Inspiration for a Meaningfully Productive Life – TPW369

Other people's thoughts and writings can provide inspiration for our own meaningfully productive lives. Inspiration! It's never too late to live the life we've envisioned -- and there is always something new to learn along the way. As we’ve often discussed, productivity to me is much more than just crossing tasks off a to-do list (although I do love crossing tasks off a to-do list!). It’s about ordering my life in such a way as to hopefully maximize my positive impact on the world around me--it’s about making a life that matters, as I define it for myself.  One thing that helps me as I’m doing my own work to define and make a life that matters is gathering and thinking about things other people have said on topics related to productivity and a meaningfully productive life. I often read books, articles, and blog posts with a pencil or highlighter nearby, and mark passages that provoke thought or inspire me. I copy many of them into a notebook (right now, mostly a digital notebook) where I can look at them from time to time, think about what they mean and how they apply to me, and ponder how I can implement their lessons into my life.   Quotes that have provided inspiration to me recently The true price of anything you do is the amount of time you exchange for it. ~ Henry David Thoreau This is so important to keep in mind. Time is a finite resource and no matter how efficient or organized we are, we still only have 24 hours in a day. Ask yourself periodically, is what I’m doing worth the price of the precious, irreplaceable minutes of my life I’m spending on it? Organization gives you time. Planning makes that time productive, actionable, and goal-oriented.  ~ Lisa Woodruff I chose this quote before I started working on this episode and before I realized Organize365 was sponsoring this episode. This is such a good reminder of the time-saving benefits of getting our spaces and our lives in order, but even more important, a reminder to be intentional about our lives, proactive instead of reactive. Plan, rather than just take what comes without any forethought. This is what I’ve been thinking about as I prepare for the arrival in a few days of a small group of women from the TPW community who are coming to my home for a planning retreat. The moment you stop blaming your life’s circumstances on external factors is the moment you start molding a future that is aligned with your true desires.  ~ unknown (seen on social media) Believing that my circumstances are the result of forces beyond my control is discouraging, leaving me feeling helpless. That’s the way I lived for a lot of my life. Recognizing that my life today is the result of choices I’ve made is empowering because if my choices brought me here and I don’t like where I am, I can start making different choices that will get me to a place I like better. Your diet is not only what you eat. It’s what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, the people you hang around. Be mindful of the things you put into your body emotionally, spiritually, and physically. ~ unknown We truly do become what we consume, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. This is a great reminder to be aware and thoughtful about what I allow into my mind as well as my body. I realized that I don’t have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect, and beautiful journey of my life. ~ Kerry Washington Letting go of the belief that we have to do it all AND do it perfectly is life-changing. Life is messy and we don't always respond in a perfect way. This doesn't mean that we are not worthy of enjoying our lives with peace of mind. When we have clarity and purpose, we find motivation and confidence.  ~ Myquillyn Smith Invest the time, energy,