From Doreen's Desk - Confession: life has been chaos lately
This article originally appeared in our free Business Sisters newsletter, where founder Doreen Ashton Wagner shares personal stories, observations, and occasional rants that she hopes will resonate with fellow women business owners navigating the realities of entrepreneurship.
If you'd like these stories delivered straight to your inbox, scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe to our free newsletter.
I feel guilty admitting that family life has affected my productivity lately.
As entrepreneurs, we often try to look composed while chaos tap dances behind the scenes. Since I'm committed to transparency, I figured I'd admit what's been hijacking my focus. A few months ago, I shared that our daughter Iliana was separating. My husband and I stepped in to help by having our granddaughter (aka Hurricane Scarlet) live with us until everything settled. Now Mom is also with us full-time, along with their family pet, Tank.
We'd been empty-nesters for over 10 years, so we knew there would be bumps in the road with this new family arrangement. Overall, having our darling girls home has been manageable.
The dog? Different story.
You see, Tank is a 160-pound Great Dane-Mastiff mix. Basically a small horse disguised as a house pet. I was wildly unprepared for how much hair one creature can shed and how much drool they can produce. 😝
Then there's the tail. Its wagging can clear a coffee table of cups, papers, and anything else not nailed down. He barks like the house is under siege anytime someone dares move during the night. And I haven't peed alone in weeks because, if it's not the toddler, it's the emotionally needy canine who follows me everywhere.
If you've ever wanted to experience the sensation of a cold wet muzzle appearing beside your elbow while eating chips, Tank would be happy to assist.
The funny thing is, the real challenge isn't even the dog. It's how quickly the lack of personal space and constant interruptions shred your mental bandwidth.
I used to spend mornings journaling, planning my day, and creating content for our online channels. Now, between toddler duty, dog walking, cleaning, and the general unpredictability of a multi-generational household, my productivity has taken a hit.
I can't be the only entrepreneur trying to work while life explodes in the background, right? Right?
Maybe that's the real reminder here: behind every polished business owner is a human being trying to answer the phone while picking up dog poop (or whatever mess is currently eating your productivity alive).
In the enewsletter, I asked our Business Sisters community for suggestions on how to create more space to think, recharge, and decompress when life feels crowded from every direction. The responses I received were lovely. Several members told me they thought the story was hilarious, and many commented on how beautiful Tank is. Both observations are absolutely true and greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately, neither solved my quandary. Maybe we were all looking for the perfect solution?
Since I was determined to offer advice and not just complain, I did what many entrepreneurs do when faced with a problem: I started researching.
One insight that appeared repeatedly in sources such as Psychology Today is that constant interruptions create what's known as "attention residue." Even after an interruption ends, part of our brain remains focused on the previous task, making it harder to fully concentrate on the next one. In other words, it's not just the interruption that's the problem. It's the mental cleanup afterward.
The experts offered a few practical suggestions:
Create a protected focus window. Even 30 to 60 minutes where family members know you're unavailable can help preserve mental energy. Clear boundaries aren't selfish; they're necessary for creative and strategic work.
Stop trying to multitask. Research consistently shows that task-switching reduces productivity and increases stress. Focusing on one important task at a time is often more effective than trying to juggle five things simultaneously.
Build intentional pause moments into your day. A short walk, a quiet cup of coffee, journaling, or simply sitting in silence for a few minutes can help your brain recover from constant stimulation and regain focus.
Will these strategies completely solve life with a toddler, a giant dog, aging parents, and a business to run? Probably not. But they might buy me enough mental space to finish a thought before Tank decides I need supervision in the bathroom again.
Please chime in with a comment or more tips!
This article originally appeared in our free Business Sisters newsletter, where founder Doreen Ashton Wagner shares personal stories, observations, and occasional rants that she hopes will resonate with fellow women business owners navigating the realities of entrepreneurship.
If you'd like these stories delivered straight to your inbox, scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe to our free newsletter.
I feel guilty admitting that family life has affected my productivity lately.
As entrepreneurs, we often try to look composed while chaos tap dances behind the scenes. Since I'm committed to transparency, I figured I'd admit what's been hijacking my focus. A few months ago, I shared that our daughter Iliana was separating. My husband and I stepped in to help by having our granddaughter (aka Hurricane Scarlet) live with us until everything settled. Now Mom is also with us full-time, along with their family pet, Tank.
We'd been empty-nesters for over 10 years, so we knew there would be bumps in the road with this new family arrangement. Overall, having our darling girls home has been manageable.
The dog? Different story.
You see, Tank is a 160-pound Great Dane-Mastiff mix. Basically a small horse disguised as a house pet. I was wildly unprepared for how much hair one creature can shed and how much drool they can produce. 😝
Then there's the tail. Its wagging can clear a coffee table of cups, papers, and anything else not nailed down. He barks like the house is under siege anytime someone dares move during the night. And I haven't peed alone in weeks because, if it's not the toddler, it's the emotionally needy canine who follows me everywhere.
If you've ever wanted to experience the sensation of a cold wet muzzle appearing beside your elbow while eating chips, Tank would be happy to assist.
The funny thing is, the real challenge isn't even the dog. It's how quickly the lack of personal space and constant interruptions shred your mental bandwidth.
I used to spend mornings journaling, planning my day, and creating content for our online channels. Now, between toddler duty, dog walking, cleaning, and the general unpredictability of a multi-generational household, my productivity has taken a hit.
I can't be the only entrepreneur trying to work while life explodes in the background, right? Right?
Maybe that's the real reminder here: behind every polished business owner is a human being trying to answer the phone while picking up dog poop (or whatever mess is currently eating your productivity alive).
In the enewsletter, I asked our Business Sisters community for suggestions on how to create more space to think, recharge, and decompress when life feels crowded from every direction. The responses I received were lovely. Several members told me they thought the story was hilarious, and many commented on how beautiful Tank is. Both observations are absolutely true and greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately, neither solved my quandary. Maybe we were all looking for the perfect solution?
Since I was determined to offer advice and not just complain, I did what many entrepreneurs do when faced with a problem: I started researching.
One insight that appeared repeatedly in sources such as Psychology Today is that constant interruptions create what's known as "attention residue." Even after an interruption ends, part of our brain remains focused on the previous task, making it harder to fully concentrate on the next one. In other words, it's not just the interruption that's the problem. It's the mental cleanup afterward.
The experts offered a few practical suggestions:
Create a protected focus window. Even 30 to 60 minutes where family members know you're unavailable can help preserve mental energy. Clear boundaries aren't selfish; they're necessary for creative and strategic work.
Stop trying to multitask. Research consistently shows that task-switching reduces productivity and increases stress. Focusing on one important task at a time is often more effective than trying to juggle five things simultaneously.
Build intentional pause moments into your day. A short walk, a quiet cup of coffee, journaling, or simply sitting in silence for a few minutes can help your brain recover from constant stimulation and regain focus.
Will these strategies completely solve life with a toddler, a giant dog, aging parents, and a business to run? Probably not. But they might buy me enough mental space to finish a thought before Tank decides I need supervision in the bathroom again.
Please chime in with a comment or more tips!
Join the conversation