I’ve had a lot of readers ask for an update on how we’re doing with the elusive work/life balance we publicly pledged to get a handle on this year. We never planned to work nights, weekends, and even on vacation, but now that both our jobs revolve around a 24/7 internet and our laptops are always nearby, it’s been a challenge.
We thought it would be a good topic to cover while working on the front porch (we’ll have an update on that project tomorrow). The scallops are coming off and the columns are getting boxed in—more on that soon.
We started by acknowledging the problem. It’s been harder to switch off now that our work is always an email or notification away. Talking about it publicly helped, too—there’s nothing like a public promise to push you toward change. We mentioned our goals in a few places and even in a BBC video.
After about four months of working intentionally on balance, we’ve made some meaningful progress. We still work three weekends out of four, but these changes have helped us get more done in less time. Here are the practical strategies that have made the most difference so far:
- Write a clear list of tasks and circle the top five priorities. Focusing on the most important items prevents us from stalling by doing easy, low-priority tasks first. It keeps the big, time-sensitive work from getting pushed aside.
- Be satisfied after completing the five most important things for the day. With shared parenting duties, it often takes most of the day to get to those core tasks. Once they’re done, we resist the urge to add more and work late. Allowing evenings for non-work time—stepping away from the laptop—has been very beneficial.
- Cut down inbox clutter. Between the two of us we get around 200 emails a day. About 30% were junk, so I spent ten minutes unsubscribing from the usual offenders. It’s much nicer to wake up to double-digit emails than triple-digit ones. We also use canned responses in Gmail to reply quickly to common messages.
- Drop to seven posts a week instead of eight. One less post per week sounds small, but over a year it adds up to 52 fewer posts. That gives us a whole evening or weekend day back to spend with family instead of trying to keep up an unsustainable pace.
- Be realistic. We’re only two people. We love what we do and are dedicated, but we can’t do the work of ten. Projects could always be bigger and posts could always have more photos, but we aim to do each task as thoroughly as we can and then hit publish. Producing around 30 posts a month means over-polishing one post can steal time from many others.
We’re still learning, and many friends and relatives seem to have better boundaries—they work set hours and unplug nights, weekends, and vacations. I asked a handful of them how they work smarter, not harder, and gathered their practical advice below.
Emily, a senior booking agent and mother of three, says: Ask for help and build a support network. I spend hours driving kids around, so a carpool system keeps us afloat. Also, have older kids do chores like laundry and lunches. Don’t do for your kids what they can do for themselves.
Cat, a mother of two, says: Put things away as you find them and give everything a place. I carry a laundry basket floor to floor for ten minutes to get stuff put away—deadlines help me focus. I don’t use auto-pay because I like to check bills, but I do pay them immediately so nothing slips.
Roo, a mother of three and humor blogger, says: I use canned responses and helpful Gmail labs. The send + archive button is a lifesaver.
Noah, an artist, author, and new father, says: I aim for inbox zero so email doesn’t become my to-do list. I respond quickly to short messages and sometimes quit my email program or hide notifications when I need focus. I also separate personal and work email to avoid distraction.
Katie, a blogger and mother of two, says: Batch tasks: edit photos for multiple posts at once, spray paint several items in one session, and upload photos for several posts on the same day. I set specific times for comment-reading and writing that align with kids’ sleep or playtimes. I also plan morning activities the night before and keep shredded chicken on hand for quick meals.
Kristin, a freelance copywriter, says: My calendar is my boss. I schedule workouts, lunches, deadlines, and daily work. Seeing the day laid out helps me check things off without overfilling my schedule. I never work on Saturdays—it’s my time.
Megan, a senior marketing director, says: Build strategic systems and plans the first time you do something so the process is laid out for the next time. Evaluate and refine those systems periodically. If a computer can do it faster, let it or learn how to automate it.
Dan, a chemist, says: Multitask efficiently—brush your teeth in the shower or do pushups during commercial breaks so you don’t waste minutes.
Dusty, a quality improvement manager and mother, says: If you love what you do, hard work feels worthwhile. For tasks you hate, it’s fine to outsource—saving time is sometimes the smartest move.
Heather, an advertising art supervisor and mother, says: Be prepared: do research, hire people with the right skills, make a plan and a list, ask questions, and think ahead. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
Nicole, a blogger and mother of two, says: Work more efficiently after becoming a parent. Use canned email responses for pitches, do a little extra work at night if you want a weekday off, and save post drafts with titles or links for future content. A secret Pinterest board is great for bookmarking ideas.
Lisa, operations director and mother of two, says: Use technology. To-do lists, reminders, and calendars on my phone keep the family on track. Menu planning saves time, too.
Diana, a trial attorney and my mom, says: Identify what you want to accomplish, map realistic tasks to get there, and complete them without distraction. I prefer focusing on one task at a time rather than multitasking for better results.
It’s interesting how approaches differ—my brother thrives on multitasking, while my mother prefers single-task focus, which tends to be more effective for me. Now I’m curious about your strategies: how do you work smarter, not harder? Share tips that have worked for you.
Update – We often get asked about professional blogging—how we started, grew our audience, and turned blogging into a full-time job—so we put together a resource detailing how we began the blog, increased traffic, and monetized it.