Episode 44 - The 5 Hidden Productivity Killers Every High-Achieving Woman Needs to Know (And How to Stop Them Today)
Welcome to Episode 44 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
What if the behaviors you think make you productive and responsible are actually stealing hours from your life every single day? If you're a high-achieving woman who feels like you're constantly busy but never getting ahead, always researching the perfect decision, or doing everything yourself because "it's easier that way," this episode reveals the five sneaky time thieves sabotaging your success and gives you a proven framework to stop them immediately.
What You’ll Learn:
The 5 invisible time thieves that disguise themselves as productivity and responsibility
Why perfectionist paralysis keeps you stuck in research mode instead of taking action
How being a "control freak" actually traps you in a prison of your own making
Why your "money-saving" mindset is costing you precious hours every week
The difference between numbing stress and actually feeding your energy
How to give yourself decision deadlines that eliminate analysis paralysis
Why 80% done by someone else beats 100% done by you when it matters
By the end of this episode, you'll identify which time thief is stealing the most from your life and have specific strategies to catch them in the act before they rob you of another day.
Free Resource:
Grab your Time Audit Workbook - your personal detective kit for identifying exactly where your time is going and creating a personalized plan to stop these thieves: timeforliving.co/takingcontrol
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READY FOR MORE:
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Final Thought:
You're not broken, lazy, or bad at time management - you're just letting thieves steal what belongs to you. Now that you know who they are, you can stop them. Your transformation starts with catching just one thief this week.
TRANSCRIPT - The 5 Hidden Productivity Killers Every High-Achieving Woman Needs to Know (And How to Stop Them Today)
IntroductioN
Hey there, my friend. Grab your coffee or tea if you’re me, get comfortable, because what we're talking about today is going to completely change how you see your time - and honestly, it might make you a little mad at first. If this is your first time here on Time For Living, welcome. You're about to discover why you feel like you're drowning even though you're incredibly capable.
So picture this with me: It's 6:47 PM on a Tuesday. You know that moment when you look up from whatever you're doing and realize the day is basically over? If you're in corporate, you're still at your desk with that familiar pit in your stomach, knowing you should leave but feeling like you can't. If you're working from home, you're trying to wrap up a client call while your kids are asking for snacks, and somehow you feel guilty about both - not being fully present for your kids AND not being fully focused on work. If you're a stay-at-home mom, you're standing in your kitchen looking at the mess that magically reappeared even though you cleaned it this morning, wondering where the day went.
Your phone buzzes - it's your partner asking what shall we have dinner. And you literally haven't thought about it. Not once. Meanwhile, your brain is ping-ponging between the presentation you need to finish, the permission slip you forgot to sign, the bills sitting on your counter, and somewhere in the very back of your mind, that book you bought three months ago that's still sitting on your nightstand with the bookmark on page 12.
Can we just be honest for a second? This is exhausting. And I know you're sitting there thinking, "If I could just get more organized, if I could just manage my time better, if I could just figure out the right system..." But here's what nobody's telling you: you're not the problem. Your time management isn't broken. You're not lazy or incapable.
You're being robbed. Every single day, there are five specific thieves stealing your time, your energy, and your dreams. And the worst part? You're helping them do it because you think you're being productive, responsible, thorough.
I've worked with lots of women just like you - Sarah, the marketing executive who told me through tears, "I feel like I'm running on a hamster wheel. I'm moving so fast, working so hard, but I'm not getting anywhere that actually matters to me." Jennifer, the work-from-home consultant and mom who said, "I thought working from home would give me more flexibility, but instead I feel like I'm always on. I'm either working or momming, and there's no time for me." Michelle, the stay-at-home mom who confessed, "People think I have all the time in the world, but I'm busier than I ever was in corporate. I have all these dreams, but there's never time."
Do you hear yourself in their stories? Because here's what I discovered that changed everything - not just for me, but for every woman I've worked with who's gone from overwhelmed to actually having time for what matters.
The Aha Moment
The breakthrough happened on what I now call my "Tuesday morning revelation." But let me back up and tell you what led to it, because I bet you'll see yourself in this story.
I was sitting in my home office, staring at my computer screen, feeling this familiar frustration building in my chest. I'd been working on this project for three weeks. THREE WEEKS. And every time I sat down to move forward, I'd find myself researching one more option, comparing one more feature, reading one more review. I kept telling myself I needed to be thorough, that I needed all the information before I could make the right decision.
Meanwhile, this project was taking up mental real estate 24/7. I'd think about it while making dinner, while helping my kiddo with his homework, while trying to fall asleep. The stress was leaking into everything - I was shorter with my family, I was procrastinating on other things, and I was beating myself up for not being able to just figure it out.
