Category Archives: time management

Want to opt out of intensive parenting? It’s not that easy

March 17, 2026Help, mindset shift, motivation, time managementMerdrick

I was reading an article on intensive parenting and how it keeps parents, especially moms, overwhelmed and exhausted. And part of the conversation was asking how we deal with it. As I was reading through the comments, there were several folks who said, ‘just do less. You can opt-out.’

And while I fully support this and encouraging moms to opt-out of some of the busyness is why I do the work I do, I also know it’s not that simple. There are so many reasons that we have too much to do. So many reasons why we feel overwhelmed.

And opting out often feels like one more thing to add to your to-do list.

Yes, some seasons are busier than others. Infants and toddlers need lots of attention. So do teenagers, it just looks different. it’s not that it gets easier, it just changes. Sometimes your kids are signed up for multiple activities because that’s what made sense at the time. Or you know it’s for a season, not forever.

We might have kids who need to be kept busy because they’re full of energy and it’s easier on everyone if they’re in structured activities. Downtime and unstructured time isn’t always possible.

There’s also the people pleasing, overachieving side of so many of us, and it’s hard to fight all those feelings of guilt that society puts on us. Society tells us what it means to be a good mom, and we want to set our kids up for success. So we buy into all the extracurricular activities that might give them a leg up.

What I most want for moms is to know how to evaluate what works for them. To ignore what society is telling them. To step back from social media and peer pressure and identify what they truly want. In this season, in their lives. Because that’s what matters.

What do you want your motherhood and your kids childhood to look like?

And it’s not always what society is telling us. Because the system is rigged. It’s designed to keep us exhausted and overwhelmed so we don’t start fighting for something different.

My work combines basic productivity tips tweaked for motherhood and busting the perfect mom myth. But what I really want is for you to take my thoughts and suggestions and make it work for you. In this season of life. And to know how to evaluate what works for you, as the seasons change.

I’m here to chat.

Feel Like You Never Have Work/Life Balance?

March 2, 2026mindset shift, motivation, time managementMerdrick

Do you spend your days feeling like you never have a work/life balance? No matter what you do, it feels like you’re not focused on the right things.

My daughter’s skin was orange at her 1-year check-up.

Because she ate so many sweet potatoes.

I remember learning that toddlers know what their bodies need when she was learning to eat solid food.

They might eat only sweet potatoes for 3 days. Then they just want strawberries.

Some protein may be in there too.

On any given day, it doesn’t seem like they’re eating a balanced diet.

But over a week, they are.

The same is true for how we spend our time.

We might not feel like we’re spending time with our family. Or we feel like we’re not focused enough on our household (or even ourselves!)

But if we were to look at our time over a week, we’re likely doing better than we think.

Maybe you spent all day taking care of a sick kid and the house feels like a cluttered mess.

Maybe you didn’t spend much time with your family because you were focused on a big work project. You were there to tuck your kids in at night, but otherwise, you weren’t present with them.

Or maybe you spent all day driving your kids around to soccer practice, multiple birthday parties, and the grocery store.

And you went to bed feeling like it wasn’t enough.

Instead of trying to get to some magical work-life balance every day, look at it over a week, maybe even two.

And know that balance doesn’t exist. Not in the way we want it to or think it should happen.

But, when we take a look at the bigger picture, we might notice that we’re doing better than we think!

This is the work I do with my clients. We look at where your time is going and how you want to be spending it. Then, we work to get you to the balance that works for you.

Your days don’t have to feel overwhelming and exhausting. They can feel spacious. Let me help you get there.

Ready for more? Start here or go here.

There’s not enough time to get it all done

February 23, 2026Help, mindset shift, time managementnot enough timeMerdrick

Ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done?

You feel like you’ve been productive all day, yet your to-do list is longer than when you started? You keep planning your weeks, thinking this will be the week you get caught up, and wondering if this will ever get easier.

I’ve been there. Feeling like no matter what I do, my to-do list isn’t getting shorter. Feeling like every week is spent trying to keep my head above water.

Yes, mom life is hard. But you don’t have to feel like you’re drowning.

There will always be more to do then you have time for. That’s just life. And I don’t tell you this to make you want to crawl back in bed. I say this to give ourselves grace. To let you know that it’s ok to release your grip on your task list, even a little (honestly, I’m still working on this, too). Sometimes it’s ok to let the list sit while you go do something fun, (easier said than done, I know!).

First, it can help to do a task triage. Get all the things running through your head documented. Your brain wasn’t meant to hold to many things and it’s hard to focus when you have 42356 tabs open.

