I met Laura more than a decade ago when she was pregnant with her first child and about to publish her first book. As I have watched her incredible career blossom over the years, I have often stopped to wonder how she does it. It can easily feel like Laura is a new kind of female superhero who the rest of us couldn’t possibly attempt to emulate.
What I love about diving into Laura’s work is her penchant for delivering exceptionally actionable time/life hacks in a straight-forward manner. All too often purveyors of advice dispense it with a bit of a “view from the mountain” approach. There is a sense of being spoken down to—literally and figuratively. Alternatively, there is the “guru” whose words are so wrapped in fluff that you leave floating on a cloud and then wonder why you fall flat when trying to implement their recommendations. It’s very different with Laura. She presents her research and insights in a no-nonsense manner, letting the facts—not her tone—inspire you to take action.
I still struggle mightily with time-management. But thanks to Laura’s work, I own it entirely. And each time I screw up on the time front, I go back to one of Laura’s core tenants and try and identify why that unproductive habit is serving me and what proactive approach I can put in its place. That, in turn, makes me feel that I’m in control, and there is hope that one day my innate mindset will be one of time abundance.
Manisha’s Top Takeaways
- If you find that you don’t have time for something, it’s not a priority.
I realized that each time I used the phrase “I don’t have time,” I was referring to something that was low priority or that I simply didn’t want to do. That’s why I love Laura’s suggestion that if something is not enjoyable for you to do, you owe it to yourself to find a way to change it. What struck me was her point that “change it” doesn’t always mean you don’t do it; perhaps it means you do it right now so you never have to do it again! [12:09]
- “Must be nice” is a common indication from people of resistance to changing their behavior.
On the surface, those three words can easily seem like a throwaway sarcastic comment. For ages, I was one of those people who would roll my eyes at someone who said they had plenty of time. What I learned from this interview with Laura is the power of learning from, rather than being envious of, those who have structured their lives to experience things that you may not. [9:30]
- The power of little adventures every day
Laura’s found that the people who have the most abundant views of time are the ones who habitually incorporate little adventures into their daily lives. As Laura put it, “When we do cool stuff, we remember it. When we remember it, we create memories. When we have more memories, life feels more rich and full.” When you remember adventures and experiences on a regular basis, you end up feeling, as a general state of mind, as if you have more time. [15:00]
Other Major Topics
- The genre of book that doesn’t have a lot of women-focused plot lines [5:00]
- What is wrong with a lot of non-fiction books these days [08:00]
- The small change that transformed the way Laura spends one joy-filled hour each day [16:45]
Resources Cited in the Episode
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