What are your little legacy builders?

Do you ever pause and think about the legacy you’ll leave behind? Or the type of impact you want to have on the world? Your community? Your closest loved ones?

When I think about the word “legacy,” the lives and impact of change-makers like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marie Curie, and Mahatma Gandhi come to mind. Perhaps, in part, because of their widely spread popularity and “fame,” but more importantly, because of the way they changed the world, each in their respective ways.

Building a legacy is about spending your time intentionally and creating a story worth remembering—one that endures without your physical presence, lives on through others long after your departure, and leaves behind impact, influence, or a beautiful combination of the two.

Most of us won’t have the type of widespread global impact that those previously mentioned have. But that doesn’t mean we can’t (or won’t) build a legacy worth remembering. You don’t have to strive for profound change-making. Instead, one of the best uses of spending time intentionally lies in something I like to call ‘little legacy builders.’

Little legacy builders are precisely what they sound like: small decisions we make and actions we choose regularly that build a story of who we were in our short and precious time on Earth. They’re (hopefully) value-driven, feel good to you, and are the type of choices and efforts that lead to someone saying, “What I loved most about [insert your name here] is that they…[little legacy builder]…”

You build your legacy in quiet moments, consistent actions, and in the small ways you choose to show up for yourself, others, and the world around you.

Here are some examples of little legacy builders and what they could say about you:

• Calling a loved one once a week — Legacy: Someone who loved and prioritized their family, no matter how busy

• Celebrating others’ wins — Legacy: Someone who never feared their light would dim because of others’ success and accomplishments and instead honored them lovingly

• Speaking positively about others behind their back — Legacy: Someone who supported and celebrated others, no matter who was watching or listening

• Listening without interrupting – Legacy: Someone who always made people feel heard and showed up empathetically

• Remembering people’s names — Legacy: Someone who made others feel seen, remembered, and important

• Picking up trash in your neighborhood — Legacy: Someone who loved their community and treated shared spaces with kindness as a sign of respect

• Keeping your promises — Legacy: Someone who was trustworthy and the type of friend people cherished

• Holding the door open for others — Legacy: Someone who always thought of others

• Chatting with your local barista and other community servants — Legacy: Someone who gave a few extra moments of their time to engage with others so they never felt invisible

• Creating family traditions — Legacy: Someone who cherished their family and hoped to affect the family members they’d never meet in generations to come

Every small choice you make contributes to the legacy you’ll leave behind someday. Legacy is about consistency and integrity. The little things accumulate over time, shaping our influence in our circles and becoming the stories others tell about us. How you lived will become more important than what you achieved, what fancy titles you held, how you dressed, and what you owned. Choose to be the person you want to be remembered as.

What are your little legacy builders? Respond to this email and share them with me! 💌

Time Intentional Book Recommendations

I recently created a book recommendations page on the Time Intentional website. I've added a few books I've read recently (or semi-recently) to the list, but I'd also love to include recommendations from readers. (I can only read so many books, no matter how badly I want to read them all…).

If you have book recommendations to share with the Time Intentional community, please let me know! Please send me an email with the title, author, and a brief description explaining why you’d recommend it. I’ll credit you when I add your recommendations to the list! 📚

Time Well Spent: Weekly Roundup

1. A few weeks ago, I shared that I was joining my first-ever book club, and I attended my first book club meeting this week! I am so grateful I pushed myself slightly outside of my comfort zone because I had a great time and met new friends!

2. I’m going through a phase right now where I'm doing everything in my power to cut out screen time, no matter how small. As a stationery enthusiast for my entire life, I am thrilled to return to using a paper planner. Will I ditch my digital calendar entirely? Unlikely. But I set up my Passion Planner this weekend with stickers, notes, photos, and all the things. I plan to use it as a planner and memory keeper. (Want to try Passion Planner* or any of their products? Use my discount code “ALYSSA” or shop with this link.*)

3. I read a newsletter from Every* (subscribe to read great pieces about the future of work and technology) written by Rhea Purohit that I enjoyed: “What the Em Dash Says About AI-assisted Writing—And Us,” and then I told Rhea how much I enjoyed it on LinkedIn.

The Takeaways

• Commit to a reasonable action outside of your comfort zone that’s an intentional use of your time, and then keep your promise to yourself and do the thing! How did it feel?

• What activity can help you reconnect with your roots and incorporate more of what you love into your life?

• If you like someone’s work, let them know! Tell at least one person how much you enjoyed something they did recently.

Time Intentional Referral Sticker Pack

In case you missed it, when you refer 3 new readers to Time Intentional, you’ll earn a snail mail package containing these stickers and a handwritten note.

My friend, Sam DuBeau, a Canada-based brand designer, lettering artist, and calligrapher, illustrated these stickers with love. Learn more about Sam and her work on the NEW Time Intentional Behind the Scenes page.

I’m Alyssa Towns, a freelance writer, and this is Time Intentional, a newsletter exploring what it means to spend our limited (and precious) time intentionally. Only you can decide how to spend your time in a way that feels intentional!

Extend your love and support by sharing this newsletter with someone you know or buying me a coffee! ☕

Your love and support mean the world to me! If you read some of my work and love it or find it valuable, please email me to let me know! I do my best to respond to every message I receive. (No, really!)

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