It’s also helpful to know what you want this season of life to do look like and feel like. Then, make sure what’s on your to-do list matches that. Some things might have to wait for another season. This is mostly true for our commitments, not so much as making dinner. Because yes, there are always house tasks that need to happen. But there are times when we’ve overcommitted ourselves and find ourselves stretched too thin. Sometimes we need to step back from something or wait until another season to volunteer somewhere, or coach the soccer team.

The last suggestion I have is to break your big, long list into manageable chunks. Pull 3-5 tasks off the long list to focus on today. Or this week. If you’re constantly looking at a big list, you are going to feel like you’re not doing enough

I have my big lists. And I pull off tasks for the week or day from those lists. Then I focus on those tasks for the day. If I get them done, I can take a longer break, or look at the big list again and find something else to work on. And because I’ve evaluate all of that with my commitments and goals, I know that those tasks are moving me forward.

Want support in implementing this in your life? Start here.

Tired of your morning routine being a daily scramble?

August 12, 2025motivation, routines, time managementMerdrick

Let’s talk about your morning routine. Is yours working for you?

You’re constantly reminding everyone what they need to do. No one is paying attention. You left your coffee in the microwave, again.

And you run out the door, already exhausted, frustrated, and drained?

It doesn’t have to be this way!

You can have mornings that involve kitchen dance parties, kid snuggles, maybe even a few minutes of peace to drink your cup of coffee (or tea) by yourself!

It takes a little bit of planning and leaving time for someone to spill their cup of milk all over the dining table.

👉What needs to happen to get everyone out the door? List all the tasks that need to happen from getting dressed, showering, eating breakfast, packing backpacks, etc.

👉Who needs to do these tasks? Identify who is doing each task. Are your kids old enough to follow a checklist and brush their teeth, and get themselves dressed? Or do they need a bit more supervision?

👉How long do these tasks take? Estimate how long each task takes. If you’re not sure, spend the next 2 weeks timing the tasks (ask me how!). Then you have an idea of how long it takes to get out the door in the morning!

And now you’re starting your day feeling in control and ready to take on whatever else the day brings! 🎉

The new school year is almost here (or may be here, already!) Let’s get your morning routine working for you and your family.

Because you deserve to drink a cup of coffee while it’s still hot. Start here.

Want to Tidy Your Kids’ Room While They’re At Camp? Read This First

June 30, 2025Fair Play, habits, Help, mindset shift, time managementMerdrick

Feeling the urge to tidy your kids’ room while they’re gone? Thinking it’ll be easier because they’re not around? Read this first!

Imagine going away for the weekend and coming home to a clean and tidy house.

Yes, it might feel great to walk into a decluttered and clean home.

Now, imagine walking into that tidy home and finding things missing. Things you treasured or planned to do something with. That sweatshirt with allt he holes that you love to wear when you need some comfort. That journal that was half-filled out and you figured some day you’d get back to journaling. Plus, it had stuff documented that you wanted to remember.

And they’re gone. Because someone decided they were trash.

It doesn’t feel good, does it?

So what does this situation have to do with productivity? So much!

Because moms take it upon themselves to declutter and clean the house. We add it to our to-do list because who else will do it if we don’t?

In reality, we need to be working with those who also live there, to declutter and clean the house. It adds more to your plate if you take on all the tidying and cleaning by yourself.

When you work together with your kids to clean their room, they’re learning valuable skills. And you never know what they treasure! I’m always surprised by what my kids want to keep versus what they’re willing to get rid of.

My 12-year-old is pretty good at getting rid of things. My 10-year-old still needs support, but is getting better at it. They’re both learning the skills of going through a stack of papers and identifying what they want to keep and what they don’t. Same for their stuffed animals and all their crafts that they shoved in a drawer after last year’s summer camps!

If you really want to get in there and clean, here’s a suggestion. Sort everything into bins or baskets. Clean around those baskets.

Then, when your kids are home, go through the bins, one at a time, together.

Take some time to work on these skills together. Don’t do it for them because it feels easier.

Want to learn how to implement this in your life? Schedule a Get On Track Call with me!

Ever feel like it’s easier to do everything yourself?

February 11, 2025Fair Play, mindset shift, motivation, routines, time managementMerdrick

Do you hesitate to talk with your husband about redistributing household tasks, feeling like it won’t change anything? It’s easier to do everything yourself.

You’ll still have to remind him to take out the trash or make the kids’ lunches.

It’s easier to keep doing it all yourself, even though you’re exhausted and resentful.

Or, maybe you have talked about it, and things changed for a few weeks but then fell back into the old routine. You were still doing all the invisible work of remembering when it was time to take out the trash, empty the dishwasher, or wash the towels.

You’re not alone in feeling this way. Change is hard, and the status quo has worked for your partner for a long time.

