The hardest work? Time management. Here’s the truth nobody tells you when you launch a business: the hardest work isn’t the strategy, the sales calls, or even the late nights. It’s the inner game. It’s learning how to be kind to yourself when the revenue dips. It’s remembering you have a body that needs more than caffeine and adrenaline. It’s finding something—anything—that grounds you when entrepreneurship feels like building a plane while flying it through a thunderstorm.
We asked 50 women founders one simple question: What’s the ONE small habit or ritual you’re owning right now to light up your year?
No need for perfect. Just real.
What emerged wasn’t a highlight reel of 5 AM cold plunges and color-coded planners. It was something far more powerful: a collection of quiet, fierce, deeply human rituals that prove the most successful founders aren’t grinding themselves into dust. They’re choosing themselves. They’re breathing before the inbox. They’re trading perfectionism for progress and hustle for healing.
This is the inner game. And these women are winning it—one intentional moment at a time.
Time Management with the correct Mindset & Self-Compassion.
Let’s talk about the lie we’ve all believed at some point: that success requires suffering. That if we’re not exhausted, we’re not trying hard enough. That rest is a reward we haven’t earned yet.
These founders are calling BS on all of it.
Sarah Peterson, Elevate She has made peace with imperfection—and it’s changing everything:
“My one habit this year: choosing 1% better action. As a recovering perfectionist and high achiever, I’ve learned that waiting for ‘perfect’ keeps me stuck. So instead of ruminating, I move. The action doesn’t need to be flawless—just slightly better than yesterday. That permission to move forward has been transformative. Because 1% improvements compound over time, while perfectionism ebbs and flows—and too often stalls progress altogether.”
One percent. That’s it. Not a massive overhaul. Not a complete reinvention. Just slightly better than yesterday. Can you imagine the freedom in that?
JJ Jank, Desert Diva LLC is done letting overthinking run the show:
“Being in action instead of analysis paralysis! Instead of overthinking and perfecting, I will throw out minimum viable products (MVPs) and let the market tell me what it thinks.”
Here’s what JJ knows that took some of us years to learn: the market doesn’t care about your perfect. It cares about your presence. Ship it. Learn. Adjust. Repeat.
Cheryl Lucas, Complements of Cheryl D LLC is done putting her dreams at the bottom of the list:
“In 2026, I’m owning the habit of choosing myself—without apology. After navigating grief, showing up as a mother and grandmother, and rebuilding a sense of financial security after losing my spouse, I realized that my own dreams—especially launching my business—kept slipping to the bottom of the list. Trying to hold everything at once left me feeling stretched thin and proud of nothing. So this year, my ritual is simple and steady: I show up for myself every day before I give to anything else.”
Read that again: I show up for myself every day before I give to anything else. That’s not selfish, sister. That’s survival. That’s wisdom. That’s the kind of self-compassion that actually allows you to give more—not less—to everyone and everything you love.
Shilpa Bains, Leadership Intelligence has discovered that the simplest rituals carry the most weight:
“Each morning, before I check my phone or step into anyone else’s needs, I pause. I put one hand on my heart, take a few slow breaths, and ask myself a simple question: What do I need today to show up well? Some days the answer is energy. Other days it’s boundaries. Sometimes it’s compassion for myself before anyone else. What I’m learning is this: consistency doesn’t come from discipline alone—it comes from truly believing you’re worth the pause.”
Worth the pause. Are you hearing this? You are worth the pause. Before the emails. Before the demands. Before you pour into everyone else’s cup, you get to check on your own.
Lunka Crawford, LKnight Productions keeps it beautifully simple:
“My small habit is choosing myself first thing in the morning. No noise, no scrolling, just a breath and a whisper that says, you are worthy of the life you’re building. That one moment carries me through the whole day.”
A breath and a whisper. That’s the ritual. That’s the revolution.
Embodied Rituals: Good Time Management does not make your Body a Conference Room
Somewhere along the way, many of us started treating our bodies like inconvenient containers for our brains. We sit. We scroll. We skip meals. We push through exhaustion like it’s a badge of honor.
These founders are done with that narrative. They’re stretching, moving, breathing, and remembering that the body isn’t separate from the business—it’s the foundation of it.
Shayna Bergman, Shayna Bergman Coaching, LLC has learned that movement isn’t about perfection—it’s about sanity:
“My small habit for 2026 is moving my body every day. It’s not all-or-nothing. It’s not because I ‘should.’ But truly, it just FEELS GOOD! Some days that’s heavy lifting or a sweaty HIIT workout. Other days it’s yoga, stretching, or a walk. And some days it’s literally a slow lap around the block with my dog. I’ve learned (the hard way) that when I move and get outside, even briefly, everything feels easier. I’m less edgy. I think more clearly. I’m more patient. With my kids. With my clients. With myself.”
Did you catch that? Some days it’s a slow lap around the block with her dog. That counts. That’s movement. That’s showing up for your body without demanding perfection from it.
Arielle Di Leo, Loop Costumes is keeping it real:
“My one habit: Moving and stretching my body before sitting down to work. Not a full yoga routine. Not Instagram-worthy. Just waking up my body before I ask my brain to perform.”
