Are you taking "photos" of your life? Are you taking snapshots and notes so that someday in the future you can look back and celebrate how much has changed? How much you've changed and grown? And are you taking the time to dream about what it is that you want to "plant" in your life? Being able to see and celebrate your progress is a skill and it’s not one that most of us are taught. But it’s crucial to feeling good in your life.

Ready to radically simplify your life? Do a time audit and pick ONE area to simplify. Brainstorm ideas and then decide how you’re going to do that (automate, eliminate, or change how you think about it). Commit to it for two weeks to start and then evaluate - is this working and do you want to continue?

It takes effort and energy sometimes to do the mundane, adulting chores that are just a part of life. When you batch, it means less energy spent "getting the wheels turning". Once they're rolling, you just keep rolling. And that to me is worth it. As you're thinking about what chores or recurring tasks you can batch, here are a few tips that I've learned over the years that make for a successful batching session, regardless of whether you're batch cooking or processing paperwork.

Do you carry over any tasks from day to day, week to week, or month to month? Do you get frustrated because you’re not completing ALL of your tasks? Here’s one big tip for you and how to overcome that feeling: dedicate time to actually doing the thing. Plan for when or how.

This is one of the first things I teach you inside Beyond Balance - how to improve your relationship with time. You could be super organized and have the best planning system, but if your relationship with time is out of balance, you'll never feel the way you want to feel - relaxed, calm, in control.

When you’re so “busy” filling your time, wanting to “check in” by reaching for your phone, or trying to “keep up” with chores by picking up the same toys over and over again, precious time is being wasted. And you don’t even realize you’re doing it. What could you actually do with all that wasted time, to be more productive?

Productivity experts preach about the evils of multi-tasking and how it divides your attention, takes more time to switch tasks, and drains your energy faster than single-tasking. But have they ever met a working mom?!?

If you're like me and starting the new year with a new planner, don't hesitate to make a mess. Don't save it for the "perfect" start, or the "right way" to use it. Get in there and make a mess. You bought it to use it!

How many times a day do you think of something you need to do? It's no wonder our to-do lists grow faster than we can take action. But as much as you tell yourself that these things have to get done, that you have no choice but to do them, the reality is you'd rather do them than face the consequences.

You’re a working mom. You have a lot to keep up with. You’ve purchased a new planner every year (or more). Only for them to end up in a pile collecting dust. Before you purchase your next new planner, there are some important questions to ask yourself to determine the reasons why you need one, the format that will work best, and how to use it successfully.

You look at your week to make a plan. Everything is important, all of it. You’ve got a looming deadline at work. School supplies need to be purchased. Laundry must be done. Sports practices. What if there’s hope hidden in just four simple steps? Try it. You, even as a working mom, may just find yourself with a bit of extra time this week.

She dreamed about relaxing. About smiling more. About sitting on the floor and actually playing with her kids, instead of just being in the same room with them while she picked up around them.

But she’d lost the ability to prioritize all the things in her life and she’d fallen into the habit of just doing whatever was in front of her.