That Tuesday morning, I caught myself opening yet another browser tab to research yet another option, and something clicked. This wasn't being thorough - this was being a time thief. I was literally stealing time from myself, from my family, from my dreams, and I was disguising it as being responsible.
Once I saw this pattern, I couldn't unsee it. I started noticing it everywhere - in my clients, in my friends, in successful women all around me. The executive who spent three weeks researching project management software while her team struggled with chaos. The work-from-home mom who researched preschools for six months while stressing about childcare every single day. The stay-at-home mom who spent hours planning the perfect birthday party while her kid just wanted to play with friends.
We were all doing the same thing: sabotaging our own time in predictable, specific ways, and then wondering why we felt so behind on everything that actually mattered.
But here's where it gets really powerful: once you can name what's stealing your time, you can stop it. Once you can see the thief, you can catch them in the act. And I discovered there are exactly five time thieves that operate in the lives of high-achieving women - whether you're managing teams, clients, or households - and every single one of them can be stopped.
The transformation from recognizing these patterns to actually addressing them? That's where your freedom lives. That's where your dreams become possible again.
The Transformation Method
Alright, let me introduce you to the five time thieves that are operating in your life right now, and more importantly, exactly how to stop them. As I go through these, I want you to notice which ones make you go "Oh my, that's me."
Time Thief #1: The Perfectionist Paralysis
This is the thief that whispers, "You need more information. You need to research every option. You need to make the perfect decision." So instead of making a good decision quickly, you're making perfect decisions slowly - or not at all.
My client Lisa, a working mom and marketing director, spent three weeks researching project management software for her team. Three weeks! She read every review, compared every feature, made spreadsheets. Meanwhile, her team was drowning in chaos, missing deadlines, and she was stressed about their inefficiency. But she was also spending hours researching the "best" lunch boxes for her kids while they were eating lunch in whatever containers she could find.
Here's your transformation strategy, and I want you to implement this immediately: Give yourself decision deadlines. For small decisions - what to make for dinner, which activities to sign the kids up for, what to wear to that meeting - 24 hours maximum. For bigger decisions - job changes, major purchases, school choices - one week. Set a reminder, gather enough information to make a good decision, and then decide.
Remember this: A good decision made quickly is infinitely better than a perfect decision made too late. Your kids don't need the perfect lunch box - they need lunch. Your team doesn't need the perfect software - they need a system that works.
Time Thief #2: The Reactive Rusher
This thief operates at the complete opposite extreme. You make rapid decisions under pressure because you're so busy, then spend weeks or months dealing with the consequences. You hire the first babysitter you interview because you're desperate. You say yes to volunteer opportunities without thinking them through because you feel guilty saying no. You commit to playdates that don't work with your schedule because you don't want to seem difficult.
Instead of rushing through decisions, you're going to create what I call "pause power." Before any decision - whether it's a work commitment, a weekend plan, or even what to have for dinner - ask yourself these three questions: What's the real deadline? What are the consequences of waiting 24 hours? What information do I actually need versus what would be nice to have?
Most of the time, you'll realize you have more time than you think, and that extra 24 hours will save you weeks of cleanup later.
Time Thief #3: The Control Freak
Oh, this one's big. This thief whispers, "If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself." You're micromanaging your team, over-explaining every task to your virtual assistant, redoing the kids' chores instead of teaching them properly, handling all the household management instead of sharing the load with your partner.
You think you're being helpful, but you're actually creating a prison where you're irreplaceable, which means you're trapped.
Here's your transformation: Start with one small task this week. If you're in corporate, delegate a project completely. Write down the outcome you want, not the process. Then step back. If you're a work-from-home mom, let your partner handle bedtime routine their way. If you're a stay-at-home mom, let your kids pack their own school bags. Yes, it might be done differently than you would do it. But 80% done by someone else is better than 100% done by you when you don't have time for what really matters.
Time Thief #4: The Scarcity Spender
This thief convinces you that spending money on help, tools, or systems is wasteful. You'll spend three hours doing something a virtual assistant could do for $50. You'll use a free tool that wastes hours of your time instead of investing in something that actually works. This might look like spending hours clipping coupons to save $10 instead of batch-cooking meals that save you hours each week.
Here's how you stop this thief: Calculate your hourly rate. If you're salaried, take your annual salary and divide it by 2,080 hours. If you're not currently earning, assign a value to your time - what would you want to earn per hour? Now ask yourself: Is this task worth my hourly rate? If not, delegate it, automate it, or eliminate it.