Not Instagram-worthy. Can we make that a permission slip we all carry? Your ritual doesn’t need to be aesthetic. It needs to work.
Jackie Nepola, YOK-E is flipping the morning script entirely:
“I’m committing to starting my day with my body instead of my inbox. Breath, movement, and stillness before anything else. That simple shift has already changed how I lead, create, and trust myself.”
Body before inbox. Write that on a sticky note. Tattoo it on your forehead. Whatever it takes.
Marta Spirk, Marta Spirk Coaching discovered that slowing down actually creates more time:
“One small habit I’m owning this year is slowing down my mornings. I used to feel flustered trying to get work done while also getting my kids ready for school. I was rushed, irritable, and spreading my attention thin—which meant nothing was getting my full presence. Now, I work out first thing and then dedicate the rest of the morning to my kids. We make breakfast without rushing, I pack their lunches calmly, and we’re actually early for school. I start work after they’re gone, feeling more present, focused, and grounded.”
The hustle had her flustered, rushed, and spread thin. Slowing down gave her back her presence, her patience, and her peace. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop trying to do everything at once.
Alizah Josette, Spherehead Pillow is honoring her body between desk jobs:
“This year, I am starting a new habit of stretching in the evening. I am a paralegal during the day, sitting at a computer. I then work on my company in the evenings, also sitting at a computer. I began stretching when I return home from my day job, before beginning Spherehead work. Moving my body, getting the blood flowing, is low impact and tremendously helpful to my mind and body. It is taking one hour for myself to connect with my body and relax in between desk jobs.”
An hour to connect with her body. Not to produce. Not to perform. Just to be in her body before asking it to carry her through another work session.
Maria Piotrowska, White Turtle Beauty uses breathwork as her secret weapon:
“Whenever I feel my focus slipping or a low level of stress or unease building beneath the surface, I return to my breath. I use the 4-7-8 breathing method—inhale through my nose for four counts, hold for seven, then exhale slowly through my mouth for eight. The extended exhale is key; it signals safety to the nervous system, slows the heart rate, and gently shifts the body out of stress mode. After just three or four cycles, the shift is noticeable. My thoughts feel clearer, my body more grounded, and focus returns with less effort.”
Four counts in. Seven counts hold. Eight counts out. That’s it. That’s the reset. You can do this in a meeting, on a call, or in your car before walking into chaos. Your breath is always available to you.
Jessie Hemmelgarn, Hemmelgarn Productions is creating a wind-down ritual:
“For 2026, I’m creating a solid bedtime ritual with lotion, a book and my jade roller to help me wind down and get a restful sleep.”
Because rest isn’t lazy. Rest is strategic. And a jade roller never hurt anyone.
Julia Bocchese, Julia Renee Consulting is making self-care non-negotiable:
“I’m scheduling monthly massages! I want this to become a routine and not just an occasional luxury.”
Scheduling it. Putting it on the calendar like a client meeting. Because you are a client worth keeping.
Time management is also creating Space: For Your Mind, Spirit, and Sanctuary
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is clear the noise. Close the tabs literal and mental. Create emptiness so something new can rush in. These founders are decluttering their spaces, protecting their spirits, and building rituals that root them in something bigger than the daily grind for good time management.
Natalie Sterling, Sothebys International Realty has built her year on gratitude:
“Gratitude is the one daily habit I am fully committed to right now. Every night before going to bed, I intentionally revisit my day and look for all the good things that happened. Big moments, small wins, meaningful conversations, quiet blessings. I practice gratitude by saying thank you for my life, my health, my family, my career, and every positive experience the day brought. I also choose gratitude for the challenges, knowing they serve a purpose and help me grow. In the morning, I begin again with gratitude. I wake up thankful for a new day, a fresh start, and the opportunity to create happiness, growth, and excitement.”
Morning and night. Bookended by thankfulness. That’s not toxic positivity—that’s intentional perspective. Even the challenges get a thank you, because she knows they’re shaping her.
Heba Maksad, Vollie uses journaling as her compass:
“Daily bookend journaling. I start my morning by setting my intentions for the day, and end my night with a quick recap. I cover everything from personal and family to business. Doing this daily has made me feel calmer, clearer on my priorities, and more in control. It keeps me intentional instead of reactive.”
Intentional instead of reactive. That’s the goal, isn’t it? To stop living at the mercy of everyone else’s urgency and start directing your own day.
Sandra King, Appy Educators Inc. has found her answers in meditation:
“I need to maintain weekly meditation on Sundays. It has helped me to reach enlightenment, self-realization, success, and unconditional love. My meditation also brings me unhinged ideas and inspirations, and helps me to make the right decisions. I need to have this habit down.”
Unhinged ideas and inspirations. Yes! The best ideas don’t come from grinding harder—they come from creating space for them to arrive.
Jenny Park, Parenthood Together keeps it grounded in faith:
“My ritual is prayer. Every decision, big or small.. I bring it there first. It keeps me confident, measured, and undistracted in a world that profits from my hurry.”
