Anda di halaman 1dari 57

http://zenhabits.

net/start/

The Beginners Guide to Zen Habits: A Guided Tour


Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
By Leo Babauta

While some of you have been following Zen Habits since its early days (beginning of 2007), many of you are fairly new readers. To help you through the fairly overwhelming archives, Ive compiled a beginners guide. Kind of a Quick Start guide. First, a note: Please dont try to go th rough this all at once. There are days and days worth of reading here. Ive just organized that so that you can go to the stuff you want to learn about first. Take it in small chunks. Where do you start when you have a thousand posts to read through? You start with the best, or at least the most popular. So here they are:

Most Popular Posts


1. 2. 3. 4. breathe. be still. a brief guide to life. the best goal is no goal

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

the lost art of solitude the elements of living lightly the zen of doing The Ultimate How to Get Lean Guide. simplify, and savor life How Not to Hurry Email Sanity: How to Clear Your Inbox When Youre Drowning the barefoot philosophy The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People The Little But Really Useful Guide to Creativity The Simple, Ridiculously Useful Guide to Earning a Living from Your Passion 10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It 20 Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting Out in Life Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When Youre in a Slump

Browse the Archives


But those are just the stars of the All-Star team. You can actually scroll through the entire list of posts (warning:its long), in the Archives. Next youll want to delve into some of your favorite t opics. You can go through a few compiled guides Ive hand picked for some of the more popular categories:
1. 2. 3. 4. Everything You Wanted to Know About Simplifying Your Life, and Way More The Unsurpassable Productivity List: A Handy Guide to Getting Important Things Done All The Best Tips on Getting In Shape, In One Handy List The Golden Money List: Hundreds of Tips for Turning Your Financial Life Around

And if thats not enough for you, heres are some Best of Zen Habits collections:

Essential Zen Habits of 2011 Essential Zen Habits of 2010 Essential Zen Habits of 2009 Essential Zen Habits of 2008 Essential Zen Habits of 2007 Best of March 2008 Best of February 2008 Best of January 2008 Best of Zen Habits 2007 Best of November 2007 Best of September and October 2007 Best of August 2007 Best of July 2007 Best of June 2007 Best of May 2007 Best of April 2007 Best of March 2007 Best of February 2007

About Leo
By now, you might want to know more about Leo, the guy who writes this blog well, Ill give you more than youll ever want to know. Start with my personal website. Short version: Im married with six kids, moved to San Francisco in 2010, started Zen Habits in January 2007, love to write, run, and read, live a simple life. I also started mnmlist, wrote The Power of Less, and am now self-publishing a book called focus. Long version: If that wasnt enough, heres more than you ever wanted to know:

My Story The Zen Habits FAQ Uncopyright (Ive made all the articles on this blog in the public domain) Experiments in Blogging (results of the Uncopyright and more) Notes on Fatherhood Celebrating Zen Habits first birthday Notes on Life, and more Notes on Life How I Work 10 Books that Shaped My Life 10 Biggest Influences on Zen Habits 6 Annoying Fetishes I Talk Too Much About

Books
Whew! That was a lot of reading. Theres more, if youd like, though. Ive written a number of books:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 52 Changes The Effortless Life focus The Little Guide to Un-Procrastination Zen To Done The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life

Or my print book, The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, in Business and in Life. Buy it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Borders, or IndieBound. For other books that I recommend, see the Zen Habits bookstore on Amazon. I get a small cut from each sale made there. Your generosity has kept this site alive! Thank you, all of you.

http://zenhabits.net/breathe/

Breathe.
Post written by Leo Babauta.

Breathe. Breathing can transform your life. If you feel stressed out and overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions. If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present. If you are discouraged and have forgotten your purpose in life, breathe. It will remind you about how precious life is, and that each breath in this life is a gift you need to appreciate. Make the most of this gift. If you have too many tasks to do, or are scattered during your workday, breathe. It will help bring you into focus, to concentrate on the most important task you need to be focusing on right now. If you are spending time with someone you love, breathe. It will allow you to be present with that person, rather than thinking about work or other things you need to do. If you are exercising, breathe. It will help you enjoy the exercise, and therefore stick with it for longer. If you are moving too fast, breathe. It will remind you to slow down, and enjoy life more. So breathe. And enjoy each moment of this life. Theyre too fleeting and few to waste. Tip: Put the word Breathe as a screensaver or desktop pic, or put it up as a note on your wall or fridge or on your desk. Then do it every time you see the word. Posted: 07.05.2009

http://zenhabits.net/be-still/

Be Still.
By Leo Babauta

Be still. Just for a moment. Listen to the world around you. Feel your breath coming in and going out. Listen to your thoughts. See the details of your surroundings. Be at peace with being still.

In this modern world, activity and movement are the default modes, if not with our bodies then at least with our minds, with our attention. We rush around all day, doing things, talking, emailing, sending and reading messages, clicking from browser tab to the next, one link to the next. We are always on, always connected, always thinking, always talking. There is no time for stillness and sitting in front of a frenetic computer all day, and then in front of the hyperactive television, doesnt count as stillness. This comes at a cost: we lose that time for contemplation, for observing and listening. We lose peace. And worse yet: all the rushing around is often counterproductive. I know, in our society action is all-important inaction is seen as lazy and passive and unproductive. However, sometimes too much action is worse than no action at all. You can run around crazily, all sound and fury, but get nothing done. Or you can get a lot done but nothing important. Or you can hurt things with your actions, make things worse than if youd stayed still. And when we are forced to be still because were in line for something, or waiting at a doctors appointment, or on a bus or train we often get antsy, and need to find something to do. Some of us will have our mobile devices, others will have a notebook or folder with things to do or read, others will fidget. Being still isnt something were used to. Take a moment to think about how you spend your days at work, after work, getting ready for work, evenings and weekends. Are you constantly rushing around? Are you constantly reading and answering messages, checking on the news and the latest stream of information? Are you always trying to Get Lots of Things Done, ticking off tasks from your list like a machine, rushing through your schedule? Is this how you want to spend your life? If so, peace be with you. If not, take a moment to be still. Dont think about what you have to do, or what youve done already. Just be in the moment. Then after a minute or two of doing that, contemplate your life, and how youd like it to be. See your life with less movement, less doing, less rushing. See it with more stillness, more contemplation, more peace. Then be that vision. Its pretty simple, actually: all you have to do is sit still for a little bit each day. Once youve gotten used to that, try doing less each day. Breathe when you feel yourself moving too fast. Slow down. Be present. Find happiness now, in this moment, instead of waiting for it. Savor the stillness. Its a treasure, and its available to us, always. From the Tao Te Ching: It is not wise to dash about.

Shortening the breath causes much stress. Use too much energy, and You will soon be exhausted. That is not the Natural Way. Whatever works against this Way Will not last long. Posted: 07.19.2009

http://zenhabits.net/brief-guide/

a brief guide to life


A few strong instincts and a few plain rules suffice us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
By Leo Babauta

Life can be ridiculously complicated, if you let it. I suggest we simplify. Thich Nhat Hanhs quote, which Ive stolen as this sites subtitle, is the shortest guide to life youll ever need: Smile, breath, and go slowly. If you live your life by those five words, youll do pretty well. For those who need a little more guidance, Ive distilled the lessons Ive learned (so far) into a few guidelines, or reminders, really. And as always, these rules are meant to be broken. Life wouldnt be any fun if they werent.

the brief guide


less TV, more reading less shopping, more outdoors less clutter, more space less rush, more slowness less consuming, more creating less junk, more real food less busywork, more impact less driving, more walking less noise, more solitude less focus on the future, more on the present less work, more play

less worry, more smiles breathe Posted: 08.27.2010

http://zenhabits.net/no-goal/

the best goal is no goal


With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Post written by Leo Babauta.

The idea of having concrete, achievable goals seem to be deeply ingrained in our culture. I know I lived with goals for many years, and in fact a big part of my writings here on Zen Habits are about how to set and achieve goals. These days, however, I live without goals, for the most part. Its absolutely liberating, and contrary to what you might have been taught, it absolutely doesnt mean you stop achieving things. It means you stop letting yourself be limited by goals. Consider this common belief: Youll never get anywhere unless you know where youre going. This seems so common sensical, and yet its obviously not true if you stop to think about it. Conduct a simple experiment: go outside and walk in a random direction, and feel free to change directions randomly. After 20 minutes, an hour youll be somewhere! Its just that you didnt know you were going to end up there. And theres the rub: you have to open your mind to going places you never expected to go. If you live without goals, youll explore new territory. Youll learn some unexpected things. Youll end up in surprising places. Thats the beauty of this philosophy, but its also a difficult transition. Today, I live mostly without goals. Now and then I start coming up with a goal, but Im letting them go. Living without goals hasnt ever been an actual goal of mine its just something Im learning that I enjoy more, that is incredibly freeing, that works with the lifestyle of following my passion that Ive developed.

The problem with goals


In the past, Id set a goal or three for the year, and then sub -goals for each month. Then Id figure out what action steps to take each week and each day, and try to focus my day on those steps. Unfortunately, it never, ever works out this neatly. You all know this. You know you need to work on an action step, and you try to keep the end goal in mind to motivate yourself. But this action step might be something you dread, and so you procrastinate. You do other work, or you check email or Facebook, or you goof off.

And so your weekly goals and monthly goals get pushed back or side-tracked, and you get discouraged because you have no discipline. And goals are too hard to achieve. So now what? Well, you review your goals and reset them. You create a new set of sub-goals and action plans. You know where youre going, because you have goals! Of course, you dont actually end up getting there. Sometimes you achieve the goal and then you feel amazing. But most of the time you dont achieve them and you blame it on yourself. Heres the secret: the problem isnt you, its the system! Goals as a system are set up for failure. Even when you do things exactly right, its not ideal. Heres why: you are extremely limited in your actions. When you dont feel like doing something, you have to force yourself to do it. Your path is chosen, so you dont have room to explore new territory. You have to follow the plan, even when youre passionate about something else. Some goal systems are more flexible, but nothing is as flexible as having no goals.

How it works
So what does a life without goals look like? In practice, its very different than one with goals. You dont set a goal for the year, nor for the month, nor for the week or day. You dont obsess about tracking, or actionable steps. You dont even need a to -do list, though it doesnt hurt to write down reminders if you like. What do you do, then? Lay around on the couch all day, sleeping and watching TV and eating HoHos? No, you simply do. You find something youre passionate about, and do it. Just because you dont have goals doesnt mean you do nothing you can create, you can produce, you can follow your passion. And in practice, this is a wonderful thing: you wake up and do what youre passionate about. For me, thats usually blogging, but it can be writing a novel or an ebook or my next book or creating a course to help others or connecting with incredible people or spending time with my wife or playing with my kids. Theres no limit, because Im free. In the end, I usually end up achieving more than if I had goals, because Im always doing something Im excited about. But whether I achieve or not isnt the point at all: all that matters is that Im doing what I love, always. I end up in places that are wonderful , surprising, great. I just didnt know I would get there when I started.

Quick questions
Question from a reader: Isnt having no goals a goal?

