As a mom of three with a day job and trying to start my next company, efficiency and focus is key.

Here are some of my tips to getting more done with less time.

Understand offense vs defense time.

Offense: you are in control (outreach, projects, decks, etc)

Defense: they are in control (responding to emails, notifcations, meetings)

Understand your peak hours.

My cortisol spikes at 9am. I know from 9-11am I’ll have the most energy and focus to think through “big stuff”.

Big stuff first!

These projects won’t get done in a day but will never get done if I don’t chip away at them.

I have a list of 3-5 major projects that I want to move forward every week and use my peak time to tackle these.

Reduce context switching.

Set boundaries and don’t feel guilty for defending them.

Emails / DMs / notifications are for “filler time”.

They are not your core work. When you have 20-30mins in between meetings, tackle those.

I have a “power hour” every week.

I keep a notes list of life admin (calling drs, paying bills, etc).

I block an hour every week to just tackle as many on that list.

That’s list helps my cognitive load.

10/10/10 framing.

Will this matter in 10 mins, 10 months and 10 years?

Helps me avoid short term thinking.

“Thinking time”

I make sure I take walks/runs every day with no music / tech so I can allow my brain to process.

Be present.

When I’m with my kids, I put my phone away and focus on them.

I may not being with them every minute of the day but being present helps relieve guilt when I’m focused on work.

Need a refill?

There are times when I’m completely depleted and can’t “give” to anyone else.

Understand what recharges you and check in with yourself to see when you are almost out of gas.