November/December, 2025  

Be the Sheriff of Your Time

Kay Fittes, December, 2025

Time’s-a-wastin’ may be an archaic term but the message is loud and clear – manage YOURSELF, so you will not waste precious time.  You have heard it said 1000’s of times, “We all have 24 hours every day.  It is what we do with them that makes us different.”  If you are expecting an article about productivity tools, you might as well stop reading now.  This article focuses on that internal debate about the value of your time, the value of your career and the value of yourself.  Neither is this a “shame on you” article.  You are human, with human needs, fears, and struggles.  This is a retrospective of what I have learned about time in my career and what I have learned from client experiences.

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Kay’s Consulting Corner

Each month in this section, Kay offers actionable career consulting tips.

Become the Sheriff of Your Time

Understanding how you “tick” is essential in becoming the sheriff of your time.  You cannot change until you have clarity on what to change.  Everyone has their own rhythms and tendencies.  Fighting your time personality is counterproductive.  Honor yourself, work with yourself and not against yourself.  Here are three actions you can take ASAP that will get you started.

1. Log.  Keep track for a few days of how you use your time.  I know it is a pain, but the payoff is profound.  How long does it take to do certain tasks?  Who do you allow to waste your time?  Do you have tasks that you under or overestimate the time necessary?  What “rabbit holes” do you go down?  Do you force yourself to stay nose to the grindstone, without taking breaks and becoming less productive as time goes on?
   
   
2. Pronounce.  Are you a Lark or an Owl?  Know when you are at your most productive.  I am drafting this article at 5:00 AM.  That is when I am most creative and innovative.  Do I love being at my desk and computer at that time?  Nope!  However, I know myself.  If I tried to write this at 5:00 PM, trust me, you would not want to read it!  Figure out your best times to do specific work.  Pronounce out loud for yourself and others, that you are a Lark or an Owl.  There is power in pronouncement.
   
   
3. Focus.  Since 1994 I have been using focus time for important tasks.  I know some of you were not even alive in 1994!  Focus time is when you allow NO distractions.  You have determined how important certain work is and you will allow nothing to interrupt you, short of a disaster.  At a workshop I presented last Thursday, one of the participants said she calls this her “POWER HOUR”!  I love that, it has far more punch than “FOCUS TIME.”  A sign on your office door or cubicle that says “Power Hour” will be a reminder to you and others that this is a sacred time.
   

If this article has been a painful reality check for you, I understand.  Knowing our foibles can be painful but powerful.  If you are ready to be the sheriff of your time and know you need guidance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me and we will set up a complimentary 45-minute consultation to determine if I could be the right person to assist you.  Email Kay at kay@highheeledsuccess.com or call (513) 561-4288 to schedule.

Testimonial:  Andrea Jackson

Kay Fittes presented “Your Ultimate Guide for Leading and Dealing with Change” during the 4C Developing Early Childhood Leaders training.  She recognized how many of us were carrying the emotional weight of change and the quiet grief that often accompanies it.  Kay created a safe, compassionate space where participants felt comfortable sharing their own personal stories and struggles with change, and she even offered her personal contact information to support anyone who might need a listening ear.

One of my most meaningful takeaways from the presentation was realizing that the grief cycle isn’t only tied to loss of a loved one.  It also emerges during periods of transition.  Getting caught in the “overs” can hold us in a place of resistance.  Understanding this helped me see that feeling grief during change especially during periods of transition is not a setback, it is a natural part of the process.  Change may be difficult, but this training made me realize how it is also the movement that pushes me toward growth.

Kay’s knowledge and the space she intentionally held for all of us transformed the room.  By the end, I felt more connected to those in the room with me, and more energized to navigate change and transitions within my own life confidently.

I highly recommend Kay if you are interested in motivating your team with noticing when they’re getting caught in a cycle of "OVERS", those behaviors that keep us stuck, like overeating, over sleeping, over exercising.

Andrea Jackson
4C for Children Quality Programs Coach

High-Heeled Success^® supports Dress for Success through donations of clothing, time and money.  We offer complimentary seats at every workshop for women participating in the Dress for Success program.

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