time management

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June 13, 2026

Why Everything Feels Urgent (Even When It Isn’t)

Have you ever felt behind before the day even started? A text message needs a response. An email is marked urgent. The kids need to be somewhere. Work deadlines are approaching. News alerts demand attention. Notifications appear faster than you can clear them. Modern life often feels like a never-ending race against the clock. The problem is that urgency and importance are not the same thing. Many of the situations that trigger stress, anxiety, and panic are not true emergencies at all. They are manufactured deadlines, social expectations, poor planning, competing priorities, or simply the feeling that everything must happen immediately. Understanding the difference between what is urgent and what is truly important can dramatically reduce stress, improve decision-making, and help you focus on what actually matters.

May 15, 2026

Debugging Your Daily Routine Will Save You Time and Money

Debugging your daily routine will save you time and money. But I'm willing to bet you haven't debugged your day in...oh, forever. You may not even know how to debug your daily routine or what debugging is. Debugging, simply put, is the act of finding, isolating, and fixing errors. Usually, it refers to the laborious task software engineers would take when things don't work properly. For us, it's a powerful productivity tool that brings immediate benefit to your time and money.

January 6, 2023

How to Make an Effective To-Do List That Increases Productivity

Almost everyone has a to-do list, whether it's written on paper, stored in an app, or floating around in their head. The problem isn't usually having too many things to do. It's knowing what deserves your attention first. A good to-do list isn't simply a collection of tasks. It's a decision-making tool. It helps reduce mental clutter, prioritize meaningful work, and keep important responsibilities from slipping through the cracks. Over the years, I've developed a simple system that helps me stay organized without overcomplicating the process. In this guide, I'll show you how I build my daily to-do lists, the mistakes that make most lists ineffective, and why one small habit has consistently made me more productive.

November 30, 2022

The Productivity System I Use as an Engineer (That Works at Home Too)

For years I've worked as an engineer while balancing marriage, raising three children, writing this website, exercising, and pursuing hobbies like piano. People occasionally ask how I stay productive without constantly feeling overwhelmed. The answer isn't that I'm naturally organized or that I have endless energy. It's that I've gradually built a simple productivity system centered on priorities rather than perfection. Over time I've realized productivity isn't about getting everything done. It's about consistently making progress on the things that matter most. Here's the framework I use both at work and at home.

September 8, 2022

How to Audit Your Time and Stop Wasting Your Day

Most people know where their money goes. Far fewer know where their time goes. We finish a week wondering why we didn't exercise, spend more time with family, make progress on important goals, or accomplish what we intended. Yet when we look back, it's often difficult to explain exactly where the hours disappeared. The problem isn't always a lack of time. More often, it's a lack of awareness. One of the most effective ways to improve productivity, reduce distractions, and align your schedule with your priorities is surprisingly simple: conduct a time audit. For one week, track how you spend your time and compare your actions to what you say matters most. The results can be eye-opening.

August 18, 2020

Heather Macht on Writing, Publishing, and Finding Time to Create

How do authors continue creating books while balancing careers, family responsibilities, and unexpected life challenges? Children's book author Heather Macht understands that challenge firsthand. As a traditionally published author, healthcare technology professional, parent, and active member of the children's publishing community, she has learned how to pursue creative goals even when time is limited and circumstances are less than ideal. In this interview, Heather shares insights into publishing with Pelican Publishing, launching books, managing a busy schedule, staying productive during periods of disruption, and continuing to write despite competing demands. Whether you're an aspiring author, working professional, or creative trying to find more time for your craft, you'll find practical encouragement throughout her journey.

March 3, 2020

What It’s Really Like to Be a Children’s Book Author-Illustrator

Many aspiring creators dream about publishing books for children, but few understand what life actually looks like once those dreams begin becoming reality. Behind every published picture book are deadlines, revisions, school visits, creative challenges, business decisions, and years spent developing both craft and career. In this interview, author-illustrator Shanda McCloskey shares an honest look at the realities of children's publishing, including creativity, time management, school visits, technology, illustration, and navigating the ups and downs of a professional creative career. Whether you're an aspiring author, illustrator, or simply curious about the publishing industry, her journey offers valuable lessons about persistence, growth, and building a creative life.

September 18, 2019

Why Making Lists Brings Order to Chaos and Improves Productivity

Have you ever had trouble falling asleep because your brain is on overdrive? It's hard to turn off the switch when so many things need our attention. Human beings cannot think two thoughts at the exact same time. We can move between thoughts incredibly quickly, and we can act upon multiple thoughts at the same time (like compound exercises), but our brains are literally unable to take two inputs and process them at once. It's this natural proclivity to become overwhelmed that results in the effectiveness of making lists.