Tips for Time Management for Working Parents

I had 2 babies 14 months apart while bootstrapping to $13M ARR as the only salesperson at a 5 person startup. It was INTENSE! Here are the 9 things I did to balance new motherhood with high-growth sales: 1. Master Your Mindset It’s going to be HARD. You are going to feel like you are giving too much to one area or not enough to the other. The guilt will try to get you! We started Retention.com one month before I got pregnant with my daughter, and my mindset has always been that I am working FOR my kid’s future. This may have meant less time together when they were babies, but almost 6 years later, the extra flexibility and freedom I have to spend time with my family is unmatched. 2. Pick Your Uniform This is a page out of Zuck’s playbook. Minimize decisions in your personal life. Those who work with me know that I wear a hooded sweatshirt every single day. I like to be comfortable and it’s one less thing I have to think about. 3. Communicate work priorities with your Partner/Family Keeping everyone (partner, family, and family help) updated on your work priorities is crucial. This has helped my family feel like they are accomplishing my goals with me, and helped them better understand when I might need some extra help because of a pressing work matter. 4. Set Clear Goals for the week This will include weekly sales activities such as prospecting, number of meetings booked/completed, target accounts touched, contracts out, closed revenue, and more. If the goals are set, it will keep you focused with your time. 5. Have a Running To-Do list Combining set goals with a running to-do list will help you shut off at the end of the day when your list is complete. Choose a “shut off time” (this is 5pm for me), and knowing your list is complete will help you separate work from family time. 6. Set boundaries with your time Review your schedule before the day starts and make sure the majority of your time is for revenue generating activities. Minimize internal calls and if you have a call you aren’t sure about the goal, find out what it’s about before you commit. Every minute matters! 7. Spend 5 mins on email before bed This has been key to me going to bed without any loose ends and starting a new day caught up. 8. Work remote from home (if possible) Remove wasted time commuting and be close to the family all day. Although I was working, I would take breaks to see the kids and help out. This made me feel like I had the best of both as I still saw them and didn’t feel like I was missing time. 9. Be Open to working weekends Mom/Dad needs a break, but an hour early in the morning or during nap time on Sat or Sun can go a long way. Spend this time reflecting on the past week and planning for the next. Mon-Fri is going to be busy, so it’s best to get ahead with planning.  Bottom line: Empowering others to help and setting up your support system are essential. If you're a working mother (or soon to be!) AMA in the comments.

10 ways I’m a present mom and strong product leader 👇 (How I stay grounded at home and focused at work) 1. Morning time is mine. I meditate, work out, and shower while my husband gets the girls up. Then I eat breakfast and play with my kids (phone is another room). 2. Preschool drop-off is sacred. I almost always drive my daughter to school. If a meeting pops up, I take it from the car. No Slack or email until 9am. My team knows to text if something’s truly urgent, but most things can wait. 3. In-person time matters. When my team or manager is in town, I head to the office. If there’s a happy hour or dinner, I go without guilt. That rare face time is critical for building relationships. 4. Work mode means full focus. During the day, I’m locked in. Phone stays away, notifications off (except emergency preschool calls). I don’t squeeze in chores between meetings, I use that time to work or recharge. 5. Lunch break is a reset. I usually eat with my husband and say hi to my younger daughter before her nap. It’s a screen-free moment that helps me reset. 6. Evenings are off-limits. No meetings after 5pm. Our family eats dinner together and then we play. I do bedtime with the girls and sing them a special Ukrainian song. 7. Evening check-ins, not marathons. Most nights I’ll log back on once the kids are asleep. If something’s on fire, I handle it. If not, I let it wait until morning. 8. One night “off” each week. My husband handles bedtime solo, and I take that space guilt-free (next day, we switch). I use it to catch up on work, meet a friend, or write. 9. Sick days are shared. When a child is home sick, my husband and I split the day. No one cancels everything. Sometimes the girls join my calls, and I don’t apologize for it. 10. Sleep is non-negotiable. My 9pm alarm reminds me to start winding down. I don’t do late-night emails and definitely no all-nighters. My energy is a resource I actively protect. Being a hands-on mom and an effective leader aren’t in conflict. They fuel each other, because I’ve built a life where both can thrive. When I’m with my kids, I’m WITH them. And I still show up clear and confident at work. This is what all-in looks like at work and at home.

