227: Energy Management for Busy Moms: The Secret Working Mothers Won't Tell You

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Energy Management for Busy Moms: The Secret Working Mothers Won't Tell You

Tired of following all the time management advice but still feeling exhausted? The secret isn't better time management - it's energy management for busy moms. This episode reveals why managing your energy trumps managing your time.

Host Cindy Gordon, Reality Check Method coach for female entrepreneurs, shares the paradigm shift that transformed her approach to productivity as both a business owner and mom. Perfect for working mothers who've mastered their schedules but still feel drained by 3 PM.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why time management fails when you're not managing energy
• The psychology of "decision fatigue" and why all tasks aren't created equal
• How to do an energy audit to identify what drains vs. energizes you
• Why some activities give you energy while others are complete energy vampires
• How to design your ideal day around energy peaks and valleys
• The importance of energy buffers between intensive activities
• Why protecting your energy serves your family better than sacrificing it

Episode Highlights: "You can always find more time, delegate tasks, or work more efficiently. But you can't manufacture more energy once it's depleted." "Managing energy actually creates more effective time. One hour of high-energy work often produces better results than three hours of depleted, scattered effort." "Time management without energy management is like trying to run a marathon without pacing yourself."

Stop managing time and start managing energy. Get Cindy's Reality Check Method at ExclusivelyCindy.com and follow @exclusivelycindy for sustainable productivity strategies for working moms.

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Everyone talks about timemanagement, but what if the real
problem isn't how you'respending your time?
It's how you spend your energy.
If you've mastered yourcalendar, optimized your
schedule, and followed all theproductivity advice, but still
feel drained by 3:00 PM you aremanaging the wrong resource
entirely.
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, aself-made entrepreneur, busy mom

(00:23):
and reality check method coachfor entrepreneurs.
I've built and sold multipledigital businesses while raising
kids, and I've discovered thatenergy management for busy moms
is the game changer that no onetalks about openly.
I'm about to show you how toshift from time focus to energy
focused productivity in justabout 10 minutes per day.

(00:44):
If you like these tips andtricks, make sure that you are
on my exclusive weeklynewsletter.
You'll join over 1400 otherentrepreneurs who feel just like
you link in the show notes.
Over and over.
The business owners I coachshare the same frustration.
They've got their timemanagement down to a science,

(01:04):
but they're still exhausted.
They've time blocked theircalendars, batched their tasks,
eliminated distractions, butthey're running on fumes by the
afternoon and have nothing leftfor their families.
Here's what's really happening.
You are treating energy likeit's unlimited when it's
actually your most finiteresource.
You can always find more timedelegate tasks or work more

(01:27):
efficiently, but you can'tmanufacture more energy once
it's depleted.
As entrepreneurs who are alsomoms, we are constantly
switching between high energybusiness decisions and high
energy family management.
By the time evening comes, we'vespent all of our mental and
emotional energy on work,leaving our families with

(01:47):
whatever scraps are left, andthen we feel guilty about not
feeling present, which drains useven more.
Every decision you make, everytask you switch between every
interruption, you handledepletes what researchers call
decision fatigue.
Your brain has a daily energybudget, and when it's spent,
it's spent.
Here's the part that mostproductivity advice misses.

(02:10):
Not all tasks drain energyequally.
Some activities actually giveyou energy while others are
complete energy vampires.
Traditional time managementtreats a 30 minute client call
just the same as 30 minutes ofadministrative work.
But your energy system knows thedifference when you're managing
your time, but not your energy.

(02:32):
You end up scheduling energydraining tasks back to back
during your peak hours, and thenwondering why you feel wiped out
despite having productive days.
It's just that you're optimizingfor the wrong metric entirely.
Here's how I flip the script andstart managing energy like the
precious resource that it is.

(02:53):
You're gonna start with anenergy audit for three days.
Track, not just what you do, buthow each activity makes you feel
afterward.
Mark tasks as energy giving,energy neutral or energy
draining.
You'll be shocked at what youdiscover about your personal
energy patterns.
Next, you're gonna design yourideal day around your energy,

(03:14):
not just the time schedule, yourenergy giving, or most important
work during those peak naturalhours.
For most moms, this is early inthe morning before the family
wakes up.
But it might be completelydifferent for you, and that's
okay.
That's why we're identifying it.
You're gonna batch energydraining tasks during lower

(03:34):
energy periods when you canafford the drain.
Then you're gonna build energybuffers into your schedule
instead of booking meetings backto back leave 15 minute
breathing spaces between energyintensive activities.
Think of these as energyrecovering periods, not wasted
time.
Resistance shows up usually inthe form of you saying, I don't

(03:57):
have time to think about energy.
So when this happens, remindyourself that managing energy
actually creates more effectivetime.
One hour of high energy workproduces better results than
three hours of depleted,scattered effort.
Build this into your routine byasking one simple question
before accepting any commitment.

(04:18):
Do I have energy for this orjust the time?
If you only have the time, butno energy, the activity will
either produce poor results ordrain you for everything else.
The biggest obstacle is guilt.
It's guilt about protecting yourenergy, especially if you have a
family.
But here's the reality, check,showing up, energized and

(04:40):
present for fewer activitiesserves your family better than
showing up, drained anddistracted for everything.
Okay.
To maintain momentum, startnoticing how different people
affect your energy levels.
Some clients, colleagues, oreven family interactions
energize you while others drainyou.
You can't eliminate all theenergy drains, but you can be

(05:02):
strategic about when and how youengage with them.
Here's what I want you toremember from today.
Time management without energymanagement is trying to run a
marathon without pacingyourself.
You might start strong, but youwill burn out long before the
finish line.
This Energy First approach toproductivity is exactly what I

(05:24):
help entrepreneurs developthrough my$1 a day Growth
Collective Mastermind.
You can find information aboutthis in the show notes.
And if you're on Instagram, hitme up at exclusively Cindy for
daily reminders that sustainablesuccess requires sustainable
energy.

(05:44):
Plus, when you're signed up formy weekly newsletter for behind
the scenes strategies thatactually work, you are joining
over 1400.
Entrepreneurs who are in thesame boat.
So let's wrap this up with youraction step for today.
First, you're gonna do a minienergy audit.
Notice which activities fromtoday energize you versus

(06:05):
drained you.
Then tomorrow, try to scheduleone energy giving activity
during your peak energy time andsee how it affects the rest of
your day.
Now, go protect that energy,like the valuable resource that
it is.
And remember you've got this.

Speaker (06:22):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.

(06:43):
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively.
Send.
d.com.
Until next time, remember,you've got this.