Making Lists with Monica Froese
- Monica Froese
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Monica Froese, who left the corporate world after her daughter was born and now teaches mom entrepreneurs how to ditch their 9–5 careers and start thriving online businesses. I love just how organized Monica is—I think she has a spreadsheet for everything. That’s actually how we connected originally.
Monica talks about how she left her job and changed her mindset to fit in running a business, self-care, and more time with her daughter. We talk about how what you need to do expands to the time you have to do it—and how to use that idea to our advantage.
Monica is intense in her workouts and her business, but she makes sure she has down time. I’ve been really focused on how managing our calendars helps make time for the important things, and we talk about the different ways she creates space in her calendar.
We talk about:
- adding ramp up/ramp down time into our schedules, whether it’s time to shower after a workout or a day to deal with undone business after travel
- scheduling “no plans” days
- using tools like Google calendar and shared spreadsheets to communicate with your partner
- having a place for things—like mail or keys or Christmas presents—to save us time
- how Monica uses her grocery stores app to create a shopping list and help budget
- letting other people give our kids experiences that we want them to have that aren’t fun for us
Doable Changes
SCHEDULE TIME TO WORK OUT. One doable tip I often give is to move your body for 15 minutes throughout the day, but sometimes you want or need a longer workout. The best way to get it is to schedule that time, including your ramp up and ramp down time. If you schedule 1 hour to work out, but don’t add in time to get to the gym or to shower afterwards, you won’t have a positive experience.
STREAMLINE GROCERY SHOPPING. How can you streamline your grocery shopping? Monica uses an app from her store to create her grocery list. Whether you use an app like this or create your own master list that you update before shopping, a list will save you time and money (and keep you from unhealthy purchases). “If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist.”
MAKE A LIST (OR A SPREADSHEET). If there are things you do over and over, make a list or spreadsheet to keep track of it. You don’t have to keep all the loose pieces in your head, and by sharing that document, somebody else can help out. For example, your kids can help pack for a trip or your husband can take kids to an activity that you usually manage. By systematizing repeatable tasks, you free up time for other things.
BIO
Monica Froese is a mom to a 4-year-old with another child on the way. She left corporate to create a life that worked better for her. She runs her own business teaching mom entrepreneurs how to ditch their 9-5 careers and start thriving online businesses while balancing work and family at the same time. Monica says, “I don’t believe that women have to choose between their careers and family. You can have anything you set your mind to.”
