Kelly Dunning (she/her)’s Post

I'm not part of the 5am club. 🥱 If I was THAT early-to-bed and early-to-rise, I'd never have a social life, or get to spend any time with my night owl husband. But I HAVE figured out a work schedule that is optimized for me. A couple years ago, I trialed a split schedule for myself and I've kept coming back to it again and again - because it works really well. Staring at your computer for 6-8 hours uninterrupted sometimes feels daunting. Plus, Parkinson's Law kicks in and the work expands to fill the time you have to do it in. So I break the workday into two smaller chunks. For example, I will work from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, then take an extended lunch break. During that time I will totally switch off from work and go for a walk, do a workout or run some errands. Then do another focused session from 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm, and call it a day. I find that working in “bursts” during short windows of time helps me stay focused and productive. Plus, I get a chance to enjoy the afternoon, without feeling like I've spent the entire day working. In the wintertime this is especially important, because the sun sets so early! With a typical 9-5 schedule, I wouldn't get much chance to be outside during the daylight hours. What hours do you set for yourself as a business owner or freelancer?

I'm not part of the 5am club. 🥱 If I was THAT early-to-bed and early-to-rise, I'd never have a social life, or get to spend any time with my night owl husband. But I HAVE figured out a work schedule that is optimized for me. A couple years ago, I trialed a split schedule for myself and I've kept coming back to it again and again - because it works really well. Staring at your computer for 6-8 hours uninterrupted sometimes feels daunting. Plus, Parkinson's Law kicks in and the work expands to fill the time you have to do it in. So I break the workday into two smaller chunks. For example, I will work from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, then take an extended lunch break. During that time I will totally switch off from work and go for a walk, do a workout or run some errands. Then do another focused session from 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm, and call it a day. I find that working in “bursts” during short windows of time helps me stay focused and productive. Plus, I get a chance to enjoy the afternoon, without feeling like I've spent the entire day working. In the wintertime this is especially important, because the sun sets so early! With a typical 9-5 schedule, I wouldn't get much chance to be outside during the daylight hours. What hours do you set for yourself as a business owner or freelancer?

Don't worry I'm not going to turn this into Facebook and start posting pictures of my meals. Actually, the reason this little café date felt significant was that it was the first time since becoming self-employed that I actually made the most of the flexibility I have. What surprised me the most about switching to self-employment was how little my routine actually changed. When presented with unlimited flexibility from a work perspective, you'd think I would be like a kid in a candy store. Choosing from 10am Pilates classes, lunches with friends, working from cafes etc. etc. But in reality, I still often work traditional office hours as this is what suits our family. I still do the school runs, walk the dog and take my lunch at the same times as when I was permanently employed. And I'm grateful for this, as it means I actually have work that requires me to be at my laptop 5 days a week. So when presented with a bit of downtime earlier this week, I knew I had to make the most of it. I took myself to a local café, ordered breakfast and did my morning LinkedIn scroll. We're conditioned to believe that productivity is linked to the number of hours we spend glued to our desks. Yet, I came home from this little solo coffee date (plus a mooch around the shops), finished a project in time for its deadline and was then able to log off at 3PM to spend time with my kids. As I'm still in the early days of working for myself, it was a good little reminder for me, that it's okay to breathe, step back and enjoy the downtime. That not every second has to be filled with work work work. Let me know if you're self-employed, what surprised you the most when you first started out? #selfemployed #remotework #freelance

This feels like me this week but swap it to me trying to figure out how to make all my deadlines, face to face meetings & presentations with both kids home sick at some point this week!! How, when it's not even winter are we already dealing with such a terrible cold season? I’m sure plenty of people have the answer to that but I don’t actually have time to google it, because well, see above! I share this not from a place of complaining, but that I think we need to share these little struggles so we know we're not alone. No doubt that the ability to work from home helps, letting the kids rest while we work. But sometimes you actually need to meet people in person, present in person, see your team in person. My husband and I take on the load together, but I'm sure many can relate to those hushed morning negotiations we’ve had to have every day this week: "I have a meeting at 10am I can't miss." "I need three uninterrupted hours for a big project." "I haven’t been in the office for 2 days, I need to show my face." "I have to present to clients an hour away and can’t postpone." "I have a board meeting that can't be moved." We’ve been lucky to get through it with the help of our parents, who graciously step in at a moment's notice. But oh, the guilt. This experience has forced me to: - Appreciate that WFH is a lifesaver, allowing us to be there for our kids while managing work. 💼🏠 - Value our support network—grandparents are the unsung heroes. 🌟 - Learn to say no. Sometimes we just can't do everything, and that's okay. 🛑 - Remember the lesson from COVID: things don't always go to plan, and that's okay too. 🦠💡 Let's take a moment to pat ourselves on the back for juggling all this, especially as we head into winter! ❄️👏 And one final thought—would it be weird if I start wearing a face mask as I hug my children? 😉 Just kidding.

here's my exact schedule when I cut back to part time hours…👇🏼 You can stop working 24/7 faster than you think. Here’s how I stopped working 24/7 and the process that’s helped many, many, many physician moms. 1. Start small. Starting small means you can get a result today AND teach yourself that you can work less AND not get in trouble. My first step was to leave work just 10 minutes early. That’s it. My brain could get on board with that. I did it and it worked! I had less rush hour traffic, I didn’t get in trouble, & no patients were harmed. I taught myself I could work less and still be a good doctor. 2. Slowly expand. I was amazed that I got the same work done FASTER when I didn’t give my brain the option to stay late. I learned to be even more efficient & skip meetings I didn’t NEED to be present at. Next week, I then left 20 minutes early….then 30 minutes, then 1 hour, then 1.5hours early. Then I applied this process to my weekends. Before long, I was done working nights & weekends. 3. Plan your essential activities on your calendar FIRST. It’s so easy for us to squeeze ourselves in the white space left over after we’ve tended to the job, spouse, kids, inlaws, and pets. The problem with this is that it leaves no time for us, we’re running on fumes, and our needs entirely fall off the to-do list. a. The first item on my schedule every week was my coach/therapist. b. Next I planned my exercise. I feel SO GOOD after I exercise. I blocked out Wed and Fri mornings from 8-9a to go for a swim. You’d think I’d have to stay late to make up for the swim. I didn’t. When my body was worked out, I had MORE energy and got the same work done in the same amount of time. c. I eventually blocked at everything after 5p M-F and Sat, Sun. 4. Give myself permission to skip meetings. 95% of meetings didn’t require my presence at all. I skipped those. For others where the boss counted noses or that I did want to be at, I’d go when I could and allow myself to page myself out or do work in the background. 5. I never let an admin have access to any of my calendars. I noticed admin’s put all sorts of unnecessary meetings on my schedule– not their fault, they had no idea what was important. To cut back to part-time hours at your full-time doctor job AND be the mom you want to be, register for my upcoming free LIVE training to get the only 3 strategies you need to fix your job for good. Here’s what you get at the free LIVE class: ✳️ Reclaim 20+ hours per week by eliminating busy work with your very own CUSTOMIZED career success-joy blueprint ✳️ Stop 24/7 working (& thinking about work) with the Work-Life Solution Scheduling System ✳️ Narrow to-do list to just one item & prevent work email from derailing your day with the To-Do LESS Tracker ✳️ Get home early TONIGHT & how to make this your new normal Click the button below to register for the free LIVE class.

Have you gotten off track?👇 Parents, I don't know about you but for me, it seems the 9-5 finds a way to take over just about everything. Kids events, family activities, vacation...oh wait let me check with work first and see if we can schedule it in. Sound familiar? How did we left our jobs come to not only define us but also control us? It feels that somewhere along the way we have gotten off on the wrong track. Imagine a system where you work 1/3 or less of your current hours a week, match your current income, retire sooner, and gain back time with your family just by using your phone and you can do it from wherever your at! Sound unreal? I thought so too but I have found that you can make money with your social media by learning to create daily income streams using a proven system that can be worked on your schedule. The best part is you don't have to be a tech wizard. The system setup is done for you and runs 24/7. Just make it yours! This is for you if you want to: 📌 Build extra income alongside your 9-5 📌 Work on your schedule 📌 Reduce stress and enjoy what you do 📌 Be in control of your time 📌 Fire your boss You don't need to: 📌 Have a big following 📌 Have prior experience 📌 Make cold calls 📌 inventory or ship 📌 Have a high level of technical expertise 📌 Create your own product to sell 📌 Show your face I am working with 100 families this year that want more than the 9-5 grind and the burnout and strees that comes with it. If you want to be one of them, go to https://lnkd.in/eRpS5aqZ and register. I will send you a free copy of your getting started step by step blueprint. #Fredericksenterprises #workingparents #workingparentstruggles #workingdads #workingmomstruggle #workfromyourphone #dailyincome

I recently asked a Bank Employee "How many hours per week do you work?" Answer came, "60-70 hours". If it's a 5 day work week, that's insane 12-14 hours per day. While we all have 168 hours in a week, this looks like 40ish percentage of our time and sounds ok. Let's assume that we all have 24 hours in a day (assumption or fact? 🤔) and they say that you have to sleep for minimum 8 hours. Your average travel time to work is 2 hours per day(lucky if you live close to/at work/WFH). Your personal care/cooking/eating breakfast & dinner/time for entertainment/family, will need minimum 4 hours. Let's add up, 14+8+2+4 = 28. Where have I gone wrong? Where is the time to play a sport or go to a Gym? What if you want to read a book or listen to a podcast? Who will walk your dog, if you have one? What will you do if you a have child or an Old parent who needs care? What would you say to your Girlfriend/boyfriend who needs your time? And where the fish, would you fit in your "Personal-Me-Time"? And on top of this, it's "never-enough" for your employer no matter how much you do. And there are these "Very-important" customers, who can call over phone 24/7. And where the hell is the need to work that long, in the world of AI/Algorithms? Did we not invent computers to do our job? To be very frank, I joined a Bank thinking that I would be able to get home by 5.30 for an evening Tea/Snack. My dream came true only on those so-called "Half working Saturdays" with official timings 10AM-2PM. Is this the World that we want to leave for our children? I was very fortunate to come across this intriguing book written by Tim Ferriss. It changed my life. If you deeply resonate with what's written above, then let me know what you think in the "comments". This article could be an eye-opener for many, please repost. I may have "OVERDONE" the numbers above to make a point. I am a practising Coach, who is a very passionate to help people who are STUCK. Connect with me and follow me SATHISH KUMAR L to design your amazing life. My email - sathish121283@gmail.com Whatsapp - 7540044806 #transformationalleadership #coachingforsuccess #coaching #lifecoach #careercoach #betterlife #betterworld #oneinabillion #leadershipdevelopment #fourhourworkweek

🗯️ MAKE THE ASK – If you have *one* ask to make, what would it be? This is your timebox, go now. Go, you have 5m! EDIT: sharing asks below in case it helps you, too If you've been on social media at all within the past 72 hours, you've probably seen those "in's + out's" for 2024. If you haven't, essentially it's a list for what's hot and what's not for this year. You'll see things like hybrid schedules, little treats, wellness, prioritizing your career as what's in. What's out: imposter syndrome, dating aimlessly, going to the office, virtual happy hours. But among all of the lighthearted lists lies what really is being felt: intentionality and deliberate lifestyles. If you were to move the needle on just one thing today, what would that be? Go do it. And if you're feeling weird about making the ask, can I make it for you? Seriously, I'll reach out and try to make the intro. Or I'll help you craft the msg - ping me! ____ P.S. Thanks to Austin Business Journal (Rachel McGrath) for getting the juices flowing for this post this morning with their mentor profile!

I used to wake up at 4 am and thought everyone else was lazy for not doing the same. Even when sick with the flu, I'd go to the office, infecting my colleagues without a second thought. I'd proudly shame my colleagues for leaving at 5:30 pm on Fridays, while I worked until 9-10 pm. I became an office hero, pleasing the demanding boss.  Where did it lead me? Nowhere. I eventually burned out and questioned if this was all there is to life. It's time for a wakeup call: there's more to life than just work. If you believe the office is everything, then you are deeply misunderstood and need to get some perspective.  Nobody cares about the number of widgets you sell or your company's revenue. Overworking is like a cult, and cults are bad. If your employer promotes overworking, it's time to quit. Let's make a change for ourselves, our partners, our children, and future generations. It's time to end the overworking pandemic. ___ PS: Do you take weekends off ?

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫! 💡 That's one of my favourite sayings that I try to live by inside and outside of work. 𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝. ✨ Life at the moment is no joke! The juggle of parenting, trying to have a career, school and daycare life, keeping the house in order and the kids fed, OH! and me trying to have some control over my own social life, crochet (my favourite hobby!) and exercise. Here's some tips on how I try to manage it all and not get overwhelmed: 🌸 At work, I use Trello to manage my workload and plan key campaigns. 🌸 List, list and more lists. 🌸 Set calendar reminders - for work and home life. 🌸 Shared calendar for family life 🌸 Pack my bag before a day in the office/ out with the kids. 🌸 Meal prep and freeze! 🌸 Make lunches the night before - for work and home life. 🌸 Click and collect my shopping weekly - order online from regular items. 🌸 Do washing throughout the week 🌸 Exercise before the house wakes up (my kids often join in). Lastly, I try not to sweat the small stuff. My house is clean and tidy 70% of the time but it's also lived in. I take ages to reply to my friend's messages, and am sometimes late with school payments as I am not perfect! *Photo of me solo parenting my two kids for a day out in London - cardigan made by me!* #WorkingParent #WorkingMum #BeOrganised #WorkSmarterNotHarder