And it’s frustrating to feel like nothing is going to change.

Or that changing things is just one more thing for you to take on.

But if your husband can hold a job, he can take out the trash without reminders.

Yes, this is a process, and sometimes he’ll forget.

This is where a regular check-in helps.

Making sure you’re on the same page as you create new routines and habits is important. Talking through what’s working and what’s not.

It can be a quick check-in over coffee every morning before shuffling the kids to school.

Or weekly dinner dates where you have a long list of things to cover.

Or somewhere in between!

Check-ins are a big part of communicating with your partner, and it’s something we cover in my Share the Load calls.

When to have them, what to talk about, and what NOT to do between check-ins.

It might feel like it’s easier to do everything yourself. But I promise it’s not!

If you’re feeling like nothing is going to change with your partner and are hesitant to have this conversation, let’s talk.

Are You Tired Of Hosting Birthday Parties?

October 21, 2024habits, Help, mindset shift, time managementMerdrick

How do you feel about hosting birthday parties? I recently spoke with someone who always threw large, elaborate birthday parties for her kids. She shared that her daughter shared she didn’t enjoy these big parties. She had never felt comfortable with them.

The mom was frustrated, mostly with herself, because she’d thought her daughter liked them. The mom didn’t enjoy throwing them herself. She’d always found them exhausting.

I share this story because I think we get so caught up in doing what society has conditioned us to do that we don’t take much time to think about what’s important to us and our families.

It just feels easier to do what our neighbors or our community are doing.

And I think we’d save ourselves so much time and stress if we took even a little bit of time to evaluate how we’re spending our time and what’s important to us.

One of the most important steps in the Fair Play Method is discussing values. As you work through the task cards, you talk about why a specific task is important and what it looks like in your life.

Some of these conversations might be quick. For example, taking out the trash probably doesn’t need to be a long conversation. You value a clean kitchen. You value not having bugs in your kitchen. So the trash needs to go out on a regular basis.

But what type of birthday parties do you host? What do specific holidays look like in your house? And do you send out holiday cards?

Those are important because they can take up a lot of time and mental load.

When my husband and I talk to our kids about what activities they want to do over the summer, it often involves ice cream and playing in the backyard with their friends. They’re not wanting big vacations and endless activities.

And yes, planning big vacations can still be a part of your summer. But it’s also possible to make plenty of time for playing in the mud.

Maybe your kid is only playing soccer because everyone else in the neighborhood is doing the same thing. But several families would love to stop. They just don’t feel like they can because it’s the only way the kids are ever together.

What if you were the family that suggested something different? How would that shift things?

I know that discussing values can feel daunting. You feel that you don’t have time. You need to get dinner on the table and find that permission slip for your daughter.

But when you’ve defined your values, it helps in decision-making. It helps you know if you want to take on a specific task or how you are going to make something happen (like birthday parties).

And it gets you and your partner on the same team. It helps both of you understand why something is or is not important to you.

When you and your partner understand what’s important to the other person, you get to start creating a life that fits that.

Because you can ask yourself if an activity or task fits with those values. And if the answer is no, can you skip that activity?

Taking the time, over several weeks, to hold this conversation saves you time in the long run.

It gets you off the hamster wheel. It gets you focused on what’s important to you and your family. And over time, it gives you time back in your days!

Are you ready? Let’s get started. Here is a link to a worksheet to help define your values!

If you want to talk through defining your values, schedule a call with me.

How To Look at Your Time Like A Closet

October 8, 2024Closets, habits, motivation, time managementMerdrick

Yes, I am asking you to look at your time like a closet.

When your closet is overflowing, it’s hard to find what you need. Some days you want to slam the door and walk away. Not getting dressed at all.

Just like a packed schedule makes it hard to focus on what’s next. Or deal with a glitch in the system like a sick kid, flat tire, or snow day.

When your closet is organized, you can find what you need.

And when your calendar has white space, you can deal with the unexpected.

It’s hard to get excited for the day when the calendar is cluttered with tasks and activities that you don’t feel good about.

Or when your task list feels too long and the day too short.

When your calendar has white space, you can see what’s going on. And if the activities are (mostly) things you want to be doing, you’re a bit more motivated.

If the task list is (mostly) full of tasks that you know are moving you forward in your life, it’s easier to tackle them. Even if it is dealing with a pile of laundry or dishes.

When you take the time to clear items from your closet, you can find what you need and you’re excited to get dressed. Or, at least, it’s a bit easier to get dressed when you’re not being attacked by a pile of sweaters you no longer wear.

The same goes for your calendar. Life feels better when you fill your calendar with activities that you and your family enjoy.

When you are taking steps toward completing a big goal, whether for your business or personal life, you’re more motivated.

