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How She Does It: An Everywoman's Guide to Breaking Old Rules, Getting Creative, and Making Time for Work in Your Actual, Everyday Life
Today’s working woman looks a lot like you.
She’s a:
• stay-at-home mom, working on her passion at naptime
• a part-time professional sharing childcare with her husband
• a full-time creative planning a future on her own schedule
She’s a woman – like you – with the opportunity to find fulfilling and profitable work without the mother guilt of previous generations. The possibilities are endless for today’s woman in this shifting work place – but the roadmap for getting there hasn’t quite been written.
Until now.
In How She Does It, author Anne Bogel unpacks these trends in family & work culture, and gets to the core of HOW you can make your work goals fit into your unique family situation.
Inside, you’ll find the personal success stories of 30 women who found – by playing to their unique strengths– solutions that really work for their families.
How She Does It will show you how to:
• Explore options for the shape of your work life, and plan ahead even before there’s a husband or kids in the picture.
• Abandon old limitations on home life demands leftover from previous generations.
• Embrace this changing landscape where it’s easier than ever to find time to work and be there for your family.
• Squeeze in more work hours without increasing childcare.
• Overcome common barriers like a tentative husband or a seemingly inflexible boss.
• Set priorities for your personal, budgetary, and family goals.
• Create a plan for your unique family situation.
• Adapt your work and family rhythms to the changing seasons of life.
• Meet other women like you who have walked the path of blending work and family–and succeeded.
How She Does It is the roadmap you’ve been looking for – packed to the brim with the creative solutions, encouragement, and resources you need to make a plan that works in the actual, every day life of your family.
She’s a:
• stay-at-home mom, working on her passion at naptime
• a part-time professional sharing childcare with her husband
• a full-time creative planning a future on her own schedule
She’s a woman – like you – with the opportunity to find fulfilling and profitable work without the mother guilt of previous generations. The possibilities are endless for today’s woman in this shifting work place – but the roadmap for getting there hasn’t quite been written.
Until now.
In How She Does It, author Anne Bogel unpacks these trends in family & work culture, and gets to the core of HOW you can make your work goals fit into your unique family situation.
Inside, you’ll find the personal success stories of 30 women who found – by playing to their unique strengths– solutions that really work for their families.
How She Does It will show you how to:
• Explore options for the shape of your work life, and plan ahead even before there’s a husband or kids in the picture.
• Abandon old limitations on home life demands leftover from previous generations.
• Embrace this changing landscape where it’s easier than ever to find time to work and be there for your family.
• Squeeze in more work hours without increasing childcare.
• Overcome common barriers like a tentative husband or a seemingly inflexible boss.
• Set priorities for your personal, budgetary, and family goals.
• Create a plan for your unique family situation.
• Adapt your work and family rhythms to the changing seasons of life.
• Meet other women like you who have walked the path of blending work and family–and succeeded.
How She Does It is the roadmap you’ve been looking for – packed to the brim with the creative solutions, encouragement, and resources you need to make a plan that works in the actual, every day life of your family.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2012
About the author
Anne Bogel
6 books70.3k followersAnne Bogel is an author, the creator of the blog Modern Mrs Darcy, and host of Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and What Should I Read Next? podcast.
She is the author of My Reading Life: A Book Journal, My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids, Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life, I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life, and Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything.
Anne lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, four children, and a yellow lab named Daisy.
She is the author of My Reading Life: A Book Journal, My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids, Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life, I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life, and Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything.
Anne lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, four children, and a yellow lab named Daisy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 15, 2015
My fixation on books about motherhood and work/life balance continues! This was written to be an e-book, and is therefore pretty short and sweet. I appreciated that, but also just didn't find it very good.
To be fair, I think my low rating is at least partly due to the fact that I possibly misunderstood the book's target audience -- and that audience does not seem to include me. I realized about halfway through that this really seemed to be aimed at moms who want to work but who, for various reasons, aren't currently doing that.
I have a hard time reconciling that point of view, since I'm coming from a place where I am working full-time outside the home and have for my entire adult life except for a 3-month maternity leave. I strongly WANT to be a working mom. But just because I want to do it doesn't mean it's easy.
