These books are worth your time and full attention!
Everyone always asks me what my secret is. How do I fit it all in? Yes, my brand, Moms Don’t Have Time To, is based on poking fun at the fact that women have time for almost nothing – from reading to losing weight, from having sex to seeing friends, even to grieve. And yet: we must!
I usually answer that every day is a circus and that I make mistakes along the way. But I also credit a few experts whose advice I’ve taken on my path to running two companies, releasing 400+ podcasts annually, writing books, and contributing articles like these! My own hacks: color-coded iCal calendars, asking Siri to set alarms so I’m not late, doing one thing at a time and doing it well, putting things that can wait on hold, outsourcing to trusted team members when possible, and bringing my kids into everything I do.
Here are a few books that really help with time management. (And don’t say that your form of time management is to not read this article – ha!)
Best Time Management Books
Julie Morgenstern, Time to Parent: Organizing Your Life to Bring Out the Best in Your Life and You
New York Times bestselling author and organizational guru Julie Morgenstern changed my life. She has a lot of helpful frameworks, tips, and tools, but I particularly loved “mod, max, min.” This paradigm is all about setting intentions as they relate to energy. Some things are worth the maximum amount of energy like, say, this article. But other things, like tonight’s dinner, were only worth the minimum amount. (I ordered in.) Then others are worth moderate energy like, perhaps, my 20-minute Peloton workout. Every day, you can choose how to invest your time and energy like a mathematical equation. Laundry? Min. Bedtime stories for my little guy? Max. Try it!
Laura Vanderkam, The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work From Home
Laura Vanderkam is a time management obsessive. She tracks her time in small increments daily with elaborate spreadsheets – and has for years. With the onset of the pandemic, she outlined a number of ways working from home could be most effective. (See how efficient she is? She had a book out about the pandemic within months!) And she has five kids. Her analysis of how she spends time helps everyone. Looks like working from home may be here to stay, so this slim guide should sit squarely on your desk.
Thatcher Wine, The Twelve Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better
Maybe multitasking is overrated? Thatcher Wine, founder of Juniper Books (which makes fabulous custom book spines and is a great gift resource), thinks so. He argues that we can all be more productive if we listen to neurological and psychological research and focus on one thing at a time. He outlines 12 common tasks we can do better one at a time for a more efficient life. (Good thing he can’t see my life at this moment!)
Samantha Boardman, MD, Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress Into Strength
This glamorous Manhattan doctor decided to go back to school at age 40 to also get a degree in positive psychology. So, she knows a thing or two about stress. Dr. Boardman shares the lessons she has learned across disciplines for managing the craziness in daily life for better overall health.
Moms Don’t Have Time To Anthologies
And in case these books aren’t enough, check out my two anthologies, which came out in 2021: Moms Don’t Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology (all proceeds donated to Covid vaccine research) and Moms Don’t Have Time to Have Kids: A Timeless Anthology. They contain personal essays by over 100 bestselling and notable authors on 10 things they don’t have time to do: sleep, work out, have sex, lose weight, eat, read books, write, see friends, get sick, and breathe. Reading the collections will be worth your time!
