Before I ever understood alignment, identity, or behavioral change science, I used to set 19 goals for 2019, 18 goals for 2018—vision boards, planners, personal retreats, the works. I chased the fantasy woman who would magically appear on January 1st: perfectly healthy, perfectly disciplined, perfectly productive.

That woman never showed up.

And now I know why: I never had a “why,” and I never made those goals part of my identity.

In this episode, I break down:

• Why “New Year, New You” is usually just New Year, Same Pressure
• How setting 10+ goals with no deeper meaning kept me stuck in burnout
• What finally clicked for me when I looked back at the goals I did achieve (engineering degree, MBA, half marathons, reading hundreds of books)
• How identity—not willpower—is what makes habits stick
• Why your values must guide your goals, or they’ll feel like punishment
• The danger of choosing goals because they “sound good” online
• How to root your goals in who you truly are (not who you think you should be)
• Why I created my SPEAK framework for aligned goal setting
• A real example from my life: stepping into the identity of business owner instead of hiding it

• You don’t need January 1st to make a change—start when it feels aligned.
• Your goals must connect to who you want to become, not what you think will look impressive.
• Identity beats discipline every time.
• Values + identity = sustainable, soul-aligned goals.
• The best goals feel natural to talk about, learn about, and take action on.
• Your goals should make you emotional—in the best way.

Follow me on Instagram @chelseyncoaching for behind-the-scenes experiments, cosmic insights, and honest conversations about building a life that works with your energy—not against it.

💫 Grab your free Time Freedom Experiment to start redesigning your days, one aligned experiment at a time →

The Aligned Routine Experiment Log: If you’ve ever copied a routine from Instagram, a podcast, or that one influencer who swears by 5 AM wake-ups… and then wondered why give up after two days and feel like an undisciplined failure, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created the Aligned Routine Experiment Log—a “lab notebook” to help you stop guessing and start running your own personalized productivity experiment to create personalized routines that work for you.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a mom, I work a nine-to-five, I run a business, and I manage a household while my husband works wild military hours. Three tasks a day? That’s adorable—and completely unrealistic. In this episode, I’m breaking down why that advice doesn’t work for most of us and what to do instead.

If you’ve ever tried to simplify your to-do list only to end up feeling behind, this one’s for you. I share the system I use (and teach my clients) to create to-do lists that are actually doable, energy-aware, and built for real life.

You’ll hear:

• Why “top three priorities” advice doesn’t fit for women juggling work, family, and business.
• How to shift your focus from task management to energy management—the real key to getting things done.
• The difference between a brain dump and a to-do list, and why you need both to stay clear and grounded.
• Why your to-do list should have five to seven hyper-specific tasks, not 20 vague ones.
• How to structure your list based on your energy—whether you ramp up slowly or dive straight into the hard stuff.
• How to know when rewriting your to-do list is productive versus pure procrastination.
• Why I ignore “don’t check email first thing” advice and focus on what’s realistic for my job and energy.

My Philosophy on Productivity

For me, productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about working on the right thing, at the right time, in a way that aligns with your goals and energy. Whether you’re managing a full-time job, motherhood, a business, or all three, you need a system that flexes with you.

That means creating to-do lists that serve your life, not shame you for not being a robot.

• Productivity is personal—your to-do list should reflect your energy, not someone else’s ideal.
• A brain dump helps you clear your head; your to-do list helps you take action.
• Five to seven hyper-specific tasks per day = clarity and momentum.
• Rank tasks by energy and context, not unrealistic “shoulds.”
• Flexibility and grace matter more than perfect planning.

Follow me on Instagram @chelseyncoaching for behind-the-scenes experiments, cosmic insights, and honest conversations about building a life that works with your energy—not against it.

💫 Grab your free Time Freedom Experiment to start redesigning your days, one aligned experiment at a time →

The Aligned Routine Experiment Log: If you’ve ever copied a routine from Instagram, a podcast, or that one influencer who swears by 5 AM wake-ups… and then wondered why give up after two days and feel like an undisciplined failure, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created the Aligned Routine Experiment Log—a “lab notebook” to help you stop guessing and start running your own personalized productivity experiment to create personalized routines that work for you.

