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Positively Living®: Shame-Free Productivity Conversations

The Positively Living® Podcast brings you shame-free productivity conversations for the overwhelmed multi-passionate creatives, caregivers, and multi-taskers who never clock out, juggle countless responsibilities, and quietly wonder if there's a better way.

Hosted by Lisa Zawrotny, Productivity Coach and founder of Positively Productive Systems, the show replaces rigid productivity rules with flexible approaches that respect your energy and priorities. Through solo episodes, expert interviews, and live coaching sessions, Lisa covers the topics that actually affect your ability to move forward: stress management, habits and systems, decluttering, self-awareness, boundaries, mindset, entrepreneurship, and more.

This is productivity for real life, helping you breathe easier, move forward sustainably, and make space for what matters most to you.

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Positively Living®: Shame-Free Productivity Conversations

Starting the New Year with Less Stress

January 05, 2026 • Lisa Zawrotny • Episode 295

0:00 | 13:49

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Are you already feeling the “New Year, New You” burnout before January is even over? The pressure to set massive resolutions, hit the ground running, and overhaul your entire life on January 1st is a recipe for overwhelm. If you’re feeling more like you need a nap than a marathon, you’re not alone, and you’re not failing. This week on episode 295 of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, I’m introducing you to a gentler, sustainable approach so you can start the new year with less stress.

In this episode of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, I’m ditching the concept of an arbitrary date on the calendar that dictates our fresh start and giving you actionable steps to take right now to reach your goals at a pace that actually respects your energy and capacity.

I cover the following topics:

Embrace the phrase, “start as you mean to go on,” or in other words, choose a starting speed that you can maintain.
Take an intentional pause to reflect and move forward in the right direction.
Conduct a self-assessment to understand your energy drains, capacity, and current needs.
Consider broad intentions over rigid goals to support your overall well-being.

Ready to build a year that actually fits your life? Download my free Productivity Toolkit at positivelyproductive.com/plpkit and follow along as we dive into these workbooks in the coming weeks!

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Positively LivingⓇ and Lisa at https://positivelyproductive.com/podcast/

Stop trying to fit into someone else’s productivity rules! Grab my free Productivity Toolkit, a collection of workbooks designed to help you explore how you work, uncover what truly matters to you, and create your very own energy-friendly systems. Get it here: www.positivelyproductive.com/plpkit

CONNECT WITH LISA ZAWROTNY:

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

(Find links to books/gear on the Positively Productive Resources Page.)

Ep 291: How Slowing Down Makes You More Productive

Ep 293: Simple Filters to Help You Make Decisions

Ep 239: How to Choose a Word of the Year

Dance Song Playlist V1, V2, V3

Music by Ian and Jeff Zawrotny