How to Be Productive as a CEO Mom

Are you looking for advice on how to be productive as a CEO mom? Here, we will tell you how to get more done, be more efficient, and still have time for yourself. These are not quick “hacks” or tips to get more done in one day. Rather, this is a system of productivity. These are bigger picture items that will help you not only be more productive in the short term but also the long term. They will change the way you think, work, and live. This system has helped me scale my million-dollar business, parent my four kids under the age of 7, and run 40-50 miles every week.

1. Change the way you think about yourself.

The first way to be productive as a CEO mom is to change the way you think about yourself. This is the hardest thing to do and yet the most important. And this starts with changing our mindset and the way we talk to ourselves and others.

I love how supportive moms are to one another. But sometimes I think we get in our own way. We pat each other on the back and call each other “super mom” just for getting our kids to school alive. We set the bar low for ourselves and constantly talk about how there is no time and we are too busy. And we all nod along in agreement.

And then we wonder why we are not accomplishing what we set out to accomplish in our lives and our businesses.

If you want to be productive as A CEO mom, the first and most important thing you can do is change the way you think about yourself.

Instead of celebrating doing the bare minimum, challenge yourself to be a self-leader and stop making excuses.

One of the problems—and one of the reasons I am writing this—is because the vast majority of the business books I have read are written by men. They all preach the hustle and the grind. But no one is talking about packing the kids’ lunches, getting the kids to school, giving baths, doing the laundry, going to play dates and birthday parties and classroom events and pediatrician appointments, and cleaning up a sick kid’s vomit at 3 AM.

You can be the best and you can set out to do exactly what you want to accomplish. But first you have to stop looking for excuses, stop celebrating doing the bare minimum, and start raising the bar. You need to gain confidence and think differently about yourself. You need to know that not only can you achieve your goals, you will achieve them. You have all the time and energy you need. Don’t be distracted by the negative self-talk or group think. This is the first step to being productive as CEO mom but also confident in yourself.

Entrepreneur Mom Mindset

There are three ways to change the way you think about yourself:

The first is to find a coach that believes in you.

I have an amazing coach and he said I could “easily get my business to 10 million in revenue”. That was the first time I really believed I could accomplish that goal—hearing someone so accomplished saying the same thing. This changed the way I thought about my business.

The second is to surround yourself with people who do what you strive to do.

If you want to make a million dollars a year or run 50 miles a week that might seem impossible, unless you are around a bunch of other people (better yet, moms) that do it on a regular basis. This is a quick way to change your mindset. Once you are surrounded by others achieving what you want to achieve, it is difficult to deny it can be done.

The third is to change your mindset.

This third way is my personal favorite way to accomplish this goal. Finding a coach you admire is great but what if something happens to the coach? What if they leave or have personal issues that affect your opinion of them? Then your confidence can easily be shaken as well. I also love the idea of hanging out with other awesome accomplished individuals but it is difficult to find this mysterious group of people who are what I strive to be.

I like the third way—changing your mindset and changing the way you think—because instead of looking outside, you look inside. It is harder work and it requires a true internal shift. But once it happens you are unstoppable.

So how do you change the way you think?

There are multiple ways.

First, question your thoughts using Byron Katie’s method.

This is my favorite way to change my mindset. Print out a binder of Byron Katie’s worksheets. Make sure you listen to her podcast. She has a method that is essentially a few steps.

First, notice and witness what is bothering you. In this case, it would be a thought you have about yourself or your team. (For example, “I am not good at making sales because I am not confident.”)
Second, you write your thoughts down on a “judge-your-neighbor” worksheet in an unfiltered fashion!
Third you ask yourself four questions: Is it true? Can you absolutely know that it is true? How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? Who would you be without that thought? (“When I think this, I feel unsure of myself. My heart races and I forget what I was going to say. If I didn’t have this thought I might be more confident, less nervous, and more energetic when I talk to clients.”)
Lastly, you turn the thought around. Is the opposite as true as or truer than the original thought? (“I am good at making sales because I am not confident (and so don’t come off as a typical sales person).” Or “I am good at making sales because I am confident (in the product)”.)

Use visualization.

Visualize yourself as an effective, creative, productive CEO mom. Visualize yourself as having the mindset, energy, and life you strive to have.

