Michelle Obama strategy for managing personal life and work
Michelle Obama
Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama  participate in the unveiling of  their  official portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery  on February 12  2018 in Washington  DC. Mark Wilson/Getty Images
 Former first lady Michelle Obama  had a busy schedule during  her  years in the White House.
To make sure  her  personal life didn't get the short end of the stick   Obama  would plan out  her  year  adding date nights  vacations and even workouts  before signing on to any meetings or events.
"Oftentimes we don't do that as professionals  " Obama  said. "We schedule work before we schedule us."
 Former first lady Michelle Obama   speaking at Klick Health's Muse event in New York  said that was especially challenging after uprooting  her  family while  her  children were young to move to the White House.
"What we learned we had to do is start prioritizing us alongside â and often before â the work "  Obama  said.
"Oftentimes we don't do that as professionals. We schedule work before we schedule us "  Obama  said. But it doesn't have to be that way  she said. "The truth is even when you schedule your family  there's still plenty of time for work. But we don't plan like that."
"We always scheduled family dinners. He was always home in time to sit down for that family dinner "  Obama  said. "We had our regular vacations and Barack never missed a parent-teacher conference."
[TGT] participate in the unveiling of   [TGT]   official portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery  on February 12  2018 in Washington  DC. Mark Wilson/Getty Images
 Former first lady Michelle Obama  had a busy schedule during  her  years in the White House.
To make sure  her  personal life didn't get the short end of the stick   Obama  would plan out  her  year  adding date nights  vacations and even workouts  before signing on to any meetings or events.
"Oftentimes we don't do that as professionals  " Obama  said. "We schedule work before we schedule us. [TGT] 
speaking at Klick Health's Muse event in New York  said that was especially challenging after uprooting   [TGT]   family while   [TGT]   children were young to move to the White House.
"What we learned we had to do is start prioritizing us alongside â and often before â the work "  Obama  said.
"Oftentimes we don't do that as professionals. We schedule work before we schedule us "  Obama  said. But it doesn't have to be that way  she said. "The truth is even when you schedule your family  there's still plenty of time for work. But we don't plan like that."
"We always scheduled family dinners. He was always home in time to sit down for that family dinner "  Obama  said. "We had our regular vacations and Barack never missed a parent-teacher conference."