Dear Time Management: It's Not You, It's Me
Three years ago, I started She Boss Life fresh off my escape from my overwhelm-fueled burnout.
I had been living the classic millennial workaholic life where my career had completely taken over my existence. Late nights became the norm. Weekends disappeared into PowerPoints. And vacations? Well, those were just expensive ways to stress about work from different time zones.
I was drowning in my own “success”. Overwhelmed and anxious, desperately searching for a life preserver or someone to save me (surely there was a lottery win just on the horizon…)
My life preserver finally came in the form of time management.
I learned to be diligent and intentional about what went on my calendar, what I could realistically commit to, and (this was the hard part) I learned to embrace the bone-deep discomfort of setting boundaries for anything that didn't fit into my carefully crafted plan.
It took months of practice, months of feeling like I was learning to walk again. But it worked. I finally felt like I had wrestled my life back from the jaws of corporate chaos. And honestly? I wanted to shout it from the rooftops and let everyone in on this life-saving secret.
That’s where She Boss Life was born.
The honeymoon phase…and the unraveling
Initially, I was laser-focused on time management habits and productivity hacks that could help others along a similar journey. These were the fundamentals I credited with my life turnaround. I became the poster child for color-coded calendars and boundary-setting, and for a while, it felt like I had cracked the code for a good life.
But here's the thing about us overachievers…we're really good at taking a good thing and making it... a lot.
Over time, my rigid structure became my new security blanket. I got really, really good at fitting an impressive amount into my day, determined to achieve any goal I set my mind to with a little planning and a lot of persistence. I was basically a productivity machine, and I was proud of it.
Until I wasn't.
The cracks started to show when life refused to follow my meticulously planned schedule. Those roadblocks usually looked like last-minute invites from friends (how dare they be spontaneous!) or a cold that would hit me out of nowhere (airplanes…I always blame the airplanes).
Suddenly, I was right back to that familiar anxiety and overwhelm. Only this time it felt sharper, because I knew it wasn't coming from career pressures or the outside world. It was coming from the rules I'd created for myself.
I was living the very same life I had worked so hard to escape from… it was just in a different package.
A new perspective
So, I shifted my focus entirely.
I stepped back and took a hard look at what I had created. Yes, I was managing my time better, but I was still operating from the same achievement-obsessed mindset that had gotten me into trouble in the first place. I was just being more organized about burning myself out.
I dug deeper and started to understand that embracing time management in my life was never about being able to do more. It was about doing more of what I wanted to do. More of what was calling to my heart.
I was surprised to find that, for me, what was calling me actually looked pretty simple. It was more frequent dog walks, weekly hot yoga classes, rediscovering my love for reading, more flexibility for impromptu adventures, and permission to fall down rabbit holes of whatever my latest obsession happened to be.
If I wanted to truly be the boss of my life, I realized I wanted to be the cool boss. The one who purposely created a life of joy and fun, not just efficiency and achievement.
Enter: The ideal schedule
This led me to what I call my ideal schedule: reverse-engineering your dream life into something you can start living today. It's not Instagram-worthy or particularly glamorous. It's breaking life down to the basics.
How you spend your days is how you spend your life. I knew I needed to start being more intentional with today me, not just in planning for future me.
I wrote out a realistic hour-by-hour breakdown of what I wanted my days to look like, complete with wake-up times, work blocks, and yes, when I'd actually take those dog walks I kept saying I wanted. My overachieving nature went to work making it happen.
Only this time, this “structured” schedule had lots of built-in flexibility.
I was still consistent with the routines crucial to my well-being like morning movement that kicks the day off right and an evening wind-down routine that makes me sleep like a baby.
But I left generous space for those "whatever I'm drawn to" moments that make life feel alive rather than just managed.
After a few months, what seemed like a "someday" schedule became my reality. I had made it happen. And I had come such a long way from the 60-hour workweek workaholic of just a few years ago. The transformation was real, and it was beautiful.
But as with any transformation, the kind that rewrites your soul, not just your calendar, my perspective began to shift again...
This time management nerd I had been for the past few years started to feel like a skin I was outgrowing. I found myself drawn to freedom, creativity, and play in ways that felt both thrilling and terrifying. The thought of writing yet another blog article about a new productivity hack became about as appealing as watching paint dry…
While I credit all of those systems and strategies for who I'm becoming now, they stopped pulling at my soul in the way they used to. The fire that once burned bright for goal-setting tips and time-blocking techniques was dimming, and in its place, something else was beginning to grow.
Permission to pause
So once again, I'm re-evaluating. And you know what? I'm not rushing to figure it all out.
I put in the work to create an ideal schedule where I actually enjoy my life, and I'm going to take some time to live in that creation before I sprint toward the next transformation. The structure that got me this freedom is a hard habit to break, and honestly, I'm not sure I want to break it completely. Instead, I'm giving myself the ultimate act of self-care: permission to pause.
I'm taking a step back from the regular She Boss Life content to lean into whatever direction my soul is being pulled toward, instead of trying to tamp down that flame because I don't know exactly where it will lead. For how long? I genuinely don't know. And surprisingly, that feels good.
It might be a week. A year. Or forever... (As I always say, "I reserve the right to change my mind!")
For now, this feels right. And who knows? I might pop back up doing something that seems completely out of left field for this time management nerd at heart…
But I think that's exactly the point.
Thank you for being part of this journey with me. The story isn't over. It's just taking a beautiful, unexpected turn.
Wishing you all the best in your own journeys,
About Me
Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a former workaholic turned time-management expert. I help women stressed out in their 9-5 get more done, in less time, so they can get back in the driver’s seat and start living a life they love.
