The Productive Woman

Does having children interfere with productivity or does it motivate us to be productive? This episode offers some thoughts on motherhood and making a life that matters.

When evening (or other "off work" time) comes, do you use it well or let it fritter away? What are some ways to make good use of your time off?

Episode 239 of The Productive Woman podcast features my conversation with humanitarian aid & community development consultant (and wife and mom) Jennifer Choi, who shares lessons learned about making a multi-faceted, multicultural life that matters.

Making a life that matters has its challenges--for all of us. Can I encourage you to believe there's nothing wrong with you if you struggle sometimes to make it all work the way you think it should?

What tools do you think are most important for being productive and making a life that matters? I share my list in this episode--and a couple of them might surprise you.

Consuming content and learning new things is valuable, but to achieve our goals and make a life that matters, we have to do something with what we learn. Thoughts on consumption, creation, and contribution in this week's episode.

Decluttering is a hot topic these days. For some, the logical outcome of decluttering is minimalism. But who we are matters more than what (or how much) we own. Finding a balance between clutter and convenience can contribute to a productive life.

Canadian native Christiane Kenny has moved cross-border (cross-oceans!) more than once. Hear her tips for international living in this week's episode.

To make a life that matters, we have to know what matters most. How do we decide among all the opportunities and commitments to figure out what matters most--where we can best focus our time, energy, and attention?

Productivity systems and resources are just tools. They're a means to an end, not the end itself. The end is a life that matters, as you define it. This week's episode looks at productivity, peer pressure, and intentional choices.

Swedish journalist Jane Andersson recommends the Swedish concept of lagom (loosely translated as "just enough") as a key to making a meaningfully productive life.

In this latest episode of our recurring Productive Reading series, I share my key takeaways from James Clear's outstanding book, Atomic Habits, a book about how small habits can have big impact on our productivity.

We might not be able to stop bad days from coming, but there are things we can do to make a bad day better.

Canadian executive and philanthropist Karina Hayat shares how she makes time for making a difference through focusing on her professional and personal priorities.

Are you making progress on your goals for this year, or has progress slowed because you're not consistently taking action? This episode offers ideas on how to reignite your fading motivation so you can keep moving forward to accomplish what matters most to you.

This week we're considering how our habits affect productivity and some suggestions for habits to develop this year.

Entrepreneur, business coach, and author Natalie Eckdahl talks about the importance of managing our mindset, and shares how the support of an intentionally assembled team helps her accomplish what matters most to her.

Last week we talked about resolutions and goals--things we plan to start doing this year. This week, let's consider some things to stop doing (and what to do instead).

As the new year begins, are you making resolutions, setting goals, or both? What's the difference, and how can they work together to create the results you want?

What matters most to you, and how will you make room for it in your life in the coming year? In this last episode of the year, I share some thoughts I'm pondering as the year ends and a new one begins.

Disappointed with your progress toward the goals you set for yourself this year? Let's talk about things you can do to start down a more productive path.

Tech executive, award-winning food blogger, wife, and mom Vicky Volvovski shares thoughts on managing a busy life with a centralized system, and on brainstorming solutions to challenging projects.

Planning ahead is a key to living intentionally rather than reactively. But how do we make time to plan when our days are already full?

Some of us (raising my hand) tend to focus so much on the future that we forget to be present today. On the other hand, it's easy to get so wrapped up in our day-to-day commitments that we forget to step back and look at the long-term big picture. A challenge for many of us is to plan sufficiently for the future without letting worries for the future cloud our present.

"Time keeps passing whether or not you think about where it's going." Laura Vanderkam, author of Off the Clock & other books about productivity and time management, encourages us to be intentional about how we use our time..