So how do I do it? Well, first and foremost, I rely on daycare. And therein lies my other chief complaint about this book -- a seemingly inherent assumption, based on the stories told by dozens of different women featured, that daycare = bad...and also that part-time work = good. I feel like you can't truly write a book about "making time for work in your life" without also including stories from women who work full-time and utilize traditional daycare.
To be fair, I think my low rating is at least partly due to the fact that I possibly misunderstood the book's target audience -- and that audience does not seem to include me. I realized about halfway through that this really seemed to be aimed at moms who want to work but who, for various reasons, aren't currently doing that.
I have a hard time reconciling that point of view, since I'm coming from a place where I am working full-time outside the home and have for my entire adult life except for a 3-month maternity leave. I strongly WANT to be a working mom. But just because I want to do it doesn't mean it's easy.
So how do I do it? Well, first and foremost, I rely on daycare. And therein lies my other chief complaint about this book -- a seemingly inherent assumption, based on the stories told by dozens of different women featured, that daycare = bad...and also that part-time work = good. I feel like you can't truly write a book about "making time for work in your life" without also including stories from women who work full-time and utilize traditional daycare.
April 28, 2014
This is the problem with ebooks - one cannot flick through the pages and check out writing styles etc to see if the book is suitable. And while this was a good read, it had absolutely nothing to do with me. Apparently, an "everywoman" is a woman with her own family. I should have known, right. Oh well. In any case, I like the ideas that are presented, I like that we are going back to working in the home as opposed to the office, and I like it when families can work it out so that there is almost always one or both parent(s) around.
ANYWAY. Moving on to the next book. Duh brain.
ANYWAY. Moving on to the next book. Duh brain.
April 29, 2014
A quick and useful ebook. The most valuable aspect of this book is the collection of stories from various women who found creative solutions to balancing work and family in their life. If nothing else, this book provides permission -- and motivation -- to think outside the box. I wish Anne had taken some time upfront to lay out the narrow audience this is geared toward -- that is, women in opposite-sex marriages who have or plan to have children and want to do at least some work for pay. (The use of "everywoman" in the title is disingenuous given the narrow scope.) Although there was a brief mention of unmarried women and those without children, these were framed as "pre-marriage / pre-baby" women and the advice was more or less to prepare ahead of time for when children came. We don't have children yet but have done quite a lot of rearranging of schedules in the five years we've been married, and the discussion of balancing schedules revolved much more around childcare than on keeping one's relationship strong and healthy. I think this book was a good one for me to read as we're preparing to adopt children, but it's not for everyone. I also think it could have been more broadly aimed -- although I realize this book stems out of the "can women have it all?" pop culture discussion, most of the tips are relevant to all genders and all family types. If you can ignore some of the broad generalizations that characterize the first section of the book, it's worth the read for the diversity of personal stories that may inspire creativity in finding a work/life blend that works for your family.
December 16, 2016
A book you can literally finish in a day and may just inspire you to change your life. As a new stay-at-home mom, I enjoyed reading this book and thinking about how and what working can look like for me in this season and in seasons to come. If you're looking for inspiration for finding a work-life balance that suits your particular situation as a woman, this book is encouraging and quick to read.
May 13, 2016
This eBook is a quick read and dives into the WHY behind women in the workplace. I really love Anne's blog and her writing is just as engaging in her book—I just wish it was longer! I appreciated the different perspectives based on seasons of life, but would have liked more practical tips for time management too.
February 12, 2016
3.5 stars. Quick read inspiring women to think outside of the normal paradigms of work/family. It's a good reminder to do what's best for your family and not try to arbitrarily fit an established mold.
May 30, 2014
A quick, inspiring read by our own "Modern Mrs. Darcy". Reading this book inspired me to recommit myself to making my creative dreams a reality.
January 16, 2017
this little book was just what I was needing to read today, as I've been a SAHM for 3 years and considering how to reintegrate into the workforce in a way that makes sense for my family. i read the whole thing during nap.
March 8, 2020
This ebook was included in the 2015 Ultimate Homemaking Bundle. A quick read about women in the workplace. Encouraging and helpful.
October 26, 2021
I read this ebook years ago and found it really helpful in that season of my life as a full-time working outside the home new mom.
November 3, 2023
A really great guide to flexible and creative solutions for balancing work and family.
