Reader Last week we talked about decluttering your inbox: clearing out the accumulation and reducing the weight of it. This week we're taking the next step: building a system so your inbox actually works for you going forward. (If you haven't decluttered your inbox yet, no worries. The tools we're covering today have standalone value. In fact, some of them will help reduce incoming clutter on their own.) Your inbox is a communication tool. It's not a to-do list, a filing cabinet, or a measure...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Reader Does your inbox fill you with dread? You open it and immediately feel behind, overwhelmed, or just vaguely anxious — even when nothing urgent is waiting for you. That feeling is real, and it has a name: digital mental load. Research on cognitive load suggests that cluttered digital environments create background stress even when you're not actively engaging with them. Your brain registers the accumulation and quietly tracks it as unfinished business. It's not a discipline problem. It's...
21 days ago • 2 min read
Reader You've probably decluttered a drawer or a closet at some point and felt pretty good about it. Things like old t-shirts, expired products, and things you forgot you owned are not that hard to release. But then you open a box and find a card your mom gave you, or a piece of clothing that belonged to someone you've lost, and suddenly you're frozen. That's sentimental clutter — and it operates by completely different rules. The reason it hits so differently is that objects become stand-ins...
28 days ago • 2 min read
Reader Most of us spend a lot of time thinking about what to add to our schedules: what needs a time slot, what needs to be booked, what needs a reminder. We treat our calendars like containers to fill — and sometimes like a second to-do list. The result? A schedule that looks productive but feels overwhelming before the day even starts. The way to stop this is to see protecting space in your calendar as more important than filling it. A clear calendar isn't about having less to do. It's...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Reader Have you ever finished a long work session and wondered why you don't have more to show for it? You put in the hours. You stayed focused (or tried to), but the output didn't match the effort, and now you're tired on top of frustrated. That's not on you. That's what happens when we think we need to treat work like a marathon every time. Most of us were taught that more time equals more output. But research tells a different story. There's a real ceiling on effective effort, and once you...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Reader Fun fact: I'm not a big April Fool's prank person. I'm not sure why. I love humor and silliness, but being honest is important. I suspect it's because I'm a mom and caregiver who has experienced overwhelm and I don't have time to be misdirected. And I don't want that for you either! That's why what you see is what you get here. To that end, I have a special deal for moms and caregivers... This time of year is always challenging, but especially so for those involved in school. Moms,...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Reader Does this sound familiar? You sat down to plan your day. You made a list. You looked at your calendar and tried to map it all out. You did everything the experts say to do, yet somehow, by the time you were done, you felt more behind than when you started. This is not a you problem. It's a planning problem. And it's common! Most planning advice assumes you have a clear head, stable energy, and ideal conditions — and when you don't, the default response is to plan more, try harder, do...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader Have you ever started a habit with the best intentions, only to watch it fade away a few weeks later? You try the morning routine.You start journaling every day.You commit to working out consistently. And for a while, it works... Then life happens. Your schedule shifts, your energy drops, or something unexpected demands your attention. Suddenly the habit that seemed so doable disappears. It’s easy to assume the problem is discipline, but more more likely it's alignment. Many habits we...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader If the following resonates... That tension between “I should be fine” and “I don’t feel fine” Then I have the answer for you! The Beyond Corporate Burnout Summit is a free 3-day virtual summit that brings together thoughtful conversations around burnout, boundaries, identity, and redefining success in a way that actually supports your life. I’ll be contributing a session on my new training the Minimum Effective Day Planning, where we’ll explore the practical side of resetting your...
2 months ago • 1 min read