Your time is your most valuable asset. Protect it like you would protect your money.
Time Thief #5: The Burnout Bandaid
This is the thief I see most often, and it's the sneakiest. This thief convinces you to "reward" yourself for hard work with activities that actually drain your energy. The glass of wine that becomes three glasses. The online shopping that becomes hours of browsing. The social media check that becomes a scroll session. It might look like staying up late watching Netflix because it's the only "me time" you get, then being exhausted the next day.
Instead of numbing stress, you're going to start feeding your energy. This week, replace one burnout bandaid with something that actually energizes you. Maybe it's a walk, a bath, calling a friend, or reading a few pages of a book. It also might mean asking for 30 minutes of help with the kids so you can do something that truly refreshes you.
As you implement these strategies, you'll notice something amazing: time starts to expand. Not because you have more hours, but because you're using the hours you have intentionally instead of letting these thieves steal them.
Life on the Other Side
Now I want you to close your eyes for a second and picture your life six months from now, after you've identified and stopped these five time thieves.
Your typical Tuesday looks completely different. You wake up feeling rested instead of already behind. You check your calendar and see white space - actual breathing room between meetings, appointments, or activities. When someone asks for your time - whether it's your boss with a last-minute project, a client with an urgent request, or another parent asking you to volunteer for something - you pause and consider whether it aligns with your priorities instead of automatically saying yes.
You make decisions efficiently. When you need to hire someone for work, choose a babysitter, or decide on summer camps, you spend one focused afternoon reviewing options instead of three weeks of analysis paralysis. You trust your team to handle projects without your constant oversight. You trust your partner to manage their share of household tasks their way. You trust your kids to handle age-appropriate responsibilities. This means you can focus on strategy instead of micromanagement, on connection instead of control.
You invest in tools and support that save you time because you understand that your time is your most valuable asset. Maybe that's a meal delivery service, a cleaning service, or project management software. You have systems that work for you instead of against you.
Most importantly, you have energy at the end of the day for what matters most to you. You're reading that book - not just buying it and letting it sit on your nightstand. You're taking that class you've been thinking about. You're planning that trip instead of just talking about it. And as a mom, you're actually enjoying bedtime stories instead of rushing through them because you're not exhausted from doing everything yourself.
You feel in control of your time instead of controlled by it. When people ask how you manage to do so much while seeming so calm - whether you're juggling corporate responsibilities, running a business from home, or managing a household - you'll smile and think about the five time thieves you used to let run your life.
Your relationships improve because you're present instead of distracted. Your work improves because you're focused instead of scattered. Your health improves because you make time for what nourishes you instead of what depletes you. Your parenting improves because you're responding from a place of calm instead of reacting from overwhelm.
This isn't about having more time - it's about protecting the time you have from these sneaky thieves who've been stealing your dreams one hour at a time.
The best part? You don't need to overhaul your entire life to start seeing results. You just need to catch these thieves in the act and stop them before they steal another day.
This could be your reality starting today. Not someday when you're less busy. Not next month when things slow down. Today.
Your Workbook Access
Alright, here's your challenge for this week, and I want you to pick just one. Don't try to fix everything at once - that's another form of time theft.
Pick one of these five time thieves and catch them in the act. Maybe you recognize yourself in the Perfectionist Paralysis, spending too long researching decisions. Maybe you're the Control Freak, doing everything yourself instead of empowering your team, your partner, or your children. Whatever it is, choose one and commit to stopping them this week.
Make one decision quickly instead of perfectly. Delegate one task completely. Invest in one tool that saves you time. Say no to one commitment that doesn't align with your priorities. Replace one burnout bandaid with something that actually energizes you.
Your transformation starts with awareness, and awareness starts with paying attention to how you're actually spending your time versus how you want to be spending it.
If you're ready to dive deeper and create a complete transformation, I've created something specifically for women like you - whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, building a business from home, or managing the most important job of all: raising the next generation. It's called Taking Control of Your time, and it's your tool for identifying exactly where your time is going and where these thieves are operating in your life.
This isn't just another time management tool - it's your personal detective kit for catching these thieves red-handed and stopping them before they steal another hour of your dreams.
You can grab your copy at timeforliving.co/takingcontrol, I’ll link in the show notes. It's completely free, and it will walk you through a step-by-step process to identify your priorities, audit your time, and create a personalized plan.
Remember: you're not broken, you're not lazy, and you're not bad at time management. You're just letting thieves steal what belongs to you. And now that you know who they are, you can stop them.
Your after story starts now. Go catch those thieves.