Ep 129 | Calendar Clutter: How to Tidy Your Time with Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam, author and productivity expert, joins us with tips and strategies to help you KonMari your calendar.

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the host of the podcast Before Breakfast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.

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In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

• How Laura became a student of time and a time management expert

• The quote from Laura that summarizes time management in a nutshell

• What to do first when it comes to figuring out exactly where your time goes and how it's similar to the KonMari Method

• The questions you should ask yourself when taking inventory of your time and tips that help you protect that time while tidying

• Laura (mom of FIVE!) shares her tips for working moms trying to manage their time and make time for what matters

• How avoid chasing a "typical" week when time tracking

• Laura's podcasts Before Breakfast podcast and Best of Both Worlds

Laura's favorite time management tip:
Plan your week on Fridays.

What sparks joy for Laura:
Her bar height set of tables and chairs for her deck.

To connect with Laura, visit her at lauravanderkam.com and download her free Time Makeover Guide.

Gems:

“Time is the ultimate non-renewable resource."
"We often blame time for things that aren't really about time at all."
"Saying 'I'm too busy' or 'I don't have time' puts the responsibility somewhere else."
"If anyone wants to spend their time better the first thing they should do is figure out where their time is going now."
"What do I like about my schedule?"
"What do I want to spend more time doing?'
"Don't bring it in if it's just going to be schedule clutter."
"Anytime someone asks you to do something in the future, ask yourself if you'd do it tomorrow."
"Start thinking of your life in terms of a week instead of a day."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Special Guest: Laura Vanderkam.