“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

—Robert Louis Stevenson

Some quotes just stick with you. This one did for me.

It’s easy to go to bed feeling like you didn’t accomplish enough—like the day didn’t produce visible results. But lately, I’ve been asking myself a better question: What did I plant today?

Not every action gives an immediate reward. The truth is, the more meaningful growth in our lives comes slowly, through small, consistent efforts. Seeds planted in quiet moments—an encouraging word, a handwritten note, a 20-minute walk, writing one paragraph of a future book—these are the things that shape our future selves.

What Are You Planting?

We’re all planting something, whether we realize it or not. Here are a few places you might be sowing seeds—intentionally or unintentionally:

1. In your relationships – Did you listen with patience today? Did you follow through on a promise, or take a moment to check in on someone who’s struggling? Every connection we nurture is a seed.
2. In your work or passion projects – Progress doesn’t always show up as completed tasks. Sometimes it’s sketching an outline, organizing your thoughts, or just showing up. One good conversation, one creative spark—those are seeds too.
3. In your health and well-being – You don’t have to run a marathon to move forward. A ten-minute stretch, a healthy choice at lunch, going to bed on time—these are investments in future energy and vitality.
4. In your mindset – Did you choose gratitude instead of complaining today? Did you pause before reacting, or encourage yourself when you stumbled? Mental habits grow from the thoughts we repeat.
5. In others  – Maybe your day wasn’t about you at all. Maybe the smile you gave, the compliment you shared, or the quiet example you set was the seed someone else needed.

A Question to Carry

The harvest will come—later. But the seeds are today’s business.

So tonight, as you close your day, instead of asking “Did I get enough done?”, try this instead:

“What seeds did I plant?”

You’ll begin to see that even your smallest efforts matter. In fact, those small efforts are usually the ones that matter most.