A world that profits from my hurry. Read that again. The chaos isn’t accidental—it’s designed. Prayer is her way of opting out of the frenzy.
Traci Boklage, Maison Rose Agency starts every day with intention:
“Owning the habit of starting my mornings with a devotional and prayer—it centers me, clarifies my priorities, and shapes how I show up each day.”
Centered. Clarified. Shaped. That’s what morning devotion does—it sets the internal GPS before the world tries to reroute you.
AnnMarie Zezima, Organized A to Z Inc. has mastered the daily reset:
“At the end of each workday, I reset my workspace. Not to make it perfect, but to make tomorrow easier. That usually means clearing my desk, closing open notebooks, filing loose papers, or putting tools back where they belong. It is a simple ritual that helps me mentally close the workday instead of carrying unfinished energy into the evening. Clutter is not just physical—it is cognitive. When my space is noisy, my thinking becomes cluttered and unfocused.”
Clutter is cognitive. Your messy desk isn’t just an eyesore—it’s mental weight. Clearing it isn’t about perfection. It’s about peace.
Bobbie Carlton, Innovation Women is bringing back a practice that works:
“In 2026, I’m recommitting to my Zero Screen Saturdays. I fell out of the habit last year and I find that one day a week without screens makes me so much more productive and creative the rest of the week.”
One day without screens. Imagine it. No scrolling, no notifications, no blue light demanding your attention. Just you and the world that exists beyond the rectangle in your hand.
Stephenie Zamora, Choose Your Calling has created a morning practice that compounds:
“Daily ‘study mode’ every morning in between journaling to empty my mind and meditation to strengthen my nervous system. I take a book I’m reading, or even a post that struck me on social media, and I spend time thinking and writing about how specific lines or insights apply to my present goals and stuck points. Sometimes it’s as simple as transcribing what stood out to me to anchor it in my mind, and other times it becomes self-coaching myself through blocks so I can think differently and continue elevating my way of being.”
She’s not just consuming—she’s metabolizing. Taking ideas and applying them to her specific life, her specific goals, her specific stuck points. That’s how learning becomes transformation.
Hailey Fernelius, Hailey Ann Co is rewiring her relationship with money:
“The one ritual I’m committing to this year is opening my banking app every morning and saying, ‘I see your potential, and I’m excited to watch you grow.’ Most of us only look at our finances when we’re bracing for impact or chasing a future number we think will finally make us feel safe. That pattern turns money into a verdict on our worth instead of what it actually is: a tool. This ritual creates neutrality. No panic. No dopamine spike. No shame spiral. Just presence.”
Money as a tool, not a verdict. Presence instead of panic. That’s financial healing in one simple morning practice.
The Bottom Line: Your Inner Game Is Everything for good Time Management.
Here’s what these 29 founders are teaching us: the most powerful rituals aren’t complicated. They’re not expensive. They don’t require a complete life overhaul.
They require one thing: choosing yourself.
One percent better action. A hand on your heart. Movement that doesn’t need to be Instagram-worthy. Gratitude for the hard stuff. Space to breathe before the world starts demanding.
The inner game isn’t about
Real Lessons, Real Application: What This Means for Our Everyday
Time management for founders can’t just live in a motivational poster or a fancy planner. It’s a living, breathing ritual, shaped every week by tough choices, clear priorities, and community accountability. It refuses to be glamorized because, let’s face it, sometimes it’s just about NOT checking one more email.
Our contributors agree: the strongest time management for founders is built on knowing yourself—your rhythms, your non-negotiables, your “big why.” It means celebrating the wins, recalibrating after every misstep, and joining hands with those who get it.
Action Steps: Bringing Founders’ Time Management Rituals to Life
- Weekly Audit: At week’s end, review your commitments. Ask Alison Kero’s favorite: “Does this feed my mission?”
- Creative Block: Set a non-negotiable creativity appointment, a la Paige Wilhite. Guard it with your life!
- Joy Filter: Channel Nicole Tabak—keep what fuels you, respectfully release what doesn’t.
- Batch It: Organize deep work sessions by focus, honoring Nikki Cabus’ wisdom.
- Automation Overload: Build one new automation/system each month, Jordan Gill style.
- Hard Stops: Decide when your workday truly ends. Actually honor it—thanks, Aline Lerner.
- Sacred No: Practice saying “That’s not aligned right now.” Cheers to Kelly Jo Murphy!
Final Word on the Power of Time Management for Founders
If you ever doubt that time management for founders can transform your business—and your life—remember these women. They’ve reshaped hustle into something life-giving. They refuse to run on empty. They design their calendars and boundaries with intention, heart, and clarity.
Time management for founders isn’t just about getting through the day. It’s about building a bold, luminous legacy with every choice you make. This isn’t only our anthem; it’s our lifelong practice.
Let’s raise our mugs to relentless focus, grounded energy, and boundaries that set us free. Our time is ours again—let’s use it for building, healing, and rising higher, together.
Do you see yourself reflected here? That’s the beauty of our community: every lesson shared by these founders is an open invitation for you to shape, bend, and own time—on your terms.
And that, my friend, is how we change the game.
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