Quick answer: It can be a goal, or you can learn to do it along the journey, by exploring new methods. Im always learning new things (like having no goals) without setting out to learn them in the first place. Another question from a reader: So how do you make a living? Answer: Passionately! Again, not having goals doesnt mean you stop doing things. In fact, I do many things, all the time, but I do them because I love doing them.

Tips for living without goals


I am not going to give you a how-to manual for living without goals that would be absurd. I cant teach you what to do you need to find your own path. But I can share some things Ive learned, in hopes that it will help you:

Start small. You dont need to drastically overhaul your life in order to learn to live without goals. Just go a few hours without predetermined goals or actions. Follow your passion for those hours. Even an hour will do. Grow. As you get better at this, start allowing yourself to be free for longer periods half a day or a whole day or several days. Eventually youll feel confident enough to give up on certain goals and just do what you love. Not just work. Giving up goals works in any area of your life. Take health and fitness: I used to have specific fitness goals, from losing weight or bodyfat to running a marathon to increasing my squat. Not anymore: now I just do it because I love it, and I have no idea where that will take me. It works brilliantly, because I always enjoy myself. Let go of plans. Plans are not really different than goals. They set you on a predetermined path. But its incredibly difficult to let go of living with plans, especially if youre a meticulous planner like I am. So allow yourself to plan, when you feel you need to, but slowly feel free to let go of this habit. Dont worry about mistakes. If you start setting goals, thats OK. There are no mistakes on this journey its just a learning experience. If you live without goals and end up failing, ask yourself if its really a failure. You only fail if you dont get to where you wanted to go but if you dont have a destination in mind, theres no failure. Its all good. No matter what path you find, no matter where you end up, its beautiful. There is no bad path, no bad destination. Its only different, and different is wonderful. Dont judge, but experience.

And finally
Always remember: the journey is all. The destination is beside the point. A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu Posted: 07.27.2010

http://zenhabits.net/solitude/

the lost art of solitude

I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. ~Henry David Thoreau
Post written by Leo Babauta.

You dont need to be a monk to find solitude, nor do you need to be a hermit to enjoy it. Solitude is a lost art in these days of ultra-connectedness, and while I dont bemoan the beauty of this global community, I do think theres a need to step back fro m it on a regular basis. Some of my favorite activities include sitting in front of the ocean, still, contemplating walking, alone with my thoughts disconnecting and just writing finding quiet with a good novel taking a solitary bath. Dont get me wrong: I love being with loved ones, and walking with a friend or watching the sunset with my wife or reading a book with my child are also among my absolute favorite things in the world. But solitude, in these days as much as ever, is an absolute necessity.

The Benefits of Solitude


The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: its only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts. My best writing, and in fact the best of anything Ive done, was created in solitude. Just a few of the benefits Ive found from solitude:

time for thought in being alone, we get to know ourselves we face our demons, and deal with them space to create space to unwind, and find peace time to reflect on what weve done, and learn from it isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

There are many more benefits, but thats to get you started. The real benefits of solitude cannot be expressed through words, but must be found in doing.

How to Find Solitude


You start by disconnecting.

10

Take every means of connecting with others, and sever them. Disconnect from email, from Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, from forums and social media, from instant messaging and Skype, from news websites and blogs. Turn off your mobile device and phones. Turn off the computer unless youre going to use the computer to create, in which case, shut off the Internet, close your browser, and shut down every other program used to connect with others. The next steps depend on which of two strategies you use: 1. Holing yourself up. This can be done in your office, by shutting the door and/or using headphones and the calming music of your choice. If possible, let coworkers know you cant be disturbed during a certain block of your day. Or it can be done at home, by finding a quiet space, shutting the door if you can, or using headphones. The key is to find a way to shut out the outside world, including co-workers or those who live with you. 2. Getting away. My favorite way to find solitude, actually. Get out the door, and enjoy the outdoors. Take a walk, find a park or a beach or a mountain, find a quiet coffee shop, find a shady spot to rest. People watch, or nature watch. Other tips:

Try taking a quiet, relaxing bath from time to time. Curl up with a good novel. If youre married with kids, ask your spouse to give you some time off to be alone, and then return the favor. Make it a regular swap. Take a walk every day. Get into work earlier, and work in quiet. Have a nice cup of tea. Try a regular time each day when youre disconnected. Consider limiting the stream. Trouble with self-control? Use one of these tools. No time for solitude? Try these tips. Try sitting still, and focusing on your breath as it comes in and goes out. As your mind wanders to thoughts of the past and future, make a patient note of that, then gently return to your breathing.

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. ~Albert Einstein Posted: 04.02.2010

http://zenhabits.net/light/

The Elements of Living Lightly


Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. ~Eckhart Tolle
Post written by Leo Babauta.

Today Im going to suggest a small change in mindset that could change your life.

11

I wont keep you in suspense. Here it is: think of nothing that happens as either good or bad. Stop judging, and stop expecting. Its a tiny change all you have to do is say, That wasnt good or bad, it just happened, it just is. Its tiny, but it takes practice, and amazingly, it can knock you on your ass. Why? Because with this little change, you will no longer be swayed up and down depending on whether good things or bad things happen to you, whether people (and their actions) are good or bad. You will learn to accept things as they are, and move within that landscape mindfully. You will no longer expect good things to happen (or bad things), but will just take things as they come, and be content with whatever comes. This means youll no longer be disappointe d, or unhappy. When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. ~Lao Tzu

A Little Exercise
Think of something good that happened to you recently, and how it affected your mindset. Now think of something bad that happened, and what that did to your mindset. Now imagine that neither event was good, and neither was bad. They simply happened, existed. How does that change how you would have felt as a result of those events? How does it change your happiness, your mood? How does it change what you do in reaction? When you stop judging things as good or bad, you are no longer burdened by the emotions of this judgment, and can live lighter, freer.

Nothing is good or bad


Hamlet said, There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. He was right. Without the human mind, things just happen, and they are not good or bad. Its only when we apply the filter of our judgment that they become good or bad, beautiful or ugly. A weed is only a weed when we dont like it. Children are only naughty if we dont like their actions. Life only sucks if you judge it as bad. But what about truly horrible tragedies, like a plague or tsunami or the Holocaust? Surely those are bad? Sure, through the lens of the judgment weve been raised to make, they are terrible. But then again, remove the judgment, and then they simply happened. Death and cruelty will

12

probably always make us sad, but theyve always happened and always will, whether we like them or hate them. Holocaust survivor and author Victor Frankl wrote of a rich woman who went through the Holocaust, and who was grateful for the experience, as much as she suffered, because it opened her eyes. It transformed her. Im not saying th e Holocaust was good, but perhaps we can say that it happened. It serves as a lesson one we should heed, by the way, in these days of politically charged hatred, of blaming our ills on immigrants and minorities. There are other tragedies that happen that arent necessarily bad. Theyre devastating losses, without a doubt, but in life there are always losses, and people will always die. Its how we judge them that determines our reaction, and determines whether were capable of dealing with it sanely.

Great Expectations
The second half of this change is just as small, but just as important: dropping expectations. Not lowering expectations, but eliminating them. Think about it: when we have expectations, and things dont go the way we expect (which happens quite often, as were not good prognosticators), we are disappointed, frustrated. Its our expectations that force us to judge whether something is good or bad. When you expect something of a friend, co-worker, family member, spouse, and they dont live up to that expectation, then you are upset with them, or disappointed. It causes anger. But what if you had no expectations then their actions would be neither good nor bad, just actions. You could accept them without frustration, anger, sadness. What if you went on vacation, to a place you had high expectations of, and it wasnt what you thought itd be? Youd be bitterly disappointed, even though its not the fault of that place thats just how the place is. Its your expectations that are at fault. When people disappoint you, its not their fault. Theyre just being who they are. Your expectations are at fault.

The Why
But why make this change? Why should we stop judging? Why should we stop expecting? Because judgments stop us from understanding, and can ruin our happiness. When we judge, we dont seek to understand weve already come to a conclusion. If we stop judging, we allow ourselves to try to understand, and then we can take a much smarter course of action, because were better informed by our understanding. Judging makes us unhappy. So do expectations.

13

When we leave judgment behind, we can live in the moment, taking what comes as neither good or bad, but simply what is. We can stop ruining our happiness with our thinking, and start living instead.

The How
So how do we start doing this? In small steps, as always. 1 First, start by being more aware. Throughout the course of the day today, note when you make judgments, note when you have expectations, and when things dont live up to them. Over t ime, youll notice this more and more, and be much more conscious of these types of thoughts. 2 Next, pause each time you notice a judgment or expectation. Take a breath. Then tell yourself, No expectations, no good or bad. Repeat this, letting go of the judgment or expectation. 3 Third, seek to see things as they are, and to understand. Be curious as to why things are the way they are, why people act the way they act. Investigate, empathize, try to put yourself in peoples shoes. See the landscape of your life as it actually is, without the filter of judgments or expectations. 4 Next, take what comes. Experience it, in the moment. React appropriately, without overreacting because it isnt as you hoped or wanted. You cant control life, or others, but you can control how you react. 5 Then, accept. When things happen, understand why they do, without judgment, and accept them as they are. Accept people for who they are. Accept yourself, without judgment, as you are. This takes practice. 6 Finally, know that the present moment, being as it is, also contains infinite possibilities. And those possibilities are opened up once you see things as they are, without judgment or expectations. Posted: 04.29.2010

http://zenhabits.net/doing/

the zen of doing


Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. ~Zen proverb
Post written by Leo Babauta.

In the chaos of the modern world, there is a beauty in simply doing.

14

Were buffeted wildly by whatever emails, conversations, news, events, demands, that are going on around us. Our minds become a constant deluge of thoughts dwelling in the past, worries of the future, distractions pulling us in every direction. But all of that melts away when we focus on just doing. It doesnt matter what the doing is: sitting, walking, writing, reading, eating, washing, talking, snuggling, playing. By focusing on the doing, we drop our worries and anxieties, jealousies and anger, grieving and distraction. There is something profound in that simplicity. Something ultimately heart-rendingly breathtakingly gorgeous. When walking, walk. When eating, eat. ~Zen proverb You are in the middle of your day today, and youre caught up in the sandstorm of thoughts, feelings, to-dos, meetings, readings, and communications of this day. Pause. Breathe. Let all of that fade. Now focus on doing one thing, right now. Just choose one thing, and clear away all other distractions. Seriously, clear it all away. Turn off your Internet. Stop reading this article (OK, read a couple more sentences, then close your browser!). Let all thoughts about anything other than the doing also fade away. Theyll come up, but gently make note of them, and then let them go. And return to the doing. If youre washing a dish, do it slowly, and feel every sensation. If youre eating a fruit, taste it, feel the textures, be mindful of your hunger or lack of it. If youre writing something, po ur your heart into that writing, become the writing, inhabit the words. Just do. The rest of the world becomes meaningless distraction. Its just you, and your doing. And you realize: this is all that matters. In this, there is everything. Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine. ~Shunryu Suzuki Posted: 04.12.2010

http://zenhabits.net/lean-tips/

The Ultimate How to Get Lean Guide


Post written by Leo Babauta.

