311: Operating at Full Capacity is Not Sustainable: Fan Favorite Replay

Hi there. You’re listening to the Leading Lady Podcast. I’m your host, AliceAnne Loftus, and I’m a certified professional coach specializing in leadership and work-life balance. I work with clients to shift their limiting beliefs, insecurities, and self-doubt. This podcast will be filled with tools and strategies to help high-achieving women like you feel connected, empowered, and in the lead of your life, both personally and professionally. Let’s transform your life starting now. Lead yourself. The rest will follow.

Hi there, leading ladies, and welcome to today’s episode. I am going to talk to you today about how to build margins within your business and your life.

Now, when you hear the word margin, or if you look up the definition, the Oxford Dictionary defines it as the edge or border of something, or the blank border on each side of the print on a page. It can be the amount by which a thing is won or falls short, or it can also include the lower limit of possibility, success, etc.

Now, when I really dug deep into this and looked at it as what margin might mean for a high achiever or for our productivity as entrepreneurs or leaders, I found that margin can be defined as the space between our load and our limits. It’s the amount allowed beyond what is needed, the amount of time or energy beyond what is needed so it can be held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations and circumstances.

And I want to talk to you today about how I build those margins into my life.

The Space Between Your Load and Your Limits

I want to go back to that phrase, though. Margin is the space between our load and our limits.

Time and time and time again, I work with women either through coaching or if they’re in a mastermind or a masterclass of mine. Especially with high-achieving women, I have seen that we’re often operating at our maximum. It’s, “Oh, I can do just a little bit more,” or, “How much more can I do?” Or trying to fit it all in, especially when we’re juggling multiple roles such as motherhood, relationships, our health, and all the other things that take priority in our lives.

We can often feel that we are operating at max capacity. Through my own experiences of running myself ragged, I really had to take a look at how I was spending my time, what I was expecting of myself, what others were expecting of me, and what was realistic.

When you think about operating at your max capacity, that’s not sustainable. It’s going to wear you down. If you’re thinking about machinery, even operating machinery at max capacity is going to wear it down faster than really finding what the optimal use is. Not to compare us to machines, but we often treat ourselves like machines, as though we’re just never going to break.

We’re just going to keep going, keep going, keep going without taking into consideration our bandwidth, our energy, circumstances of life, our moods, whatever. We’re not robots that can keep going. And even if we were robots, you can’t operate at maximum capacity and expect to sustain that.

So I work with women helping them find that optimal productivity, to learn how to build these margins and create that white space on your calendar to give you room to rest and rejuvenate, or if something spills over, those contingencies or unanticipated situations or circumstances that take up more time and energy than we originally thought.

When I’m working with my clients, or even within my own schedule, I’m really looking at this idea that just because time is not scheduled to something else doesn’t mean I’m available or that I need to fill it. And that is what I teach in my priority management and time management workshops.

Recently, in a mastermind that I participate in led by Erin Harrigan, my business coach, we talked about those margins of space within our lives and our businesses, why they’re necessary, and how we can realistically build them into our systems and how we operate.

It’s very hard. Oftentimes we see blank space on our calendar or feel guilty if we allow ourselves any downtime. I have to remind myself that operating at full capacity is not sustainable. If we don’t build in daily margins or rhythms within our business that allow us to slow down, have a lighter load, take time to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate, it won’t be sustainable.

Leave Buffer Time Between Activities

Here are some ways that you and I can create margin in our lives.

Leave plenty of buffer between activities, especially if you’re someone who has to switch roles or gears. Have transitions within your day, maybe transitioning between clients or between work and home life, parenting, or driving various places.

I know that I have spent many years of my life driving children and getting them where they need to be. Something that really helped me was making sure I left plenty of space between activities, probably more space than I needed to, hence calling it a margin.

I learned quickly in business that if I scheduled back-to-back meetings and something went awry, it would create this domino effect. Now I’m late to the next meeting, which makes me late to the next meeting after that, and I don’t have an opportunity to catch my breath or show up as my best self.

It leaves absolutely no wiggle room if a meeting runs over, an emergency pops up, or a distraction takes you away from something.

So when you’re looking at how you schedule yourself, ask: Are you leaving enough time for transition? Are you leaving enough time to catch your breath, recenter yourself, and refocus?

For me personally, I might spend an hour on the phone with a client and need a good 30 minutes afterward to mentally download all the information and clear my own mental space of everything I just received from that call.

I absolutely build buffers into my client work and avoid back-to-back meetings to give myself that time and space.

Protect Your Energy and Rest

For many years, I was a 4:30 a.m. mom. I would get up, get my workout in, have quiet time to reflect, journal, pray, and enjoy a cup of coffee before my family got up. I knew that once my kids got up, I would be at the mercy of what they needed.

That was a season of life, and I recognized it as such.

Today, I probably subscribe less to the “wake up earlier to get stuff done” philosophy because I prioritize sleep. But if I am going to get up earlier, I have to train myself to go to bed earlier so I can honor that time I’ve set aside.

I don’t subscribe to the message of compromising rest and sleep to be more productive. But if you know you are more productive in the morning, then plan to start your day earlier and make sure you have a solid nighttime routine so you’re not sacrificing rest.

Learn How to Say No

This is such a big thing for caregivers, helpers, heart-centered business owners, and people who deeply value relationships.

If being a people pleaser resonates with you and you have a hard time saying no, I encourage you to reflect on whether you’re saying yes for the sake of productivity or because you’re afraid of disappointing someone.

Learning to say no and hold a boundary around your time is one of the most important skills I work on with clients.

