From Burnout to Compassionate Time Management: The Ah-Ha Moment That Changed My Life as a Mom

When I was a young mom, I realized that trying to get everything done today wasn’t sustainable. The burnout was real. And the self-doubt and frustration were, too.

When I gave myself the room to think about why I was burning out and not necessarily even getting everything done, I made some important observations.

First, after working in the entertainment industry for many years, I brought the hustle with me. I felt being busy equaled value. When I had kids and wasn’t working full-time, this feeling got even stronger as I tried to prove my value. It wasn’t working, and I needed to learn how to prioritize.

I used to think everything had to be done today. And, I was hard on myself.

But then I realized that if I was busy with things that didn’t matter to me, what was the point? So I created processes for my personal and professional life that focused on getting the right things done in a sustainable way.

My biggest ah-ha moment came when I realized if I planned, I would thrive. I’d be happier, and my family would be, too. I could get things done with thought and consideration, and less hustle.

I practiced being compassionate with myself about planning, too. Now I teach this to others. I teach about working with your energy cycles and about planning ahead, and I focus a lot on reducing your mental load by documenting processes.

To me, compassionate time management means that you can be productive while also taking care of yourself.

This resonates especially loudly right now having recently celebrated Mother’s Day. I see the scattered but motivated moms out there. I see the moms who need a hand in getting it all together. And, I see the ones who have it all together but are sure they can do it in a more sustainable way. Let me explain.

There’s no doubt that all of you want to make time for your families, for yourself and for the things that matter the most to you. I will help make it all easier for you since I’ve done the hard work to figure out sustainable systems. I have tested them, my clients have, and they work!

Parenthood is already so hard. Planning shouldn’t be, and I can help make parenting easier with intention, pace and processes.

And both can be handled with care and compassion. When I realized that, it changed everything. Let me help you say ‘ah-ha,’ too.

- Ronna

MY FAVORITE THINGS

The Power of Pretty Paper and Beth Schneider Designs Notepads

We know I love processes and planning tools. And yet many times, for me, a key part of being productive and instituting my processes is as simple as taking pen to paper. I process things better when I write them down.

So I’m sure it’s not surprising that pretty pads of paper are one of my favorite things!

I especially love notepads by Beth Schneider Designs because they feature her artwork in hand-drawn and watercolor-painted designs to make pads of paper extra special.

I was lucky enough to meet Beth through the Women’s Entrepreneur Collective Arlington Heights. Beth is a gem of a human being, and you know I love supporting female small business owners and their products and/or services. When I did a recent presentation at Dayhouse Coworking in Schaumburg, she was so kind and brought me some of her notepads.

Best. Gift. Ever!

In a world where we spend so much time on computers, tapping keyboards and using our phones, pretty paper notepads add a much-needed tactile, aesthetic element to planning. I highly encourage you to give pen and pretty paper a try.

Here’s what she brought me:

**Presenting to Dayhouse Coworking’s Schaumburg members**

WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT

Why I’ll Never Stop Learning About Productivity (Even as the One Teaching It)

I’m going to stop calling myself an “expert.”

I have plenty of people telling me I am one. I have uncountable hours of learning and training to justify it; and I’ve read so many books on the topic that only an “expert” would commit to that level of reading.

But I’m relinquishing the title because, like all of you, I’m always trying to figure out the best systems for me. Even though I teach time management and productivity skills, I’m still working on increasing productivity while preventing burnout.

Recently, a client said to me: “Time management can be flexible; it doesn't have to be rigid. What works at one point may not work at another point and vice versa. There are many ways to be organized, and what works for some people does not work for other people.”

She’s absolutely right and her sentiment echoes mine exactly.

Now I know I said I’m not an “expert,” but I am coaching with compassion and high-level skills. So, if you’ve been thinking about engaging with me to bring some planning into your work or personal life – or elevate it – I encourage you to do it now.

We know spring is hectic for so many reasons, but will you have the time this summer to commit to yourself, your planning and ensuring the back half of the year is more stress-free? Let’s do it together!

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 May 12th 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 June 9th Admin Hour here.

College-Bound To-Do List + Packing List

I just moved my daughter home from college – she crushed her freshman year. She was successful, and so were we when we crushed move-in and move-out 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? Download it here, 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.

May 2026