How I Manage My Time as a Mom, Coach, and Director 7 Game-Changing Time Management Tips for 2025 Juggling motherhood, coaching, and leadership roles, I’ve tested countless strategies. These seven are the real game-changers—ones you won’t hear often but will transform how you approach time in 2025. 1. I Design My Weeks, Not Just My Days Most people plan their days, but I batch-design my weeks. Mondays are for deep work. Tuesdays and Thursdays for client calls. Wednesdays for content. Fridays for strategy. This eliminates decision fatigue and keeps me mentally prepared for each type of task. 2. The 30% Rule for Meetings & Calls I never book more than 30% of my available hours in meetings or calls. Why? Because deep work and creative thinking need space. If my schedule feels too ‘full,’ my performance drops. Meetings should move the needle, not just fill time. 3. I Use “Focus Hours” Instead of Time Blocking Time blocking is great in theory, but life happens. Instead, I use “Focus Hours”—2-3 daily slots where I go completely offline, eliminate distractions, and focus on high-impact tasks. No multitasking, just flow. 4. My To-Do List Has a ‘Don’t Do’ Section Every morning, I write a "Don’t Do" list: things I could do but shouldn’t. This prevents me from getting stuck in low-impact work. Example: “Don’t check LinkedIn before writing content” or “Don’t reply to emails before 11 AM.” 5. I Work with My Energy, Not Against It Instead of forcing productivity at all hours, I schedule work around my natural energy cycles. Mornings = deep work. Afternoons = calls. Evenings = light admin. Aligning work with energy creates momentum, not burnout. 6. I Automate, Delegate, and Delete Ruthlessly Anything repetitive gets automated. Anything outside my genius zone gets delegated. Anything unnecessary gets deleted. Time is too valuable to spend on things that don’t drive results. Mastering this was a game-changer. 7. I Prioritize Peace Over Productivity If I’m not calm, focused, and present—my time management fails no matter how structured it is. I meditate daily, protect my downtime, and embrace “white space” in my schedule to avoid burnout. Because rested minds create powerful results. Hope these tips help you manage your time and master productivity without burnout.

⁉️How do you manage it all? ⁉️How do you find time for yourself amidst the whirlwind of meetings at work, coaching sessions, family time, gym and public speaking? This is generally the first question asked when people meet me. 😜My answer starts with , "I don't have it all figured out myself.", "I am work in progress", I have systems in place, but they are all adaptable to change. ✅The serious answer lies in strategic multitasking and meticulous time management which work majority of time! Sharing at the start of 2024 for you all as well, my take on balancing the scales, with actionable tips that each one of you can incorporate: 1. Prioritize and Plan: Every Sunday evening, I sit with a cup of tea and plan my week. I use tools like Microsoft Office 365 outlook calendar to allocate time slots for work, family, fitness, and self-improvement. This isn’t just about work; it’s about life. Remember, if it’s not on the calendar, it’s not happening. 2. Efficient Multitasking: I love listening to podcasts and TEDx talks, Blinkist during gym time . So, it’s a double win - staying fit while fueling my mind with innovative ideas and leadership strategies. 3. Tech to the Rescue: As a tech leader, I lean heavily on technology to streamline my tasks. Again outlook, onenote, Sticky notes, Azure Dev Ops for automating repetitive tasks save me precious hours every week. I used focus time, schedule send for my emails, my social media posts. I write those in my lunch/free time and schedule them in advance. Even this post, I am writing on a Saturday night which will go live on Monday 1/8 morning PST :). 4. Delegation is Key: I’ve learned to delegate both at work and home and be OK with that. It’s about trusting your team and family members to handle tasks. This not only empowers them but also frees up your time for critical thinking and strategic planning. 5. Quality over Quantity: Whether it’s a work project, time with my kids, or a gym session, I focus on making each moment count. Mom guilt is always there but again think about quality and your relationship with kids. 6. Mindfulness and Self-care: Amidst the hustle, it’s crucial not to lose yourself. I meditate in morning and ensure to have a ‘me-time’ that lets me unwind and reflect. Stepping away helps in productivity too. ✨ Here's what I would suggest: Start small. Pick one area of your life you’d like to manage better. Plan it out, use a tool to help you, and stick to the schedule. Remember, the key to multitasking isn't doing everything simultaneously; it’s about efficiently managing your time to do what matters most. Prioritize ruthlessly. 💬 I’d love to hear your strategies and tools you use as well. Let’s share with all and grow/learn together! #Leadership #TimeManagement #WomenInTech #LifeBalance #whyblendin #keynotespeaker #careercoach #linkedincreator #communications