Before I ever taught anyone how to build intentional, aligned routines, I had to fumble my way through years of trial and error. I share the story of how I went from constantly “starting over on Monday” to finally finding systems that fit my real life.

You’ll hear:

• How my obsession with planners, to-do lists, and structure started—and what I learned when that structure disappeared after college.
• The decade-long cycle of promising myself, “Tomorrow I’ll wake up at 5 a.m. and become a whole new person,” and why it never worked.
• The difference between discipline and self-punishment (and how behavioral science helped me finally stop beating myself up).
• The moment in Guantanamo Bay that changed everything—and how experimenting with my morning routine helped me create flow, not frustration.
• Why defining the intention behind each habit made me more consistent than any “perfect routine” ever could.
• How I now weave astrology and Human Design into my daily rituals—especially my Leo Sun and Libra Rising energy that craves visibility, beauty, and balance.
• What it looks like to treat productivity as a living experiment instead of a test you can fail.

Why It Matters

So many women approach productivity like a performance—checking boxes to prove worthiness. But true time freedom doesn’t come from rigid routines; it comes from understanding your energy, your cycles, and your why. This episode is your permission slip to stop doing what you “should” and start building systems that work with who you are.

Unravel Your Year by Susannah Conway

Follow me on Instagram @chelseyncoaching for behind-the-scenes experiments, cosmic insights, and honest conversations about building a life that works with your energy—not against it.

💫 Grab your free Time Freedom Experiment to start redesigning your days, one aligned experiment at a time →

The Aligned Routine Experiment Log: If you’ve ever copied a routine from Instagram, a podcast, or that one influencer who swears by 5 AM wake-ups… and then wondered why give up after two days and feel like an undisciplined failure, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created the Aligned Routine Experiment Log—a “lab notebook” to help you stop guessing and start running your own personalized productivity experiment to create personalized routines that work for you.

Welcome to the very first episode of The Cosmic Productivity Method! I’m Chelsey Newmyer—productivity witch, certified behavioral change specialist, and recovering Type-A good girl. This episode is a re-introduction to who I am, how I got here, and the messy, magical journey that led me to create a new kind of productivity—one rooted in self-awareness, energy, and actual joy.

I get real about the moment I realized I’d made productivity my entire personality—and what it took to burn it all down and start fresh.

For years, I did everything “right.” Straight-A student, biomedical engineer, overachiever, corporate climber. I chased every promotion, filled every hour, and convinced myself that exhaustion meant success. But after years of burnout and breakdowns, I realized something huge: productivity is personal.

In this episode, I share:

• The moment I deleted my email list, archived hundreds of posts, and decided to rebuild my business from scratch.
• How growing up as the “good girl” wired me to seek validation through achievement—and why that became my biggest obstacle.
• The day I realized I didn’t want the corner office; I wanted my own version of success, one that gave me freedom to be a mom, a business owner, and a human being.
• Why most productivity advice doesn’t work for women (spoiler: men’s 24-hour cycles and support teams aren’t exactly realistic for us).
• How astrology, Human Design, and behavioral science helped me rebuild a life and business that finally fit.
• What it really looks like to stop performing success and start living it—one experiment at a time.

Why It Matters

This isn’t another “five-step morning routine” episode. It’s about redefining what productivity means when you’re tired of doing everything “right” and still feeling like it’s never enough. If you’ve ever looked at your overflowing to-do list and thought, is this really it?—you’ll feel seen here.

Follow me on Instagram @chelseyncoaching for behind-the-scenes experiments, cosmic insights, and honest conversations about building a life that works with your energy—not against it.

💫 Grab your free Time Freedom Experiment to start redesigning your days, one aligned experiment at a time →

The Aligned Routine Experiment Log: If you’ve ever copied a routine from Instagram, a podcast, or that one influencer who swears by 5 AM wake-ups… and then wondered why give up after two days and feel like an undisciplined failure, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created the Aligned Routine Experiment Log—a “lab notebook” to help you stop guessing and start running your own personalized productivity experiment to create personalized routines that work for you.