15

At the moment, Im in the last phase of my Bellyfat Challenge Ive lost a good amount of fat but I have about 10 pounds to go (or so). Im enjoying getting lean, but those last few pounds are always the to ughest. And so, Ive called in some experts. Last week, I shared my favorite fitness bloggers and, in turn, the fitness blogs they read. This week Ive called on them for tips on getting lean. Now, lets look at the question Ive posed to them:

I asked for their top tips for getting lean. Not every tip, just the best. Assume the person isnt obese but has a bit of a spare tire Assume the person already exercises regularly and tries to eat healthy most of the time.

So, if you have a lot of fat to lose, this guide wont be for you. Id suggest some other posts:

4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit How to Make Exercise a Daily Habit Five Simple Exercise Programs for Beginners The Building Blocks of a Super Healthy Diet (with a sample meal plan) A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before

If youre looking to get rid of that last bit of stubborn fat, here are some great tips.

1. Marks Daily Apple. Mark Sisson is one of the leading advocates of a return to the diet and activity style of our primal ancestors, and the author of The Primal Blueprint. Here are his tips:

Make your short, fast, intense workouts even shorter, faster, and more intense, and your long, slow workouts even longer and slower . A common impediment to real leanness is overtraining. Were inundated with the idea that more is better when it com es to working out, but the reality couldnt be more different. Excessive exercise gives your body the danger message; throughout the course of our evolutionary history, high levels of activity running, lifting, throwing, climbing 16

generally meant something was chasing us or we were chasing something else. When you spend an hour jogging on the treadmill or cranking that elliptical machine, your body goes into that flight or fight mode automatically. When you weight train seven days a week, your body thinks you are in mortal danger. Why else would you be subjecting your body to that kind of stress on a regular basis, if not for survivals sake? Cortisol is the stress hormone, and too much cortisol leads to insulin resistance, weight gain, and muscle waste. Overtraining is the classic way to secrete excess cortisol. That said, intensity is important, but only in small doses. Instead of spending two hours in the weight room, keep it to a maximum of forty-five minutes, but make it a good hard all-out effort. Even twenty-five minutes will work. Push yourself harder and faster and shorter, and youll get better results in less time. By the same token, instead of running at 85% of your maximum heart rate for an hour and burning primarily glucose and glycogen, go for a three-hour hike, or even just a walk around the neighborhood. By keeping your heart rate at no more than 75% of your maximum, your body becomes a fat burner. If leanness is your ultimate goal, theres nothing more effective than limiting the secretion of cortisol and maximizing the use of fat for fuel. Then pick one day a week where you do a series of short, all-out sprints, with the heart rate at max for 15-40 seconds. Short, intense workouts improve insulin sensitivity and minimize cortisol, while long, slow workouts optimize the use body fat for energy. Intermittent fasting. My last tip is my personal favorite, and it might just go against everything youve ever heard about proper fitness and nutrition: fast once or twice a week, preferably before your workouts. Intermittent fasting going 18-30 hours between meals every once in awhile can actually stimulate fat burning while maintaining muscle mass and conserving strength. Its an old holdover from the early hunter-gatherer days, when the hunt wasnt always successful, but we still had to develop a way to extract enough energy till the next meal. Our bodies always turn to body fat for energy first; in fact, thats why we store body fat in the first place to save for energy for later, leaner times. For the person whos almost lean, but not quite there yet, throwing in a fast once or twice a week can really be the difference maker. Id even try ending each fast with an intense weight training session and waiting an hour after to eat to really get the full benefit.

2. Fitness Black Book. Rusty Moore is an authority on creating a lean, slim, athletic look. Rusty, btw, has a new ebook out that Im reading now called Visual Impact: Mastering the Skill of Gaining Muscle Without Bodyfat. Here are Rustys tips for getting lean:

Focus on Creating a Weekly Calorie Deficit, Not Daily . I love the holidays, parties, picnics, social gatherings, wedding receptions, etc. The thing in common with all of these major life events is that they have good food (usually a ton of good food). You can still enjoy these events and eat all of that good food and lose weight. The way to do this is have days in the week where you go quite a bit below maintenance. By the end of the week you can still create a calorie deficit, even if you 17

enjoyed plates of great food. Life is too short to miss out on pies, cakes, and homemade food made by loved ones. When Eating Alone, Go Strict and Low Calorie. My rule of thumb is to eat lower calorie meals when I am eating alone. When I am not around friends and family, I treat eating as purely functional and eat pretty bland. This gives me much more wiggle room when I do meet up with friends or family. It works really, really well in keeping the calories down while still enjoying good food and couple of beers in a social situation. Go Into Your Workouts in a Fasted State . Your body is in either a fed or fasted state. When your body is in a fed state it primarily uses carb-energy for fuel. It is the bodys preferred method of energy. When your body is in a fasted state it releases HGH. This hormone helps release body fat from stored fat cells into the bloodstream so you can use that for energy instead of stored food energy. Intense exercise also raises HGH levels. When you combine exercise with this fasted state, you create a great synergistic condition for fat loss. It works extremely well. Obviously you cant overdue this and fast for way too long or exercise too hard, but done strategically this works wonders. Avoid Insulin Spikes. When insulin levels are high, HGH levels are low. Insulin is a storage hormone. It helps store the nutrients from the foods you eat. A high level of insulin means a high level of storage (not what you are after if weight loss is your goal). You can avoid insulin spikes by eating foods with a low GI rating. Another method is to never eat carbs by themselves. If you eat a bit of fat and protein with your carbs there is less of a chance of a large spike in insulin. That is why I would recommend a bit of cream cheese or butter on a bagel than eating a bagel alone. I make it a point to never eat carbs without some fat or protein. The Amount of Meals Per Day Doesnt Matter. I think people should stick to what feels natural as far as how often they eat. Some people do better with 6 small meals and some do better with 2-3 meals. It really is the total calories that matter as far as weight loss goes. The idea that you metabolism will drop if you skip meals is slightly old schoolresearch has proven that idea to be out dated. I am not saying that 6 meals per day is bad either, but it certainly isnt necessary. If you do eat 3 times per day they have to be much smaller portions than the person who likes to eat 3 times per day. I have always been able to reach my lowest body fat percentage on 3 meals or less per day. It kills me to eat tiny portions!

3. Zen to Fitness. Chris shares all around good advice for getting fit and finding balance in life. Here are his tips:

18

Stick to wholefoods 80% of the time. Nothing from a packet (lean meat, fruit, vegetables nuts and seeds. If your a vegetarian eat more protein packed legumes in place of the meat. Cutting out grains and dairy is also big for fat loss) Go to bed slightly hungry (works a treat for leaning out). Increase the intensity of your workout and aim to break a sweat (Checkout Crossfit.com for inspiration and Turbulence Training programs). Relax more to bring down stress hormones and burn fat (Meditation, Visualisation, Deep Breathing). Make sure youre getting 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night. Have a few cups of High Quality Green Tea a day.

4. Fit and Busy Dad. Chris Lopez lives in Toronto and shares some great tips, workouts, and strategies for dads (actually all parents and anyone who is busy) who want to get and stay in shape. Here are Chris top tips:

Come to the acceptance that getting lean is incredibly simple to do, but very difficult . Once you reconcile your feelings towards getting lean and accept that you have to work your tail off, then youve overcome a huge barrier and will be ready to start. You must plan everything: from your time, to your workouts, to your meals everything must be meticulously planned. Follow the rule of 165: it doesnt matter as much what you do in the 3 hou rs you train per week as long as youre working hard. What matters is what you do in the other 165 hours remaining. That said, here are the things that you should be focusing on are 1. sleep 8-9 hours per night. 2. eat whole natural foods (known as Real Food) preferably mainly from plants. 3. train with intensity as opposed to training solely for duration (more does not necessarily mean better). 4. balance your high intensity exercise with complimentary practices such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong or mediation to manage stress. 5. keep a journal of what youve done and try to break records each and every time.

19

5. Fitness Spotlight. Excellent fitness and health articles throughout the week, jointly written by two bloggers Mike ODonnell and Scott Kustes. Since I like both bloggers, Im featuring both of their tips here. Scott Kustes:

Ditch the alcohol. While I have nothing against a few drinks now and then, I find that after a drink or two, my food choices go downhill somewhat (in direct proportion to how much I drink). Im more lenient about the kinds of food Ill eat after drinking, even if just having one or two. Further, alcohol is just empty calories and isnt doing you any favors in losing those last 10 pounds.

Mike ODonnell:

Know that stubborn fat is stubborn for a reason . It usually it does not get enough of a hormonal signal (catecholamines) at the fat cells to start lipolysis (the release of stored fat to be burned up in the muscles). This is key, as you cant burn stored fat if it never comes out of the cell in the first place Having a calorie deficit state is needed of course in the overall equation to burn more fat than store over time. Although you dont want to starve yourself in the process (and that will not lead to better fat loss in the longterm). Aim for a reasonable deficit such as around 12x/ideal bodyweight (this is just a rough number of course and you can adjust as needed). Keeping and building muscle is a strong boost to your resting energy expenditure (up to 48 hours after training). Use resistance training with compound exercises, full body workouts and reps around 5-10. Any isolation work should be done last in a workout. Also using supersets of antagonist (opposite) muscles with short rest between sets (30-60 sec) will result in a greater post workout hormonal response and less time working out. Keeping insulin stable is important all day long, so avoiding all sugar and anything that breaks down quickly into glucose in the body is the goal. High blood sugar will slow down/stop any reason the body needs to keep releasing fat to be burned. The use of intervals is a good way to help boost adrenaline/noradrenaline (catecholamines) to help release fats to be burned. This should be done after using resistance training or an off day, but not every day. Going too hard too often will result in the body becoming overstressed and not recovering (which will lead to more muscle loss and more stubborn fat gain). After a short interval session (like 10 min) adding more slower intensity exercise such as walking will help burn the fat now released into the blood stream (and not overstress your bodys ability to recover). Take fish oil as it will keep inflammation down, and result in more weight loss and quicker recovery. Also dont discount the need for a good nights sleep as the most powerful spike of Growth Hormone (catecholamine) comes in the first hours of restful sleep. Having less sleep or a stressed out lifestyle will only result in more muscle loss and stubborn fat gain. Try adding caffeine (cup o Joe) 30min prior to a workout while in a fasted state (first thing in the AM, 2-3 hours after your last meal) to boost more intensity during the workout and adrenaline/noradrenaline release. 20