Use affirmations.

You are always talking to yourself and have a constant inner dialogue. So change any negative self-talk you have. Start using affirmations such as “I am a confident CEO mom who has enough time to do everything I need to do.”

Fake it until you make it.

If you want to be confident, ask: what would I look like if I were really confident at this? Then act like it. You will find yourself gaining confidence over time. You can do the same thing with any adjective you wish: courageous, patient, productive, etc.

Gain confidence through achieving small milestone goals (whether or not they are related to work).

For example, I had a goal to regularly run 40 miles per week. At the time, this seemed out of reach. I was running about 15 miles per week and always seemed to be injuring myself. But I built up my mileage each week, bought the best pair of running shoes I could find, and slowly began consistently running 40 miles per week. This was a huge confidence boost. I had not made any major transformations to my routine until I started doing this. It gave me the confidence I can accomplish my goals at work too.

Do small things that help you set a new standard.

Make it a goal to always raise the bar, go the extra mile, and set a new standard. The way you do the little things is the way you do everything. I make it a goal to start my day as exceptionally as possible and by going the extra mile. For example, I’ll take out the trash even though it is my husband’s “job.” I’ll clean up the living room. I will pack my kids a healthy lunch. We’ll pick up litter on our walk to school. I’ll run 8 miles though I planned on 6 (literally going the extra mile(s)!).

These are small things. Most take five minutes or less. But they help us change the way we think about ourselves. If we start our day like this, we are already on a high of being productive, self-leaders. And we will bring that to work with us.

Changing the way you think about yourself takes time and effort but it is literally the key to changing everything about your life.

If you imagine yourself as a confident, efficient, productive CEO mom, that is exactly what you will be. But if you imagine yourself as a harried mom with endless chores, no patience, no time to exercise, and an uncreative, inefficient mindset at work, that is also exactly who you will be. If you want to be productive as a CEO mom, your mindset comes first.

2. Put yourself first and stop making excuses.

Want to be productive as a CEO mom? Want to also improve your confidence, your creativity, your focus, and your energy?

Put yourself first.

As a working mom, you have every excuse in the world to not do the two most important things you can do for yourself—taking care of your physical and mental health.

Here are a list of excuses you are probably thinking of right now:

I’m too exhausted. I don’t have childcare. The house is a mess. I’ll “start fresh on Monday.” I’m already overwhelmed. I’m too busy. The kids are up. Or the kids are sick. The kids are being annoying. My significant other is out of town. Or I am single and doing everything myself.

Stop with the excuses. If you do not take care of your mental health and physical health, you are going to be a frazzled exhausted mess and everyone will pay for it, especially your kids.

So prioritize mental health and physical health EVERY DAY.

How to prioritize mental health

There are a variety of ways you can boost your mental health, including all of the above methods I mentioned to change your mindset. Additional ways include:

Meditating
Sitting in silence
Prayer
Reading poetry, self-help books, or anything that inspires you

Spend 20-30 minutes each morning on this.

I typically journal and read poetry. I find it recharges me. But sometimes I listen to a meditation app or practice affirmations. The point is to set aside time for it every day.

If you need other mental health resources like therapy or medication, it goes without saying that those things should be a top priority.

How to prioritize physical health

Do something that challenges you and gets your heart racing.

Some moms go on walks together as their “workouts”. I overhear them having full-out conversations. That tells me walking is not really challenging. If that is the case, while it may be fun and it may be an addition to your workout routine, it should not be your entire workout routine. Try running, swimming, or something else. If you can have a whole conversation while you are doing it, it probably is not intense enough exercise.

Whatever your workout routine is, set a new goal for yourself—one that feels out of reach. Then start to increase your workout routine by about 5% or 10% each week (or whatever your doctor recommends). I remember a couple of years ago I talked to a friend that ran 7-10 miles a day and I was honestly shocked he could do that. I ran about 3 miles a day. The few times I ran 10 miles at a time I felt exhausted and needed the rest of the day off!

So about six months ago, I decided to challenge myself. Over time, I doubled my workout routine and now I run about 40+ miles per week—and I frequently run 10 miles at a time—and I’m not exhausted! In fact, I feel the opposite. Nothing has helped my confidence, clarity or energy levels more. I feel great about myself, my day, and have never been a better parent or CEO.