Just because you don’t have something scheduled doesn’t mean you’re available.

As an introvert in a highly interactive coaching business, I need a lot of downtime. I used to feel guilty for scheduling so much alone time.

A friend might ask, “What are you doing this weekend?” and I’d say, “Absolutely nothing.”

Then she’d respond, “Let’s get together!”

I had to learn how to lovingly and politely say, “I’m not available.”

Yes, I have nothing planned. And no, I’m not available.

Learning to hold that boundary helps ensure you’re showing up as your best self rather than exhausted, resentful, or wishing you’d taken the time to recharge.

Create a Morning Routine

Having a morning routine helps me move through a checklist of things that set me up for success.

Part of that routine is reviewing my schedule and making sure I’ve properly allotted time for the things that need to get done. I identify my most important tasks, determine what can be delegated, and thoughtfully prepare for the day.

This helps me enter my day intentionally rather than reacting to whatever gets thrown at me.

When I teach priority management and time management, it’s about being proactive. It’s about looking ahead, being realistic about how you’re spending your time, auditing where your energy is going, and planning accordingly.

If you’re constantly waiting to see what kind of day you’re going to have instead of deciding what kind of day you’d like to have, you’re forever living in reactive leadership.

Watch Out for Time Sucks

Another thing I don’t think we talk enough about in time management is identifying your time sucks.

I find that when I have downtime, it’s easy to end up scrolling social media or mindlessly spending time in apps and games.

Those aren’t necessarily restful activities. They can be distracting, anxiety-inducing, and create feelings of FOMO.

I don’t know the exact science behind it, but we hear often that depression and anxiety correlate with time spent on social media.

It’s a double-edged sword. We want to use social media to grow our businesses and stay visible, but it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of mindless scrolling and lose valuable time that could be spent truly resting and restoring our energy.

Receive Help Through Delegation and Outsourcing

That brings me to receiving help.

Part of creating margin is outsourcing and delegating.

One of the best things I did for myself this year was working with Heidi Schmidt, who manages my social media and helps organize the timing and output of my digital marketing.

Having that support allows me to step back, recenter myself, and spend less time on social media. I can be more intentional about how I show up online.

She’s just one example of the many wonderful Leading Lady businesses I’ve been able to outsource to.

Sometimes just because you have the ability to do something doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your time.

Use SOPs and Templates

Another way to create margin is by relying on your templates and SOPs, your standard operating procedures.

If you’re constantly recreating processes from scratch, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

I talk about this often during strategy days with clients. SOPs help you become more efficient and make it easier to train others when you’re ready to delegate.

I see many women launching programs, workshops, or presentations and starting from ground zero every single time.

I remind them that they are not inexperienced. They’ve done these things before.

Go back to your templates, policies, and procedures. Review what worked. Refine it. Improve it.

I’ve spent 20 years in the childcare industry, and one of my favorite things is looking back at old curriculum and lesson plans. Some of the plans we created 20 years ago were fantastic. We’ve simply modified and improved them over time.

We’re not starting over. We’re building on a strong foundation.

Your business should operate the same way.

Schedule Your Priorities

If you’re not scheduling your priorities, they are not your priorities.

I do not keep a running to-do list.

If something needs to get done, it goes directly onto my calendar.

Whether it’s calling the vet, scheduling a dentist appointment, or meeting with a graphic designer, it immediately gets assigned a date and time.

I’m not trying to squeeze it in later.

If you’re constantly trying to squeeze things in, you’ll never feel productive. That to-do list will continue living in your brain, weighing you down.

Even if it’s written on paper, if it doesn’t have a date and time attached to it, it remains an unresolved mental burden.

As high-achieving women running businesses and leading communities, we don’t need to carry one more heavy thing.

Schedule your priorities. If they’re not scheduled, they’re not priorities.

Audit and Fine-Tune Regularly

Finally, tweak and fine-tune your processes.

Take inventory regularly. Audit how you’re spending your time, energy, and focus.

If there are things consistently making you feel behind, it’s time to evaluate how you can create more margin.

Doing so allows you to operate at your optimal level of productivity rather than constantly running at full throttle.

These are practices I’ve implemented in my own life and with my clients, and I hope they help you too.

If you’d like to learn more about building margins into your life, I encourage you to reach out.

I offer private coaching, workshops on time and priority management, and strategy sessions designed to help identify priorities in both your business and your life.

I take a holistic approach because you are more than your vocation. My goal is to help you see how all the pieces fit together so you can stop operating at full capacity all the time.

Again, that’s simply not sustainable.

If this resonated with you, feel free to reach out. I read and respond to every email, message, and DM. However you choose to connect, I’d love to hear from you.

Life is about so much more than being busy. If that’s something you struggle with, I want you to know you’re not alone. There are simple and effective ways to create margin and feel more in control of how you’re living and leading.

So until next time, take the lead.

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This episode is sponsored by Meadow Hill Wellness.

Dr. Sarah Polimeni: I’m Dr. Sarah Polimeni, licensed acupuncturist, functional medicine provider, and founder of Meadow Hill Wellness. My mission is to help women live their healthiest, happiest lives through lifestyle and natural medicine. Check my clinics out and learn more about me at MeadowHillWellness.com.

Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the Leading Lady Podcast. You can find all of the links and information mentioned in this episode at LeadingLadyCoaching.com. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow the show so you don’t miss any future episodes. And while you’re there, it would mean the world to me if you would take a few seconds and leave me an honest review. This will allow me to help other high-achieving women find inspiration, connection, and develop strategies to live and lead with purpose and intention. See you here next week.