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The Productive Woman

by Laura McClellan

A podcast intended to help busy women find the tools and the encouragement to manage their lives, their time, their stress, and their stuff so they can accomplish the things that matter most to them.

From the show's RSS feed, refreshed Apr 15, 2026. Source feed.

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Episodes

  1. The Busy Woman’s Guide to Batching Tasks – TPW516

    In this episode, we explore task batching — grouping similar tasks together so you can reduce mental switching, improve focus, and move through your day more calmly and efficiently.

  2. Designing Your Ideal Week (with Flexibility for Real Life) – TPW515

    Many of us don’t design our weeks — we inherit them. Appointments, obligations, and responsibilities fill the calendar, and before we know it, the week is full. But a full week isn’t always a meaningful one. In this episode, we explore how to design an ideal week—a flexible template shaped by…

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  3. Values-Based Planning: Heart Before Calendar – TPW514

    A full calendar doesn’t always mean a meaningful life. This week we explore values-based planning — a thoughtful approach to organizing your time around what matters most, so your schedule reflects your priorities and your life moves in the direction you truly care about.

  4. The One-Hour Organizing Sprint – TPW513

    Organizing often feels like something that requires a full weekend, lots of energy, and a perfectly clear schedule. But for most busy women, that kind of time is hard to come by. In this episode of The Productive Woman, we explore a simpler, more approachable strategy: the One-Hour Organizing...

  5. Quarterly Planning: The 90-Day Year (For Real Life) – TPW512

    Annual goals can feel overwhelming. Weekly plans can feel reactive. But 90 days? That’s a timeframe that allows for meaningful progress — without pretending life won’t change. In this episode of The Productive Woman, we explore how to use quarterly planning as a realistic, flexible, and...

  6. The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Productivity – TPW511

    Productivity isn’t just about planners, calendars, and systems. It’s also shaped by the quiet stories we tell ourselves — about who we are, what we’re capable of, and what it means to “do enough.” This week we explore how our internal narratives influence our habits, confidence, and choices — and...

  7. Where Things Go: Creating Simple Homes for the Stuff You Use Every Day – TPW510

    When the things we use every day have a place to go, life runs more smoothly, decision fatigue decreases, and daily stress softens. In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful organizing principle: giving everyday items a clear, logical home.

  8. Time Blocking for Real Life: Flexible Systems for Busy Women – TPW509

    Time blocking is often talked about as a strict, rigid way to organize your day — but for busy women managing responsibilities, interruptions, and shifting energy levels, it needs to be flexible, supportive, and intentional. In this episode, we explore how to use time blocking in real life — not…

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  9. The Enough Equation: Knowing When You’ve Done Enough Today – TPW508

    Many of us end the day tired, busy, and still feeling like we didn’t do enough. The to-do list isn’t finished, there’s always more that could be done, and rest can feel undeserved. In this episode of The Productive Woman, we explore a different way of thinking about productivity — one that helps...

  10. Decluttering with Purpose, Not Pressure – TPW507

    Decluttering often shows up early in the year — and so does pressure. Pressure to clean, organize, simplify, or “get your life together.” In this episode of The Productive Woman, we take a different approach. Instead of decluttering out of guilt or obligation, we talk about decluttering with...

  11. A Gentle Restart: Getting Back Into Routine After Time Away – TPW506

    Getting back into a routine after time away can feel harder than starting from scratch. Whether your break was planned or unexpected — a sabbatical, illness, caregiving, burnout, or simply life — restarting often comes with pressure, guilt, and unrealistic expectations. Photo by tatonomusic on...

  12. Productivity and Purpose: Aligning Your To-Do List with Your Legacy – TPW505

    What if your to-do list could reflect the legacy you want to leave behind? In this episode we’ll define legacy, explore why daily tasks often feel disconnected, and share ways to align them with your purpose.

