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I get it: a life like mine can kind of look like a mystery from the outside. How do I have time to run a massive business, work with a team, be a parent, care for my health, and do *everything* else I do — in the same 24 hours?
In this episode, I’m not here to tell you how to PACK your days with every single thing and hack every hour and sacrifice your sanity in order to do it all. In fact, you might find I do far less than you imagine…
I’m not here to be shiny, or brag about the kind of *bone broth* I drink for lunch, but to open up a little more about my little world and let you take any structures, practices, encouragement, or comfort you need to take from it!
Of course, let me first be one to say that EVERY day is different. I think in part I can blame my ADHD for being someone who doesn’t want to live the same day over and over again… but I can also say that right now in my life, I have more structure and routines than I ever have and consistency has been a big factor in what’s working for me.
The other caveat here is that in the past when I’ve shared episodes like this, I’ve definitely had more “black and white” areas in my schedule and boundaries and I feel like I’ve had to find a lot more areas of gray when it comes to working from home with kids.
Truth be told, some nights I will crack my laptop open after dinner and get some work in because the kids are sleeping, so I sprinkle all of this with an invitation to you to ask yourself:
- What sort of season are you in and what are you needing more of? Black and white with boundaries, or shades of gray to allow more of the blend?
- Where could you create more consistency or routines in the areas of your life where you might be neglecting or feeling urgency around?
I’ve built a business that gives me a lot of opportunities for my days to ebb and flow, so I want you to know that as I am sharing a day in my current life. As always, take what serves you and leave the rest behind!
7AM: Wake Up
Most days, my goal is to wake up at 7AM. I say that it’s my goal, because a lot of times my daughter Coco will wake up earlier than that (around 6 or 6:30AM) and though we are trying to encourage independent play for me and Drew to get a bit more sleep in the morning, it doesn’t always work out that way!
7-8AM: Breakfast
Between the hours of 7 and 8AM are a bit chaotic at our house, but hey… it’s a season, right? Most of the time, I’ll get both of the girls up and ready while Drew is finishing his workout. Then, we’ll make and eat breakfast together before Drew leaves with both girls at 8AM to drive Coco to school. If you’re wondering what I eat each day, I recently recorded a breakdown on my health journey and what I eat every day!
8-8:30AM: Morning Reset
Once Drew, Coco, and Quinn leave, this is when I get my first “exhale.” Historically, this was the time I would dive right into work, but recently I’ve been prioritizing a Morning Reset with the healthy habits I want to start my day with. Listen to my recent podcast episode on Morning Resets or check out my biohacking tools!
8:30-9:30AM: Workout + Light Work
After my Reset, I head to our home gym. Depending on the day, I may do a full workout or I’ll simply walk on the treadmill while working. Either way, I aim to move my body for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before I dive into deep work.
9:30-11:30: Deep Work
The first two hours of my work day are when I get my best work done, including writing courses and recording podcasts. This is when Coco is in school and Drew is with Quinn, so I likely won’t be interrupted.
11:30-12PM: Slack Office Hours
Because I spend around 2 hours doing deep work, I typically don’t check Slack, our business communication platform, so I don’t get distracted. At 11:30, I wrap up what I was working on, answer questions from my team, and Drew leaves to pick up Coco from her Montessori pre-school.
12-1PM: Lunch
Around noon, Drew comes home with the girls and I come in from my home office, eat lunch with them, and help get Quinn ready for her nap. Sometimes I work through this window of time, but most days I am able to enjoy family life for a bit here. I truly love that part of the flexibility of what I do!
1-2:30PM: Light Work
From 1-4PM, Quinn naps in the afternoon and Drew usually takes Coco out on a date while I watch the baby monitor to be available if she wakes up. Sometimes Coco will come home and watch a movie while I work next to her. It may not be the most focused work, but I get lighter, less brain-intensive tasks done.
2:30-3PM: Sauna + Cold Plunge
This may sound unrelatable, but since I’m walking you through my day, I didn’t want to leave out this time block. Usually between 2 and 3PM I have an afternoon slump, so I’ll take a break and sit in our home sauna for about 20 minutes followed by a dip in our cold plunge for 3 minutes. This ritual not only resets my afternoon, but it gets me energized again. I love it!
3-5PM: Finish Up Work
After that, I’ll usually get back to work to finish up tasks and work with my team before I have a hard stop at 5PM. I keep this window of time very flexible because some days I’ll end up just hanging out with my family and some days I like to get back to work.
5-7PM: Kids Eat Dinner + Get Ready for Bed
From 5-7PM we have two solid hours as a family before bedtime. We usually play in the playroom, make dinner together, the kids will take baths, and then I, generally speaking, read stories and put the girls down for bed at 7PM. This gives Drew a break as he was the one to watch them for most of the day.
7PM: Adult Dinner Time
After the girls are asleep, Drew and I eat dinner together, just the two of us. Although we sit with Coco and Quinn while they eat at 5:30, dinnertime can feel a bit chaotic (and frankly, we like to cook more interesting meals!), which is why we eat together as adults. It’s not chaotic, we’re not shoving cottage cheese into a kid’s mouth, and we’re not fetching different beverages… It’s just a more relaxed time for us to connect.
8-9:30PM: Clean the House + Watch TV
I know, I know… This is a very terrible habit, but after dinner, most nights Drew and I will watch a trashy TV show while we clean the kitchen and tidy the house. We only watch a little bit of a show each day, but we love Top Chef, Below Deck, The Challenge, Summer House… I can feel you judging us through your computer screen, but we’re not ashamed! We like to watch mindless TV when we’re cleaning the house, folding the laundry, doing all the things that did not get done during the day.
9:30-10PM: Bedtime
9:30 is my dream time to get ready for bed, read a daily devotional, and “pillow talk” while we wind down. By this time, I’ve gotten out of work mode and Drew has gotten out of parent mode, and this is when we connect the most. He usually falls asleep first while I read for fun and fall asleep by 10.
So that’s what a day in our life looks like during the week! I love sharing episodes like this because I think it’s helpful to peel the curtain back and understand what things look like behind the scenes. My life could look totally different three weeks from now or a year from now, but this is what it looks like right now. I am loving this flow in the season we’re finding ourselves in now!
What does a day in your life look like? Head over to @goaldiggerpodcast on Instagram or the Goal Digger Podcast Insiders Facebook group to join the conversation.
