Sometimes half the work is figuring out what needs to be done. Recently I heard an incredible tip—delegate it. Ask your team to create a list of what you should be worried about or doing. Give junior folks a chance to up-level themselves and show their thinking. Ask your nanny (if you have one) to create a list of all the kid and house stuff you should be worrying about, too. Yes, you’ll have to edit these, but let some give you a head start. #productivity #mentalload #delega

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing some “Dad hacks” from a Marc Picket, who is raising two young kids on his own. I love his approach and hope it can help us all see a different perspective. The second dad hack (which works for time management in general) is the Pomodoro method. Basically, I have an egg timer that I set for 25 minutes and focus on a single task until the timer goes off. This helps by making sure I don't spend too much or too little time on somet

I love Seth Godin’s daily musings in his newsletter. Short, thoughtful questions to get you thinking. Today’s really hit home for me: “Will today’s emergency even be remembered? Will that thing you’re particularly anxious about have been hardly worth the time you put into it? Better question: What could you do today that would matter a year from now?” Think back a year ago? What made an impact? #stressmanagement #mentalload

A new study shows that on average, a woman married to a man spends 32 more minutes per day on housework than her single mom counterparts. Read that sentence again and let it sink in. The reason for the difference is enlightening. Married women place higher expectations on themselves to have a cleaner house or more elaborate meals. Single moms by necessity, let go of unrealistic expectations and get on average 10 minutes more to themselves and 13 minutes more sleep each

Of course, it’s the days that I’m the most stressed and time-crunched when I forget my phone at home or send that email to the utterly wrong group. Ugh. So today’s tip is simple: when things are moving a million miles a minute, slow down. Double-check your work. Do a mental checklist of all the things you need before you leave the house. Reread the important client email Loop in a co-worker to go through your execution plan again Trust me; the extra few minutes are worth it.

One of the incredible working moms I interviewed to form the basis of the Uplift program was Tiffany Dufu, the founder of The Cru and author of Drop the Ball. She told this story that she shares with new moms: At the end of my book tour, I went to thank my husband for the sleep he lost because I was traveling so much. We usually tag-team the mornings. When he travels, I wake up an hour earlier. I assumed that he did the same. He told me, ‘I didn’t lose any sleep in 2017.’

A key to success as a working mom is picking a good note taking system. As David Allen says, 'Your brain is for having ideas, not holding ideas.' The more ideas you are holding, the less capacity you have for what really counts—deep thinking at your job or being present outside it. Here are some of our favorite hacks to take your note-taking next level: Digitize your pen and paper notes by just snapping a pic and uploading to Evernote. That way you can search your handwri

I get it, Sunday meal prep is not for everyone. But, how can you make your weekdays easier while still embracing a bit of spontaneity with your meals? Save it. Just create a digital album of images of your favorite meals, either on Instagram or just take a photo of your plate. The visual nature will spark creativity. Your friend, the freezer. Create a few freezer meals that you can whip together quickly, even without fresh ingredients or grocery shopping. For example,

I got a great tip on grit from Aditi Shekar, founder of Zeta, software that helps couples manage their money together. (Check it out.) When hit with adversity, she asks herself, "What level is this?" Minor: Small disappointments that ultimately won't make or break you—You didn't get that sales deal or accepted to an incubator. Take a deep breath and move on. Remember if you aren't getting rejected, you aren't putting yourself out there enough. Code Red: Your company is at ris

The average American woman spends 44 minutes more than her spouse per day on housework.  This imbalance is insane, adding up to over two weeks of waking hours per year. Even crazier is that when a woman outearns her husband (which is 38% of households these days), this gap widens. How do you feel about your household's division? Here are some tips to start the conversation on sharing responsibilities with your partner: Delete, simplify or delegate. Getting things off your com

We recently relocated from Brooklyn to DC. Moving near family means free babysitting from Joe's parents. Life. Changing. I'm writing this in peace while savoring a cup of coffee on a morning after a sleepover. My biggest tip for simplifying childcare: move close to family. But, I get it; that's not possible for most. So, here are some tips for reducing the stress around finding one-off childcare: Find a sitter that has kids herself. They are usually always available since the

This morning, my head was spinning with worries and tasks. Instead of letting this consume my day, I grabbed the back of an envelope from my junk mail and started writing everything in my head down. It took me under two minutes. Getting things down digitally also can help, but personally, I find the physical act of writing therapeutic. I immediately felt in control, could quickly scan and prioritize, and now have a script to work from to put me on autopilot. It sounds obvious

The average person makes around 35,000 decisions every day - everything from what to wear to what to eat.   As a mom, it's probably even more because you are also deciding what your kids wear and eat. I'm always looking for ways to cut decisions out of my life, which is why I love standardization -- adding routines and formulas into your life. Here are some examples: Weekly meal formulas. Take the stress out of meal planning by working off a formula for your week: For example

So often our worries are worst than reality. We ruminate on all that could go wrong versus focusing on what could go right. However, not facing issues zaps your energy and uses your precious mental space. That's why I like Rory Vaden's analogy in his book, Take the Stairs, around how cows and buffalos handled storms where he grew up. The cows would see the storm coming and run away from the storm to find safety. Unfortunately, they could never outrun it and were in the storm

Our body and mind feed off each other. When I’m stressed, cortisol skyrockets, making my chest, neck and back tense up. It’s my body’s way of protecting me -- preparing me to fight or run. But, I’m in no inherent danger. The cortisol just makes me more anxious. I use that energy to ruminate on my worries. Sound familiar? Let’s break this cycle. I’ve recently fallen in love with Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR for short). Starting at the top of your head, you tense up muscl

Here's a quick phone hack: Set reminders for things that you are prone to forget. No, I'm not talking about the milk or the kid's art folder. I'm talking about your mental game.What would help you be more positive and kinder to yourself? Here are some of my favorites: You are a great mom. Remember when you wanted what you already have. What do I need right now? Enjoy the process. You are a bad ass. Take a deep breath. 80% of people's self-talk is negative. So, we all need a r

What was your day like last Tuesday? Can't remember? It's so easy for our days to bleed together in a sea of sameness. One of my favorite tricks to prevent this is a simple 1-minute reflection at the end of each day: What are three things to remember today by? These are a mix - big and small both good and bad moments spread across family, personal and work. For example, Friday's was "family dinner at Mimi and Geo's, reaching 50 top mom interviews, and cocktail date night." Wh