  13. Productivity Through the Seasons: Adapting to Life’s Changes – TPW504

    Life isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is productivity. Although there are productivity principles that can apply across the board, what works for making a meaningfully productive life can vary from one woman to the next, and can change over time as our life changes. We can stay productive...

  14. Getting and Staying Healthy – TPW503

    Experiencing a health emergency served as a wake-up call for me, highlighting the importance of taking care of my health. This week I'm sharing some things I've learned and changes I've made to get and stay healthy after a stroke last fall.

  15. Decluttering Your Mind: Mental Habits for Overwhelmed Women – TPW502

    This week we're exploring why mental clutter builds up, how it affects us, and three simple habits to help reduce overwhelm, regain clarity, and focus on what matters.

  16. Post-Sabbatical Update – TPW501

    After a longer-than-planned sabbatical, I'm back with an update! Find more at TheProductiveWoman.com/501

  17. Sabbaticals – Time to Rest and Refocus – TPW500

    Have you taken (or thought about taking) a sabbatical? This week we look at the why and what of sabbatical. (And listen for a special announcement at the end of the episode.)

  18. 10-Year Podiversary – Lessons Learned – TPW499

    In this episode we’re celebrating 10 years of The Productive Woman podcast and I’m sharing some lessons I’ve learned along the way.

  19. Productive Living: Getting Unstuck, with Britt Frank – TPW498

    This week I'm talking with Britt Frank, a therapist, trauma specialist, and author of The Science of Stuck, about getting unstuck and making a life that matters.

  20. Preparing for a Productive Retirement – TPW497

    No matter your age, preparing now, with a focus on what matters most to you, can ensure a smooth transition to a rewarding, meaningful, and productive retirement when the time comes.

  21. Productive Reading: Slow Productivity, by Cal Newport – TPW496

    In this week's installment of our recurring Productive Reading series, we look at key takeaways from Cal Newport's newest book, Slow Productivity.

  22. 10+ Ways to Manage Stress – TPW495

    There are ways to manage stress--and good reasons to do so.

  23. Productive Living: Becoming CEO of Your Health, with Andrea Nakayama – TPW494

    Andrea Nakayama, Functional Nutritionist and founder of Functional Nutrition Alliance, shares new ways to look at our health and nutrition while improving our productivity

  24. Managing Expectations – TPW493

    Disappointment (and worse) can result when we aren't clear on our expectations. Today we’re talking about managing expectations for less stress and more productivity.

  25. Crafting a Life That Matters: 10 Essential Questions – TPW492

    Self-reflection is always time well spent, especially if it's helping us grow as an individual. In this episode we’re talking about questions we can ask ourselves to help us create a life that matters

  26. Productive Living: Financial Wellness, with Tamara Dias – TPW491

    Certified financial social worker Tamara Dias joined me to talk about financial wellness and making a life that matters.

  27. From the Vault: Working from Home – TPW490

    Working from home has its benefits--and its challenges. This week I talk about both--and some solutions for the challenges

  28. Mental Load and a Life that Matters – TPW489

    How do you manage the mental load that's part of managing a household, a career, relationships, and a life in general? And how do we get others to share that mental load?

  29. The Art of Balancing Solo and Social Time – TPW488

    A meaningfully productive life includes a balance of solo and social time--but that balance is different for each of us.

  30. My Tools for Efficient Work – TPW487

    The tools we use can make all the difference. In this episode I discuss some of the tools I use for efficient work.

  31. Productive Reading: Switch Craft, by Elaine Fox, PhD – TPW486

    This week features an installment in our recurring “Productive Reading” series, looking at key takeaways from Switch Craft, by Elaine Fox, PhD, and the tools that can help us thrive in a constantly changing world.

  32. Swedish Death Cleaning – TPW485

    Swedish Death Cleaning offers a thoughtful approach to decluttering that benefits us in the present and our loved ones when we're gone.

  33. Productive Living: Having It All, with Brooke Bentley – TPW484

    Former NFL journalist Brooke Bentley chats with me about choices she's made over the course of her life and career, and the pressure to have it all.

