Dr. Celia
00:00 – 00:16
Hey there, Biz Moms. Welcome back to Biz Mom Life. I’m your host, Dr. Celia, and we’re going to continue our conversation about maximizing those precious 15-minute windows. So last week, we talked about the mental game, like doing the crucial reset to clear your head and honestly assess your energy and time constraints.
Dr. Celia
00:17 – 00:40
And if you haven’t listened to that episode, no worries, just go back and start there because today actually builds on that foundation. So this week, I’m going to give you the exact system for matching tasks to your energy level. So you never waste another small pocket of time feeling frustrated or scattered. So by the end of this episode, you’re going to know exactly what to work on in every situation, whether you’re exhausted with 10 minutes or energized with flexible time.
Dr. Celia
00:42 – 01:01
So this is where we pick up with step three, the task matching system, and why your inner critic is actually wrong. This is where the magic happens, but it’s also where most of us get stuck because we start judging ourselves. Like, remember the story I told you last week about having 20 minutes when my son napped? I was exhausted, but I kept thinking, like, I should be working on that big project.
Dr. Celia
01:02 – 01:24
But then I’ll sit there and stare at a blank document, bleeding myself out for not being more motivated. And this is what I’ve been realizing over time, that there’s nothing wrong with me, you’re just trying to force your tired brain to do work that requires fresh creative energy. And it’s like what I mentioned before, like running a marathon when you need a nap. So when you match your energy to the right type of task, everything becomes easier.
Dr. Celia
01:25 – 01:42
and I’m going to walk you through this. So when you’re tired and having a hard stop, when you’re actually in this state, your nervous system is already taxed. Maybe you’ve been on all morning with the kids or dealt with a difficult situation or you’re just running on little sleep. Like your body is sending you signals that it needs tasks that feel manageable, not overwhelming.
Dr. Celia
01:44 – 02:05
And this is what I want you to do is like choose from what I call your gentle progress list. And a gentle progress list is basically tasks that move your business forward but don’t require you to be on or creative. So generally when we start to do this, this is where the guilt usually kicks in. You might be thinking, well, I should be writing my course content or I should be working on my big launch.
Dr. Celia
02:05 – 02:13
I don’t have that much time. I need to focus on the big things. And while that voice in your head starts getting louder, you’re wasting time. This is not important enough.
Dr. Celia
02:13 – 02:35
You’re never going to grow your business if you’re doing admin work. I want to remind you that like this voice is lying to you because that voice is acting out of fear and telling you to do something that you’re not ready to do or you can’t do in that moment because of how you’re feeling from how the morning is and how your energy is. So when you’re actually matching like how your energy is to the task that you’re doing, it’s so much easier.
Dr. Celia
02:35 – 02:53
Like for example, Let’s take email management. Like when I respond to clients email during my low energy windows, I’m nurturing relationships that keep my business alive. Like last month, a simple thank you for thinking of me email led to a collaboration like two weeks later. Or say you’re doing like data or admin tasks.
Dr. Celia
02:53 – 03:22
Updating my CRM when I’m tired might seem boring, but it’s how I stay organized enough to follow with the leads at the right time. It’s also how I remembered that a former client was going through a rough patch and I needed to check up on her. Or just say you’re doing like content maintenance, like scheduling emails that I already created feels easy when I’m tired, but it keeps my business visible to potential clients, even when I don’t have the energy to be creative. Like your tired brain is actually perfect for tasks that require consistency and follow through, not creativity.
Dr. Celia
03:22 – 03:42
Like when you match the energy to a task, it becomes so much easier to work with that task. Now let’s say you’re feeling energized and you have flexible time. This is when your nervous system is regulated, your mind is clear, the ideas are flowing, like you feel like you could tackle anything and like this energy is precious. Do not waste it on tasks that your tired brain could handle.
Dr. Celia
03:44 – 03:58
I also want you to keep in mind, this is also where a different kind of resistance can show up. Like when you have creative energy, sometimes there’s pressure to do all the things. Like you may think that like, wow, I feel so good right now. I’m going to work on my course and write three blogs and plan my entire content calendar.
Dr. Celia
03:59 – 04:12
And let me share you a story about this. Like three months ago, I had one of those rare Saturday mornings where my son was actually playing happily. I had my coffee and my brain felt so sharp. And instead of picking like one meaningful project, I tried to do everything.
Dr. Celia
04:12 – 04:32
Like I started outlining my newsletter, then switched to writing podcast episodes and got distracted by updating my welcome sequence. And by the end of the two hours, I had three half-finished projects and felt scattered and frustrated. I wasted my creative energy bouncing between tasks instead of going deep into one thing. So when you have creative energy, focus on one deep task.
Dr. Celia
04:33 – 04:50
If the fresh ideas are coming up, write them down on a piece of paper to explore later, but do not abandon what you’re working on. So let’s see how this looks like for a client development. When you have creative energy, this is where you craft those personalized outreach messages that actually get responses. Your intuition is on point.
Dr. Celia
04:51 – 05:04
You can sense what will resonate with them more. And it’s not just about sending templates. You’re creating the connection between those personalized outreach messages that will get you the responses that you’re hoping for. So with content creation, this is when the ideas are flowing.
