Sustain & Thrive

Why This Module?

“The truth is, we all have the same amount of time. It’s how we choose to use it that matters.” - Laura Vanderkam

This module is specifically designed for working mothers who are:

• Building careers while raising families
• Navigating the “mental load”
• Seeking sustainable success

Connection: You’ve built the skills. Now learn to sustain them over the long term.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will:

• Design a time system that works for your life
• Share the “invisible work” of household management
• Make strategic decisions about what matters
• Find time for yourself without guilt

Week 1-2: Time & Energy

I Know How She Does It - Laura Vanderkam

Rating: Essential | Research-based | Practical | 2015

The Core Idea:

Vanderkam tracked time logs from 1,001 days of mosaic women (earning $100K+ with kids at home). The reality is different from the narrative.

Time Myths Busted:

• Myth: Successful women sleep 4 hours -> Reality: 7.5 hours/night average
• Myth: They work 80-hour weeks -> Reality: 44 hours/week average
• Myth: They have no personal time -> Reality: 30+ hours/week of leisure

168 Hours:

Work:     44 hours
Sleep:    52 hours (7.5 x 7)
Remaining: 72 hours

Key Strategies:

1. Split Shift

• Work morning -> Family afternoon -> Work evening
• Fits around children’s schedules

2. Mini-adventures

• Small moments of fun add up
• Create memory-making regularly

3. Anchor Activities

• Plan personal anchors each week
• Exercise, hobby, friend time

The Power of Time Tracking:

• Track your time for a week
• You’ll find time you didn’t know you had

Off the Clock - Laura Vanderkam

Rating: Recommended | Practical | Quick read | 2018

7 Principles for Time Freedom:

Week 3-4: Fair Play at Home

Drop the Ball - Tiffany Dufu

Rating: Essential | Practical | 2017

The Core Idea:

Women are conditioned to do it all. But trying to do everything means achieving nothing important.

Four Steps to Dropping the Ball:

1. Figure Out What Matters Most (FOMM)

   • What do you actually care about?
   • Ruthlessly prioritize

2. Imagine the Ideal Village

   • Who can help with what?
   • You don’t have to do it alone

3. Let Go

   • Lower your standards strategically
   • Done is better than perfect

4. Delegate with Joy

   • Hand over entire tasks, not just chores
   • Trust others to figure it out

Fair Play - Eve Rodsky

Rating: Essential | Practical | 2019

The Core Idea:

Household tasks have three components: Conception (noticing), Planning (figuring out how), and Execution (doing it). Women carry most of the first two.

The Problem: CPE

CONCEPTION -> PLANNING -> EXECUTION
"We need diapers"  "What kind?"  "Buying them"
     |                |              |
  Usually          Usually        Often
   Woman           Woman          Shared

The Solution: Card System

• Tasks divided into “cards” - each includes ALL of CPE
• One person owns the entire card
• Discuss and divide with partner
• Re-shuffle as life changes

The Minimum Standard of Care:

• Agree on “good enough” for each task
• Respect different approaches

The Lazy Genius Way - Kendra Adachi

Rating: Recommended | Practical | Quick read | 2020

The Core Idea:

Be a genius about the things that matter, and lazy about the things that don’t.

Key Principles:

• Decide once (same routine each week)
• Start small
• Ask: “What can I do now to make later easier?”
• Schedule rest
• Be kind to yourself

TED Talks

Interactive Tools

Time Tracking & Analysis

Household Management

Well-being & Balance

Documentaries & Video Content

YouTube Deep Dives

Netflix / Streaming

Inspirational Content

Newsletters

Recommended Podcasts

Practical Exercises

Week 1: Time Audit

• Track your time for one week
• 30-minute blocks
• Calculate: work, sleep, personal, family, other

Week 2: Fair Play Assessment

With your partner:

• List all household tasks
• Note who does Conception, Planning, Execution
• Identify imbalances
• Discuss redistribution

Week 3: Values Clarification

• Make a list of 10 values
• Rank top 3
• Check: Does your time align with your values?

