What is Positively Living?

Join Lisa Zawrotny as she dives into what you can expect when listening to the Positively Living podcast. With new episodes every week, tune in to hear about topics like decluttering, stress management, habits, personalized productivity, grief, and gratitude. The podcast is filled with a lot of heart, a smattering of sarcasm, and an understanding that comes from having lived it personally. Join Lisa and question everything, get to the heart of the matter, and find the simplest solutions so you can do less, live more, and breathe easier.

View all Show Notes and extended content at https://positivelyproductive.com/podcast

If you’re ready to reduce stress and overwhelm by doing less, yet achieving more, I invite you to join me for a Discovery Session: a heart-opening, mind-expanding, goal-setting session that gives you the clarity needed to determine your best steps forward. Go to www.positivelyproductive.com/discovery and use promo code PODCAST for half off.

Music by Ian and Jeff Zawrotny

Transcript

Lisa Zawrotny: [00:00:00] 
Thank you so much for joining me on the positively living podcast. I'm your host, Lisa Zawrotny, a certified stress management coach, specializing in productivity and organizing. I'm the founder of Positively Productive Systems and a proud wife to my talented and irreverent husband and mom to two fun creative kids and two cats who fit right into our funny family.

[00:00:30] I am beyond blessed to do what I do with those who inspire me, but it has been a process to get here. One that isn't over, but I'm celebrating my progress. Life is a bit like an ultimate Ninja warrior obstacle course. Don't you think? As I often say, life really knows how to "life" you, doesn't it? Could you hear the air quotes life?

[00:00:51] Yeah, and overwhelmed. That can come so easily. I know this firsthand. I've lived it and it's why I'm here. Living positively has been my personal mantra for years, and it became a lifeline for me during a deeply overwhelming time in my life. I was a caregiver to my mother with Alzheimer's for almost five years.

[00:01:14] During that time, I went through two pregnancies and caring for little ones all while juggling multiple businesses. Not to mention trying to stay connected to my husband. I will likely share the details in a future episode, but I'm sure you can imagine how difficult this time was and how I needed to rely on every bit of positivity and productivity I could muster.

[00:01:36] I was in survival mode. And I gave all I had to give though I made it through. It took many years and repeat stages of discovery, grieving, and healing to build myself back up. I was humbled and hurt, but I found my way step by step, and through this huge life shift I experienced the powerful combination of self-care, simplicity, and structure.

[00:02:04] And when I witnessed how it affected not only me but my family as well. I knew I had to share what I learned with others. In 2015 I started as a professional organizer focusing on physical clutter, but quickly shifted to productivity coaching when I realized how deep-seated clutter is in our hearts and minds as well as our homes.

[00:02:27] It's all connected, and I wanted to honor that in my coaching. Along the way. I've obtained a number of certifications, including life coaching, time management, and stress management to better support my client's needs. I have been coaching and speaking for years, guiding and encouraging those who are ready to release what doesn't serve them and embrace what does and to help them figure out both.

[00:02:53] The topics I cover in this podcast are a combination of tips and techniques. I have shared in interviews and workshops and on social media as well as what I've explored and experienced while coaching clients. The episode formats will vary with chats between just us as well as interviews with inspiring people, plus a few surprises, but the topics will connect to the positively productive motto.

[00:03:19] Do less, live more, breathe easier to do less. You need to be efficient. Leveraging productivity techniques, properly, making choices based on your values and setting boundaries that honor your needs to live more is to honor your dreams, to be able to do the things you want to do with the people you want to be with, and to shine your light in this world.

[00:03:47] And breathing easier. It's what happens when you get organized, manage your stress, and truly experienced living more. This is what I coach. This is what I believe. Everything I share with you is aimed at encouraging, calming, fostering hope, and providing valuable action steps that work for you and your life.

[00:04:14] My approach is holistic and realistic and keeping totally transparent, which I like to do. I don't have all the answers and I won't pretend otherwise, but years of experience coaching, the chronically overwhelmed plus the programs, courses, and coaches I've had have given me perspective and knowledge. As I often say, I may not have the answers, but I know how to ask really good questions and that's the key.

[00:04:44] My people, my people are the caregivers, nurturers, the overextended, overwhelmed, the ones who give until they hurt the mamas. The multitaskers. Those with chronic conditions. Those who feel like there has got to be a better way. Those who believe in simplifying and not sweating the small stuff, the ones who are daring to dream again and define who they are, the empath, who feel the weight of the world and still show up the slightly woo who loved the science side too, and the ones who want to leave a legacy and make a difference.

[00:05:28] If any of those resonate with you and you have a sense of humor too, you are in the right place to help you understand me a bit more. Here are some things I believe in. I believe in energy management versus time management. Decluttering as a first step. Do not organize what you don't intend to keep holding space for others.

[00:05:52] Supporting without judgment. Starting where you are as many times as you need to. that real people with real lives need real solutions. We grieve more than we realize, and we need to honor that. We need to elevate the status of good enough and eradicate shame and guilt and perfectionism. It's time to Uncomplicate life.

[00:06:19] Oh, we love to make things hard. What stopped doing that. I believe in the power of gratitude. It is a healing power habit that I hold so dear. I created a free coaching group around it, and I believe in questioning everything. I'm not afraid to change my mind. Listen to what others have to say and consider the options, things I love in no particular order, Venn diagrams, sarcasm, acts of kindness, and service.

[00:06:50] Coffee. Food, making food, eating food, also any kind of food, but especially tacos because they're a vehicle for sour cream. And because guacamole cats and for babies in general, mom life chat, there is a universal language of our life that makes me laugh and cry. Meditation or napping because they often overlap for me and I figure a quiet mind is key either way.

[00:07:20] Right. Holistic remedies. I loved coconut oil before it was a thing, the 80 20 principle, or the Pareto principle. I cannot have a productivity conversation without mentioning it, and I believe it's one of the most useful leveraging tools out there. So, look for an episode on that laughing. I like funny memes, funny movies, comedians, and see also sarcasm music.

[00:07:48] Listening to it, playing it, singing it. I'm on my podcast and I'm singing bonus points. If you know the movie. I borrowed that from, I love deep conversation. Basically, whatever the opposite of idle chitchat and small talk is. That's what I love. When I ask you, how are you, I really mean it. And I love speaking in movie quotes or music lyrics.

[00:08:18] C also singing. So, you will hear a lot of them in this podcast as well. Okay. That's me in a nutshell. Now, how about you? I would love to hear from you if you are or have been a caregiver nurturer, mama seeking support. If your fellow coach who resonates with what I'm saying if you are struggling to balance family life and a business.

[00:08:43] If you're trying to shine your light in this world, but you're not sure how, or simply if what I've told you about me has you thinking she's so my kind of people, let me know. Let me know what hits home. Let me know what you'd like to hear. Let me know if you want to be on the podcast or simply let me know how you are, how you really are.

[00:09:07] You can email me at positively living podcast, all one word@gmail.com and share your thoughts and requests. I will conclude with my promise to you as your host and coach. It is my mission to be the antidote to your stress, not simply another task on your to-do list. I will encourage action, but in a way that is livable, and I will guide you to true and lasting change that fits.

[00:09:40] Learn from yesterday. Live for today, hope for tomorrow thing is not to stop questioning. - Albert Einstein.