I’m gonna spill the beans today. 👀

I’m going to tell you precisely how I manage to get so much shit done as a single mom, full-time worker, and content creator.

Because I know it’s that time of year.

When people are trying to actualize their goals. When the ones who are really cut out for it, decide to stick around.

And seeing that Quitter’s Day has just come and passed, I want to arm you with as much knowledge as possible to prevent you from falling into a common trap—

The trap of giving up.

Saying “screw it”.

Sinking into your couch with a snack of choice, remote control in hand, bracing for a 6-hour Netflix binge as you mutter under your breath, “yeah, fuck it, I’ll just try again next year”.

Now I know this isn’t you, because you’re an untouchable babe who fucking *goes after what she wants*.

However, before diving into the good stuff, I want to make a disclaimer that because my schedule and life circumstances will likely vary from yours, it’s important to take the advice we’ll discuss today with a mindset of flexibility. You can take what works and leave what doesn’t, but what I do recommend here is adapt.

So without further ado, let’s get into it—the 10 key productivity habits I SWEAR by and that allow me to actually get shit done in all the domains listed above, regardless of me currently being in a super difficult season of motherhood.

1: Morning Routine

The first is a morning routine.

Now there’s a reason all the YouTubers rave about this, post their morning routines, and why productivity experts swear by waking up and crafting a morning routine that works for you…

It’s because it’s fucking true.

As much as you can resist it, the saying, “the early bird gets the worm” is (in my humble opinion) the truest thing that was ever spoken.

Because when you’re early, you have ALL of your reserves untapped and undepleted, ready to pour into your high-leverage activities. And because when you’re early, you’re up before the rest of the world bombards you with their demands and distractions.

It is, in my opinion, the most sacred time of the day. And even if I’m able to only scrounge 10-20 minutes of it for myself—because, let’s be real, toddlers have a sixth sense and know when you wake up early and will undoubtedly also wake up early to join you—I can immediately tell the difference on the days I’ve done some sort of morning routine, versus the days that I haven’t.

I.e., I feel like shit when I haven’t. I feel unprepared, the day feels more chaotic, and I feel more unfulfilled and rushed because I’ve immediately jumped into prioritizing and pouring my energy into OTHER people, instead of myself first.

In other words, skipping my morning routine means I’m pouring from an empty cup. And it’s obviously no fun to operate like that.

So, let’s get into practicals. HOW does one craft an effective morning routine, and what should one DO in a morning routine?

While this will look unique and variable to everyone, I like to think of a morning routine as having 2 main goals:

1. To give yourself alone time before you give yourself and your energy away to the world. Think of it like “charging yourself up” to full battery before going off into your day.

2. To set your day up for success and/or move the needle on high-priority tasks and projects. Think Pareto Principle, 80/20 rule. You are prioritizing the stuff that truly matters early in the morning so that it will have positive impacts and ripple effects for everything else you do later in that day.

Have a rough idea of what you want to do, or a list of “non-negotiables” that you will rotate through and adapt as needed depending on the kind of morning you’re going to have. For instance, I have an “expedited morning routine” on the days my daughter wakes up early with me, and my more “ideal” one where I’m able to flow through the things I want to with more leisure, because my daughter sleeps in.

Ask yourself what would make your future self happy in that given day. What can you do for yourself that would reduce friction for that day and allow you to reserve time and energy for the most important stuff?

Can you prep the ingredients you’ll need for lunch that morning so you won’t have to waste time thinking about what to eat later? Can you prep your workout clothes and put your gym shoes by the door to make stepping out for a quick run that much easier during your work break?

Your morning routine is critical to recharging yourself and setting yourself up for success. It doesn’t really matter what you do, so long as you feel fulfilled and you’ve done the things your future self will thank you for later that day.