Posted: 01.21.2010

http://zenhabits.net/savor/

Simplify, and Savor Life


The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
By Leo Babauta

These days we have an abundance of luxuries, but Ive found that excess actually decreases my enjoyment of life. Sure, we can get massive amounts of rich foods, feasting to our hearts content, stuffing ourselves in alarming displays of gluttony but is that really enjoyable on a regular basis? And yes, television can be fun, and so can ridiculously large parts of the Internet, but if its always on, if were always connected, doesnt that lower the fun factor? Excesses lead to all kinds of problems, but the biggest problem is that life is less enjoyable. Ive been finding that simplifying things means I can savor life more fully. Savoring life starts with a mindset. Its a mindset that believes that exc ess, that rushing, that busyness, that distractedness, isnt ideal. Its a mindset that tries instead to:

simplify do & consume less slow down be mindful & present savor things fully

Its the little things that make life enjoyable: a walk with a loved one, a delicious book, a chilled plum, a newly blooming tree. And by simplifying, we can savor life to the fullest. Some ideas Ive been considering lately: 1. Coffee: Instead of ordering a latte, mocha, cappuccino with whipped cream and cinnamon and shavings simplify. Just get pure, good coffee (or espresso), brewed fresh with care and precision, with quality beans, freshly roasted. Make it yourself if you can. Drink it slowly, with little or nothing added, and enjoy it thoroughly. 2. Tea: I recently had tea with Jesse Jacobs, the owner of Samovar Tea Lounge, and he poured two different teas from tiny tea pots: Nishi Sencha 1st Flush and Bai Hao Oolong tea. It was fresh, hand-made tea from real leaves, not a tea bag, and it was simply delicious. Drink it slowly, with your eyes closed, fully appreciating the aroma wonderful.
21

3. Workouts: Ive been a fan of simpler workouts recently. While others might spend an hour to 90 minutes in the gym, going through a series of 10 different exercises, I just do 1-3 functional exercises, but with intensity. So I might do some sprint intervals, or a few rounds of pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. Or 400 meters of walking lunges. Let me tell you, thats a simple but incredible workout. Another I like: five rounds 85-lb. squat thrusters (10 reps) alternated with pushups (10 reps). Todays workout was three rounds of 15 burpees and 800 -meter runs. No rest unless you need it. These are great workouts, but very simple, and very tough. I love them. 4. Sweets: I used to be a sugar addict. Now I still enjoy an occasional dessert, but in tiny portions, eaten very slowly. What I enjoy even more, though, is cold fruit. A chilled peach, some blueberries, a few strawberries, a plum: eat it one bite at a time, close your eyes with each bite, and enjoy to the fullest. So good. 5. Meals: While the trend these days is super-sized meals of greasy, fried things (more than two people need to eat actually), I have been enjoying smaller meals of simplicity. Just a few ingredients, fresh, whole, unprocessed, without chemicals or sauces. My meals usually include: a breakfast of steel-cut oats (cooked) with cinnamon, almonds, and berries; a lunch of yogurt, nuts, and fruit; a dinner of beans or tofu with quinoa and steamed veggies (or sauteed with garlic and olive oil). These simple meals are better because not only are they healthy, each ingredient can be tasted, its flavor fully enjoyed. 6. Reading: While the Internet is chock full of things to read, Ive been enjoying the simplicity of a paper book, borrowed from the library or a friend (borrowing/sharing reduces natural resources consumed). When I read online, I read a single article at a time, using either the Readability or Clippable bookmarklet to remove distrations, and in full-screen mode in the Chrome browser (hit Cmd-Shift-F on the Mac version or F11 in Windows). Its pure reading, no dist ractions, and lovely. Posted: 09.09.2010
http://zenhabits.net/no-hurry/

How Not to Hurry


Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~ Lao Tzu
Post written by Leo Babauta.

Consider the above quote from Lao Tzu, (perhaps mythical) father of Taoism: how can it be true? Is it possible to never hurry, but to get everything done? It seems contradictory to our modern world, where everything is a rush, where we try to cram as much into every minute of the day as possible, where if we are not busy, we feel unproductive and lazy. In fact, often we compete by trying to show how busy we are. I have a thousand projects to do! Oh yeah? I have 10,000! The winner is the person who has the most insane schedule, who rushes from one thing to the next with the energy of a hummingbird, because obviously that means hes the most successful and important.

22

Right? Maybe not. Maybe were playing the wrong game weve been conditioned to believe that busier is better, but actually the speed of doing is not as important as what we focus on doing. Maybe were going at the wrong speed. Maybe if we are constantly rushing, we will miss out on life itself. Lets let go of the obsession with spe ed, and instead slow down, stop rushing, and enjoy life. And still get everything done. Lets look at how.

A Change of Mindset The most important step is a realization that life is better when you move at a slower, more relaxed pace, instead of hurrying and rushing and trying to cram too much into every day. Instead, get the most out of every moment. Is a book better if you speed read it, or if you take your time and get lost in it? Is a song better if you skim through it, or if you take the time to really listen? Is food better if you cram it down your throat, or if you savor every bite and really appreciate the flavor? Is your work better if youre trying to do 10 things at once, or if you really pour yourself into one important task? Is your time spent with a friend or loved one better if you have a rushed meeting interrupted by your emails and text messages, or if you can relax and really focus on the person? Life as a whole is better if you go slowly, and take the time to savor it, appreciate every moment. Thats the simplest reason to slow down. And so, youll need to change your mindset (if youve been stuck in a rushed mindset until now). To do this, make the simple admission that life is better when savored, that work is better with focus. Then make the commitment to give that a try, to take some of the steps below. But I Cant Change! There will be some among you who will admit that it would be nice to slow down, but you just cant do it your job wont allow it, or youll lose income if you dont do as many projects, or living in the city makes it too difficult to go slowly. Its a nice ideal if youre living on a tropical island, or out in the country, or if you have a job that allows control of your schedule but its not realistic for your life. I say bullshit.
23

Take responsibility for your life. If your job forces you to rush, take control of it. Make changes in what you do, in how you work. Work with your boss to make changes if necessary. And if really necessary, you can eventually change jobs. You are responsible for your life. If you live in a city where everyone rushes, realize that you dont have to be like everyone else. You can be different. You can walk instead of driving in rush hour traffic. You can have fewer meetings. You can work on fewer but more important things. You can be on your iPhone or Blackberry less, and be disconnected sometimes. Your environment doesnt control your life you do. Im not going to tell you how to take responsibility for your life, but once you make the de cision, the how will become apparent over time. Tips for a Slower-Paced Life I cant give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower, but here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life. Some things might require you to change some major things, but they can be done over time.
1. Do less. Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but quality. Pick 2-3 important things or even just one important thing and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus. Read more. 2. Have fewer meetings. Meetings are usually a big waste of time. And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush. Try to have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you dont have to rush from one meeting to another. 3. Practice disconnecting. Have times when you turn off your devices and your email notifications and whatnot. Time with no phone calls, when youre just creating, or when youre just spending time with someone, or just reading a book, or just taking a walk, or just eating mindfully. You can even disconnect for (gasp!) an entire day, and you wont be hurt. I promise. 4. Give yourself time to get ready and get there . If youre constantly rushing to appointments or other places you have to be, its because you dont allot enough time in your schedule for preparing and for traveling. Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff. If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30-45 minutes so you dont have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car. If you think you can get there in 10 minutes, perhaps give yourself 2-3 times that amount so you can go at a leisurely pace and maybe even get there early. 5. Practice being comfortable with sitting, doing nothing . One thing Ive noticed is that when people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable. They want their mobile device or at least a magazine, because standing and waiting is either a waste of time or something theyre not used to doing without feeling self-conscious. Instead, try just sitting there, looking around, soaking in your surroundings. Try standing in line and just watching and listening to people around you. It takes practice, but after awhile, youll do it with a smile. 6. Realize that if it doesnt get done, thats OK. Theres always tomorrow. And yes, I know thats a frustrating attitude for some of you who dont like laziness or procrastination or living without firm deadlines, but its also reality. The world likely wont end if you dont get that task done toda y. Your boss might get mad, but the company wont collapse and the life will inevitably go on. And the things that need to get done will. 7. Start to eliminate the unnecessary. When you do the important things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, that dont get done. And you need to ask yourself: how necessary are these things? What would happen if I stopped doing them? How can I eliminate them, delegate them, automate them? 24

8. Practice mindfulness. Simply learn to live in the present, rather than thinking so much about the future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When youre with someone, be with them fully. When youre walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are. Read this for more, and also try The Mindfulist. 9. Slowly eliminate commitments. Were overcommitted, which is why were rushing around so much. I dont just mean with work projects and meetings and the like. Parents have tons of things to do with and for their kids, and we overcommit our kids as well. Many of us have busy social lives, or civic commitments, or are coaching or playing on sports teams. We have classes and groups and hobbies. But in trying to cram so much into our lives, were actually deteriorating the quality of those lives. Slowly eliminate commitments pick 4-5 essential ones, and realize that the rest, while nice or important, just dont fit right now. Politely inform people, over time, that you dont have time to stick to those commitments.

Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed. And given the fleeting nature of this life, why waste even a moment by rushing through it? Remember the quote above: if nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you. Posted: 01.28.2010

http://zenhabits.net/email-sanity/

Email Sanity: How to Clear Your Inbox When Youre Drowning


Post written by Leo Babauta.

The beauty of an empty inbox is a thing to behold. It is calming, peaceful and wonderful. An inbox that is overflowing with actions, urgent calls for responses, stuff to read its chaos, its stressful, its overwhelming. A friend recently posted: Help! Im drowning in email! Lets look at how to get your head above water first, and then how to get safely to dry land. Head Above Water You need to give yourself some breathing room. A flooded inbox is overwhelming, and you dont know where to start. So heres where were going to start: 1. Create an actions folder or label in your email. This is where youre going to store any emails that you need to take action on (other than just replying or filing or whatever). 2. Pick the most important. Go through your inbox and check off 10-15 that are the most urgent action emails, and file them in this new folder. If you dont get to the sections below right away, you can at least work from this folder for now.

25

3. Temporarily archive. Now create a temp folder. File everything thats still in your inbox into this temp folder. Everything. Youre going to get these out of the way and not worry about them at the moment. Well get to these, but it gives you a little breathing room. 4. Set a new policy. Every new email that comes in will follow the rules in the next section. No more allowing your inbox to pile up.

New Emails So what to do with new emails that come in? Set some rules, and commit right this minute to ruthlessly sticking to them: 1. Process from the top down. When you open up your email, process the inbox completely. Start with the top email in your inbox, and open it. Take one of the following actions, in this preferred order: (1) delete (use this liberally), (2) archive (in case you want to look it up later), (3) quick reply (four sentences or less) and then archive, (4) put on your to-do list for action (if you dont have a list, start one now) and then file in your action folder. This last item includes long replies (which should be as rare as possible). If you take one of these four actions, you should dispose of every email. 2. Go to the next email and take quick action, and so forth . Dont spend longer than 20 seconds on any one email, and even then you should only do that if youre doing a quick reply or adding the item to your to-do list. If you process this quickly, youll b e done with your inbox in minutes. 3. Only when youve processed should you start worrying about the to -do items. You can choose to do those now, or later. Dont start doing the to -do items when youre processing. 4. Newsletters, etc. Youre never going to read all those newsletters, notices from services, catalogs from companies, and so on that regularly get delivered from your inbox. So go into your temp folder and delete all of them right now. All of them. And whenever new ones come in emails that are not from real people directed just for you youre going to go to the bottom of the email and click on the unsubscribe link. Every single one of them should have an unsubscribe link if not, mark as spam. It only takes 10 seconds to click on the unsubscribe link and then go to the new page and hit the unsubscribe button. And if you do this for every single one, youll soon get a lot less email. Follow these four rules and youll never have a full inbox again. Stop the Flood OK, things should feel a bit more manageable now. Now we want to set some long-term policies so that you get fewer emails from now on. Heres what to do: 1. Unsubscribe from everything. This was talked about in the section above, but just in case you missed that, go back and read the newsletters item. You dont need newsletters flooding your inbox.