You are then able to end your days feeling a bit more at peace. Knowing you are making things happen. Not just spinning your wheels every day.

Yes, there are things like laundry, dishes, and cleaning toilets. These things just need to happen. But knowing that you are also learning Spanish so your family can spend some time in a Spanish-speaking country? Or you are practicing your public speaking skills for the next big presentation at work? Makes cleaning those toilets a little bit easier.

The next time you add something to your calendar, ask yourself if it fits.

If you feel like your calendar or to-do list is bursting at the seams, maybe we should chat! This is the work I do with my clients.

This is also one of the things I love about the Fair Play Method. One of the first conversations you have includes discussing what’s important to you and your family with your partner.

I know that this feels big and heavy. If defining your values feels like too much, maybe you start by thinking about what you want your kids’ childhood to look like. Pretend they’re heading off to college and you’re reminiscing about their childhood. What sticks out for you? What were the activities and moments you want to remember?

It likely isn’t how clean and organized your house is or how efficient you made it through your to-do list.

It’s the games and pizza night you have every Thursday. The afternoons spent at your neighborhood pool. It’s the movies and hot cocoa on snow days. Little moments that we overlook because we feel that we need to do everything on a grand, magical scale.

I know, this all feels impossible when you have piles of laundry that seem to get bigger and you don’t remember when you last cleaned out your pantry. Plus, work emails keep flooding your inbox and you feel like you’re never going to get caught up, let alone ahead.

This week, take 10 minutes to talk with your partner about what’s important to you and your family. If your kids are old enough, talk with them about this too. It doesn’t have to be a big, in-depth conversation. It can be asking everyone to define one thing that’s important to them. Or to talk about what they want the next 3-6 months to look and feel like. It’s ok to keep it simple.

Let’s talk about laundry and why it never ends.

June 24, 2024habits, routines, time managementMerdrick

Ever feel like you are always doing laundry?

There’s always laundry. In the dirty laundry hamper, the dryer, and the clean clothes hamper.

There’s probably a pile somewhere you’ve forgotten about.

Laundry is cyclical. You’ll never really be done with it.

And that’s ok. It means you can take a breath and maybe not be quite so overwhelmed by laundry.

As long as everyone in your family has clean clothes every day (most days?) you are on top of your laundry.

When my oldest was born, I never folded my sheets. I washed them regularly. But the 2nd set was always shoved in the closet instead of neatly folded. I was too tired and did not care. No one was digging through my closets judging how near and organized it was. And I figured if Martha Stewart came to visit, she could fold my sheets.

Let’s take a few minutes to talk about laundry and how best to feel on top of it.

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

How often do I need to do laundry? (One load a day?) (twice a week?) I wash clothes one day a week and sheets and towels on another day. I have a friend who does one load each day. Try different routines to see what works and feels doable.
How long does each step take? Time yourself. Sometimes that laundry basket feels like a big project but only takes 5 minutes. How long do each of the following steps take:
- Sorting
- Putting in washer/washing
- Putting in dryer/drying
- Hanging up anything that needs to air-dry
- Folding
- Putting away
Who else can help?

Get Your Kids Involved!

My kids are learning to do their laundry. My 11-year-old can do it herself without my help and my 9-year-old needs support.

One of my kids lives out of her clean clothes basket because she doesn’t like putting away her clothes. She knows how to put away her laundry. She has no interest in doing it. My goal is not to require her to put away her laundry every week but to know how to put it away when she’s ready.

I prefer putting my clothes away the day I wash them because I dislike sorting through the laundry basket or dryer trying to find what I’m looking for.

Get kids involved when they’re little. You don’t need to fold little kid clothes. Sort by type and put in a drawer. Toddlers can learn to sort laundry by shirts / pants / socks.

If you feel your partner can’t wash laundry because he’ll likely shrink something, separate your delicates from the rest of the clothes. I have a separate basket for things to hang dry. I have enough that I do a separate load of delicates. But if there’s not enough for a separate load, use a mesh bag. Everything to hang dry goes in the mesh bag. Your partner can learn that the mesh bag means items to be hung up to dry. He is capable of this.

You can also use mesh bags to keep socks together.

Don’t use hampers with lids. Make it as easy as possible to put dirty laundry in the hamper. Lids add an extra step.

If it is important to you and worth your time to have your closets perfectly organized and Pinterest-worthy, go for it.

I’m going to suggest that you, make it as easy as possible to put clothes away. Use baskets (without lids). Have a drawer for all your workout gear.

I have one kid who prefers hanging up her shirts. My other kid does not. I’m not a fan of hanging up shirts. But I recently started folding my shirts Marie-Kondo style, so they sit like file folders on the shelf. It’s easier than I expected and my shirts stay organized.