February 7, 2013
I've been looking forward to reading Work Shift: How to Create a Better Blend of Work, Life, and Family since I heard about it a few months ago. Even with the title, I wasn't sure quite what the focus of the book would be.
Blogger Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy wrote Work Shift to share with women the possibilites of combining work and family. She explores what this can look like by looking at the ways 30 different women are doing this. Although there are some exceptions, the majority of the examples show how mother and father can function as the primary caregivers, while also arranging scheduling and work so that both are able to work.
I appreciated this book for a number of reasons, but particularly so because our family has somewhat unique work arrangements (although I am only doing a very small percentage of the "working.") Like a good number of the families featured, my husband works from his home office, and has a small degree of flexibility in the way he is able to arrange his schedule and work location. We have done this purposefully (though we realize it's not always possible), and it was affirming to read of other families doing similarly.
Of course, we have computer-based jobs for the most part, but Work Shift also shows how women and men working more traditional jobs can also arrange their jobs and schedules in a way that allows for a unique blend of work and family. There are excellent examples of families doing these very things.
The beginning of the book focuses on some of the history of the workplace--our current cultural view of work is such that we tend to forget that our current construct not the norm prior to the industrial revolution. Anne then goes through how the work-family blend operates, and then looks at individual examples over a broad variety of family situations and work arrangements.
I found this book helpful and inspiring. Like others have commented, I wish I had spent more of my unmarried and childless years exploring and training for options that would allow me to blend work and family; at the same time, there are still plenty of options to allow me to both spend time being a primary caregiver to my children, family, and home while also exploring creative outlets and income-producing opportunities. This book provides an excellent picture of what such opportunities can look like.
Table of Contents:
September 22, 2012
As often happens when I start reading a book to review, I'm always a bit skeptical about what I'm actually going to take away from it. I should really know better by now - one can always learn something! As I ran through Work Shift to write this review, I came to a complete stop in the section on time.
Although I am enjoying the flexibility of my new-ish job, I struggle with creating "work hours" and "off hours" because there is always something that needs to be done. I have long struggled with the issue of time management, but Anne's point on page 58 was the exact reminder that I needed for the day. "Quit wasting time. Seriously. Stop checking your email. Stay off twitter and Facebook. Find a strategy to stay focused, or use a service like RescueTime or Leechblock to block email and social media when you’re supposed to be working." {Work Shift, pg. 58}
I have a slightly different problem with this because I work in social media for a living, but that doesn't mean that I need to work on my social media accounts while I'm at "work". So here I am, writing a review of a book that I figured wasn't meant for me since I already had the perfect non-traditional job, and even I walked away with something to consider and implement in the coming weeks!
Anne really did her research for Work Shift, and I think she has come away with a thoughtfully crafted book, filled with practical examples, suggestions, and encouragement for women (and men!) to think outside the traditional work box.
Although I am enjoying the flexibility of my new-ish job, I struggle with creating "work hours" and "off hours" because there is always something that needs to be done. I have long struggled with the issue of time management, but Anne's point on page 58 was the exact reminder that I needed for the day. "Quit wasting time. Seriously. Stop checking your email. Stay off twitter and Facebook. Find a strategy to stay focused, or use a service like RescueTime or Leechblock to block email and social media when you’re supposed to be working." {Work Shift, pg. 58}
I have a slightly different problem with this because I work in social media for a living, but that doesn't mean that I need to work on my social media accounts while I'm at "work". So here I am, writing a review of a book that I figured wasn't meant for me since I already had the perfect non-traditional job, and even I walked away with something to consider and implement in the coming weeks!
Anne really did her research for Work Shift, and I think she has come away with a thoughtfully crafted book, filled with practical examples, suggestions, and encouragement for women (and men!) to think outside the traditional work box.
July 27, 2014
I downloaded this book as a trial for the Kindle Unlimited (which I won't keep) but this book was excellent. It was an easy read, it introduced me to an ongoing conversation about topics I value, work, quality of life at home and the seasons in life we go through. The author of the book is a favorite blogger of mine, Anne Bogel or "The Modern Mrs. Darcy" She's a productive writer. I found her blog because she is a relentless bookworm and her taste is similar to mine. She posted so frequently I did think "How does she do it" then it turns out that is the name of her book. The topics were relevant to me: keeping my family a priority, and developing a career that allows me to contribute at home and enjoy my life, this book could not come at a better time. I learned some new tools (installed leechblock on my Mozilla toolbar) and also found encouragement and community in the ideas. Reminded me of an easier and more engaging Second Shift (Arlie Hochschild) or Sherry Turkle type book or Lean In (on my to read list).