26

2. Stop sending so many emails. The more emails you send, the more youll get. Use email as little as you possibly can. Call people if you can, or walk over and talk to them. If those ar ent possible, see if you can figure it out for yourself. If you send an email that doesnt require a response, say so. 3. Send shorter emails. Theyre more likely to get read and acted on, and itll take less of your time to write them. Try sticking to 4 sentences or fewer. 4. Check email less often. Set times each day, and only check email on those times. When you do, process your inbox to empty using the rules above. 5. Filter out notifications. If there are notifications you do want to see, create a folder or label for them, and create a filter (Gmail is great for this) so that the notifications go straight to that label/folder and skip the inbox. 6. Set policies. Put up policies on your website or send the policies out to the people you work with. These policies should be aimed at reducing the number of requests you get. For example, if requests are coming to you that should be going somewhere else, put that in your policies. If people should deal with things through a different channel than email, say it in the policies. Try to figure out your most common types of emails, and find solutions so you dont have to respond to all of them. 7. Post FAQs. Similarly, if you get a bunch of questions regularly, post the answers publicly so that you dont have to repeatedly answer them by email. Itll save you a lot of time. Processing the Old Emails Youre going to want to return to your temp folder, when you have the time, and start processing it. Some steps: 1. Process it in chunks if there are too many to do now. Just do it for 5 minutes and then come back later. 2. When you process, follow the rules for processing your inbox above (under the New Emails section). Start at the top, take quick action on each email, moving it out of the temp folder as fast as you can. 3. Feel free to mass delete emails. If you know youll never reply or act on emails, just check a bunch of them off and delete or archive. You can get big chunks done at once this way. Give yourself the freedom to let these go and just worry about what you need to do from this point on. Posted: 02.15.2010

http://zenhabits.net/barefoot-philosophy/

the barefoot philosophy


27

Empty-handed I entered the world Barefoot I leave it. My coming, my going Two simple happenings That got entangled. ~ Kozan Ichikyo
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on twitter or identica.

Yesterday morning I ran a few miles in my Vibram Fivefingers, designed to mimic barefoot running (see my guide to barefoot running). And then I took off the minimalist Fivefinger shoes, and ran completely barefoot for half a mile. It was liberating. Later, I walked for a couple of hours, taking my sandals off for a good part of the walk. Today I walked barefoot once again. Theres a sensation to barefoot walking that is light, free, simple, joyful. Imagine walking barefoot on thick grass, or cool night sand. These are wonderful sensations that shod walkers cannot enjoy. Going barefoot, I realized, is a perfect metaphor for my philosophy of life: the barefoot philosophy. When you go barefoot, you become naked, you simplify, you become a minimalist. Its a hard philosophy to explain, because others often judge it as weird, hippy-like (as if thats bad), unpractical. Its very practical, and while it may indeed be weird, its also beautiful. Its the simple life, in a nutshell.

The Barefoot Philosophy, in Bits


To embrace the Barefoot Philosophy, you dont actually have to go barefoot. Again, its a metaphor for how you might live your life, and these principles can be applied to anything you do.

Light: When youre barefoot, you feel light, and youre not burdened by stuff . In anything in life, if you can be light, its a wonderful feeling. Think traveling light, or moving to a new city without too much stuff. Free: Walking barefoot, you feel free, without the restrictions of shoes. The fewer burdens and restrictions you have in life, the freer you are. Think of how easy it would be to pick up and travel, or move, or change jobs, or do something with a friend in the middle of a work day. Naked: Without shoes, you feel a bit naked, and being naked in public is scary. But its also an exhilarating feeling, and once you get comfortable with that nakedness, its kinda fun. Blogging can feel this way youre putting yourself out into the world, naked, and thats scary at first. Doing anything different, where you expose a piece of yourself, is like being naked. But you get used to it, and its not so scary. Pleasureful: The point of walking barefoot is to experience the pleasure of feeling the surface beneath your feet. The sensations are marvelous: cool, warm, textured, plush, smooth, rough. In anything in life, if you can experience the sensations of whatever youre doing, this is a beautiful 28

thing. Think of the sensations of eating, swimming, washing dishes, sitting on a breezy porch, lying in the grass under the sun, kissing in the rain. Aware: Walking barefoot, youre more aware of the ground youre walking over when youre shod, you can walk for miles without really thinking about the surfaces youre traveling over. In anything you do, increasing your awareness of your surroundings is a desirable thing. Think of walking outside vs. being inside a car, or shutting off the mobile device so you can talk to the people around you or pay attention to the beauty around you. Present: The beauty of walking barefoot is that it brings you back to the present moment. Its hard to be stuck in a perceived slight by someone else earlier in the day, or worry about what might happen later in the day, when you are walking barefoot. In anything you do, if you can stay in the present moment, you will experience life to the fullest, will be less likely to be stuck in anger or consumed by worry or stressed by coming events. Non-conformist: One of the hardest things about walking barefoot isnt the temperature or possible pain of pebbles, its the non-conformity of it all its being worried that others will think youre a dork, or homeless, or some kind of dangerous radical. And yet, Ive learned to embrace my non-conformist side, to relish in being a bit different, to be proud Im not one of the sheep. Theres nothing wrong with bucking societal norms, if its for good reason. Non-consumerist: The shoe companies would hate it if there were a major barefoot movement, because theyre no product they could sell you as a solution. This isnt true o f environmentalism there are tons of green products that are making millions of dollars for corporations. I believe in ditching shoes like I believe in ditching any kind of product that you buy as a solution to lifes problems. Life is better with less, not more, and when you think of yourself as a human rather than a consumer, youre breaking free from the endless cycle of earning and buying and using up.

How to Live a Barefoot Life


The above philosophy is fine, and might appeal to some, but what you want is a practical guide, no? Im not going to give it to you. There isnt a one -size-fits-all solution, nor is it desirable to live the life prescribed by someone else. The whole point is to do it on your own, without buying one of my books or doing it exactly as I do. Live this philosophy, in small bits, and see if you like it. It takes some time to adjust to this approach, but its lovely in the end. Some things to consider and try, though:

Try walking barefoot (tips, faq). Get rid of a couple boxes of clutter today. When you leave your house, take less with you than usual. When you find yourself worried about the future or past, breathe, and focus on your breath going in and out. When you find yourself wanting to buy something, pause. Then think of how you can live without buying it. Take time to fully enjoy a few simple pleasures today: the slow savoring of a small portion of something delicious, watching nature, spending time with a loved one, walking. Try some minimalist fun. Think of the restrictions you impose on yourself, and see if you can lift a few of them. Smile, and breathe. Most of all, be present and enjoy life.

29

post inspired by Adventures of a Barefoot Geek & Barefoot Ted, among others If youre interested in a simple life, check out my ebook: The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life.

Or find more of my other books and ebooks. Posted: 03.26.2010

http://zenhabits.net/creative-habit/

The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People


In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for contructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone. ~Rollo May
Post written by Leo Babauta.

Creativity is a nebulous, murky topic that fascinates me endlessly how does it work? What habits to creative people do that makes them so successful at creativity? Ive reflected on my own creative habits, but decided Id look at the habits that others consider important to their creativity. I picked a handful of creatives, almost at random there are so many that picking the best would be impossible, so I just picked some that I admire, who came to mind when I thought of the word creative. This was going to be a list of their creative habits but in reviewing their lists, and my own habits, I found one that stood out. And it stands out if you review the habits and quotes from great creative people in history. Its the Most Important Habit when it comes to creativity. After you read the No. 1 habit, please scroll down and read the No. 2 habit they might seem contradictory but in my experience, you cant really hit your creative stride until you find a way to balance both habits.

The No. 1 Creativity Habit


In a word: solitude.

30

Creativity flourishes in solitude. With quiet, you can hear your thoughts, you can reach deep within yourself, you can focus. Of course, there are lots of ways to find this solitude. Lets listen to a few of the creative people I talked to or researched: Felicia Day wonderful actress perhaps best known for her awesome awesome work on Dr. Horribles Sing-along Blog, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Guild. I was thrilled when she replied to my email asking about her creative habits. One of the things she said: she makes sure to be creative first thing in the morning, before doing anything for the outside world, really sets the day up for me. It makes it feel that CREATING is my job, not answering emails. Ali Edwards an author, designer, and leading authority on scrapbooking. I was honored with a response from Ali as well. One of her top habits wasnt exactly solitude, but is related: Do nothing. I have a habit of welcoming time away from my creative work. For me this is serious life-recharging time where my only responsibility is to just be Mom & Wife & Me. Doing nothing has a way of synthesizing what is really important in my life and in my work and inspires me beyond measure. When I come back to work I am better equipped to weed out the non-essential stuff and focus on the things I most want to express creatively. Chase Jarvis an award-winning photographer. Chase also kindly responded with several of his key creativity habits see more great ones at the bottom of this post. But heres one that I loved: Find Quiet. Creativity sometimes washes over me during times of intense focus and craziness of work, but more often I get whacked by the creative stick when Ive got time in my schedule. And since my schedule is a crazy one and almost always fills up if Im just living, I tend to carve out little retreats for myself. I get some good thinking and re -charge time during vacations, or on airplanes, but the retreats are more focused on thinking about creative problems that Im wanting to solve. Thats why I intentionally carve time out. I make room for creativity. Intentionally. The best example of what I mean by a retreat is a weekend at my familys cabin. Its a 90 minute drive from my house on the coast. There are few distractions. Just a rocky beach and a cabin from the 60s with wood paneling and shag carpet. I go for walks, hikes, naps. I read. I did get an internet signal put in there to stay connected if I need it. But the gist is QUIET. Let there be space for creativity to fill your brain. Maciej Cegowski painter, programmer, excellent writer. Maciej is one of my favorite bloggers, and responded to my email with a classically short answer that to me, embodies a beautiful way to find solitude. What habit helps his creativity? Maciej replied: Running up hills!

31

Leo Babauta: OK, I wasnt going to talk about mysel f in this post, but I thought I should share some of my previous thoughts. The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: its only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts. My best writing, and in fact the best of anything Ive done, was created in solitude. Just a few of the benefits Ive found from solitude:

time for thought in being alone, we get to know ourselves we face our demons, and deal with them space to create space to unwind, and find peace time to reflect on what weve done, and learn from it isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

Read more: the lost art of solitude.