There will always be laundry. So take some time this week to figure out how to make it work best for you and your family.

It doesn’t have to be something that’s weighing you down!

Want help with your laundry routine? Sign up for a Get On Track Call today!

How To Feel Less Overwhelmed By Saying Yes To The Right Things, Not Everything!

June 5, 2024habits, mindset shift, time managementMerdrick

Do you ever feel like you say yes to everything and end up regretting it? It’s easy to feel ovewhelmed when we say yes to everything! We suddenly find that we have too much going on and start to feel pulled in too many directions. Let’s talk about how to feel less overwhelmed by saying yes to the right things, not all the things!

When we know our commitments, it’s easier to say yes or no to something. If it’s a work project, we can talk about renegotiating deadlines. If it’s a volunteer commitment, we know if we have the time to give. If it’s our kids asking to do one more activity, we can talk about whether it makes sense or will lead to more overwhelm.

How many things have you said yes to in your life because you:

Didn’t know how to say no at the moment?
Felt obligated to do it even though you really didn’t want to?
Automatically say yes without even thinking about it because you don’t want to disappoint someone?

Remember that every time you say yes to something you are saying no to something else.

And sometimes we have to say no to something that seems like a great opportunity because we know that there’s a better one out there. (Or, we know we need to leave breathing room in our schedules). Make sure that yes is worth it.

When you learn to say no to something that doesn’t work for you, it’s the first step in learning how to feel less overwhelmed. Because life feels like you have some breathing room.

I want you to design a life that you don’t need to escape from. One that doesn’t have you dreading every Monday. Where you aren’t resentful of the activities you and your family are committed to outside of work and school.

It’s a life full of activities and tasks that deserve to be there. It’s full of heck yes’s!

This takes time and reflection, both of which I know you feel you don’t have enough.

But we can change that, together! Sign up for my private podcast today!

How To Add Routines To Your Family Life To Make Life Easier

May 16, 2024motivation, routines, time managementMerdrick

Let’s talk about how to add routines to your family life! Sometimes a little structure is helpful!

It’s 5 pm. I’m staring at the fridge, wondering what we’re going to have for dinner. I don’t like to cook. If it’s not planned or prepped, we’re having frozen pizza.

Once we started weekly meal planning (and prepping) our weeknight dinners got easier. Veggies and potatoes were prepped and the meat was defrosted. All I needed to do was turn on the oven, toss everything in a pan, and roast it.

Sunday is laundry day. I refuse to wash clothes any other day of the week unless absolutely necessary. If you want your clothes washed, they better be in the hamper when I start. Otherwise, it will wait until next week.

I’m working on implementing certain days of the week for certain work tasks. Something like Marketing Monday, where Monday is focused on all my marketing tasks. Maybe you have planning meetings on certain days of the week or focus on specific projects at specific times.

Do you find routines stifling or helpful?

Do you think that having routines in your life helps with your creativity? Or hurts it?

It is possible to have routines in your life and also flexibility. When your days are planned and structured down to the minute, any disruption throws things into disarray.

When you have routines and structure with space for the unexpected, everything flows smoothly.

What routines do you need in your days?

Below are a few areas to add routines to your life.

Laundry
Meal planning and prep
Recurring work tasks
Morning routines
Evening routines

Ask yourself the following questions related to building routines.

What are all the steps needed to complete this routine?
When does each step need to happen?
Who is responsible for each step?

I also recommend spending the last 30 minutes of your workday cleaning up your workspace. Check your calendar and tasks for tomorrow. Celebrate what you accomplished today. Process emails. File paperwork. Check your physical inbox, if you have one. Prepare yourself for tomorrow.

When you add routines to your family life, life gets easier! And when your brain knows that tasks are taken care of, it can solve other problems!

Want to take this further? Schedule a Get On Track call with me!

Why Timing Your Tasks is a Time Saver

May 9, 2024routines, time managementMerdrick

Have you ever dreaded a task because it felt like it would take too much time? Then once you finally tackled it, it wasn’t as bad as you thought? Let’s talk about why timing your tasks can help save you time!

I used to feel like laundry was a big time suck (don’t we all?!)

So I decided to time myself one day. And I learned something valuable.

I realized it was taking me too long to fold laundry because my kid’s clothes are often inside out. I was spending too much time turning everything right side out.

So I stopped.

My daughter has worn pants the wrong side out because that’s how they came out of the drawer.

I’m not taking the time to fix that and apparently, my kids don’t care! And next time they’ll be correct because they turned right side out again when she took them off!

It seems to only bother the adults when kids wear something wrong-side out or backward. Let’s let it go!

