Time Management For Women – Yes, It’s Different!

Lately, I’ve been kind of obsessed with time management- always thinking I could be more efficient with my time and wanting to learn new strategies to teach my clients. I’ve been reading or listening to lots of books on the topic. There are many good ones and I’ve taken bits and pieces from all of them. But my latest (and possibly favorite so far!) is The Plan- Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi, aka The Lazy Genius. She’s an absolute organization and time management guru and so relatable! Turns out, time management for women is very different than for men.

My first introduction to Kendra’s brilliance was her podcast – The Lazy Genius. Then I read her first book, The Lazy Genius Way.  She teaches you to be “a genius about things that matter and lazy about things that don’t.” In other words, you don’t have to strive for perfection in everything you do. That just leads to burnout and frustration. Instead, decide what really matters to you and make those things the priority. Everything else can take less effort and time.  Kendra applies this same philosophy to planning and time management in The Plan.

My top five takeaways from The Plan:

1.     93% of time management books are written by men so the advice that’s being given is for men by men and women are just expected to make it work. As she says, the current productivity paradigm doesn’t work for women or account for the fact that we typically run a household, take care of family members and have hormonal fluctuations. She advocates planning your time with compassion, not striving for greatness with unreasonable and unattainable goals.

2.     Start where you are, not where you want to go. Don’t start with a huge goal and then reverse-engineer your way to accomplish it. You have a more accurate and even joyful perspective about your future when you stay rooted in your present circumstances. Begin with what matters to you right now in this season of life, paying attention to the present and honoring the life in front of you. It’s not about trying one new planner after another hoping that the next one will be the one that works for you and makes you more productive and efficient. (I’m definitely guilty of that!)

3.     PLAN is an acronym and is shaped like a pyramid with the point being Live. It’s not a linear system so it’s meant to allow you to pivot when life inevitably challenges you in some way.

·      Prepare like a Lazy Genius, go in the right order.

·      Live like a Lazy Genius, live in your current season.

·      Adjust like a Lazy Genius, start small.

·      Notice like a Lazy Genius, be kind to yourself.

4.     When planning your day, start with TODAY -  another cool acronym with two distinctly different meanings. If your day begins with you feeling full of energy, think of the items on your to-do list with this framework:

·      Tricky – what on your schedule will require more creativity and problem solving?

·      Optional – what on your list doesn’t matter whether it gets accomplished or not?

·      Delightful – what on your list is joyful or fun?

·      Active – what on your list needs work or completion?

·      Yes – what of these four things will you say yes to, aka what matters most?

But if your day begins with zero energy or ambition, try this one:

·      Tender – what feels tender to you today?

·      Output – what is your realistic output today?

·      Delegate – what can you delegate to someone else?

·      Accept – what do you need to accept about today?

·      Yes – what are you going to say yes to?

5.     Life should be thought of more like painting a picture than completing a puzzle. You’re not repeatedly trying to create an image by putting pieces into their correct places. Instead you have a palette of moods, needs and hopes with a brush to gently and smoothly create a painting with the ability to adjust when necessary.

There’s SO much more to this book- I’ve barely scratched the surface here! I highly recommend you read it to fully understand her revolutionary perspective on how women should think about time management compassionately. Her other books and podcast are also full of wisdom and fantastic practical tips to help you live life with kindness and compassion for yourself.

To purchase The Plan by Kendra Adachi click here

To purchase The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi click here

To purchase The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi click here

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