The Greats on Solitude


Of course, many other creative people have believed in the habit of solitude. Ive collected a small but influential sample here. There are many more examples. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers. Mozart: When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheersay, traveling in a carriage or walking after a good meal or during the night when I cannot sleepit is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Albert Einstein theoretical physicist, philosopher and author who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and best known scientists and intellectuals of all time. He is often regarded as the father of modern physics. Einstein: On the other hand, although I have a regular work schedu le, I take time to go for long walks on the beach so that I can listen to what is going on inside my head. If my work isnt going well, I lie down in the middle of a workday and gaze at the ceiling while I listen and visualize what goes on in my imaginatio n. Franz Kafka one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Novelist and writer of short stories whose works came to be regarded as one of the major achievements of 20th century literature.

32

Kafka: You need not leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You need not even listen, simply wait, just learn to become quiet, and still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice; it will roll in ecstasy at your feet. Nikola Tesla inventor, one of the most important contributors to the birth of commercial electricity, best known for his many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism. Tesla: The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born. Joseph Haydn: A life-long resident of Austria, Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Hungarian aristocratic Esterhzy family on their remote estate. Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, forced to become original Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German writer and polymath. Goethes works span the fields of poetry, drama, literature, theology, philosophy, and science. His magnum opus, lauded as one of the peaks of world literature, is the two-part drama Faust. Goethe: One can be instructed in society, one is inspired only in solitude. Pablo Picasso Spanish painter best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. His revolutionary artistic accomplishments brought him universal renown and immense fortunes throughout his life, making him one of the best-known figures in twentieth century art. Picasso: Without great solitude no serious work is possible. Carl Sandburg American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg indubitably an American in every pulse-beat. Sandburg: One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude. Thomas Mann German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. Mann: Solitude gives birth to the original in us, to be auty unfamiliar and perilous to poetry.

The No. 2 Creative Habit

33

While it might seem contradictory, the No. 2 habit when it comes to nurturing creativity: participation. This can come in many forms, but it requires connecting with others, being inspired by others, reading others, collaborating with others. But how can you have both solitude and participation? They obviously have to come at different times. Finding the balance is key, of course, but it takes a conscious effort: this time is for solitude, and this time is for participation. Why are they both important? We need inspiration from without, but we need creation from within. A couple of the people I interviewed had habits that relate to this: Chase Jarvis: Devour Popular Culture. Consuming the works of others inspires me. And its not just museums and the establishment. I devour magazines, books, street art, performances, music, etc. All things that make me think critically (and whimsically) about the world. You get the picture. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Ali Edwards: Participate. My creative spirit is interested in documenting the wonderful everyday details of our lives. To really get to the heart of the matter I need to be fully participating in my life, in the interactions with my kids and husband and family and friends. If I am just going through the motions or wishing away the present moment for the next thing I am missing the blessing of right now. My creativity requires the habit of active participation and daily attention to detail.

Other Creative Habits


There are other habits than those top two, of course, that can nourish creativity. Some other good ones: Felicia Day: When I am most productive I am the most ruthless with my schedule. I will literally make a daily checklist with, one hour gym, 30 minutes of internet research, and drink 3 glasses of water on it. For some reason being that disciplined creates a sense of control that I wouldnt have otherwise, as a self-employed person, and I get the most out of the scheduled hours that I have for writing. Ali Edwards: Take notes. I am a really good note-taker. Its essential for me to write down my ideas when they come to mindotherwise, poof, they disappear way too quickly as I move on to the next task (diaper changes, wiping noses, tending to the stuff of life). I use my phone, my computer, and a moleskine notebook to jot down thoughts and ideas and then I move them into Things every week or so. Chase Jarvis had a few more:

Live a creative life everyday. I very much believe in doing creative stuff everyday. For one, I take photos and videos almost everyday. Doesnt matter the camera. I use my iPhone everyday. Just taking photos keeps me in a creative headspace. Hell, I play with my food and draw and doodle. Moderate Expectations. Make it a habit not to judge yourself on your creative output. Sometimes your creativity is on fire. Great news. Other times, its not. Its hard sometimes when you make art in a professional commercial capacity because youre paid to be ON, but youll save yourself a lot

34

of greif if you make it a habit to be cool to your psyche when your creative mojo isnt firing on all pistons. Shake Your Tree. When Im starting to feel stale, I make a habit of getting into adventures. Break molds. Drive home from work a different way. Stir up my routine. I get active and shake my tree. Find fun. Doing what you love inspires you to be more creative. Make time and space for having fun. All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl. Lastly, being creative means living a creative life. Expect yourself to have one. Believe you are creative. Know that you are. Make that the most important habit of all.

For more on creativity, read my Little But Useful Guide to Creativity. Creativity is essentially a lonely art. An even lonelier struggle. To some a blessing. To others a curse. It is in reality the ability to reach inside yourself and drag forth from your very soul an idea. ~Lou Dorfsman Posted: 05.27.2010

http://zenhabits.net/the-little-but-really-useful-guide-to-creativity/

The Little But Really Useful Guide to Creativity


The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Its easier than ever to be creative, to create, to imagine and make whats imagined become reality. Its also tougher than ever, with distractions surrounding us in ways never before imagined. No matter what kind of creative type you are writer, painter, musician, marketer, blogger, photographer, designer, parent, business owner you are likely always looking for inspirations, for ways to let loose your creative genius. And while there are millions of creativity tips on the Internet, I thought Id share the ones Ive found most useful the ones that Ive tried and tested and found to be right. Here they are, in no order at all:

Play. Dont consume and create at the same time separate the processes. Shut out the outside world. Reflect on your life and work daily. Look for inspiration all around you, in the smallest places. Start small. Just get it out, no matter how crappy that first draft. Dont try for perfect. Just get it out there, asap, and get feedback. Constantly make it better. Ignore the naysayers. But let criticism help you grow. 35

Teach and youll learn. Shake things up, see things in new ways. Apply things in other fields to your field, in ways not done before. Drink ridiculous amounts of coffee. Write all ideas down immediately. Turn your work into play. Play with kids. Get out, move, see new things, talk to new people. Read wildly different things. Especially stuff you disagree with. Get lots of rest. Overwork kills creativity. Dont force it. Relax, play, it will start to flow. Allow your mind to wander. Allow distractions, when youre looking for inspiration. Then shut them off when youre going to create. Do it when youre excited. When youre not, find something else to be excited about. Dont be afraid to be stupid and silly. Small ideas are good. You dont need to change the world just change one thing. When something is killing your creativity, kill it. Stop reading creativity advice, clear away everything, and just create. Most of all, have fun doing it.

Sometimes Ive believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. - Lewis Carroll Read about simplifying and focus in my book, The Power of Less.

Posted: 08.05.2009

http://zenhabits.net/passionguide/

The Simple, Ridiculously Useful Guide to Earning a Living from Your Passion
Post written by Leo Babauta.

So youve followed the Short But Powerful Guide to Finding Your Passion, and have chosen something youre passionate about.
36

Now you need to make it a career but are perhaps a bit lost. I have to admit I was there, only a few years ago, and three years later Ive successfully done it, even if Im a bit battered from the attempt. Its not easy Ill tell you that up front. If you hope to make a quick buck, or a fast million, youll need to find another guide. Probably one with lots of flashing ads in the sidebar. So you have your passion picked out? Heres how to tur n it into a living. 1. Learn. Read up on it, from blogs to magazine articles online to books to ebooks. Look for the free stuff first. Dont use this as an excuse to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars. Most of the important stuff is available for free. Find a mentor, talk to others doing it, ask questions. Go on forums and ask questions there from experienced people. Find others who are doing it well and study them closely. 2. Do. Do not put this step off for months and months while you learn. Youll learn most by doing. Start doing it for free. Do it for friends, family. Find clients wholl pay a small amount. Start a blog and write about it. Put it online and let others try your products or service. As soon as possible, go public youll learn the most this way. Continue to do step one as youre doing this step. 3. Get amazing at it. This is just more doing and learning. Read this post for more. 4. Start charging. As soon as you can do it well enough to charge, do so. You can start low the main thing is to keep getting experience, and to get clients who can recommend you to others. You want to work hard to knock their socks off. Slowly raise your rates as your skills improve. 5. Keep improving. Never stop learning, getting better. Use client or reader feedback to help. 6. Build income streams. This is where the money starts coming in. You can start this step at any time dont wait until youve done all the other steps. Build as many income streams as you can, one at a time. Some examples:

Regular consulting gigs. Freelance jobs. Ads or affiliate income from a blog or website. Ebooks teaching people how to do something you know how to do. A membership website that charges a small monthly fee (say, $9 or $20 a month) that will help others learn something you can teach them. This could include a forum, articles, videos, live webinars, other resources. An online course, similar to the membership site, but not requiring you to do live stuff or have a forum. Course could include ebooks, workbooks, videos, audio, online articles, other tools. Software or other downloadable products. Merchandise such as T-shirts, books, coffee mugs, etc.

There are, of course, many other types of services and products you can offer. Each income stream might only bring in a portion of what you need to survive, but if you continually build more income streams, you can eventually live off your passion. Congratulations. Equipment and office? For most passions, you can probably do it from your home with minimal equipment (often just a computer). Avoid having to pay for office space or having any overhead
37

that will make it difficult to start up or put you in debt. Start small, expand only as your income expands. Buy as little equipment as you can get away with at first. Quit your job? If you can possibly afford it, yes. This might mean living on savings for a few months, or living off your spouses income, and cutting back on expenses. If this isnt a possibility, make time to pursue your passion before work, after work, on weekends. Work for a company? If you get good at something, youll be in demand. You can then work for a company if you like. I recommend you try doing it on your own unless you need equipment you cant afford or get an offer you cant refuse. Posted: 11.16.2009

http://zenhabits.net/10-benefits-of-rising-early-and-how-to-do-it/

10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It


Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise Ben Franklin, famously Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin Mark Twain
By Leo Babauta

Recently, reader Rob asked me about my habit of waking at 4:30 a.m. each day, and asked me to write about the health benefits of rising early, which I thought was an excellent question. Unfortunately, there are none, that I know of. However, there are a ton of other great benefits. Now, let me first say that if you are a night owl, and that works for you, I think thats great. Theres no reason to change, especially if youre happy with it. But for me, switching from being a night owl to an early riser (and yes, it is possible) has been a godsend. It has helped me in so many ways that Id never go back. Here are just a few:
1. Greet the day. I love being able to get up, and greet a wonderful new day. I suggest creating a morning ritual that includes saying thanks for your blessings. Im inspired by the Dalai Lama, who said, Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can. 2. Amazing start. I used to start my day by jumping out of bed, late as usual, and rushing to get myself and the kids ready, and rushing to drop them to school and come in to work late. I would walk into work, looking rumpled and barely awake, grumpy and behind everyone else. Not a great start to your day. Now, I have a renewing morning ritual, Ive gotten so much done before 8 a.m., my kids are early and so am I, and by the time everyone else gets in to work, Ive already gotten a head start. There is no better way to start off your day than to wake early, in my experience.

