Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? That exact dilemma is what sparked Kate Christie to leave behind her life as a corporate senior executive and launch her own business as a time management expert.
Today, Kate teams up with Australia’s biggest brands, businesses and teams (from BUPA to L’Oreal and even government organisations) to help them unlock more time and design lives they love.
Plus, she’s a bestselling author of five books and regularly takes to the stage to share her insights on productivity, goal setting, life by design and so much more.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Kate to find out where her passion for productivity came from, what it’s like to navigate the juggle as a working parent, and the big life moments that have shaped who she is and so much more.
To kick things off, can you give us a quick introduction to yourself?
“My name is Kate Christie. I am a time management expert, global speaker, coach and best-selling author of five books. I have a reputation for helping my clients find 30+ hours a month, and then I help them use that time to design and live their best lives. I am also a single mum to three amazing kids who fill my heart with a lot of joy and moments of ridiculously intense stress.”
Why are you so passionate about helping others with time management and boosting their productivity?
“Cupcakes ended my corporate career. I was building a life as a lawyer turned senior executive in one of Australia’s biggest companies. I was also the CEO of my household, with three kids under three.
One day, being a ‘superwoman’, I dropped my son at school. I had the suit, heels, red lipstick. I had it all – except cupcakes for ‘cupcake day’.
My son was in hysterics and I was in crisis mode. When I walked, late and guilty, into my first boardroom meeting of the day, everyone else looked silently at their watches and I had the profound realisation I was the only member of that executive team without a wife.
That was my sliding door moment. I went on to start my first business, an online portal connecting busy women with home help. What I was selling people wasn’t a babysitter or nanny – it was ‘time’ and ‘freedom’ to live a life by design.
That epiphany became my first book ‘Me First’, guiding professionals and businesswomen to regain time, energy and control. My book became a bestseller, and I had found my purpose.
My absolute passion is to make sure that no one ever feels that they have to choose between things they love (like work and family; or work and work/life balance) for want of time. That’s why I do what I do.”
What memorable life moments have shaped who you are, and why?
“The influence of my dad: My dad is the first feminist I ever met. He has three daughters and he instilled in my sisters and I the understanding that with a strong work ethic coupled with self-belief, we could do and be anything in the world that we wanted. That has really defined my approach to life – hard work, grit, determination and a huge drive to live my best life.
Learning: I didn’t love school, but I loved learning.
Travel: my parents did the whole caravan around England, Italy and France with us when we were really little and I remember so much of that trip. They weren’t rich people – half the time we lived off eggs and toast in that caravan – but we got to see art and museums and churches and ruins and experience different cultures and it was magnificent. It planted in me a lifelong love of travel.
My kids: Birthing babies is spectacular. Growing my babies and having them part of my being, and then raising them to be incredible humans is the hardest, least rewarding but most rewarding experience of my life. It has taught me patience, acceptance, a very deep love, self-sacrifice and a scarily fierce lioness need to protect them. As I am approaching empty nesting, it has also taught me that as a mum I don’t need to be so selfless, that it’s ok – much more than ok – to prioritize myself too.
Losing my former life partner: My ex-husband and I had only been separated for a handful of years when Dan fell sick. We were still finding our feet in our new relationship and his illness and death turned our lives upside down.”
Can you tell us about the story behind your latest book, “The Life List: Master Every Moment and Live an Audacious Life”? What inspired you to write it?
“In 2020 my ex-husband and the dad to my kids was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Dan died in April 2021. He was 54. Losing Dan was a huge catalyst for me to live my best life. To fast forward all of the huge, audacious living I had planned to get to at some stage — to right now.
‘A Life List’ is the exact opposite of a bucket list – regardless of our age, we need to stop asking what do I want to do before I die? We need to ask: what do I want to do while I am still young enough to enjoy it?
In September 2021, I shared the first iteration of my ‘Life List’ with CEOWORLD Magazine — a list of things I was going to do, as soon as possible, while I am still young enough to enjoy them. Because life is too short not to live your best life. My list included some big items like travel and lots of small but massively important items like telling my kids I love them every single day and even when they are shitting me.
‘My Life List’ prompted a huge response from people around the world wanting to live their best life right now and it helped form the inspiration for writing the book.”
Why do you believe it’s so important for women to make time for themselves and put their needs first?
“All of the women I know are selfless — regardless of whether they are mums, or women without children, or women who are in relationships, or women who are single or any possible combination of partnered or not with kids or not — every woman I know is a giver. Think about your own life – think of everything you give to others, the time you invest in others, the work you do for others, and the sacrifices you make for others.
It’s our turn.”
What are your top tips for women looking to take the reigns of their schedule and make time for what matters to them?
“Start saying ‘No’ to some of the requests for your time. Every time you say Yes to someone else you are saying No to yourself.
Create an annual plan for what you want to achieve this year and lock the ‘big rocks’ into your calendar months in advance. The first thing you should lock into your annual calendar is your annual leave. Then work around that.
Stop multitasking. When we multitask or quickly switch tasks, our productivity goes down by 40%. Focus on one task at a time.”
What’s next for you in 2023?
“After the launch of my book, my next, most exciting, big ticket item is that I am heading to Bali in July for seven weeks to experience being a digital nomad. If it works and I love it – and I can’t see why I won’t – then I plan to spend three to four months every year living and working in other countries. Because life is too short and later might be too late.”
Purchase your copy of The Life List: Master Every Moment and Live an Audacious Life, find out more about Kate Christie on her website and keep up to date with her on LinkedIn.
