Finding the Time You Already Have

Sometimes when something is right there in front of us, we don’t see it.

It’s normal, we’re human. We just need help to see past the clutter, whether it’s physical or mental.

I’ve often worked through this with clients. Again, we’re all human and for some reason we’re programmed to think we don’t have enough time for things.

In author, podcaster and speaker Laura Vanderkam’s book Big Time: A Simple Path To Time Abundance, she says that people look at time with a scarcity mindset, defaulting to thinking they don’t have enough time for things or are unable to see it when they do. She encourages readers to look at time in terms of abundance, not scarcity.

Many of my clients own small businesses, and they’re so good at working in their business when they give their skills, passions and support to their clients and customers. Where they often need me the most is to help work on their business – to find the time for marketing, business development and administrative tasks.

Really, the strategy is simple, and I’ve seen so many clients find clarity and productivity with a new approach to seeing what’s right there in front of them. Sometimes we need an outside perspective to look at our days, look at our tasks and realize how much time we really do have for all of it.

I could not be prouder of one client when I see her posting regularly on Instagram. She and I went through a time-blocking exercise to plan for and prioritize social media work. And it’s working! She’s finding plenty of time to work in and on her business successfully. When we worked together, she actually said to me, “Wow, I have so much more time than I thought I had.” This was music to my ears!

It’s a common narrative to say you don’t have time for things. But most often, when we look at the time we have available to us and we think about our priorities, there is more than enough time. I’ve always taught this approach, and I’ve helped many people shift their mindset.

Because, really, it’s about being optimistic about time. It’s about reframing to look at time as an opportunity to do something important, about becoming optimistic that there is enough time in a day or a week to tackle all of your priorities in work and life. That’s exactly what Vanderkam talks about in her book, and I highly recommend reading it.

I am so happy and proud of my clients who are identifying the time and prioritizing their businesses. It’s all doable because they have the time and just needed a little help finding it.

- Ronna

FREE TIME WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Books in Series, Steve Carell & Pressing Pause

Turning Pages: Writers & Lovers and Heart the Lover by Lily King

I have a confession that won’t surprise most of you: I have to read books that are in a series in order. So, when I started Heart the Lover and then learned about the prequel Writers & Lovers that I somehow missed in 2020, I stopped, read the prequel and then returned to Heart the Lover. I’m still reading Heart the Lover. Both are great reads!

On the Screen: Rooster, a comedy drama on HBO Max

So, I happen to love Steve Carell, college campuses and anything about writing/writers, so this show is a trifecta in the story of professors and students navigating complicated and funny life experiences together. And, fun fact about me: I was a double major in college, including English with a focus on creative writing.

In My Ears: Should I Press Pause? Deep Questions with Cal Newport

I love podcasts, and Cal Newport’s is one of my favorites! In this episode he addresses how important – and impactful – it can be to “press pause” on our lives sometimes. By that he means relocating, changing routines, and opening ourselves up to new possibilities so that we have time to think, see clearly and identify available time in our already busy lives. I’m attempting mini pauses in my life, and I’m excited to see the impact.

* Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

**Carin and I meeting in person last summer**

WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT

Authentic Connections are Inspiring

You know how sometimes you meet someone and it feels like you’ve been friends forever? Thanks to technology, authentic connections like this aren’t limited to real life or local experiences anymore. And thanks to the DearFoundHer Forum community, I’ve made a friend like this in the amazing and talented Seattle-based lawyer-turned-jewelry designer Carin Parcel of Carin Susann Designs.

Carin is a virtual friend, turned client, a real-life friend when we finally met last summer, and always a student and a cheerleader for me and my business. I’m exceptionally grateful for Carin’s recent shout out about Workflows by Ronna/Notebooks with Ronna in an article she was featured in – thanks, Carin! Be sure to read Carin’s article here. She is an incredibly talented jewelry designer and a wonderful person. Make sure to follow her Instagram account.

I’m so proud of how she’s incorporating what she’s learning with me. She took a Notebooks with Ronna workshop, and now she’s part of the Notebooks with Ronna 2.0 Planning Group. She’s got her life and her business buttoned up, leaving time for the things she enjoys and for making wonderful social media content that always makes me smile, and often makes me laugh!

Are you ready to explore how to simplify your life, reduce stress and stay organized with customized time-management systems?

Fill out my contact form to set up a free 30-minute consultation.

A FEW MORE THINGS

Don’t miss next month’s Admin Hour on July 14th from 1-2:15pm CT!

This is a FREE, monthly Zoom session where anyone can join me to work for a dedicated hour. After an hour of quiet work time together you can hop off or spend 15 minutes with me while I host an “Ask Me Anything.” I will answer your most pressing productivity or time-management questions.

You’re welcome to attend once, every time, or whenever it works in your schedule. I will be there, holding myself accountable to getting tasks done and connecting with many of you.

Register for the July 14th Admin Hour here.

College-Bound To-Do List + Packing List

Also, I know many of you are receiving dorm assignments for your college students. I’ve now experienced a move-in and a move-out with my daughter, and we crushed them thanks to my College-Bound Task List.

If you want to be a parent with their $h!t together when you send your kid to college, you need this. And it’s free.

Grab my ultimate college-bound to-do list + packing list (with links!). You can share it with their roommate, and with any friends you have in the same college-bound era. When I moved my daughter into college last fall, this kept us calm, organized and confident.

My College-Bound Task List is a strategically curated list of tasks for getting a child ready for college. It’s a game changer because I did all of the thinking for you, and you can see your progress as you check things off.

Want my College-Bound Task List for free? It’s here. Download it, make a copy and have a smooth college move-in experience. Oh, and please tell me about it. I love hearing about people using my tools and processes.

Don’t miss my 2026 Facebook Workflow!

For those of you who are Chicago business owners, you just might be missing some of the best marketing opportunities out there!

Did you know that there are dozens of Facebook Groups that allow you to promote your business for free? And they have thousands of members in these groups for moms, female entrepreneurs, professional moms and more. I want to make sure you take advantage of these – I have a 2026 Facebook Workflow for you listing all the days that you can post! You can purchase it here.

June 2026