📱 Get The Pink Bee App Access planning tools, trainings, and support all in one place. 👉 https://www.onelink.to/qxdcwu ________________________________Thanks for tuning in!Megan 🩷🐝www.megansumrell.comwww.instagram.com/megansumrellwww.youtube.com/@the_pink_beewww.facebook.com/megansumrell

Daily planning can feel like a trap for working moms, leaving them in a constant state of reaction. Disruptions can consume hours, making it nearly impossible to stick to a daily plan. The key to success lies in shifting to weekly planning, which allows for flexibility and accommodates unexpected events. By planning weekly, moms can prioritize long-term goals and avoid feeling perpetually behind. A few practical tips can help get started, creating a more harmonious balance between work and family life.

We're talking about something we've never really covered here on the podcast: brain health. This is a newer field where a lot of the research just isn't very mainstream yet, but the findings are incredible. I brought in Dr. Holly Bardutz, a brain researcher at the University of Regina, to break down what brain health actually means and why it matters for those of us dealing with overwhelm and stress.One of the biggest takeaways I want you to get from this episode is that you can improve the health of your brain every single day, even when you're overwhelmed, even when you're stressed out. You don't need to find three hours a day to make progress on this. You can actually integrate brain health practices into everyday living, and Holly's going to show you exactly how. This conversation completely changed how I think about my brain, and I can't wait for you to hear what small changes you can start putting in place today.In This Episode, We Cover:Why stress isn't always the enemy (and how it can actually help your brain)The five key lifestyle factors that directly impact your brain healthSimple daily habits that build brain reserve and improve cognitive functionWhy you can make new brain cells your entire life (yes, even now)How to challenge your brain without adding more to your to-do listConnect with Holly at www.bardutzbrainhealth.com ________________________________💻 Free Training Overwhelmed? Frazzled? Tired of your calendar controlling you? You’re in the right place. Sign up for my free, on-demand training and learn how to take control of your time—no matter what life throws at you. 👉 https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining ________________________________ 📱 Get The Pink Bee App Access planning tools, trainings, and support all in one place. 👉 https://www.onelink.to/qxdcwu ________________________________Thanks for tuning in!Megan 🩷🐝www.megansumrell.comwww.instagram.com/megansumrellwww.youtube.com/@the_pink_beewww.facebook.com/megansumrell

How much of your week do you actually spend sitting in meetings? If you're like most people, it's probably way more than you'd like. In fact, I once worked with a company that discovered over 40% of their salary budget was going toward people sitting in conference rooms. Not building products, not serving customers, just meeting. And here's the kicker: most of those meetings didn't even need to happen.Today I'm breaking down the five meeting rules that can help you reclaim your productivity, protect your energy, and finally stop feeling like your calendar is controlling your life. Whether you're the person scheduling meetings or the one drowning in back-to-back calls, this episode will show you how to make meetings work for you instead of against you.In This Episode, I'll Cover:Why meetings cost way more than just time on your calendarThe difference between a manager's schedule and a maker's scheduleFive meeting rules that will transform your productivityHow to tell if you actually need to be in a meetingWhy not being invited to meetings is actually a gift ________________________________💻 Free Training Overwhelmed? Frazzled? Tired of your calendar controlling you? You’re in the right place. Sign up for my free, on-demand training and learn how to take control of your time—no matter what life throws at you. 👉 https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining ________________________________ 📱 Get The Pink Bee App Access planning tools, trainings, and support all in one place. 👉 https://www.onelink.to/qxdcwu ________________________________Thanks for tuning in!Megan 🩷🐝www.megansumrell.comwww.instagram.com/megansumrellwww.youtube.com/@the_pink_beewww.facebook.com/megansumrell

If you've been hearing buzz about Cal Newport's new book "Slow Productivity" and wondering if it's worth your time, this episode is for you. I'm breaking down the three core principles of slow productivity and sharing my honest take on how they apply to real life, especially for those of us juggling work and caregiving responsibilities.Cal's framework offers a different approach to the "hustle harder" culture we're all drowning in. Whether you're a consultant, writer, researcher, or anyone whose job involves deep thinking and creating, understanding slow productivity could shift how you approach your workday. Let's dig into what slow productivity really means and how to think about it in the context of your actual life.In This Episode, I'll Cover:The three core principles of slow productivity and how they workWhy conventional time management fails knowledge workers (and everyone else)How to do fewer things without your boss thinking you're slackingThe reality of working at a natural pace when life is unpredictableWhat to consider if you're a primary caregiver reading this bookMy take on obsessing over quality without falling into perfectionism________________________________💻 Free Training Overwhelmed? Frazzled? Tired of your calendar controlling you? You’re in the right place. Sign up for my free, on-demand training and learn how to take control of your time—no matter what life throws at you. 👉 https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining ________________________________ 📱 Get The Pink Bee App Access planning tools, trainings, and support all in one place. 👉 https://www.onelink.to/qxdcwu ________________________________Thanks for tuning in!Megan 🩷🐝www.megansumrell.comwww.instagram.com/megansumrellwww.youtube.com/@the_pink_beewww.facebook.com/megansumrell