And now I know that it takes me less than 10 minutes to fold a load of laundry. I can make that happen. Especially when I think about how much time we’ll spend digging through the laundry trying to find something if I don’t deal with it!

(Side note: My kids now sort and put away their laundry. One of my kids essentially lives out of her clean laundry basket.)

I’m sharing this story because your task list is long. And it could likely be shorter. But you’ve said yes to too many things. And you’re doing too much.

Do you know where your time goes? Not just guessing, but truly knowing?

And have you ever timed your tasks so that you know how long a recurring task takes?

Even if you think you know where your time goes, it’s helpful to track your time. Over a week, document each task, in 30-minute increments. This doesn’t mean that you sit down at the end of the day and write down what you think you did. You stop what you’re doing every 30 minutes and write it down. Use these resources to help with this.

Then go back and review your week. How much time was spent on social media? What time was wasted on activities that were unnecessary? How much time are you spending on work tasks? Were there any surprises or did it make sense to you?

Or, if tracking your time sounds like too much work, identify the tasks you do most often, for work or at home. And time them. How long does writing your weekly newsletter or monthly report take? How long does it take to empty the dishwasher, take out the trash, or plan your dinners for the week?

Use this information to change your future scheduling. Identify what’s working and what’s not.

I promise you that timing your tasks will save you time. You never know until you try!

Your future self will thank you.

Moms Do Too Much. Knowing Your Values Can Help.

April 25, 2024Organization, time managementMerdrick

Really, what do you value? What does your family value?

One of the reasons I do this work is because I value time. Yours and mine.

You’ve heard me say this before, moms do too much.

We are told that to have it all, we have to do it all.

And I don’t buy it. And I’m on a mission to change this.

I want moms to feel like they have time to have fun with their kids. To spend time with their partner and their friends. And to not feel guilty about all the things that aren’t getting done while they’re out having fun!

Yes, parenting is hard. Yes, it’s often exhausting and overwhelming.

But we don’t have to spend our days simply flinging from one task to another without end.

So if you value your time and you’re ready for things to change, let’s talk. Schedule a Get On Track call today.

And if you’re still coming up with excuses, here are a few reasons why scheduling this call could be just the thing you need!

Feel pulled in too many directions? How about no more days of too many tasks on that list? You know your priorities and how to approach each day, no matter what it throws at you.
Think there’s not enough time to do it all? What if you could create time to spend with your family and on yourself? Watch a movie? Yes, please! Spend a weekend away with friends? Heck yes! Know things are getting done and create time for fun too.
Grumbled at that work project your boss just gave you? You know how to break it down into small and achievable steps. You’re ahead of the game now!
Tired of all the activities? You were just asked to be on the PTA. Your kids asked to join yet another sport. You know if it fits in with your life and whether it’s a heck yes from the beginning.
Is life constantly throwing changes your way? You got this! You know how to evaluate what’s working and what’s not and shift routines and systems as needed.

I look forward to chatting with you!

Your Worth Is More Than Your To-do List.

April 18, 2024mindset shift, motivation, time managementMerdrick

That’s right, you are not your to-do list!

Our society tells moms their worth is wrapped up in how much they get done each day.

I’m here to tell you that it’s not.

Mom, your worth has nothing to do with how clean and organized your house is.

It has nothing to do with how much you get done each day.

Your worth is not connected to the activities your kids do each week or how good they are at any of them.

It doesn’t matter if your kid’s clothes match when they leave the house (or if they brushed their hair).

I’m telling you that you are not your to-do list.

Mom, you are worthy simply because of who you are.

Check out my private podcast where I talk about this and more!

We talk about things like:

Moms do too much!
Productivity hacks will only get you so far.
How to build a life you don’t want to run away from.
How to channel your inner toddler and ask WHY?!

Each episode is less than five minutes so you can listen to it In The School Pick-Up Line!

You can access this secret podcast and receive weekly mini-lessons to stop doing ALL THE THINGS yourself.

Or, dive into my Stride Together Program. Tips, tricks, ideas, and community!

How To Gain Control Over Your To-Do List

April 11, 2024mindset shift, motivation, time managementMerdrick

I’m sitting at my desk getting ready to gain control over my to-do list.

My to-do list for today has more than work tasks listed. I need to change the sheets, get my kids signed up for swim lessons, and schedule a dentist appointment.

One of the reasons moms are so exhausted is they’re never only focusing on work or only focusing on their kids.

You are constantly switching between tasks. And that constant switching is exhausting. Many things are rolling through your brain. (Hello, Mental load!)

You likely thought of 6 things you need to do today just while reading this!

The mental labor of keeping a household running is exhausting and overwhelming.

So, what can we do about it? How do you gain control over your to-do list?