Regrets can be powerful teachers. I've learned to model my days based on where I come up short, from not getting enough time with my wife or time to play with my kids, to a more disciplined workday. Unsatisfactory outcomes guide us toward better discipline and more meaningful priorities: focusing on more mission-critical personal enrichment and career work rather than meetings that don’t move the needle. Trust me, there will always be some meeting you could attend, but a lot of life milestones - including your family's - will not happen again. Sometimes, we need to be a bit more selfish with our schedule to prioritize the people and projects that truly matter. If you don't, nobody is going to do it for you. People will absolutely take the open time you have that you make available to them. Here are some actions you can take today to better model your days: 📅 Plan Your Day: Block out time in advance for what matters most, both personally and professionally. 📖 Family Time: Dedicate specific times for reading to your kids or playing with them. Make it non-negotiable. 🚫 Decline Non-Essential Meetings: Evaluate the necessity of each meeting. If it doesn’t move the needle, it’s okay to say no. ⏳ Set Boundaries: Clearly define your work hours and stick to them. Protect your personal time. 🎯 Focus on Mission-Critical Tasks: Identify and prioritize tasks that directly contribute to your goals. 🧘♂️ Self-Care: Don’t forget to take care of yourself. A healthy you is more effective and present for others. 💬 Communicate Priorities: Make sure your team and family understand your schedule and priorities. Reflecting on these regrets and adjusting accordingly has made a significant difference for me. What are the regrets you have at the end of the day that you can learn from to make tomorrow better? #Productivity #WorkLifeBalance #FamilyFirst #EffectiveLeadership #TimeManagement #PersonalGrowth #FocusOnWhatMatters #SelfDiscipline #PrioritizePeople

I told this overwhelmed parent to stop working so hard. 6 months later, she's hitting her recruitment targets. Working just 4 hours a day. This candidate joined one of our recent coaching calls looking frustrated. Parent life meant she had exactly 4 focused hours a day for her recruitment business. That's it. While her competitors were grinding 12-hour days, she was working with scraps of time between school runs and bedtime stories. But here's what we discovered on that coaching call: She was drowning in the wrong work. Hours lost to: Email ping-pong matches Manual candidate searches Endless admin tasks Social media rabbit holes Meanwhile, the revenue-driving activities?  Pushed to "tomorrow." Here's what I told her (and what every time-constrained recruiter needs to hear): → Stop trying to do everything manually. Those 4 hours are meant for high-value activities that actually move the needle. Client conversations should be sacred.  Candidate qualification calls should get prime slots.  Strategic planning sessions need protected time. Everything else?  Automated, delegated, or deleted. Email sequences can run themselves. LinkedIn tools can handle initial outreach. Overnight searches can build pipelines while you sleep. This approach forced her to become laser-focused on what actually matters. Six months later? She’s consistently hitting her targets. Still in those same 4 hours.   Constraints like hers breed creativity. When you can't afford to waste time, you stop wasting time. Whether you're juggling family life or just tired of the hustle culture lie, the principle holds: Smart work trumps hard work.

