HISMD: College President

In office. 2 kids (4yo at home & 22 yo in college). Partner (inconsistent schedule). Texas. Late 40s.

Dec 11, 2025

This "How I Structure My Day" series started with an Instagram post I made about my own life, which prompted a woman to ask if it would be possible to see how women working a more traditional, full-time job did it. I asked women to share, and, man, have people responded. The goal is to show how women from different industries, with and without kids, with and without partners, with family living with/near them and not, wfh to 1+ hour commutes, etc. structure their day. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I do!

The Snapshot

Partner: Yes (doctor with an inconsistent schedule)
Children: Yes – one in preschool (4), one in college (22)
Texas
In office
Late 40s

Typical Morning:

In office, 5 days/week.
Wake up at 6am and spend about 30 min catching up on news, emails, and reviewing work and family calendars.
Get ready from 6:30-7 and then make my son’s lunch for preschool and set out his clothes for the day.
My husband gets our son up and they have breakfast while we run through our day.
I grab a protein shake and dash out the door by 7:45.
My husband gets our son dressed, backpack packed and to preschool by 9am.
During my commute, I catch up on calls and get to the office by 8:30.
I block my calendar from 8:30-9am for last minute meeting prep or connecting with colleagues.

Morning "Make Life Easier" Hacks

Over the years, my work wardrobe has evolved to mainly solid colors. I have a favorite brand for shoes, pants, silk tanks and blazers, and I typically wear the same combination in different colors/textures each day. It takes me about 2 minutes to pick out my clothes each day and I know that everything will look and fit okay regardless of how my day unfolds.
- She generously answered a follow up question about this – here it is:
  Brand-wise, I don’t think I’m very exciting but I’ve learned that clothes that fit correctly and that are well-made are more important than the label. I also need to know that what I’m wearing will look photograph well at any point in the day.
- Blazers: I tend to wear Veronica Beard in the cooler months and St John or Ming Wang (only the solid colors) in warmer months. Nearly every blazer I have is a 3/4 sleeve. (I learned quickly that altering sleeves on blazers costs a small fortune.) All are either solid color (royal blue and red look great when presenting) or a pattern/texture like tweed, herringbone, etc.
- Pants: Nearly always Theory and MM LaFleur although I have several from J Crew that I’ve worn for years. Every pair of pants I have is black or navy. It sounds odd but one favorite that I wear in the summer is J Crew’s pintuck sweatpants (size 1-2 sizes down). They’re not sweatpants at all and are the perfect summertime ankle-length pants.
- Silk tanks: these are a staple that I have in all colors, although I mainly wear white, navy or black. I’ve tried many brands and Banana Republic’s Shell Tank is by far the best I’ve found (even their factory version is great). They don’t wrinkle easily and aren’t too thin.
- Shoes: I often spend the day standing for long periods or walking across multiple campuses. Vionic makes the best heels that I can wear all day. I noticed that they stopped selling them recently, so I bought up multiple pairs in black and tan so I’m set for a few years. I’ve recently bought a pair of Sarah Flint heels - they’re pricier than I’d like but will last for years. For those just starting out, investing in classic, quality leather heels in black and tan will go with everything.
- I’ve also been really impressed with Cuyana’s bags and have recently purchased some of their clothes, too.
- Lastly, I’ll add that I work for a public institution and I’m very cautious about wearing any labels with obvious logos, initials, etc. I know that some of the labels I mentioned can be pricey but at least half of my closet is from consignment, estate sales and Poshmark.
We have a family Gmail calendar that lists all appointments, activities, etc. This includes when I have an early morning meeting so that we can adjust morning routines if necessary. Our family calendar is linked to a Skylight frame in our kitchen so we can scroll through it when we’re comparing schedules.

Transition into Work Mode

My 30 min commute helps with the transition to work mode. I value that time to mentally make the switch. My kids are 18 years apart and my daughter is in college, so I also use my commute time to connect with her.

What my work day looks like

I typically start my day with 9am meetings, and most are in person. The day unfolds to include meetings on multiple campuses, attending events, meeting with students, community partners, etc., and responding to unexpected situations that pop up regularly on the campus. No two days are ever the same and my days fly by quickly. I try to block 4-5pm to wrap up my day, respond to pressing emails, etc. but that doesn’t always happen. I have a team in my office that helps manage my calendar, communication, planning, etc.
I get updates throughout from my husband, son’s preschool and babysitter. I know that everything is under control so I can stay focused on work-related responsibilities throughout the day.

Lunch/Snacks

I typically don’t take a lunch break but will occasionally schedule an off-site lunch meeting which ensures that I get to eat. I keep high-protein snacks in my office (almonds, protein shakes, chomps sticks, etc) and try to snack on something to keep my energy levels up. I don’t drink enough water but I’m trying to work on that. I’ve also cut out caffeine and noticed a positive difference in how I feel.

Breaks

I don’t schedule breaks but I often have a couple of 30+ min openings in my calendar that I use to walk around the campus or respond to urgent messages. I schedule in travel time when I need to drive to off-campus meetings and will use that time for calls as well.