First, start with a brain dump. Get all the tasks and ideas out of your head. Your brain was not meant to hold more than 4-5 ideas at a time. You don’t need to remember that you need toothpaste, write it down and stop thinking about it!

This step alone is helpful. And it can be overwhelming to see all those tasks listed in front of you. You don’t have to do all those tasks today! I promise.

Documenting your tasks helps you categorize them. So you can run all your errands at once instead of going to the grocery store or Target 5 times over 2 weeks.

The other tip I have for you is time blocking. Have certain times of the week or day when you complete certain tasks. Monday mornings are blocked off for all my marketing tasks. I have a checklist of everything I need to do. I block time on my calendar so that people can’t schedule appointments with me until after 10am. This way, I can sit down and work my way through my checklist.

Same for laundry. I have certain days of the week I do laundry. I’ll do the occasional load if necessary. But if your laundry isn’t in the laundry basket when laundry is done, it isn’t getting clean!

What can you time block for yourself this week? It could be a work task or a household chore.

And if you want help in gaining control, let’s talk about it together!

Let’s Talk Double Standards in Parenting. Dads Don’t Babysit.

April 4, 2024Help, mindset shift, routines, time managementMerdrick

Enough With The Double Standards in Parenting. Dads Don’t Babysit. Let’s talk about the double standards of parenting.

When you see a dad at the playground with his kids, what’s the first thing that goes through your head? Is it different than what you’d think about a mom at the playground?

When your partner takes care of the kids for an afternoon while you run errands or hang out with some girlfriends, what is going through your mind?

When I or my husband heads out for an evening with friends, the other one is fully in charge of the kids. That means if there’s a meltdown happening as I head out the door, I leave. Because my husband is also a parent and he can handle it. But I’ve had friends bail on dinner because one of their kids was having a tough time going to bed.

Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. If you feel your kids need you, then give them that attention.

But if you’re staying because you don’t think your partner can handle it, let’s talk about that.

There is this double standard in our society. When dads do something like take their kids to the park, we see it as this hero move. Oh, look at him, spending time with his kids. He’s such a good dad.

Yet, I could guarantee you we don’t say that about moms. When we see a mom at the park, it’s not a big deal. We’ll judge her for being on her phone or not playing with her kids. Maybe the kid falls down – it’s the mom’s fault. Not just what kids do.

My husband doesn’t babysit. He’s not a hero for taking the kids to the park or sitting down to play legos with them. He’s a dad. This is what parents do.

I’ll stay off my soap box for how our society has created this mess and how we feed right into it as parents.

But remember this, dads don’t babysit!

Too Busy to Know What We Want. Busy As A Defense Mechanism.

March 28, 2024mindset shift, time managementMerdrick

“Busy is just a euphemism for being so focused on what you don’t have that you never notice what you do. It’s a defense mechanism. Because if you stop hustling—if you pause—you start wondering why you ever thought you wanted all those things.” ― Jodi Picoult, Wish You Were Here

Do you use the word busy as A defense mechanism? Not being busy brings up so many feelings that it’s easier to keep being busy. Keeping up with our neighbors. Doing all the things because that’s what we think we should be doing. And we’re scared if we stop we’ll realize that this isn’t the life we want at all.

I was talking with several parents about all the after-school activities they were doing. Someone said she does all the activities because everyone else in her neighborhood does too. What if she skipped out on soccer and her kids missed out on spending time with the other kids on the block?

And while I can understand that mentality, what if other parents are doing the same thing? What if out of five families on the block, only 2 enjoy soccer? And the others are doing it because they feel that’s the only way for their kids to have friends or spend time with others?

What if one of them stopped for a season? Chose a different activity? Or let the kids ride their bikes instead of attending a structured activity?

Jumping off the hamster wheel can be scary.

It’s easy to fall into this pattern of doing what we’ve always done. Of taking on the activities of those around us. Believing that by cultivating our kid’s skills they will grow up to be successful adults.

And we don’t spend much time thinking about it because we feel we don’t have the luxury of that time.

Our society has us constantly striving for the next best thing. We rarely take the time to evaluate what we’re doing and if it’s what we really want.

Let’s stop being busy as a defense mechanism.

My challenge for you this week is to take even a few minutes and evaluate all the activities in your life.

Think about how you want to be living your life. What do you want your days to look like? What memories do you want to have when you look back on your kids’ childhoods?
Write down all the activities you and your family are doing (outside of school and work).
Do these activities fit within what you want your life to look like?
- If yes, great!
- If not, how can you let them go?

By taking the time to evaluate the activities in your life, you will likely find something you can let go of. You’ll get some time back in your schedule to focus on something you truly want to be doing.

