THIS Leader Podcast
87. You Don't Have a Time Problem: How to Reset Your Focus
October 6, 2026
You wake up and the day has already started without you. Before your feet hit the floor, you're running the list. The morning walk, the quiet coffee, five minutes to just think — that's the first thing to go, because it feels like a luxury. The list feels like your real responsibility.
In this episode, I'm telling you about the morning in 2017 that changed how I saw all of this — and the three questions that turned my chaotic calendar into one I actually love. This isn't about finding more hours. It's about getting honest about which ones deserve your best.
Listen Now
Listen Now
The thing you notice — the overwhelm, the constant sense of running behind — is almost never actually about hours. It's about clarity. When everything on your list looks equally urgent, your brain tries to hold all of it at once, and you end up half-present on everything, exhausted by ten in the morning.
In this episode, Claire unpacks why the important-but-not-urgent work (the strategic thinking, the real conversation you keep meaning to have, your own health) always loses to whatever's loudest, and walks through the three questions she now asks herself before deciding where her time goes: what am I actually responsible to deliver, what's the best use of my time specifically, and how do I get real results without over-engineering the small stuff.
This isn't a fix-it-once practice—she audits her time regularly, tracking where her hours actually go so she can make proactive choices about where to focus. And she closes with a twenty-minute exercise any leader can run this week to start seeing their own calendar more clearly.
"I didn't have a time problem. I had a clarity problem." — Claire Laughlin
87: You Don't Have a Time Problem: How to Reset Your Focus
Subscribe for weekly inspiration
Get it delivered right to your inbox!
Enter your name and email below and you'll get the inside scoop when we release a new episode on the podcast plus weekly leadership inspiration. We know you're not one to miss out on a good thing!
ClaireLaughlin.com needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at anytime. See our privacy policy for terms and conditions and to learn how we protect your data.
About your Host
Claire Laughlin, MA, Organizational Development Consultant
Hi! I'm Claire Laughlin, and I love helping leaders like you create workplaces where people truly thrive.
For over two decades, I've been rolling up my sleeves alongside teams and organizations, using hands-on methods that actually work (because let's face it - theory only gets you so far!).
I specialize in teaching leaders how to engage their teams, helping managers become more effective facilitators, and showing people how to work better together.
I'm also a master facilitator for the Six Types of Working Genius® - a fantastic tool that helps you understand and leverage your natural talents.
When I'm not helping leaders like you build happy, high-energy workplaces, I'm enjoying a hike in the forest with my dog Fiona, spending time with my family or curled up with a great book.
Listen Now
Let's keep the party going!
We have tons of great episodes waiting for you! Check them out on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
86. Stop Managing Performances. Start Leading People
You've half-composed the correction in your head before the conversation even starts. You know exactly what you're going to say, “you need to show more initiative”, but some part of you already knows it's not going to land the way you want it to. That's because naming the foul isn't the same as building the route.
In this episode, we discuss a different way to run performance conversations; one where you get curious about what's going on before any correction.
85. Stop Being Busy. Start Being Strategic
You just spent another week putting out fires, saying yes to everything, and going to bed exhausted — but if someone asked you how your success is actually measured, could you answer in one sentence? Most high performers can't.
In this episode, I help you define where your time and energy should be going. I'll show you how to turn that clarity into a Quarterly Action Plan that makes you more valuable, not busier. This is about being intentional, not adding more to your plate.
