How Mom Entrepreneurs Can Get More Done in 15 Minutes (Part 1) – E16

Dr. Celia
00:00 – 00:27
I’m your host, Dr. Celia, and I’m so, so excited that you’re here for today’s episode because we’re kicking off something I’ve been wanting to do for months, listener Q&A months. So you guys have been sending me the most thoughtful, real questions, and honestly, like I’ve been dropping the ball on them, like I’ve been sitting on them way too long. So this month I decided, you know what, I’m going to have a Q&A month and answer the common questions that came up during the submissions. And these are not random topics.

Dr. Celia
00:27 – 00:52
These are challenges keeping you up at night, the things that make your mind wander when you’re cooking dinner or sitting in the carpool lane. So, today’s topic came from Michelle, who reached out asking for help with getting work done in the small pockets of time. Michelle, when I saw your request, I immediately thought, this is exactly what every mompader needs to hear. Because, real talk, those tiny windows are often all we have, but most of us still have no idea on how to use them effectively.

Dr. Celia
00:53 – 01:14
So today I’m going to give you the mental framework that transforms how you think in those small pockets of time. And then next week I’m going to give you the exact practical system for matching tasks to your energy. But today I’m going to focus on the internal aspect because that’s what makes or breaks those 15 minute windows. So why does it really matter with how you feel internally?

Dr. Celia
01:15 – 01:30
So most productivity advice completely misses the mark for mompreneurs. You probably heard all the standard recommendations, time block your calendar, batch your work, eliminate distractions. But here’s what they’re not considering. Your toddler just had a meltdown over the wrong color cup.

Dr. Celia
01:30 – 01:52
You’re running on five hours of sleep and you got exactly 17 minutes before you need to pick up your son or daughter from school. And these productivity gurus assume that you have complete control over your schedule, your energy levels, and your environment. But as moms growing businesses, you know that’s not always the reality. So instead of fighting against the chaos, I’m going to teach you how to work with it.

Dr. Celia
01:54 – 02:07
So the step one is the mental reset, and this changes everything. There’s something crucial that gets ignored. Your mindset going into that 15-minute window will determine whether it’s productive or completely wasted. And let me paint you a picture.

Dr. Celia
02:08 – 02:25
So it’s like Tuesday morning, you’re planning to work during breakfast, but your six-year-old spilled orange juice all over their school uniform. Your three-year-old decided they hate their breakfast that you made, and you’re now running 20 minutes behind schedule. You get everyone sorted and you leave for drop-off. And your brain is still cycling through the chaos of like, did I pack the right folder?

Dr. Celia
02:25 – 02:38
Where are those permission slips? Why are these mornings so hard? And when you come back from dropping off your kiddos and wanting to work in your business, your brain is exhausted from trying to do it all. If you try to jump straight into work mode, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Dr. Celia
02:39 – 02:51
Your brain is still processing the stress and you won’t be able to focus. Here’s what I want you to do instead. So I want you to take two to three minutes and I want you to do what I call the mental reset. And there’s actually two ways of doing about it.

Dr. Celia
02:51 – 03:12
The first way is writing it out and the second way is talking it out. So with option one, the written reset, I want you to grab a piece of paper or open like your notes app. Set a time for two minutes and write down everything that’s been swirling in your head. The frustrations, the to-do list, the worries, like the stuff you are not happy with your day-to-day life.

Dr. Celia
03:12 – 03:43
Just write it all down. and don’t edit yourself just dump it all out and when the timer goes off close the notebook or the app and take three deep breaths and the reason why I want you to take three deep breaths is because you just let out the frustration on paper and taking those deep breaths helps bring more calm to what’s happening internally with your system because that brings more oxygen to your brain that gives your body time to slowly decompress. So three deep breaths usually helps with bringing you back into a better state with your body.

Dr. Celia
03:45 – 04:13
So option two is the walking reset, which you can step outside or just walk around your house and also set a time for like two, three minutes. And in this reset, I want you to talk aloud about everything that’s been bothering you, the chaos, the stress, what’s going on in your mind, and let yourself verbally process it out because no one’s listening. So you could be completely honest and everything, and you could delete the recording if you don’t want to keep it afterwards. and when the timer goes off then also you do the same thing.

Dr. Celia
04:13 – 04:33
Take three deep breaths to calm your internal system. So choose whatever feels natural for you in the moment. Like some days you might need that like physical act of writing it out, and other days you might need to move your body and talk it through. Because this is not about like solving anything, it’s about just getting that mental clutter out of your head so you can focus on the task on hand.