You’ll find that there isn’t clutter in every crevice of your day!

And your future self will thank you!

P.S. Ready to take this further? Schedule a Get on Track call.

Are You Wearing Yourself Out Trying To Be Perfect?

March 14, 2024Help, mindset shift, routines, time managementMerdrick

Do you have such high expectations of yourself that you feel like you are never living up to them?

Ever feel like you are constantly trying to be perfect and it’s never enough?

Maybe you spend time late at night cleaning the house so it’s organized and clean all the time.

Or you stay up late perfecting a report for work, a presentation you’re giving, or an email you need to send a client.

Maybe you worry that you’re not doing enough for your kids. That they’re not in the right activities that are going to get them in to the right college.

And you feel like it’s never enough and that you are failing every day.

It seems like if we don’t meet our expectations, we question ourselves, not the expectations.

When maybe it’s our expectations that are the problem.

I think it’s society that’s setting us up for failure.

One of the things I focus on in my client work is designing a life that you want. Not living like society or social media tells you.

But focusing on what’s important to you and your family.

Instead of striving for some version of perfect that society is telling you to strive for, clarify your own version of success.

What are your goals? And what small step can you take today to move toward them?

What short-term tasks can you let go of to focus on a long-term goal? It might be letting the laundry sit for another day while you do some research on spending a summer in a foreign country. It could be hiring someone to deep clean your house once a month so you can spend time hiking with your family.

Ask yourself if the world will stop spinning if the task isn’t done perfectly. I’m guessing the answer is no. So maybe good enough or done is OK.

Don’t waste your days living someone else’s life!

Define your own success!

If you’re ready to figure this out in your own life, schedule a Get On Track call.

Or, sign up for my private podcast.

Decision Fatigue! Did You Know That You Make 35,000 Decisions A Day?

March 7, 2024motivation, routines, time managementMerdrick

Let’s talk about decision fatigue.

Did you know that people make over 35,000 decisions a day?

This is why, when it’s time for dinner and you haven’t planned it, you have wine and M&M’s and feed your kids cereal (there’s nothing wrong with this, on occasion, by the way).

Moms already have enough on their plates. There’s no need to make life more complicated.

Having some basic routines and systems in your days and weeks helps simplify things. Remove decisions where you can.

Have a menu that repeats every 2 weeks. You have chicken every Thursday. The spices and sides can change, but you know roughly what you’re eating. Every Monday is something vegetarian. Keep a list of meal ideas so you can easily plan those vegetarian meals without too much thought.

Have certain days of the week for laundry. Or, do one load a day. Figure out what laundry routine works best for you. I wash clothes on Sundays and sheets/towels on Fridays. I have a friend who does one full load (from washing to putting it away) every day. Figure out what works for you and your family and stick with it.

Have a list of things to which you will say no. This is important. Shiny objects. Clothes you don’t need. Toys your kids don’t need. Activities and commitments are just one more thing to keep track of. Figure out what’s important and say no to the rest!

The point is to take as many decisions as possible out of your day. Because 35,000 decisions a day is just too many!

Your future self will thank you!

Ready to deal with your decision fatigue? Sign up for my private podcast today!

Mothering Doesn’t Have To Be This Hard

February 29, 2024habits, Help, mindset shift, motivation, time managementMerdrick

Maybe mothering doesn’t have to be this hard.

Do you have days where you feel like you missed a class on how to be an adult?

Where the to-do list is overwhelming and never-ending? And you wonder if you’ll ever feel on top of your game?

I know I have! Mothering doesn’t have to be this hard if we do it together.

This is why I created Stride Productivity and my virtual community, Stride Together.

Because being a mom is hard. Being a mom while also working a full-time job or running your own business is hard. Being a stay-at-home mom is hard!

And I want moms to know they’re not alone.

I want moms to know what it feels like to not have clutter and tasks in every crevice of their day.

To make time for fun.

To spend quality time with their families.

And to have a sense of control.

It is possible.

I want moms to know they can stop:

Ending each day exhausted and drained but feeling like you didn’t do enough. There’s still laundry to put away. You didn’t get to that work project you wanted to start on. And you don’t remember the last time you had an actual conversation with your partner.
Feeling pulled in too many directions. You want to say yes to your kids when they ask you to join them on the swings. But you have work emails to respond to, dinner to figure out, and a piece of paper you need to find and sign for your son’s soccer team.
Carrying all of the mental load. You’d like to talk with your partner, but you’re too tired to have the conversation. At least for today, it’s easier to take in on yourself.

If you want to learn more, schedule a Get On Track call with me today. Let’s talk about how to help you stop feeling so exhausted and drained.

strideproductivity.com

Productivity Specialist