Leaving work

Most days end between 5-6pm with the exception of days when I have evening events, board meetings, etc. On those days, it’s closer to 9pm. Work/life balance is very important for me and I recognize that I need to model it for my team. I make a point to say goodbye as I’m leaving and I use that time to remind others that it’s time to go home too.

Transition out of work mode

My commute home is 30-45 min, and I text my husband and our son’s babysitter so that they know my ETA.
I use my drive time to think about household projects, update to-do lists, etc. I use Siri while I’m driving to send reminders to myself at a later day/time so that I don’t forget what I was thinking about.

After work/evening hours

It depends on the day.
My husband often works later than I do and he enjoys activities (sports, chess, etc.) in the evenings.
I’m more of a homebody, so I typically change out of my work clothes, eat dinner (prepared by our babysitter or something frozen, depending on the day), catch up on household tasks, and start the evening routine to get our son to bed by 8:30.
I’m in bed by 9pm but stay up for another hour or so checking emails, reading, etc. Honestly, on most weekdays I’m ready for bed as soon as our son is.

Evening Non-Negotiables

We make sure that the kitchen is clean every night and that the living room is picked up.
I also double check to make sure that we have breakfast & lunch food, backpacks and work bags are set out, etc.

Afternoon/evening “make life smoother” tips

I try to stay off my phone as much as possible from the time I get home until our son is asleep. It helps me stay in “family mode” and not get distracted.

Sharing the load with a partner

Our morning and evening routines are both really well-orchestrated. We both know which tasks belong to each of us, and I think we share the load well.
We both like routines and communicate regularly if things don’t feel balanced.
At least 2x/month, we sit down with work and family calendars and map out upcoming months, date nights, events, travel, finances, etc.

Things you do for fun/during the week

By the end of the workday, my brain is usually tired and I’ve found that I need an outlet that requires a different kind of mental energy. I enjoy house projects and am often planning or working on something (home repairs, building furniture/built-ins, gardening, etc.)
My husband and I also schedule regular date nights, on average 1x/week.
My husband typically sees patients on Saturdays, so I use that day to have 1:1 time in the morning with our son. We then have a family member babysit for 3-4 hours in the afternoon so that I have time to prep for the upcoming week - running errands, hair appts., car wash/gas, dry cleaning, etc.
Sat. evenings and Sunday’s are for family time together.

Exercise/Body Movement

This is an area I need to work on. I walk a lot on the campus during the day but need to do more. I love tennis and used to play frequently. I hope to start again - I just need to make the time for it.

Outsourcing

When I stepped into my current role, I knew it would take a village.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a live-in babysitter who picks up our son from preschool M-F and preps dinner a few nights/week. There’s a huge peace of mind that comes with not having to race out of the office before his preschool closes. When I’m home, I’m fully focused on parenting though and our babysitter is “off duty.”
We order groceries for delivery on Sundays and I am way too dependent on Amazon.
I have pre-packaged meal delivery for occasional dinners, and regularly use DoorDash.
We have a cleaning service 2x/month.
With the exception of dry cleaning my work clothes, I handle all of our laundry (because I’m particular about it).
I automate as much as I can in our home so that it’s easier for me to deal with - sprinklers, security, lighting, climate control, access control, etc. are all controlled from my phone.

Anything Else the Sharer Wants to Share

I raised my daughter as a single parent, working fulltime and earning a doctorate degree. My life then looked very different and it was often difficult to find balance - I had no one to share the load with and couldn’t afford to outsource. While I physically feel more tired now (parenting a 4-year-old at my age is not for the faint of heart), I also have a partner, an established career, and a sense of security that I didn’t have then.
In my current role, I try to be a role model - to show that it’s possible to be an engaged parent and have a high-profile, demanding career. However, I also fully recognize how fortunate I am to have the strong support system in place that I have now. As a society, I wish we could do more to support those parents that are struggling to balance work and family life.

That’s a wrap for this one!

Thank you so much to this woman for generously sharing. These publish every Thursday!

A reminder of the ground rules to ensure women continue wanting to share about their days and feel safe doing so.

Encouraging comments always welcome!
If you have questions or even hang-ups about what someone shared, you are welcome to ask a question for the sharer in the same kind, genuinely curious way you would if you were looking at that woman in her eyes. She might respond through me.
If comments are judge-y or mean-spirited, I reserve the right to delete comments. I can handle being criticized about my own work here (and even still, to a degree – I’m also a person), but I go into full mama bear mode when people come after my people – including women who are being vulnerable and sharing in the first place.
Thanks to the vast majority of people who are so kind!

New here? Welcome!

I’m Kelly Nolan, an attorney-turned-time management strategist and mom of two. I teach the Bright Method, a realistic time management system designed for professional working women. In addition to this fun new series, I share bite-sized time management strategies on Instagram. Thanks for being here!

After experiencing overwhelm as a young patent litigator in Boston, I figured out a time management system to help me show up in the ways that I wanted to at work and at home – without requiring my brain to somehow magically remember it all. I now teach other professional working women how to manage their personal, family, and career roles with less stress and more calm clarity using realistic time management strategies. My system, the Bright Method, has been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, and my work has been published in Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, and more. Learn more on my website, come learn bite-sized strategies with me on Instagram, or jump into my free 5-day program.