Now I know what you’re thinking.

Your mind is going back to your list of excuses. “But my kids get up early, my kids don’t let me sleep through the night, also my husband gets up early and cannot help in the morning, or I am a single parent, and I am not a morning person, and I am tired, and it is not feasible for me, plus I work 60 hours a week…”

I have four kids, including a baby. My kids range from less than one year to 7 years old. I am a CEO of a million dollar company that I founded. If I can run 40+ miles a week and spend time on my mental and physical health each morning, so can you.

Stop looking for reasons you cannot.

Start looking for how to get it done.

And question any thoughts that arise. We moms are famous for our mom guilt. And sometimes we have this hidden, barely conscious thought:

We think that by putting ourselves last we are putting others first.

The truth is, when we put ourselves last, we lower the bar for everyone and everything around us. If we want to raise others up, we need to stand as tall as we can ourselves, first.

We need to start asking ourselves: how will I do this?

Taking care of your mental and physical health first is the most important thing you can do each day to be productive as a CEO mom and effective as a parent. If you are mentally unwell, you cannot possibly be fully there for your kids. If you are not prioritizing your physical health, you also are risking time you could be fully present with your kids. Set a good example and prioritize these two things first thing, every day.

You will find yourself being more patient, productive, efficient, energetic, and confident. Your days will be more focused. You will spend time on what matters.

3. Make the morning work for you.

I probably don’t have to be the one to say this: once your first child gets up, all bets are off.

Do the most important things you have to do every day before they get up. (Hint: in case you forgot, the two most important things are taking care of your mental and physical health.)

CEO Mom Morning Routine

How do you actually implement this?

First, set recurring tasks in your calendar.

Every weekday I block 4:15 AM – 4:45 AM as my time to journal and read or complete a worksheet from Byron Katie’s site. Then from 4:45 – 6:30 AM I set aside time to stretch for ten minutes and run about 6-10 miles depending on the day. Taking care of my mental and physical health is the most important, most nonnegotiable part of my day. When my baby was younger (she is ten months now), I would get up at 3:30 AM some days to ensure I got this time in each morning. It is that important.

Second, start each day with a “Day One” mentality.

It is easy to feel energized on Day One of any routine or goal. We are more likely to accomplish our goals on Monday morning than Friday morning. Every day when you wake up, tell yourself it is Day One and you will conquer your list with renewed energy. Do not press snooze. Do not engage in negative self-talk. There is no better way to be productive as a CEO mom than telling yourself it is Day One.

You can take it one step further, and pretend you are being watched. If you act as though someone is watching you, you will behave as the best version of yourself.

And, don’t forget, someone is watching you. You are watching yourself. And your opinion of yourself matters more than anyone else’s. It will affect your entire day.

Third, keep score.

We all act differently when we are keeping score. And the problem with merely “time blocking” is that it is focused on exactly that—the time it takes instead of the outcome you desire. Instead of thinking of how much time you spend exercising, for example, think of what you accomplish.

For example, instead of saying “I will run for an hour” (which means I will go on a slow-paced jog and constantly look at my watch!) I say, “I will run 8 miles.” All the sudden, I am running faster because I know I have to get to the eight-mile mark before I stop. I am not staring at my clock. I am focusing on my goals. This extends to work. Don’t say, “I will optimize marketing during this two-hour block” Come up with a list of tasks to barrel through. Then go grab another cup of coffee and do it.

If you focus on the task, you will be productive. If you focus on the time, you will slog through it.

Some of the many advantages of a great CEO mom morning routine are the following:

You will start your day with confidence. Your morning routine affects your whole day. It casts a new light on everything you do.
You will have increased focus and creativity. By prioritizing your mental and physical health, you will be in the right mindset for the rest of the day.
You will have renewed energy. This may be counterintuitive but even on days I run 10+ miles, I am more energetic throughout the day. I already know I have accomplished something difficult and this fuels my day.
You will feel better about your body. If you are prioritizing your physical health, you will notice changes, whether that is increased strength, flexibility, or cardio.
You will naturally develop better habits throughout the day and evening. I have found myself eating less at night, drinking less overall, and making better choices throughout the day because I know I will be getting up early to go on a long run.
It sets a great example for your kids. We often neglect ourselves and convince ourselves we are doing it “for our kids.” But if we really want to be there for our kids, we need to prioritize our physical and mental health—not only because it puts us in a better mindset for them but also because it sets a great example. We want them to put their physical and mental health above anything else—and so we should do the same.