  34. Work-Life Integration – TPW483

    What's work-life integration and how is it different from (maybe better than) work-life balance?

  35. Resources for Making a Life That Matters – TPW482

    There are tons of resources that can help us make a life that matters. Let's look at a few of them.

  36. Productive Living: Reimagining Success, with Anna Lundberg – TPW481

    What does success mean to you? In this week's installment of our Productive Living series, I chat with author, podcaster, coach, and former marketing professional Anna Lundberg about how to make the most of our professional and personal lives.

  37. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome – TPW480

    We all have moments of self-doubt and insecurity. Today we’re talking about imposter syndrome, also know as the imposter phenomenon, and a few things we can do to prevent it from hampering our productivity and our life.

  38. Harder Than It Needs to Be? – TPW479

    We can make life (and productivity) harder than it needs to be by our own thoughts and actions--but we can also turn that around.

  39. My New Year’s Wish for You – TPW478

    In this week's short episode I share a brief update on TPW plans and my wishes for you in the coming new year.

  40. 6 Elements of a Productive Day – TPW477

    We all lead incredibly busy lives, but it's important we don't neglect ourselves or those who matter most to us. In this episode I’m sharing some elements I think are necessary for a truly productive day (and life).

  41. 10 Gifts to Give Yourself for the New Year – TPW476

    Not all gifts can be wrapped and put under the tree, especially the ones that are the most valuable. This week let's consider some gifts you can give yourself during this holiday season and for the coming year...which could be your most productive ever.

  42. Twenty 2-Minute Habits to Keep Your Space (and Life) Organized – TPW475

    Here's quick rundown of a few habits that take only a few minutes but can help you be more organized and productive every day. What can you add to the list?

  43. Productive Reading: Dopamine Nation, by Dr. Anna Lembke – TPW474

    In this installment of our Productive Reading series we look at Dr. Anna Lembke's fascinating book, Dopamine Nation. (Spoiler alert: I recommend it!)

  44. Productive Living: Sacred Rest, with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith – TPW473

    This week's episode features my conversation with physician Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest, about the 7 types of rest we all need to maximize our quality of life and our positive impact on the world.

  45. Preparing for a Joyful Holiday Season – TPW472

    Let's talk about preparing for joy in the upcoming holiday season, all while remaining productive and keeping our most important priorities in mind.

  46. Productive Living: Productive Business Communications, with Elizabeth Pearson – TPW471

    This week's episode of our Productive Living series features a conversation with author, speaker, and executive career coach Elizabeth Pearson about productive management of business communications.

  47. Seasonal Productivity – TPW470

    Let's talk about ways to stay productive in different seasons and how to show up at our best year-round.

  48. Productive Living: Hormones & Productivity, with Lahana Vigliano – TPW469

    Let's chat with clinical nutritionist Lahana Vigliano about the importance of gut health and hormones for our health and our productivity.

  49. Productive Living: Mindful Financial Independence, with Emily Guy Birken – TPW468

    This week I talk with financial writer Emily Guy Birken about overcoming financial anxiety and confidently achieving mindful financial independence.

  50. Productive and Low-Stress Travel – TPW467

    What are your best tips and tricks for productive and low-stress travel? That's what we're talking about in this week's episode.

About this show

A podcast intended to help busy women find the tools and the encouragement to manage their lives, their time, their stress, and their stuff so they can accomplish the things that matter most to them.

Hosted by

Laura McClellan

Frequently asked questions

How many episodes does The Productive Woman have?

The Productive Woman has 517 episodes on PodParley. The most recent episode was published on April 15, 2026.

What is The Productive Woman about?

A podcast intended to help busy women find the tools and the encouragement to manage their lives, their time, their stress, and their stuff so they can accomplish the things that matter most to them.

How often does The Productive Woman release new episodes?

The Productive Woman publishes weekly, based on its 517 episodes since July 2014.

Who hosts The Productive Woman?

The Productive Woman is created and hosted by Laura McClellan.
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