Dr. Celia
04:33 – 04:56
It’s kind of like, you know, you’re clearing your desk before you start working. And I’ve been doing this after I realized that I’ve been wasting entire 15-minute windows just staring at my computer unable to concentrate because I’m still mentally replaying the morning’s chaos. So step two is the energy and time reality check. Now that your mind is clear, I want you to do an honest assessment of your current situation.

Dr. Celia
04:56 – 05:13
This is where most people get it wrong. Like they try to force themselves to do like high-level creative work when they’re exhausted or they waste high energy moments on like minus tasks. So what we’re going to do is ask yourself, what is my energy level right now? Are you tired?

Dr. Celia
05:13 – 05:30
Maybe you were up with a sick kid or you already dealt with like three mini crises today. Your brain feels foggy and you just want to get through your to-do list. Or maybe you have that creative energy, like you’re feeling sharp, your ideas are flowing and you’re ready to tackle something that requires mental focus. There’s like no right or wrong way of doing this.

Dr. Celia
05:31 – 05:48
It’s honestly like where you’re at at the moment. So after able to do that, the next question is, is this 15 minutes a hard stop or do I have flexibility? A hard stop means like you absolutely have to get it done in 15 minutes. Like maybe you’re picking someone up from school or you have a client call, like there’s no negotiating.

Dr. Celia
05:49 – 06:05
Flexibility means that if like something is taking like 18, 20 minutes, like you could roll with it. Like maybe the kids are happily playing in the background or your next commitment isn’t until much, much later. But here’s what some of you might be thinking. But Dr. Celia, how do I know what my natural energy patterns are?

Dr. Celia
06:05 – 06:19
What am I usually most creative versus when do I crash? And that’s exactly why I created my free quiz. What’s your abysmal time hacking superpower? It helps you identify when you’re naturally at your best for different types of work so you can plan accordingly.

Dr. Celia
06:19 – 06:35
Because once you know your patterns that work with your personality, you can start predicting and preparing for them. So this is why this mental framework matters. Here’s what used to happen to me. I’ll have 20 minutes with my son napped and I’ll be thinking, okay, this is my chance to work on that big project I’ve been putting off.

Dr. Celia
06:35 – 06:46
But I was just exhausted from the morning. My brain felt foggy and I kept staring at the blank document thinking I should be more motivated. Other mom business owners would use this time better. Like what’s wrong with me?

Dr. Celia
06:48 – 06:58
And here’s what I wish someone had told me earlier. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just trying to force your tired brain to doing something that requires fresh creative energy. It’s kind of like running a marathon when you need a nap, you know?

Dr. Celia
07:00 – 07:31
So when you first do the mental reset, honestly assess your energy and time constraints, and then set up yourself to choose work that actually fits your current capacity. And when the work fits your capacity, you get stuff done instead of spinning your wheels. So your assignment for this week, like before I give you the complete task matching system next week, I want you to just to practice these two steps. Try the mental reset, like pick whichever option feels better to you and use it before every work session this week and do an honest assessment.

Dr. Celia
07:31 – 07:50
Like notice your energy patterns and time constraints. And don’t worry about what to do with that information yet. Like just start paying attention because awareness is the first step to working towards your reality instead of against it. And if you want a written form of everything I said, there will be a link for this episode on my website in the show notes.

Dr. Celia
07:51 – 08:07
For the listener Michelle, I hope this mental framework gives you a complete new way of thinking about those small pockets of time. They’re not obstacles to your success. They’re opportunities waiting for you to be maximized with the right approach. And then next week, I’m going to give you the exact system for matching tasks to your energy levels and time constraints.

Dr. Celia
08:07 – 08:35
You’ll know exactly what to work on in every situation, and you’ll know what to do in another 15-minute window when you’re feeling exhausted and scattered. And for those listening, you’re always welcome to submit questions to me by sending me an email at podcast at mindsetcoachmd.com or filling out the form on my website episode page in the show notes. And if you really want to get more particular about your natural energy patterns, grab my free quiz. What’s your bismuth time hacking superpower?

Dr. Celia
08:35 – 08:55
You’ll discover whether you’re like a time trail, a social scheduler or patient planner, or even another one, and get customized strategies for each one. I’ll drop the link in the show notes. Until then, remember, you are loved, you are capable, and those small pockets of time, they’re more powerful than you think when you approach them with the right mindset. I’ll talk to you soon.