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

Sometimes, we realize we're the ones giving ourselves too-tight deadlines – either out of a desire to show how eager we are or because the sense of urgency makes us react too frantically. Instead of beating ourselves up for that tendency, let's talk about why this can actually be a great thing to realize – and what to do about it! A full transcript of this episode is available on my website about...

We've talked about how to handle sick kids at home (resources on that below), but what about all of the scheduled days off of school. Someone asked me to discuss those days, so let's do it! Sick kid resources: Eps. 26 and 27 of this podcast (though missing some updated info in the article) This article - tip 1 contains the updated information Other kid-related resources mentioned: What do working...

Often, women I work with or talk to online share that, while they want to use the Bright Method, they resist implementation because of, what I can see, two buckets of very understandable reasons: They want to understand what the end result looks like before they start and they can't see it right now, and/or They know on some level that they have too much work for their available capacity, and ther...

So often, we calendar a deadline or an event and think either there's not much that goes into it or we'll just remember what do to for it. But when you actually write down everything that goes into it, it's a surprising lot of stuff, takes up more time than we realize, and the sheer volume of things explains why we forget to do some of it every time. Let's talk workflows, their benefits, how to do...

This is definitely not my most articulate, succinct podcast, but I think there's something here that's worth sharing – and it'll continue to evolve. The older I get, the more I see the value of shirking American culture's "quick results now"/focus on short-term time horizons and focusing on the long game. Let's talk about it, and I'd love to hear what you think! And as I mention at the end, if you...

So often, when we get free 15-minute windows we didn't anticipate during work hours, we spend too much time deciding what to do and/or fritter them away on stuff that doesn't matter (cough*social media*cough). But these small windows of time add up, and using them effectively can help you leave work earlier and feel more accomplished. Let's talk about how to do that. This episode also spends some...

Decluttering and home organization projects can be a major time management painpoint for people on the home front. To help with that, I'm thrilled to have Laura Kinsella on the podcast to help us hear about how to manage our time around it, how to do it, how to get support doing it, and more. Follow Laura on Instagram here: http://www.instagram.com/urbanorganyze Or reach out to Laura via her websi...

Email and/or Slack/Teams can often interrupt the time we've set aside and protected for focused, heads-down work. Let's dig into some strategies to help us get the focused time during work hours that we crave. 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 prog...

I hear from many women that they have no energy after work to do "productive" things. Let's talk about what to do about that. 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 le...

One of the most common time management pain points many women experience is trying to find time (and energy) for their own health, whether that's working out, eating how they want, sleeping, and even medical appointments. Let's discuss. Referenced episodes: Ep. 33. Long-Term Planning: How to feel like YOU & create long-term plans Ep. 29. Outsourcing at Home Ep. 9. Strategies to Get More Ease In Yo...

One of the most common time management challenges working women have is that their work hours are dominated by meetings, pushing heads-down work into nights and weekends. Let's talk about what to do if this is your work life. Referenced episodes: Ep. 43. Five Strategies to Improve Your Meetings Ep. 4. How to Prioritize in a Way that Actually Works Ep. 23. Managers v. Makers (And What It Means for...

Are you clear about what you do with every to-do or idea that comes your way? Not how you actually do the thing or use the idea – just how you process it? i.e., Do you have a system that helps you take in that to-do/idea, process it, and then bring it to life? It's a basic question perhaps, but one that I don't think we always get clear on. And clarity here helps us in our day-to-day lives, where...

Regardless of when your next performance review happens, let's talk about things you can do now to make writing your self-evaluation easier – and then how to use this gathered information to make your self-eval more effective. This episode is based off of this article if you also want to see it written out. A full transcript of this episode is available on my website about two weeks after the epis...

While I love the Bright Method's ability to help you plan long term (e.g., calendaring when to start your passport renewal process in three years), one thing missing from the Bright Method is a high-level snapshot of your long-term planning. Enter Kelsey Wharton's "The Years are Short" spreadsheet . Here's my written article about it, too. Here's an article about the Bird's Eye View . And finally,...

Around now is when the holiday logistics overwhelm can kick in. Let's talk about it! 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...

While there are many great approaches for sharing the load at home with a partner, like Fair Play, for those of us with partners who aren't around consistently (e.g., some physicians, travel, military), those approaches don't really work. A partner can't own, e.g., taking out the trash or cleaning up the kitchen or staying on top of what groceries you need and ordering them when they're not home w...

This time of year reminds me of a post I wrote two years ago about doing or not doing things we want to do take care of ourselves and make us happy – because of what others will think of us. Let's dig into it. 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 prog...

Today, I'm joined my Woody Taylor, someone with far more knowledge about AI than me, to discuss AI applications at work and in our personal lives. I find all of this new and fascinating, and this discussion dove into a lot of topics that I think you'll find thought-provoking and practical. Let me know what you think once you listen! To learn more about Woody's work, please visit his website: www.p...

A few weeks ago, when I asked people on Instagram what to record a podcast episode about next, three people asked me to share about my time management journey. So, here goes! In addition, a heads up that: My Jan-Mar 2025 program is the last time I plan to run it in a "cohort" format (i.e., you go through it with the same women for eight weeks) as I'm going to have it open more often on a rolling b...

I'm been a fan of Dr. Christine Koh and her podcast, Edit Your Life, for a long time. It's an honor to have her on the podcast today to discuss topics like decluttering (in a doable and exciting way), handling the holidays, and radical rest. Enjoy – and check out her podcast, Edit Your Life. A full transcript of this episode is available on my website about two weeks after the episode is published...

During a presentation, someone once asked me a question: "Presentations take me too long to prep for. What do I do about that?" Let's talk about ways to do things faster – and also a more empowered approach to take when it comes to managing your time. 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...

We talk a fair bit about matchmaking your activities to your energy level patterns in a typical day or week. Let's kick this up a notch with Carmen Amador Barriero as she walks us through how those of us experiencing menstrual cycles can think about our natural tendencies during different phases of our cycles (plus how to know which phase you're even in!). Carmen is an Organizational & Business Ps...

After those curveball weeks – whether it's an illness in the family or a work fire that puts off all other work – it can be overwhelming to look at the backlog on top of upcoming meetings and deadlines. Let's talk practical strategies to help dig out and get you back to feeling more stable and on track. Resources mentioned: Article: What do you do when you have to work with a sick kid at home? Pod...

We've talked in previous episodes about outsourcing work at home in ep. 29 (including emotional and even "moral" hangups about doing so) and, specifically, about hiring a house manager in ep. 52 with Kelly Hubbell of Sage House. Today, we're continuing this conversation with another option to help outsource more of the mental load. Emily King is the co-founder and CEO of Faye, an AI-powered platfo...

A woman on Instagram asked me to address in a podcast episode, in short, what do you do when you have too many tasks coming in from so many different places that you struggle to even calendar them all? And, on top of it, you spend many hours of your day in front of the computer in meetings. Great questions! Let's discuss. In this episode, I reference my previous episode on the weekly planning sess...