This is great. Super affirming. Echoes a lot of principles I follow as a parent of 3 young kiddos running my own business. Thanks for spending the time and energy to organize and think through this and share it with the world.
A parent of three and running your own business — the idea of predictability is a pipe dream! Setting up schedules and structures that allow for more space and flexibility is so key. I'd love to know more about how you manage it.
I have a relatively set schedule, but have cultivated a sense of flexibility and surrender to things not going as planned. I sometimes have to rally at night to get loose ends taken care of, or wake up early.
But mostly it’s being straight about priorities… like, I know people love reading my newsletters because I get that feedback, but if I don’t have time to write in a given week, I don’t have time to write.
I trust the rhythms and know I’ll be consistent in the long wrong over time. And that’s key… broader time horizons.
Well done, Sarah! This advice speaks to me as a Highly Sensitive Person who's also a parent AND works full-time in addition to publishing on Substack. ✌️
I am many of these things as well! It's a doozy to balance threads of adhd, hsp, neurodivergence, and full-time work in our household. We've got a lot of various needs and it complicates things a lot.
This was so helpful – and touches on something I have been thinking a lot about lately. I've noticed more and more people getting burnt out because they expect themselves to be productive 24/7. I love the idea of thinking in terms of seasons vs treadmills!
Thanks Ruthie! And I'm so glad to see you here. Barrett Brooks keeps telling me to connect with you!
I think productivity like machines is just such a troublesome metaphor. I've been following my inner cycles more lately (those hormonal shifts are wild), and when I align certain work tasks to specific times of the month, I am so much more ("efficient" isn't the right word... maybe "capable"?).
Following the inner cycles, and even the seasonal cycles (winter vs summer), is such a game changer. Everything seems to run so much smoother when I follow my energy rather than forcing it, what a concept!
I just finished Cal Newport's Slow Productivity and this piece very much tracks with his book. But you address what felt glaringly missing to me which was the POV of an overloaded working mom!
I love what Cal Newport writes and agree with so much of it, but I have to filter it heavily through the lens of a caregiver/mom/female. I so dislike how much of it blatantly ignores everything about caregiving (and how most of his references and research is from the male perspective). I would love him to dig deeper into the experience of people with caregiving duties!
This is great. Super affirming. Echoes a lot of principles I follow as a parent of 3 young kiddos running my own business. Thanks for spending the time and energy to organize and think through this and share it with the world.
A parent of three and running your own business — the idea of predictability is a pipe dream! Setting up schedules and structures that allow for more space and flexibility is so key. I'd love to know more about how you manage it.
I have a relatively set schedule, but have cultivated a sense of flexibility and surrender to things not going as planned. I sometimes have to rally at night to get loose ends taken care of, or wake up early.
But mostly it’s being straight about priorities… like, I know people love reading my newsletters because I get that feedback, but if I don’t have time to write in a given week, I don’t have time to write.
I trust the rhythms and know I’ll be consistent in the long wrong over time. And that’s key… broader time horizons.
Well done, Sarah! This advice speaks to me as a Highly Sensitive Person who's also a parent AND works full-time in addition to publishing on Substack. ✌️
I am many of these things as well! It's a doozy to balance threads of adhd, hsp, neurodivergence, and full-time work in our household. We've got a lot of various needs and it complicates things a lot.
This was so helpful – and touches on something I have been thinking a lot about lately. I've noticed more and more people getting burnt out because they expect themselves to be productive 24/7. I love the idea of thinking in terms of seasons vs treadmills!
Thanks Ruthie! And I'm so glad to see you here. Barrett Brooks keeps telling me to connect with you!
I think productivity like machines is just such a troublesome metaphor. I've been following my inner cycles more lately (those hormonal shifts are wild), and when I align certain work tasks to specific times of the month, I am so much more ("efficient" isn't the right word... maybe "capable"?).
I would love to connect! I will message you <3
Following the inner cycles, and even the seasonal cycles (winter vs summer), is such a game changer. Everything seems to run so much smoother when I follow my energy rather than forcing it, what a concept!
I just finished Cal Newport's Slow Productivity and this piece very much tracks with his book. But you address what felt glaringly missing to me which was the POV of an overloaded working mom!
I love what Cal Newport writes and agree with so much of it, but I have to filter it heavily through the lens of a caregiver/mom/female. I so dislike how much of it blatantly ignores everything about caregiving (and how most of his references and research is from the male perspective). I would love him to dig deeper into the experience of people with caregiving duties!
YES! I realized as I finished the book that, like, 2 of only 3 references to the working mom POV were literally **in the footnotes.**