Time is your most valuable resource. - As an entrepreneur. - As a parent. But here’s the truth: - You’ll never have enough. - Not for everything. So, stop trying to do it all. - Start focusing on what matters most. Here’s how you can manage time as a parent and entrepreneur: 1. Prioritize ruthlessly. Not everything is urgent. Not everything is important. Learn to say no. Your time belongs to your goals and your family. 2. Plan your week with intention. Sunday night is for strategy. What are the big family moments? What are the key business goals? Put them on the calendar first. - Everything else fits around them. 3. Time-block like a pro. Work has its time. Family has its time. When it’s work time, focus. When it’s family time, unplug. 4. Set boundaries—and stick to them. No calls during dinner. No emails during bedtime. Teach your clients to respect your limits. Teach yourself to protect them. 5. Embrace micro-moments. Not every family moment is an hour long. A five-minute hug. A quick walk to the park. A bedtime story. Small moments add up to big memories. 6. Delegate wherever you can. At work and at home. You don’t have to do everything. Let go of tasks that don’t need you. 7. Stop multitasking. Multitasking feels productive. - It’s not. Give full attention to one thing at a time. Your family will feel it. Your business will, too. 8. Automate the small stuff. Bills. Groceries. Emails. Let technology save you time. Use your energy for what matters. 9. Schedule breaks with your family. Treat family time like a meeting. Put it on the calendar. Don’t cancel it. 10. Make mornings meaningful. Start the day with your kids. - A quick breakfast. - A chat before school. It sets the tone for the day—for them and for you. 11. Reflect and adjust weekly. What worked? What didn’t? How can you improve next week? Time management is a skill. Like any skill, it gets better with practice. You can’t do it all. But you can do what matters most. Your business needs your focus. Your family needs your presence. Time management isn’t about balance. - It’s about intention. Be where you are. Do what matters. Let the rest go. P.S. Tag a parent-entrepreneur who inspires you. ❓ What’s your best time management tip? ♻️ Repost to encourage others in your network. ➕ Follow me (Nathan Crockett, PhD) for daily actionable insights.

Being a working parent does not mean you have to give up your ambitious goals, but it does mean you have to do things differently. In the next 12 days I have to complete my manuscript, execute "camp mommy" and enjoy my kiddos, be on top of my fractional CMO work and prepare for an international trip with my partner. Here's how I'm doing it ⬇️ 5 Things I'm doing differently to achieve my goals as a working parent: 1. Two do list. Focus on the 20% of work that gets 80% of the results. I only attempt to accomplish 2 BIG things a day. Write one landing page, edit one chapter. Then I take a break for a workout or excursion with kids. Then I come back and do two more. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 2. Control the night. Win the morning. My evening routine is crucial to unlocking deep work in the morning. - Write my two-do list - Close out of my tabs - No eating after 5 - No screens after 9 - asleep by 9:30 3. Communicate & Punt When it's crunch time and I need to get something done, I communicate it to those around me. "I'm heads down for the next 4 weeks to ship a project. Can we resume this recurring meeting on September 5th?" They know when they will hear from me and why. That's usually enough. 4. Kill the mosquitos Every time a to do starts to buzz about in my head, I add it to a list in my notes app. Open loops take up a lot of cognitive load. You must close them quickly. I have 1 hour a week dedicated to killing these mosquito tasks and closing these loops. 5. Quality > quantity I'd rather be a present mom for 2 hours than a distracted one for 4. We have an activity planned everyday from 9-11 and then home for lunch. My meetings start at 12:30. Steal my schedule for the next two weeks -------- 5:30-7:30am Deep Work 7:30-8:30am Get kids up, ready, fed 9:00-11:00am Camp Mommy 11:30am Home, lunch 12:30pm Meetings begin 3:30pm Meetings end 3:30pm Workout together 5:00pm Dinner 6:00pm Admin work while kids shower 7:00pm Family time 8:00pm Evening routine 9:30pm Bed I hope this helps any stressed out working parents. Would love to hear what questions or friction you experience in achieving your goals while juggling kids.