Week 4: Design Your Week

• Create a template week
• Include: work, family, personal anchors
• Build in flexibility

AI Learning Integration

For Time Analysis

"I tracked my time this week. Here's where it went: [paste data]
Help me identify:
- Where am I spending more time than expected?
- What could I automate, delegate, or eliminate?
- Am I aligned with my stated priorities?"

For Fair Play

"Help me create a Fair Play card system.
List all household/family tasks and help me assign
complete ownership (Conception, Planning, Execution)
to either myself or my partner."

Phase 6 Checklist

Week 1

• Read “I Know How She Does It”
• Tracked time for 3 days
• Calculated your 168 hours
• Identified hidden free time

Week 2

• Read “Drop the Ball”
• Listed tasks you can drop/lower standards
• Watched Laura Vanderkam TED Talk

Week 3

• Read “Fair Play”
• Discussed card system with partner
• Identified CPE imbalances

Week 4

• Read “The Lazy Genius Way” (optional)
• Applied “decide once” to 3 things
• Designed your ideal week template
• Completed reflection questions

Reflection Questions

1. Track your time for 3 days. What surprised you?

2. What 3 things can you stop doing (or do less perfectly)?

3. Apply Fair Play: List 5 tasks where you hold all CPE. Which can you fully transfer?

4. What will you “decide once” to reduce daily decision fatigue?

5. What’s ONE personal “anchor” activity you’ll protect each week?

Connection to Phase 7

Phase 6 taught you to sustain your career and life. Phase 7 prepares you for the future - working alongside AI.

I'm studying Sustain & Thrive (Phase 06 of my MBA program).

Act as a Socratic tutor - don't give me direct answers. Instead, ask me questions to help me discover insights about these concepts: Time Management, Work-Life Integration, Fair Partnership, Sustainable Success.

Start by asking what I already know about one of these topics, then guide me deeper with follow-up questions. Challenge my assumptions when appropriate.

After each of my responses, either:
1. Ask a deeper follow-up question
2. Point out a gap in my reasoning
3. Connect my answer to another concept

Let's begin.

Quiz me on Sustain & Thrive. Ask 10 questions covering: Time Management, Work-Life Integration, Fair Partnership, Sustainable Success.

Rules:
- Mix question types (multiple choice, short answer, scenario-based)
- Start easier, get progressively harder
- After each answer, tell me if I'm right or wrong and explain why
- Keep a running score
- At the end, summarize what I know well vs. need to review

Ask the first question now.

Help me apply 168 Hours Time Audit, Fair Play CPE System, Drop the Ball FOMM Method, Lazy Genius Decide Once, Time Tracking Analysis to a real situation in my life or work.

First, ask me to describe a recent challenge or decision I faced.

Then guide me through analyzing it using these frameworks:
- Which framework applies best?
- What would each framework reveal about the situation?
- What would I do differently knowing this?

Don't lecture - ask questions that help me discover the insights myself.

I want to practice case analysis for Sustain & Thrive.

Give me a short business scenario (2-3 paragraphs) involving Time Management, Work-Life Integration, Fair Partnership, Sustainable Success.

Then ask me:
1. What's the core problem?
2. Which frameworks from Sustain & Thrive apply?
3. What biases might cloud judgment here?
4. What would you recommend?

After each answer, push back on my reasoning before moving to the next question.

I'm studying Sustain & Thrive and need to understand these concepts deeply: Time Management, Work-Life Integration, Fair Partnership, Sustainable Success.

For each concept, ask me to explain it in simple terms (as if to a child).

If my explanation is unclear or wrong, don't correct me directly. Instead:
1. Ask clarifying questions
2. Give me a scenario that tests my understanding
3. Help me refine my explanation

The Feynman technique says if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.