04 Mar Time Management Mastery for Midlife Women from High Performance Coach Sandi Glandt

How do we get it allllllll done?! In a world where we’re constantly trying to balance career ambitions, family responsibilities, self-care routines, and personal goals, the feeling of overwhelm has become all too familiar. The common refrain “I don’t have time” echoes in our minds as we juggle multiple priorities, often leaving us feeling behind, lacking motivation, and burnt out.

Productivity expert and high-performance coach Sandi Glandt shared her strategies for “slaying your day”. As someone who manages to run a successful coaching business, raise two young children, compete in fitness competitions, and even win a pageant (Mrs. International), all while maintaining a structured and balanced life, Sandi offers invaluable insights for anyone feeling overwhelmed by their daily responsibilities. This episode offers actionable steps for anyone struggling to manage their time effectively and aims to empower listeners to take control of their day.

Transforming Chaos into Structure

Sandi grew up in a very disorganized home. She did NOT grow up with organizational skills. As a child, Sandi experienced the stress of disorganization firsthand. This early experience of chaos created a type of anxiety that eventually drove her to develop systems that would bring order to her life later in life. 

The transformation began when Sandi realized she needed to create a different path for her future self. With a fast-paced career, marriage to a frequently-traveling husband, and plans for children, she knew the chaotic patterns from her past wouldn’t sustain the life she wanted to build in her future. 

On the other hand, if you’re more like me (and many other midlife women) you might have had no structure with the kids in the house and just surrendered to the chaos. Then once they are grown up and on their own, you’re finally in a place where you want to re-focus on getting yourSELF organized. So…what can we do?! Where can we start?! 

Key Strategies for Reclaiming Your Time and Sanity

Whether you’re seeking to improve your productivity, reduce stress, or simply feel more in control of your day, here are some actionable strategies:

1. Plan Your Day the Night Before

This simple habit of planning your day the night before creates a framework for success before the day even begins:

• Lay out tomorrow’s workout clothes
• Prepare children’s outfits for the week (Sandi uses a Monday-Friday organizer for her sons’ uniforms)
• Set the breakfast table with placemats, utensils, and water glasses
• Organize any materials needed for the next day’s activities

By doing this prep work, you eliminate decision fatigue and create a smoother morning routine, ensuring you’re getting ahead of the day before it even starts! 

2. Create Theme Days for Focused Work

Rather than spreading your attention across multiple projects simultaneously, designate specific days for specific areas of focus. For example:

• Mondays: Focus on one priority project or client group
• Tuesdays/Wednesdays: Client meetings or content creation
• Fridays: Flex day for catch-up, creative work, or family time

This approach prevents the scattered feeling of trying to make progress on too many fronts simultaneously.

3. Establish Clear Boundaries with Work

One of the most impressive aspects of Sandi’s routine is her disciplined approach to technology:

• Sets a cut-off time for work (4:00 PM in her case)
• Doesn’t check email or respond to work messages after hours
• Keeps her phone away during family time

By creating these boundaries, you can ensure you’re fully present wherever you are, whether working or with family, or whatever else!

4. Handle Small Tasks Immediately

Sandi’s approach to the small things that could pile up and create overwhelm is refreshingly direct – do it when it presents itself. She advocates for the “micro habit” approach:

• If a task takes 1-5 minutes, do it immediately
• Don’t postpone small tasks that will only compound your to-do list
• This prevents the mental burden of carrying around unfinished tasks

5. Prioritize Health Fundamentals

Perhaps surprisingly, Sandi considers her health habits to be a crucial part of her productivity system:

• Commits to 8 hours of sleep nightly (in bed by 9:00 PM)
• Exercises first thing in the morning (6:00-7:00 AM)
• Follows a structured approach to nutrition
• Avoids alcohol because it affects her energy and focus the next day

Making your health fundamentals a priority makes them non-negotiables. 

Beyond the Excuse of “Not Having Time”

The most powerful insight from Sandi’s approach to productivity is her reframing of the “I don’t have time” excuse that so many of us use.

“Everybody is busy. Every single person that you meet is facing a challenge that we can’t see,” she points out. “But are you gonna say to yourself, ‘I don’t have time,’ or are you going to make the time?”

When something truly matters to us, we find ways to make it happen, regardless of how busy we are. If we are interested and passionate about it, we make it happen. You have to get really excited about the WHY and then the “time” presents itself, because you actually want to do it! The key is identifying what’s truly important and then creating systems that support those priorities.

How to Create Your Own Productivity System: 

1. Create structure through systems: Identify areas of chaos in your life and develop simple systems to bring order (meal planning sheets, outfit organizers, etc.)
2. Focus on intentionality: Be deliberate about how you spend your time rather than letting the day happen to you
3. Recognize the ripple effect: Self-care activities like exercise aren’t selfish—they make you a better parent, partner, and professional
4. Start with one area: Don’t try to overhaul your entire life at once. Pick one aspect (morning routine, work scheduling, etc.) and build consistency there first
5. Develop weekly rhythms: Create a predictable weekly schedule that balances work, family, and personal needs

By identifying what truly fuels you versus what depletes you, you can make choices that support your highest priorities and values. Ultimately, mastering productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about being intentional with the time and energy you have, creating systems that reduce decision fatigue, and focusing on what truly matters most to you.

Your Next Steps

To begin implementing Sandi’s productivity principles:

1. Tonight, spend 10 minutes planning tomorrow. Lay out clothes, prepare breakfast items, and identify your top three priorities.
2. Identify your current technology habits and set one boundary (e.g., no phone during dinner, no email after 7:00 PM).
3. Examine your weekly schedule and consider how you might group similar activities into “theme days.”
4. Create a list of your “micro tasks” and commit to handling them immediately rather than postponing them.
5. Consider how your sleep, nutrition, and exercise routines might be affecting your productivity and focus.

“Find that thing that works for you, do it.” The perfect productivity system is the one that supports YOUR unique priorities and helps you show up as your best self—both professionally and personally.

 

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