38

3. Quietude. No kids yelling, no babies crying, no soccer balls, no cars, no television noise. The early morning hours are so peaceful, so quiet. Its my favorite time of day. I truly enjoy that time of peace, that time to myself, when I can think, when I can read, when I can breathe. 4. Sunrise. People who wake late miss one of the greatest feats of nature, repeated in full stereovision each and every day the rise of the sun. I love how the day slowly gets brighter, when the midnight blue turns to lighter blue, when the brilliant colors start to seep into the sky, when nature is painted in incredible colors. I like doing my early morning run during this time, and I look up at the sky as I run and say to the world, What a glorious day! Really. I really do that. Corny, I know. 5. Breakfast. Rise early and you actually have time for breakfast. Im told its one of the most important meals of the day. Without breakfast, your body is running on fumes until you are so hungry at lunchtime that you eat whatever unhealthy thing you can find. The fattier and sugarier, the betterier. But eat breakfast, and you are sated until later. Plus, eating breakfast while reading my book and drinking my coffee in the quiet of the morning is eminently more enjoyable than scarfing something down on the way to work, or at your desk. 6. Exercise. There are other times to exercise besides the early morning, of course, but Ive found that while exercising right after work is also very enjoyable, its also liable to be canceled because of other things that come up. Morning exercise is virtually never canceled. 7. Productivity. Mornings, for me at least, are the most productive time of day. I like to do some writing in the morning, when there are no distractions, before I check my email or blog stats. I get so much more done by starting on my work in the morning. Then, when evening rolls around, I have no work that I need to do, and I can spend it with family. 8. Goal time. Got goals? Well, you should. And theres no better time to review them and plan for them and do your goal tasks than first thing. You should have one goal that you want to accomplish this week. And every morning, you should decide what one thing you can do today to move yourself further towards that goal. And then, if possible, do that first thing in the morning. 9. Commute. No one likes rush-hour traffic, except for Big Oil. Commute early, and the traffic is much lighter, and you get to work faster, and thus save yourself more time. Or better yet, commute by bike. (Or even better yet, work from home.) 10. Appointments. Its much easier to make those early appointments on time if you get up early. Showing up late for those appointments is a bad signal to the person youre meetin g. Showing up early will impress them. Plus, you get time to prepare.

How to Become an Early Riser

Dont make drastic changes. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time. Allow yourself to sleep earlier . You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over. I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you dont think youll sleep, and read while in bed. If youre really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think. Put your alarm clock far from you bed . If its right next to your bed, youll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If its far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, youre up. Now you just have to stay up. Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm . Dont allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time Ive done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, Im awake enough to face the day. Do not rationalize. If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, youll never do it. Dont make getting back in bed an option.

39

Have a good reason. Set something to do early in the morning thats important. This reason will motivate you to get up. I like to write in the morning, so thats my reason. Also, when Im done with that, I like to read all of your comments! Make waking up early a reward. Yes, it might seem at first that youre forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea and read a book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something thats pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine. Take advantage of all that extra time. Dont wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless thats a major goal of yours. Dont wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, Ive done more than many people do the entire day.

Posted: 05.25.2007

http://zenhabits.net/20-things-i-wish-i-had-known-when-starting-out-in-life/

20 Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting Out in Life


Everything has been figured out, except how to live. - Jean-Paul Sartre Im nearly 35 years old, and Ive made my share of mistakes in my life. Im not a big believer in regrets and I have learned tremendously from every single mistake and my life is pretty great. However, there are a few things I wish I had known when I was graduating from high school and starting out as an adult in life. Would I change things? Im not so sure. I might never have gotten into a mountain of debt, but then I wouldnt have learned the amazing satisfacti on of getting out of it. I might have made better career choices, but then I wouldnt have all the work experience that makes me the blogger and writer that I am today. I might not have gotten married that first time, so that I would never have gotten divo rced but then I wouldnt have my first two beautiful wonderful incredible children from that first marriage. I dont think I would change any of that. However, looking back, there are some lessons Ive learned that I would probably tell my 18-year-old self. Do I share them now to share my regrets? No, I share them in hopes that younger men and women, just starting out in life, can benefit from my mistakes and my lessons. What follows isnt an exhaustive list, but its one that I hope proves useful to at l east a few people. I hope life isnt a big joke, because I dont get it. - Jack Handey
1. How to control impulse spending. If theres anything that got me in trouble financially, its impulse spending. Buying clothes when I dont need them. Buying gadgets b ecause I gotta have them. Ordering stuff online because its so easy. Buying that new shiny SUV because well, because it was going to help me with women. Im not proud of any of that. Ive learned to control my impulses, at least a little better. Now, I give myself some time to breathe. I think over my 40

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

purchases, see if Ive got the money, think about whether its a need or a want. That would have been a useful tool 15 years ago. You gotta stay active. I was in track, cross country and basketball in high school, but once I started college, the running and basketball began to slowly fade away. Not right away I played pick-up basketball for years after high school. But even that went away, until I became sedentary. Playing with my kids outdoors winded me. And I began to get fat. Ive reversed that trend, and am very active now, but Im still trying to burn the fat I gained in those inactive years. How to plan finances. I always knew that I was supposed to budget and track my spending, when I became an adult. I just was too lazy to do it. And I didnt have a good idea of how to actually do it. Now, Ive learned how to plan, and how to stick to that plan. Sure, I deviate from my plan, but Ive learned how to handle that too. Maybe thats not a skill you can learn from book reading. You just gotta practice. Well, I hope to teach it to my children before they go out on their own. Junk food will come back to bite you in the butt. Yeah, it wasnt just the sedentary lifestyle that got me fat. It was all the damn junk food too. I would eat pizza and burgers and Twinkies and sugar cereal and desserts and donuts and well, you get the picture. As someone used to being able to eat whatever I wanted, it never seemed like it would be a problem. Bad health was something to worry about when you got old. Well, my jeans began to get way too tight, and to my horror, I climbed several pants sizes and developed a gut that only now is going away. I wish someone had shown me an after picture when I was young and downing the Big G ulp sodas. Smoking is just dumb. I didnt start smoking until I was well into my adult years. I wont go into why I started, but it didnt seem like a problem, because I knew I could quit anytime I wanted. Or I thought I could, at least, until several years later I gave it a go and couldnt do it. Five failed quits later and I realized with horror that my addiction was stronger than I was. Sure, I eventually beat the habit (quit date: Nov. 18, 2005) but it took a piece of my soul to do it. Fund your retirement, son. And dont withdraw it. This piece of wisdom, and probably all the ones above, might seem blisteringly obvious. And they are. Dont think I didnt know this when I was 18. I did. I just didnt pay it serious attention. Retirement was something I c ould worry about when I was in my 30s. Well, Im in my 30s now and I wish I could slap that little 18 -year-old Leo around a bit. What money I could have invested by now! I had a retirement plan, but on the 3 occasions when I changed jobs, I withdrew that and spent it frivolously. All the stuff youre doing that seems hard it will be of use. This is the first one that might not be as obvious. There were times in my life when work was hard, and I did it anyway, but hated it. I did it because I had to, but boy did it stress me out and leave me exhausted. Hard work isnt as easy as I wanted it to be. But you know what? Every bit of hard work I did without knowing why I was doing it its paid off for me in the long run. Maybe not right away, but Im using ski lls and habits I learned during those times of high stress and long hours and tedious work I use them all the time, and theyve made me into the person I am today. Thank you, younger Leo! Dont buy that used van without checking it out closely. I thought I was being smart by buying used, but I didnt check it out carefully enough. That dang van had loads of engine problems, a door that nearly fell off when I was driving, a door handle that snapped off, a side mirror that fell off, no spare tire despite three tires that were ready to blow (and did), windows that didnt roll up, rattling noises, an eventual blown radiator I could go on and on, but lets just say that it wasnt my best purchase. I still think buying used is smart, but check things out closely first. That guy youre going to sell your car to? On a gentlemans agreement? Hes not gonna pay you. I sold another car to a friend of a friend, who I was sure would pay me even if I had nothing in writing. That was smart. I still see the guy once in a while on the road, but I dont have the energy to do a U-turn and chase after him. Make time to pursue your passion, no matter how busy you are. Ive always wanted to be a writer, and get a book published. I just never had time to write. With a family and school and a fulltime job, there just werent enough hours in the day. Well, Ive learned that you have to make those hours. Set aside a block of time to do what you love, cut out other stuff from your life that take up your time, and dont let anything interfere with that work. If I had done that 15 years ago, I could have 15 books written by now. Not all would be great, but still.

41

11. All that stuff thats stressing you out it wont matter in 5 years, let alone 15. When things are happening to you right now, they mean all the world. I had deadlines and projects and people breathing down my neck, and my stress levels went through the roof. I dont regret the hard work (see above) but I think I would have been less stressed if I could have just realized tha t it wouldnt matter a single bit just a few years down the road. Perspective is a good thing to learn. 12. The people you make friends with are so much more important than your job or the things you buy. Ive had a few jobs, Ive bought a lot of things, and Ive made a few friends over these last 15 years. Of those, the only thing that still matter to me are the friends. And I wish I could have spent more time with friends (and family) than on the other things. 13. All that time you spend watching TV is a huge, huge waste of time. I dont know how much TV Ive watched over the years, but its a crapload. Hours and days and weeks Ill never have back. Who cares what happens on reality TV, when reality is slipping by outside? Time is something youll never get back dont waste it on TV. 14. Your kids are going to grow up way faster than you think. Dont waste a minute . I just had an Oh My God moment recently. My oldest daughter, Chloe, is 14 going on 15 next month. I have 3 years left with her before she leaves my house and becomes an adult. Three years! I am floored by that single fact, because it really doesnt seem anywhere near enough time. I want to go back to my younger self and whack that younger Leo on the head and say Stop working so hard! Stop watching TV! Spend more time with your kids! These last 15 years with Chloe (and my other wonderful kids) have gone by much, much too fast. 15. Forget the drama. Focus on being happy. There have been many things that have happened to me, professionally and personally, that seem like the end of the world. And while these things were bad, they get blown up in our heads so that they become major drama. They caused me to be depressed from time to time. What a waste of time. If I realized that it was all in my head, and that I could be happy instead if I focused on the positive, on what I did have, and what I could be doing I could have skipped all the moping about. 16. Pay more attention to blogs when you first hear about them. Theyre more than just journals . I first read about blogs 7-8 years ago, but when I took a look at them they didnt seem like anything of interest. Just some peoples journals about stuff they read on the web. Why would I want to read those? I have my own thoughts about the web, but I dont need to share them with the world. I spent a lot of time on the Internet, on various sites and forums, but every time I happened upon a blog I would brush past it without interest. It wasnt until a couple years ago that I discovered what wonderful things they could be (I mentioned some of my early favorites in my list of influences). If I had gotten into blogging years ago well, I wouldnt have been wasting all that time. 17. Speaking of which, keep a journal. Seriously. Your memory is extremely faulty . I forget things really easily. Not short-term stuff, but long-term. I dont remember things about my kids early years, because I didnt record any of it. I dont remember things about my life. Its like a lot of foggy memories that Ill never have access to. I wish I had kept a journal. 18. Tequila is seriously evil. I wont go into details, but it should suffice to say that I had some bad experiences, and Im not sure I learned very much from the m or benefited in any way except to learn that tequila is the drink of the Devil. 19. Yes, you can do a marathon. Dont put this goal off its extremely rewarding. Running a marathon had always been a dream of mine, since high school something I wanted to do but thought was out of reach. Or if I ever did it, it would be years and years later. Well, I learned that its not only achievable, its incredibly rewarding. I wish I had started training when I was young and light and fit I could have had some good finishing times! 20. All these mistakes youre going to make, despite this advice? Theyre worth it . My 18-year-old self would probably have read this post and said, Good advice! And then he would have proceeded to make the same mistakes, despite good inten tions. I was a good kid, but I wasnt good at following advice. I had to make my own mistakes, and live my own life. And thats what I did, and I dont regret a minute of it. Every experience Ive had (even the tequila ones) have led me down the path of life to where I am today. I love where I am today, and wouldnt trade it for another life for all the world. The pain, the stress, the drama, the hard work, the mistakes, the depression, the hangovers, the debt, the fat it was all worth it. 42

Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry. - Mark Twain Posted: 02.17.2008

http://zenhabits.net/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/

Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life


Simplicity is the peak of civilization. Jessie Sampter
By Leo Babauta

A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing whats important to you. It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you love. It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value. However, getting to simplicity isnt always a simple process. Its a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward. If youre interested in simplifying your life, this is a great starters guide (if youre not interested, move on). The Short List For the cynics who say that the list below is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:
1. Identify whats most important to you. 2. Eliminate everything else.