Ask yourself this question…

Think about what time you typically wake up during the week. Now, think about what you do when you wake up an hour early. Maybe you get something done around the house or cross some items off your list.

Think about what time you typically go to bed. Now, think about what you do if you go to bed an hour later. You probably are watching TV, scrolling on social media, or eating junk food.

Aim to get up early. Instead of having that extra hour at night, move it to the morning. Take advantage of the time that you are the most productive. And eliminate the time of day that does not serve you.

4. Work less and work better.

If you are looking to be productive as a CEO mom, you probably wish there were more hours in a day. Every day I wish I had more time to get done what I need to at work. I would love to have an extra hour each day.

But the truth is: when you are already working eight or more hours a day, having an extra hour here or there is not going to make a huge difference in your ability to get things done. In fact, diminishing returns set in. Nobody likes to admit this but we can only do “deep work” for about four hours a day, according to Cal Newport. And that is if we are really trained to enter the “flow” state. Most of us are not.

So let’s think about time differently. Instead of wishing for more time, in fact, let’s look at what we would do if we have less time. Let’s work less and make it more effective.

How?

There are two things you need to do as a CEO of your own company. First, take a day or at least a half day off of work to get some distance from it. Second, question all of the tasks on your plate so that you can allocate appropriately. Let’s take these each in turn.

Take a day off of work.

If you are looking to be productive as a CEO mom, this may sound counterintuitive. But, the reason you started your own company or became CEO was not so that you could be a slave to the clock. Think back to why you decided to work for yourself. You probably wanted to be able to pick up your kids from school. Or go to a long lunch in the middle of the day. Or not be beholden to a boss. But most likely the opposite has happened. You cannot imagine taking time off. Instead of being beholden to a single person (your boss) you are on call for 100 people (your clients, your vendors, your contractors, your employees). You may not even take time off. Frankly, there is too much to do!

So, look two weeks ahead into your calendar and take a day off. Think of what you would find fun to do. Maybe you want to go hiking, go to a beach, get that long lunch, go to a baseball game, get a massage. Plan ahead. Put the off day in your calendar so everyone can see it. Then, when the day comes, put your away message on and do not check your emails, your slack messages, or anything work related.

You will see by the end of the day that everything is actually fine. Your employees may feel empowered to figure out things for themselves. Others may even be relieved you do not get back to them right away.

Reevaluate what you are working on.

After a day off of work, you will hopefully be in a lighter state of mind and better able to view your tasks from a bird’s-eye view.

So now, either at the end of the day or the next morning, have a true brainstorming session and take some time to ask yourself these questions. Sit with them. Go for a walk and think about them. Write down possible answers.

What 20% of what I am doing leads to 80% of my results? Chances are, 20% of your time is being spent the most effectively. Chances are, 20% of your time is leading to 80% of your income, results, and profits. Chances are, there are things you can delegate, omit, or put off. Chances are, this is 80% of what you are doing. If you want to be productive as a CEO mom, start eliminating that 80%.
What would my week look like if I only worked 20 hours a week? What about 8? What about 4? While you may never significantly reduce your hours, asking yourself these questions can be an extremely useful exercise. Maybe you do not have to write those blog articles. Or do that marketing campaign. Or keep those high maintenance clients.
How can I accomplish my annual goal in one month? What would I need to do? What would I work on? What would I not work on? You may not actually do this (or maybe you will!). The point is that by asking the question you start to think about where you really make an impact. You start to think bigger and bolder.

Finally, ask this important question…

How can I get back to my “roots” of why I started this company? What did I want in terms of flexibility and freedom? How do I get that? If you are feeling like you have the opposite of a flexible and free schedule, time to get back to the beginning. What are you working on that can be given to someone else? Or eliminated altogether? Are there any clients that are so tough to work with that it is easier to simply cut them loose? What small changes can you make that will make a big difference?

