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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

Why You Need a System for Self-Care

September 29, 2025 • Lisa Zawrotny • Episode 281

0:00 | 19:44

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So many of us find ourselves in an all too familiar cycle: we create the perfect self-care plan, only to have it completely derailed by the unpredictability of life. Whether it’s an urgent deadline, a sick family member, or a sudden change in plans, our carefully crafted intentions fall apart, once again putting self-care on the back burner. The problem? We put too much focus on having a plan when we should shift our attention to getting the right systems in place.

This week on the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, I’m unpacking how you can make the critical shift from a rigid self-care plan to a flexible, resilient self-care system.

In this episode of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, I’m sharing the important distinction between plans and systems, why our plans often fail, and actionable steps to take right now to create a framework that makes self-care a sustainable, non-negotiable part of your life.

I cover the following topics:

The difference between plans (static & rigid) and systems (dynamic & flexible).
How willpower and decision fatigue hold us back from making self-care a priority.
Creating a “minimum viable” self-care routine for low-energy days.
The four elements of a self-care system that work.

If you’ve struggled to stick with self-care, it’s not because you’re flawed or lazy. It’s because plans alone aren't enough. It's time to build a system that supports you not just on the good days, but on the hard ones too.

Ready to take action? Don’t forget to download the Positively Productive Toolkit to help you cultivate the self-awareness needed for the most effective habits and systems.

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

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Music by Ian and Jeff Zawrotny

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