Running a business while raising kids isn't easy. You never feel like you're doing enough in either role. I’ve been fighting this battle for over 10 years. Being the dad for two boys whilst building my business. For all parents struggling to balance work and family. Here are 9 habits that help me stay present for both: 1. Commute Smart My commute is 7 minutes. If it were longer, I’d use that time to think, call family, or take work calls. If you have a long commute, don’t waste that time. 2. Social Media Discipline It’s a tool, but sometime can be a time trap. I set app timers and stick to them. 3. Daily KPI Focus I don’t leave work until I hit my daily targets, or owe them for the week, this helps me to always reach my goals. 4. Quality time Even 10 minutes of playing catch with Drew and Chase beats hours of distracted time. 5. Protect Time Like a Client Workout and family blocks are untouchable. I guard them like I would a $5M listing. 6. Delegate Your Schedule I used to be at every closing. Now I delegate the non-critical parts and protect my time. 7. Wake Up Early & Win The house is quiet. I train, plan, or learn. It creates margin for family later. 8. Ruthlessly Cut Distractions If a meeting doesn’t add value, it’s gone. Each cut buys me time back. 9. Audit Everything I constantly check: is this habit helping my family or business? If not, I change it. With structure and discipline. You don’t have to choose between the two. You just have to be intentional.

3 kids under 5 + a full-time leadership marketing role To all the working moms out there, here are the 10 hacks that keep me (mostly) sane: 1/ 🏡 I have an amazing employer that gives me the freedom to bring value when I am best able to do it. If you're lucky enough to find that, you have hit the jack pot. 2/ When school takes the mental load off: This comes in the form of school uniforms, school lunches and after-school clubs that run at school. If your kid wants to do an activity, they do it there. I am lucky to live in Oxford where all of these come included in a public school. Zero logistics for me and affordable. 3/ Strength in numbers With very young kids, invite other kids over 👭. It sounds like more work, but it’s actually less. Is that why i have so many of my own? Maybe. Parenting is easier when there are playmates, and you build your own community along the way. 4/ One-pot meals 🍲 Soup is life. It's healthy, takes 20 minutes, and works with whatever you have in the fridge or pantry. If you’re not sure it’ll taste good, ask Claude. He's french, trust him, he knows how to cook 5/ Outsource what you can I have cleaners come 2x per week and I order food 🛒. I have a pre-set grocery list so I don't have to think about what to buy. Gifts for my kid's friends' birthdays were an entire category on my to do list. Now I buy the same gift in bulk. No last-minute panic runs and everyone in Y1 will be getting the same puzzle. 6/ Think outside the box My son is in a Spider-Man-only phase 🕷️. Solution: I bought Spider-Man iron-on patches and put them on all his clothes. Reduce the friction. 7/ also Choose your battles. If your kid wants to wear pajamas to nursery, why the hell not? 💤 they are made of the same thing as regular clothes. 8/ Bedtime is sacred 🌙. I sleep-trained all my kids. Regressions happen (a lot) but strong habits matter. My evenings are mine, sometimes for work, sometimes for me. 9/ Keep things tidy Tidying can feel like another chore. But I can't think when there is clutter and as a mom my brain is the command center of my family. I also involve my kids in these chores and while they're mostly too young to make a dent, its gives them agency and one day it will make a difference in the mental load. 10/ Co-parenting: I have an amazing one. Sometimes you're just lucky that way. This whole post was inspired by Branca Ballot who started the conversation. Working parents, what hacks keep you sane?