It is not necessarily important that you have answers to all of these questions.

Sometimes the questions—and the act of questioning your schedule—is more important than the answer you arrive at. Questioning puts you in a different mindset. You are not taking anything for granted. Everything is on the table. And that means everything can be swept off of it. It may take some time for the answers to come. But the seeds have been planted.

5. Don’t just delegate, eliminate.

If you are looking to be productive as a CEO mom it is critical that you are not doing everything yourself. Take a look at everything you have to do the next week and go on a hunt for time.

Ask yourself, “how can I find two more hours in my week?” Or even, “how can I find eight more hours?”

You may find some answers naturally just by asking the questions. If you still have trouble, ask yourself these questions.

What can I delegate to someone else?

First let’s start with household tasks. These are time consuming and frankly may be easier to delegate than something at work. Consider the following options of who you can delegate to.

Your kids. They can help you and it is good for them to help you. I have my kids help fold the laundry, match socks, clean up the floor, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Depending on your kids age, they may actually be able to help quite a bit. Sometimes it seems like “more work” to have them help you, but in the long run, it is less work and you are teaching them to be helpful members of the household.
Your significant other. You may find your partner to be surprisingly agreeable to taking on tasks if you simply ask!
Parents. My mom takes my older kids to every soccer practice and game. It is a life saver. It is win-win because she loves soccer and I hate it! It is great for them to have someone there who is so encouraging and she loves to spend the extra time with them, cheering on their team.
Outside help. One of the best decisions I made this year was to hire someone to come a few hours a week and do a lot of the little things that add up. She folds and puts away the laundry. She makes kids lunches. She packs snacks. She organizes my pantry and shoe closet and the kids drawers. She returns things we need to return to the store. She gets groceries. She literally saves me hours each week and helps me live in a house that is more organized. I am less stressed out because of it.

Time is more important than money.

It is sometimes hard to pay someone to do something you could “just as easily do and save money”. But what is more valuable than money is time. You can make more money. You can never get time back.

Now turn to your work tasks. It is hard to delegate work tasks because certainly you are the best at everything and if you don’t do it, it will not get done correctly.

Just kidding. Lol.

If you found yourself nodding along to that statement, go back to that Byron Katie page and do some worksheets!

Look at every single task on your list and imagine how you can get it off your plate. You should be able to move, at a minimum, 20% of your tasks.

Can you hire someone on upwork to do video editing, social media, blog, website-related things?
Can you hire a contractor or vendor?
Can you give additional tasks to your employees?

When you delegate, you are not handing over the task and forgetting about it. You are still responsible for the outcome. You are just delegating the work.

A few tips for delegation:

Create a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with instructions. Better yet, have a written document and a video. If you do not have a clear SOP, you cannot fault someone for doing something differently than you would have. Checklists can be very effective.
Once you have your SOP, go to Chat GPT and ask what is confusing or unclear. Modify accordingly.
As part of your SOP, include deliverables. For example, instead of adding it to your list to check in on the person you are delegating the task to, add it to their list to check in with you and prove they are doing the task. I have my contractors send me weekly emails summarizing what they have done.

What can I get rid of?

The problem with delegation is that you are still organizing everything. You are still the one carrying the invisible burden and in charge of whatever you are delegating.

So instead of just delegating, see if there is anything you can completely take off your plate. For example, my kids play baseball. I love baseball but I cannot handle organizing another sport. So, this year, I asked my husband to take it over. He is responsible for signing them up, getting them gear, and getting them to practices and games. I will frequently help. For example, I often take my youngest to T-ball and I do the snack sign-up since he asks me to. But, I am helping him. I am not in charge of yet another thing. It effectively takes it off my plate.

Another option is just to eliminate something altogether or not do it at all. My kids love swimming but we gave it up for a year because of everything else going on.

The fastest way to do something is to not do it at all.

If you are looking to be productive as a CEO mom, don’t focus on short-term hacks. Start with changing the way you think about yourself, prioritizing your mental health and physical health first thing in the morning, and focusing on working less but more effectively. Prioritize. Delegate. Eliminate. Lather, rinse, repeat.

It is not about short-term wins. It is about crafting a system that changes the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you work and live.