March 2026
When I coach and teach my processes, I realize it’s more than simply learning a skill. Like many things that are hard, learning to plan comes with some emotional strings attached. I work hard to recognize them and to put my clients and listeners at ease. I always say working with me is a “judgment-free zone.” And I mean it.
I am inherently pretty self-aware, and I know to listen to my moods and my body – trying to do things that make me happy, and trusting my gut. For this reason – and others – I chose my word of the year: intuition.
I’ve mentioned this before, but bring it up again because recently I guested on two podcasts where the idea of intuition resonated. Both of the hosts and their businesses address issues of self-trust and understanding yourself and your energy. That’s right up my alley!
I loved my conversation with Lauri Stern from Custom Designed Wellness on her podcast The Real and the Woo. We talked about workflows/how work flows, joy, SUP yoga, being a small-business owner, and the struggles I had as a parent of young kids.
Lauri helps people understand themselves better so that they can live a more easeful and joyful life. She believes that there is no one-size-fits-all path to understanding ourselves. You can listen to our conversation here.
When I spoke with Emma Mulvany from Empowerment by Emma on her podcast Rising Together, we discussed peace and presence and what becomes possible when you stop holding everything in your head and start building simple structures that actually support your real life.
Emma is a women’s empowerment mentor, creating spaces for women to deepen their intuition, self-trust, and confidence in life and business. She’s also the co-founder with Lauren Schaff of the Women’s Entrepreneur Collective, a wonderful local networking group that I’ve been attending. You can listen to our conversation here.
The common theme for all three of us is about understanding yourself better so that you can create a calm, more easeful life, with room for things that make you happy.
For me, that's all about coming up with systems that drive my productivity and clear my mental bandwidth. Parenting young kids was tough for me with so many things to do and no clear direction on the best way to do them. So that’s why I created Notebooks with Ronna™, my signature personal planning and task-management method, and other planning systems I use day in and day out for my life and business.
Really, it’s very simple, and that’s why I launched this business to share them. But I know that simple doesn’t mean easy. It’s very important to recognize that and the feelings that come along with trying something new and creating new habits.
When I revisit my word of the year as I reflect on life and work, I know that intuition – both mine and yours – is very important for everything we’ll set out to accomplish together.
- Ronna
My Favorite Things
Sometimes when something is right there in front of us, we still don’t see it, right? Well, recently, someone who has learned a lot from me over the years taught me a valuable – and one of my own! – lessons.
We were reflecting on our work schedules, taking stock of what works and what doesn’t, when I said I was finding it trickier to get my admin and project-based work done, pushing it aside when client meetings and networking events take priority. She suggested I block Wednesdays, partially or entirely, and see how having that day would free my time and my mind from addressing this work at other times.
The funny thing is that I was about to launch a new offering, and this is exactly what it’s based on. I just hadn’t seen it clearly for myself yet! Now I have admin and project time blocked for myself, and I’m offering you the inspiration to do the same. But, with me!
Last month I hosted the first Admin Hour with Ronna - a FREE monthly offer inviting you to log on to a Zoom, pick what you want to work on for an hour in your business or personal life, work quietly alongside me and others, and hold yourself – and the rest of us – accountable.
At the end of the hour, you can hop off or stick around for “AMA – Ask Me Anything” for 15 minutes.
The first one felt great. We all wrapped up with a sense of accomplishment and motivation. The next one is April 14th from 1-2:15 CT. Register here to receive the link and give it a try.
Admin Hour with Ronna is fast becoming one of my favorite things! Please join me next time or any time in the coming months. You’re not locked in. Just come when you need it, or when someone else reminds you that you do!
We’ll meet the second Tuesday of each month at 1pm CT on these dates: 4/14, 5/12, 6/9, 7/14, 8/11, 9/8, 10/13, 11/10, & 12/8.
What I’m Thinking About
You know that I thrive on time and time frames, they make me tick. So I’ve been thinking lately how that translates to my life and how I take it in.
Having finally found a yoga practice I love when it’s not SUP yoga season, my new teacher offers up monthly themes, tapping right into the joy I feel from identifying time frames. I love thinking about things in themes and in seasons.
Framing things around the seasons – not just weather driven – identifies a period of time as something more finite. For example, one of my regular podcasts called Happier in Hollywood refers to a “season of sacrifice,” a focused, limited period of time when one of the co-hosts had to get up very early to write. Many of us have experienced seasons of motherhood, seasons of happiness or strife, and seasons of change.
This really makes me think about balancing busier seasons with calmer seasons and how that’s a much more sustainable way to live and work. It’s the only time you’ll hear me talk about balance, unless I’m talking about balancing on my paddleboard on the lake!
Are you ready to explore how to avoid burnout, relieve stress and be more productive with customized time-management tools?
Fill out my contact form to set up a free 30-minute consultation.
A Few Extra Things I Want to Share
If creating a logo and brand look for your business has been sitting on your to-do list for months, this might help. Brand and website designer Jill Lawlor did all of my branding, including my logo and website. She’s an absolute dream to work with, and she’s offering a focused one-day option to create or refresh your logo and visual identity — without the long timeline of a traditional branding project. It’s designed to help you move forward quickly with a clean, professional look you can start using right away. Learn more.
I’m doing some market research for an offer coming later this year. Will you please take just a minute or two and answer my digital survey? You can find the link here. Thanks!
I mentioned this above, but it deserves more attention! I really hope you’ll consider joining me for an upcoming Admin Hour with Ronna! These are FREE, monthly Zoom sessions. Anyone can join to work for a dedicated hour. After an hour of quiet work time together, hop off or spend 15 minutes with me while I host an “AMA – Ask me Anything.” Register here to receive the link and give it a try.
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.