January 3, 2013
4.5 stars
I wasn’t sure how applicable the book would be to my life but I found it very inspiring and motivating. The section on how to squeeze in more work was written for those on parent duty, so all of the tips included there were relevant and occasionally convicting.
I wish I’d been able to read this book when I was in college, so I could plan ahead a little better for a career that would give more flexibility and the potential to take advantage of the different seasons and options for work .
Even if you are single or childless, I think the book has something to offer. It’s not just about “how do we juggle work and childcare.” It’s about creating a life that blends all aspects of your life in a way that works.
(Review excerpted from http://deliberatereader.com/2012/09/review-workshift/)
I wasn’t sure how applicable the book would be to my life but I found it very inspiring and motivating. The section on how to squeeze in more work was written for those on parent duty, so all of the tips included there were relevant and occasionally convicting.
I wish I’d been able to read this book when I was in college, so I could plan ahead a little better for a career that would give more flexibility and the potential to take advantage of the different seasons and options for work .
Even if you are single or childless, I think the book has something to offer. It’s not just about “how do we juggle work and childcare.” It’s about creating a life that blends all aspects of your life in a way that works.
(Review excerpted from http://deliberatereader.com/2012/09/review-workshift/)
February 15, 2015
Bogel takes issue with the concept that women have to choose between working or being home, and advocates a more flexible blend of work and life...
...One helpful section covers how to overcome common barriers to achieving work/life balance and advice on issues such as how to work without incurring childcare costs. Childcare costs are wildly under-discussed in the work/home debates, and I think childcare can be a big hurdle. Government-subsidized care wouldn’t help the many moms who work flexibly, and good babysitters are hard to find (extreme understatement)...
...Work Shift would be a helpful read for women who work, who work part-time, or who have or have contemplated a side gig of some sort.
{Read my full review here}
...One helpful section covers how to overcome common barriers to achieving work/life balance and advice on issues such as how to work without incurring childcare costs. Childcare costs are wildly under-discussed in the work/home debates, and I think childcare can be a big hurdle. Government-subsidized care wouldn’t help the many moms who work flexibly, and good babysitters are hard to find (extreme understatement)...
...Work Shift would be a helpful read for women who work, who work part-time, or who have or have contemplated a side gig of some sort.
{Read my full review here}
September 18, 2015
I really enjoy the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog, so I was excited to read this. But this was not what I thought it would be about. I was hoping for more ideas about time management for busy moms, but it was really about how to create part-time work on a flexible schedule. I like Anne's blog writing because it's so personal; this book was less so, actually pretty dry in parts. I would recommend it to women who think they want to have kids but are looking for ideas about what to do to prepare in their professional life for flexible work arrangements. Not so much to women who are already mothers. One part I did find fascinating was the idea that teenagers require MORE of your time than little kids because you can just put the littles to bed, but teenagers want to stay up and talk about heavy issues.
October 6, 2012
I would recommend this book to anyone (male or female) with children or anyone planning to have children someday!
To be honest, I read Work Shift because my friend Anne wrote it. And she used my personal story as one of her many examples of how to juggle family and work.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. But I came away feeling enlightened. Anne really researched her topic and does an excellent job providing not only pointers on how families can create a work-life picture that works for them but also many real-life examples of how other families are making it work for them.
I will definitely keep this book at the forefront of my mind as the seasons in my life change and as I attempt to adapt my work around my ever-changing life.
*All opinions in this review are my own*
To be honest, I read Work Shift because my friend Anne wrote it. And she used my personal story as one of her many examples of how to juggle family and work.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. But I came away feeling enlightened. Anne really researched her topic and does an excellent job providing not only pointers on how families can create a work-life picture that works for them but also many real-life examples of how other families are making it work for them.
I will definitely keep this book at the forefront of my mind as the seasons in my life change and as I attempt to adapt my work around my ever-changing life.
