Organized Chaos: How I Finally Mastered My Time (Mostly)
Recently, I was affectionately dubbed a Chaos Goblin thanks to my unscripted approach to podcasting—much to Chris’s dismay. And honestly? I’ve embraced it. It perfectly captures my natural operating system. I’ve spent years learning how time management actually works for me. I’m incredibly organized… right up until I consciously choose chaos. And oddly enough, that balance has become one of my greatest strengths. But first, fellow Chaos Goblins, let’s address the biggest myth in productivity culture: “We all have the same 24 hours in a day.” Cue the dramatic eye roll. The truth is—everyone’s 24 hours are wildly different. Maybe you’re:• A single parent• Managing kids’ schedules, activities, meals, and meltdowns• Caring for an aging parent, partner, or child• Living with chronic health issues• Neurodivergent and navigating time blindness• Juggling responsibilities most people never see Your available time isn’t fixed.Mine looks nothing like it did five years ago—or even last year. Attention Spans Matter (More Than You Think) Let’s throw another variable into the mix: focus. Under perfect conditions, I can concentrate for about an hour. But most days? Thirty minutes is my sweet spot. When I try to push past that, everything takes longer than if I’d simply worked in focused half-hour blocks. So ask yourself:• What is your real attention span?• What environments help you focus better?• Where are you forcing productivity instead of working with your brain? Because trying to power through burnout rarely saves time—it usually wastes it. Your Best Work Hours May Have Changed There was a time when I jumped out of bed at 6 a.m. ready to conquer the world. Now? I start my day around 11. My brain-power window kicks in after noon, peaks until about 4, and then I switch to lighter tasks for another hour or so. And that’s okay. Productivity isn’t about working longer—it’s about working smarter during your natural high-focus periods. When Ego Becomes the Time Thief Let’s talk about the productivity killer we don’t like admitting: “Only I can do it right.” Sound familiar? After spending three days wrestling with a tech issue on my website, I finally got over myself. Now I follow a simple rule: if I can’t solve it in 15 minutes, I ask for help. Delegating doesn’t mean failing.It means valuing your time. Chaos Goblins, Here’s How We Fix It The hard part isn’t managing time—it’s understanding where it’s actually going. Start by tracking it. Grab a notebook or use your phone and write down:• What you do• When you do it• How long it takes Patterns will appear quickly. Some fixes will be obvious. Others will surprise you. Ask yourself:• What tasks can be batched together?• Where is your focus dropping off?• What can be outsourced or delegated? (Pro tip: when you suddenly find yourself Googling lawn shrimp, it’s time for a break. Yes, that’s oddly specific. And yes, I now know far too much about lawn shrimp.) The Tools That Actually Work for Me ⏰ Alarms (lots of them)I set multiple reminders for appointments, work blocks, and “pay attention” moments when I know I’ll get absorbed in something. 📓 A real paper plannerNot a cute coloring journal—an actual functional planner.My favorite is The Savvy Groomer’s Planner because it’s straightforward and efficient. If decorative planning is your thing, Etsy has endless options. 🤝 Accountability & co-working sessionsUsually done over Zoom—no chatting, just focused work together. These sessions help me stretch my usual 30-minute focus into productive full hours. (I don’t use online productivity apps—that’s another article entirely.) A Final Word on Balance Here’s the thing about extreme organization: when taken too far, it can crush creativity. Structure should support your life—not suffocate it. That’s why I proudly embrace my Chaos Goblin energy (even if Chris suffers through it during podcast recordings). But I can promise you this:finding the time-management system that works for your brain is absolutely life-changing. Not someone else’s routine.Not a viral productivity hack.Yours. When you work with your natural rhythms instead of fighting them, you’ll get more done—with less stress and a lot more joy. And that, my fellow Chaos Goblins, is real productivity.