Dr. Celia
05:05 – 05:23
This is when you sit down to brainstorm podcast topics. You don’t just come up with like one idea. Come up with like 10 or 20 and just keep letting your brain keep going down that rabbit hole because you never know what ideas will be coming out that are so good that you want to record on. Your creative brain is actually making connections and seeing patterns that your tired brain cannot access.
Dr. Celia
05:23 – 05:41
So definitely go with the flow with this one. So when you’re doing strategy work, when you’re in this state, you can hold the big picture and the details at the same time. You can imagine how your new program will feel to your clients, what transformation it will create, and how to price in a way that feels good. This level of strategic thinking requires your best energy.
Dr. Celia
05:42 – 05:56
And remember, your creative energy will come back. You do not have to do everything right now. So step four is the commitment rule, and this is the final piece that most people mess up on. Once you pick a task, you commit for it for the full window.
Dr. Celia
05:57 – 06:08
Let’s say you choose to respond to emails because you were tired and had a hard stop. Like five minutes in, you start feeling more energized and start thinking like, okay, maybe I should switch into brainstorming that new offer idea. Don’t do it. Here’s why.
Dr. Celia
06:09 – 06:26
First, task switching kills your productivity. Your brain needs time to fully engage with a new type of thinking. Second, you’re already making progress with the emails, like finish what you started. And third, you probably only have a few minutes anyway, so if you work on like brainstorming that new offer idea, you’re not going to be able to complete it.
Dr. Celia
06:27 – 06:49
So keep it simple. Honor the choice that you made based on your honest assessment and stick with it. The exception is if you realize you choose to do something that’s genuinely impossible in your time frame, like trying to outline an entire course when you only have 10 minutes left, or something that you notice like, alright, that’s going to need more time than I have right now. In that case, switch to something more realistic with the same energy category.
Dr. Celia
06:50 – 07:10
So let me give you some concrete examples of how this works. Example 1, like it’s 2pm, your toddler is napping and you have like 20 minutes before school pickup. You’re exhausted from a morning of tantrums and errands, you do the mental reset, you acknowledge you’re tired with a hard stop, and you choose to respond to 3 client emails and update your expenses for the week. You feel productive and accomplished.
Dr. Celia
07:10 – 07:31
Or let’s take example 2, it’s Saturday morning, your kids are playing independently, you feel sharp after your coffee. You have flexible time and you choose to spend 25 minutes outlining your next newsletter and brainstorming three topic ideas for future content. You feel creative and inspired. Or take like example three, like it’s evening, your kids are in bed, you plan to work, but you’re mentally drained.
Dr. Celia
07:31 – 07:50
Instead of forcing yourself to work on that big project, you acknowledge your energy level and spend 15 minutes organizing your digital files and scheduling next week’s content. You still move your business forward without burning yourself out. And you might be wondering, like, all right, Dr. Celia, like, how do I make the system work long term? And to do that, I want you to do four things.
Dr. Celia
07:51 – 08:06
Number one, track your patterns, which is after a week of using this framework, notice when you typically have high energy versus low energy. When do you usually have that hard stop versus flexible time? Like this information will help you plan better. Option two is prepare your options in advance.
Dr. Celia
08:07 – 08:23
Like do not wait until you’re in this like 15 minute window to decide what to do. Keep your task list handy so you could quickly choose and get started. So step number three is celebrating the small wins. 15 minutes of focused work is better than an hour of distracted, frustrated spinning.
Dr. Celia
08:23 – 08:42
Acknowledge the progress even when it feels small because it gives that mini dopamine hit to your brain and actually your brain will over time want to keep doing this to get the small wins. And step number four is being flexible with yourself. Like some days, everything will be going according to plan. Other days, life will be like throwing you curveball after curveball after curveball.
Dr. Celia
08:43 – 09:02
This framework is actually designed to work with the chaos, not eliminate it. So I hope these two episodes give you exactly what you’re looking for, Michelle, when you request this topic. Those 15-minute windows are not obstacles to what you’re doing in your business. They’re opportunities that can actually be maximized with the time that you have.
Dr. Celia
09:03 – 09:13
So here’s a quick recap of the complete framework. Number one, mental reset first. Number two, the honest assessment. Number three, choose the right task for your energy.
Dr. Celia
09:14 – 09:46
And number four, commit to your choice. For those listening, you’re always welcome to submit questions to me by sending an email at podcast at mindsetcoachmd.com or fill out the form on the website episode page in the show notes. And if you want to get even more detailed about optimizing your small pockets of time based on your unique working style and energy patterns, grab my free quiz, What’s Your Biz Mom Time Hacking Superpower? You’ll discover whether you’re a time trailblazer, a social schedule, tactical timekeeper, or a patient planner, and get customized strategies for each.
Dr. Celia
09:47 – 10:00
I’ll drop the link in the show notes. So next week, we’re going to be actually diving into another listener question about getting your momentum back after life throws you a curveball. And trust me, we’ve all been there. You do not want to miss the next episode.
Dr. Celia
10:00 – 10:10
Until then, remember, you are loved, you are capable. The small pockets of time, they are more powerful than you think when you approach them with the right system. Take care, and I’ll talk to you soon.