*All opinions in this review are my own*
April 8, 2014
While this book does have some ideas for balancing work and childcare, I felt that it was deprecating to full-time stay at home mothers. Phrases like "I have marketable skills outside a home filled with little people" and "I need time with other adults and accomplishments that don't involve how many loads of laundry I did that day." are understandable, but take value away from those activities. Also, the women in most of these stories seem absolutely crazy with trying to balance work and home life, even though they're working part time or have a flexible schedule. Their careers end with crying in their boss's office or having some other meltdown. I feel like they haven't really "done it", as the title of the book implies.
June 18, 2019
(From 2014) Y’all know that I am kind of obsessed with Anne AKA Modern Mrs. Darcy right now. I just love her writing, so of course I had to dig in and read her ebook about working from home when she made it free. I wasn’t sure what I would get from it, since I don’t work outside the home, but I found it to be a well-researched piece on the history of women and work and where we stand as women in the present. I’m trying to think of myself as a work-at-home mom – because that’s what I am! – and this was super helpful to me right now and as I think of future options for our family.
April 9, 2014
A short and practical look at how to make time to pursue work that you value while having family responsibilities. I loved the peek into different families' lives. I think this book is a helpful resource for women in a variety of scenarios -- taking time to look at your family structure and see if it's working for all members of the family is always wise. If you're reassured that you're on the right path, great! If not, this book may inspire you to make some adjustments.
March 8, 2015
This Kindle single discusses the different ways that women manage work-life balance. Although it doesn't really offer any practical tips, there is a lot of value in seeing how other mother's manager work and family successfully.
I picked my copy up for free during a recent promotion; I don't know if it would be worth paying for though. It was enough like Anne Bogel's blog that I didn't feel like I was getting new information.
I picked my copy up for free during a recent promotion; I don't know if it would be worth paying for though. It was enough like Anne Bogel's blog that I didn't feel like I was getting new information.
April 5, 2014
2.5 stars. The content here consisted of mini-interviews and snippets from other women's lives, lots of "Here's how I did it in 10 sentences or less". I think if I had children, this book would have been more applicable, as the advice for the pre-child stage is pretty much: work hard now so you have something to trade for later.
April 29, 2014
I loved this book! As I read, I felt inspired to continue plugging along at my 10-hour-a-week nap time gig, and to think about ways to expand it and make it work even better for me and my two girls (and husband). Anne shared some thought-provoking history of the transformation of the workplace, and shared many stories of women who are making work *work* for themselves and their families.
November 22, 2014
This book was a quick read and really helped me reassess the work/life balance in our home as it currently stands. It contained helpful information that inspired me to make some changes in our family routine so that I can spend more time in meaningful work, becoming a better wife and mom as I fulfill my other callings.
January 16, 2015
Good practical tips
Bogel writes in the same relatable, practical, voice we're used to from her blog, but in longer form in her E-book. I found this collection to helpful sometimes in theory (pieces by women in different life stages) as well as in practice. A quick read with plenty of info honoring a diversity of life stages and styles.
Bogel writes in the same relatable, practical, voice we're used to from her blog, but in longer form in her E-book. I found this collection to helpful sometimes in theory (pieces by women in different life stages) as well as in practice. A quick read with plenty of info honoring a diversity of life stages and styles.
Read
January 20, 2020Fan of her blog. Enjoyed the history of work. Glimpses into other women's lives probably the most helpful. Got a buzz from reading Susan Wise Bauer's section. Easy, practical read. I do see this as being helpful for women wanting to work in and outside the home.
April 23, 2014
Good things to consider for the future!
would recommend this to any woman who is trying to figure out how to work and pursue passions without sacrificing time with your family. Quick read and full of ideas and resources.
would recommend this to any woman who is trying to figure out how to work and pursue passions without sacrificing time with your family. Quick read and full of ideas and resources.
February 14, 2015
I read this book several years ago before the updated version came out. I absolutely loved it, and I want to read it again. I will give a better review once I refresh my memory, but I remember thinking it was a must-read for work-at-home moms!
Read
December 11, 2015Interesting to see how (some) American women do it. Not relevant for me as I live in a country with heavily subsidized daycare, paid maternity leave and many more benefits. I missed information about making time for your partner beside work and childcare.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews