HISMD: Operations Director in the Financial Industry
Partner. Kid-free. Hybrid (very flexible). Dallas, TX. 42. Shared Apple Note with best friend for catch-up call agendas.
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 (He works in the office 98% of the time.)
Children: No
Hybrid: I have a very flexible schedule. I can WFH full time if I want to. I usually go into the office at least one day a week.
Dallas, TX
42
Typical Morning
I am not a morning person. Twice a week I wake up at 6:20, get dressed, and walk to the gym for a session with a trainer. Those are days I for sure WFH.
Then twice a week I get up around 6:45 to fit in a brisk walk around my neighborhood - also on WFH days.
I don’t work out on the day I go into the office. I try to be up by 7 a.m.
After a workout/walk/wake up, I shower and get ready for the day.
If I’m going to the office I pack a protein shake, my laptop, etc. and head out by 9.
Otherwise, I go upstairs to my office between 8:30 and 9.
I usually take a break mid-morning if WFH to make breakfast.
Morning "Make Life Easier" Hacks
I’m pretty good at getting up on trainer days since I pay for that and don’t want to miss it.
When I have to go into the office I like to have my outfit already picked out (and steamed, etc.).
I also try to pre-pack my work bag so all I have to do is throw in my laptop.
I should probably use more hacks, because I’m a big fan of the snooze button and that can sometimes make my mornings chaotic.
Transition into Work Mode
Our bedroom/kitchen/living room, etc. is all downstairs. My office is upstairs. Climbing those stairs is really the only transition I have when I’m WFH. I also don’t really go upstairs for any other reason (cleaning, my walk pad isn’t there), so mentally it’s easier for me to keep it separate. However, I do often go downstairs during the day - lunch, throw in a load of laundry, etc. But when I’m done for the day, I don’t go back upstairs.
When I go into the office my commute is about 20 minutes and I listen to audiobooks.
What my work day looks like
My day varies quite a bit. I do business and client operations for my firm, but I wear many other hats.
I meet with clients, work on projects, etc.
I usually look at my calendar for the next week on Fridays and make sure I am using non-meeting time wisely.
At the end of each work day, I look at the next day’s schedule and make sure I calendar in the most important tasks that have to be completed.
I do normally take a break at lunch. Sometimes it’s at noon and sometimes it’s at 2 p.m. It depends on the day.
If time allows I go for a walk to decompress. I work in the financial industry, which can be stressful. Or I’ll grab something for lunch from the kitchen and eat in front of my computer so I don’t get behind.
On in-office days, I normally have lunch with co-workers.
I usually work until about 5:30, depending on the day.
Then I drive home or I log out and walk downstairs.
Breaks
I don’t. If I’m having a super productive day, I really am a head down, work hard type of person - which is why I have the flexibility that I do.
Otherwise if I finish a task and I don’t have a heavy workload day I may go for a quick walk.
Or you know, if the dryer buzzes. I get up and fold laundry.
Leaving work
I leave work/stop working around 5:30.
Transition out of work mode
I either drive home and listen to an audiobook, or I walk downstairs.
After work hours
This also varies.
I usually clean up the kitchen from any mess I made making breakfast or lunch.
Sometimes I have board meetings for an organization I volunteer for.
I may have dinner plans with a girlfriend or have a girls’ night type of event - like bowling.
When the weather is nice, my husband and I will go on a long walk when he gets home. This gives us time to chat about various things.
If we’re both home, he does most of the cooking and I clean up afterwards.
Or I fold all the laundry I threw on the bed during the work day.
I also sometimes have work events in the evenings.
Evening hours
After dinner/clean up, I usually get ready for bed. Pjs on, face washed, etc.
I’m an avid reader, so I usually lay in bed and read for a bit before bedtime.
Once I come down those stairs after work I don’t work anymore. My laptop is upstairs. I do not have work email on my phone. These are boundaries I set long ago for mental health purposes. A co-worker can text or call me if there is a true work fire, but that rarely happens.
Nightime non-negotiables
My kitchen has to be clean.
My face has to be washed.
If I want to be kind to my future self, then I lay out what I’m wearing the next day (especially if I’m going to the office).
Afternoon/evening “make life smoother” tips
We don’t really watch a lot of TV and there’s not one in our bedroom so that helps.
I am really bad at doom-scrolling, though. I need to start locking myself out of social media in the evenings.
I am a natural night owl, so I do struggle putting my phone or book away at bedtime.
Things you do for fun/yourself during the week
I have a monthly standing date with a group of women each month. We do various things: bowling, dinner, etc.
I also usually have dinner out with a friend at least once a week, or my husband and I will go out with another couple for dinner.
I also read a lot.
Sharing the load with a partner
I’ve been married almost 15 years so we have had a lot of conversations about sharing the load. I find open communication helps and for us that means that conversation is always ongoing. We have weekly coffee chats and we always check in about that so we can talk through something before it becomes an issue. My husband enjoys cooking and I dislike it with all of my soul. He does most of the cooking. I like to clean, so I usually always do the dishes and the laundry. My husband helps clean the house (although he’s not a fan of cleaning bathrooms), but most of that falls to me. He takes care of the yard. I take care of the majority of home/life admin.
Outsourcing
Right now I don’t. In the past, we have had a house cleaner twice a month.
Exercise/Body Movement
I work with a trainer twice a week for strength training.
I also try to get 8,000-10,000 steps a day so I go on walks a lot or walk on my walk pad.
Twice a week I also try to get my heart rate up a bit so I either go on a brisk walk or I go to the gym and do the recumbent bike.
Anything extra the sharer wants to share
My husband and I share two Apple notes. One is for groceries and miscellaneous type items. The other is like a post-it so if something comes up that we want to discuss with the other, we won’t forget about it. We discuss the list during our coffee chat each week and I think it has really helped us. It’s ideas, goals, etc., but it’s also a chat about things that might be bothering us. The coffee chat is a neutral place to talk through those things instead of letting them simmer.
We also have a shared calendar, which keeps that open communication going.
I also have a shared Apple note with my best friend. We add to it here and there and then when we meet up we go through it. Sometimes the world is chaotic and I need a reminder about what I wanted to discuss with her.
I also calendar reminders to follow up with friends about things happening in their lives. Examples: if a friend mentions a doctor’s appointment (something more than a check up), I put a reminder on my calendar to reach out the day after to see how it went. Same if a friend is traveling, I like to wish them a safe trip. I don’t remember these things on my own and I think they are important parts of our friendship.
That’s a wrap for this one!
Thank you so much to this woman for generously sharing.
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.
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