My career started out as what I affectionately call a spinster 6th grade teacher. My favorite teachers were older women who never married. I loved teaching, but the next thing I knew, I was married, I had three kids and many dogs and 40 years flew by. I always thought I would return to teaching, but I was busy with my kids, husband, friends and community.

Even though I was home full time, I always struggled with getting dinner on the table, cleaning the house, planning trips, and having good relationships with my husband, kids, or friends. I always had excuses: a husband that was gone, kids in diapers, toddlers, teenagers, elderly parents that needed help, the dog.

Then one day my life turned into the old joke: When does life begin? It begins when the kids leave home, your parents die and the dog dies. I sat in my chair and thought: I have all the time and money I need, but I am still struggling with the things I struggled with for 40 years.

I started working with Dr. Sarah Reiff-Heikking on time management. My class consisted of lawyers, accountants and business owners. It was very intimidating to go around the room and have people what they did and what they hoped to learn. After listening to high-powered people talk about their careers, I said, “Hi. I am Pat. I have been a housewife for 40 years and I want to learn how to get dinner on the table and get my house clean.” Sarah kept encouraging, me, especially concerning the many people who were struggling in their homes and just not saying anything.

I started using exactly the same principles she was teaching the business people and applying them to my home and it was like magic! So simple.

I think of myself as a time management expert whose area of expertise is managing the home. It’s not just full time housewives I help; it is men, single people…everyone has a place to live that they need to maintain, everyone has meals they need to eat and people that they need to get along with.

It is a thrill to work with people and basically tell them you don’t have to wait for the life you want. You can have it now! I use simple time management principles to get people living the life they want; a clean home, dinner on the table, time with a spouse and kids…Lifeasitshouldbe!