Of course, thats not terribly useful unless you can see how to apply that to different areas of your life, so I present to you the Long List. The Long List There can be no step-by-step guide to simplifying your life, but Ive compiled an incomplete list of ideas that should help anyone trying to find the simple life. Not every tip will work for you choose the ones that appeal and apply to your life. One important note: this list will be criticized for being too complicated, especially as it provides a bunch of links. Dont stress out about all of that. Just choose one at a time, and focus on that. When youre done with that, focus on the next thing.
1. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. Whats most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things. 43

2. Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything youve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that arent in line with those things. Article here. 3. Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether theyre in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that arent, and focus on whats important. Redesign your day. 4. Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, youll never get everything done, and worse yet, youll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest. Read more. 5. Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And well never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help). 6. Learn to say no. This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives. If you cant say no, you will take on too much. Article here. 7. Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it. 8. Limit your media consumption. This tip wont be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. can come to dominate our lives. Dont let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. Try a media fast. 9. Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you dont want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. Heres my guide on decluttering. Heres a post on starting small. More on purging below. 10. Get rid of the big items. Theres tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, youll simplify your life quickly and in a big way. Read more. 11. Edit your rooms. One room at a time, go around the room and eliminate the unnecessary. Act as a newspaper editor, trying to leave only the minimum, and deleting everything else. Article here. 12. Edit closets and drawers. Once youve gone through the main parts of your rooms, tackle the closets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. More here. 13. Simplify your wardrobe. Is your closet bursting full? Are your drawers so stuffed they cant close (Im talking about dresser drawers here, not underwear). Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you dont actually wear. Try creating a minimal wardrobe by focusing on simple styles and a few solid colors that all match each other. Read more. 14. Simplify your computing life. If you have trouble with too many files and too much disorganization, consider online computing. It can simplify things greatly. Read more. 15. Declutter your digital packrattery. If you are a digital packrat, and cannot seem to control your digital clutter, there is still hope for you. Read this guide to curing yourself of this clutter. 16. Create a simplicity statement. What do you want your simple life to look like? Write it out. More here. 17. Limit your buying habits. If you are a slave to materialism and consumerism, there are ways to escape it. I was there, and although I havent escaped these things entirely, I feel much freer of it all. If you can escape materialism, you can get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less freneticism. Read more. 18. Free up time. Find ways to free up time for the important stuff. That means eliminating the stuff you dont like, cutting back on time wasters, and making room for what you want to do.

44

19. Do what you love. Once youve freed up some time, be sure to spend that extra time doing things you love. Go back to your list of 4-5 important things. Do those, and nothing else. Read more. 20. Spend time with people you love . Again, the list of 4-5 important things probably contains some of the people you love (if not, you may want to re-evaluate). Whether those people are a spouse, a partner, children, parents, other family, best friends, or whoever, find time to do things with them, talk to them, be intimate with them (not necessarily in sexual ways). 21. Spend time alone. See this list of ways to free up time for yourself to spend in solitude. Alone time is good for you, although some people arent comfortable with it. It could take practice getting used to the quiet, and making room for your inner voice. It sounds new-agey, I know, but its extremely calming. And this quiet is necessary for finding out whats important to you. 22. Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more. Read more. 23. Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. Give it a try. Read more. 24. Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity. Read tips on how to do it. 25. Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we havent given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry sys tem, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and written. Then stick to it. Heres more. Another good article here. 26. Create a simple mail & paperwork system . If you dont have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order. Heres how. 27. Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst. Read more. 28. Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away. Read more. 29. Establish routines. The key to keeping your life simple is to create simple routines. A great article on that here. 30. Keep your email inbox empty. Is your email inbox overflowing with new and read messages? Do the messages just keep piling up? If so, youre normal but you could be more efficient and your email life could be simplified with a few simple steps. Read more. 31. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. Its directly related to simplicity. Here are 50 tips on how to live frugally. 32. Make your house minimalist. A minimalist house has what is necessary, and not much else . Its also extremely peaceful (not to mention easy to clean). More here. 33. Find other ways to be minimalist. There are tons. You can find ways to be minimalist in every area of your life. Here are a few I do, to spur your own ideas. 34. Consider a smaller home. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you dont need so much space. Im not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life. Read about downsizing your home here. 35. Consider a smaller car. This is a big move, but if you have a large car or SUV, you may not really need something that big. Its more expensive, uses more gas, harder to maint ain, harder to park. Simplify your life with less car. You dont need to go tiny, especially if you have a family, but try to find as small a car as can fit you or your family comfortably. Maybe not something youre going to do today, but something to think about over the long term. 36. Learn what enough is. Our materialistic society today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight. Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes. More stuff. But when will you have enough? Most people dont know, and thus they keep buying more. Its a neverending cycle. Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough. And then stop when you get there. 45

37. Create a simple weekly dinner menu . If figuring out whats for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a weeks worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know whats for dinner each night, and you have all the ingr edients necessary. No need for difficult recipes find ones that can be done in 10-15 minutes (or less). 38. Eat healthy. It might not be obvious how eating healthy relates to simplicity, but think about the opposite: if you eat fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, fried foods all the time, you are sure to have higher medical needs over the long term. We could be talking years from now, but imagine frequent doctor visits, hospitalization, going to the pharmacist, getting therapy, having surgery, taking insulin shots you get the idea. Being unhealthy is complicated. Eating healthy simplifies all of that greatly, over the long term. Read about how to simplify your eating habits. 39. Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. Its great. Heres how to create the exercise habit. 40. Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, thats not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If you declutter enough, you wont need to organize at all. 41. Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but its the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. Read more here. 42. Find inner simplicity. Im not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time spent in nature. However you do it, working on your inner self is worth the time. 43. Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress no matter how much you simplify your life, youll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress. Here are some ideas. 44. Try living without a car. OK, this isnt something Ive done, but many others have. Its something I would do if I didnt have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, safety inspections, maintenance, repairs, gas and more. 45. Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether thats writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for selfexpression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work youre eliminating from your life. 46. Simplify your goals. Instead of having half a dozen goals or more, simplify it to one goal. Not only will this make you less stressed, it will make you more successf ul. Youll be able to focus on that One Goal, and give it all of your energy. That gives you much better chances for success. 47. Single-task. Multi-tasking is more complicated, more stressful, and generally less productive. Instead, do one task at a time. 48. Simplify your filing system. Stacking a bunch of papers just doesnt work. But a filing system doesnt have to be complicated to be useful. Create a simple system. 49. Develop equanimity. If every little thing that happens to you sends you into anger or stress, your life might never be simple. Learn to detach yourself, and be more at peace. Read more. 50. Reduce your consumption of advertising. Advertising makes us want things. Thats what its designed to do, and it works. Find ways to reduce your exposure of advertising, whether thats in print, online, broadcast, or elsewhere. Youll want much less. 51. Live life more deliberately. Do every task slowly, with ease, paying full attention to what youre doing. For more, see Peaceful Simplicity: How to Live a Life of Contentment. 52. Make a Most Important Tasks (MITs) list each day. Set just 3 very important things you want to accomplish each day. Dont start with a long list of things you probably wont get done by the end of the day. A simple list of 3 things, ones that would make you feel like you accomplished something. See this article for more.

46

53. Create morning and evening routines. A great way to simplify your life is to create routines at the start and end of your day. Read more on morning routines and evening routines. 54. Create a morning writing ritual . If you enjoy writing, like I do, make it a peaceful, productive ritual. Article here. 55. Learn to do nothing. Doing nothing can be an art form, and it should be a part of every life. Read the Art of Doing Nothing. 56. Read Walden, by Thoreau. The quintessential text on simplifying. Available on Wikisources for free. 57. Go for quality, not quantity. Try not to have a ton of stuff in your life instead, have just a few possessions, but ones that you really love, and that will last for a long time. 58. Read Simplify Your Life, by Elaine St. James. One of my favorite all-time authors on simplicity. Read my review here. 59. Fill your day with simple pleasures. Make a list of your favorite simple pleasures, and sprinkle them throughout your day. List here. 60. Simplify your RSS feeds. If youve got dozens of feeds, or more than a hundred (as I once did), you probably have a lot of stress in trying to keep up with them all. Simplify your feed reading. See How to Drop an RSS Feed Like a Bad Habit. 61. But subscribe to Unclutterer. Probably the best blog on simplifying your stuff and routines (along with Zen Habits, of course!). 62. Create an easy-to-maintain yard. If you spend too much time on your yard, here are some good tips. 63. Carry less stuff. Are your pockets bulging. Consider carrying only the essentials. Some thoughts on that here. 64. Simplify your online life. If you have too much going on online, here are a few ways to simplify it all. Article here. 65. Strive to automate your income. This isnt the easiest task, but it can (and has) been done. Ive been working towards it myself. Article here. 66. Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because its too hard or too complicated. Read more here. 67. Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning expert here. 68. Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? Heres an article on using just one carry-on. 69. Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Done is all you need. Everything else is icing. 70. Leave space around things in your day. Whether theyre appointments, or things you need to do, dont stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and youll go through your day much more relaxed. 71. Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life. 72. Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

Posted: 09.05.2007

http://zenhabits.net/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-home/

A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home


Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

I cant claim that my home is completely minimalist, but it surely isnt clutte red, and most people I know would call it a pretty minimalist home.

47

One recent visitor saw my kitchen and remarked, Ive never seen a kitchen that looked so clean, so clear of stuff! Well, I do my best to keep it clean, but the key is to remove the unnec essary stuff. For example, on the floor of my kitchen/dining room area are just a few essentials: dining table (clear of any clutter), chairs, some counter stools, a high chair, a step stool for the kids. On the counters are only the toaster, coffee maker and microwave. Is this kind of minimalist home devoid of character and fun and life? Some might think so, but I get a strange satisfaction, a fulfillment, at looking around and seeing a home free of clutter. Its calming, and liberating, and just nice. Benefits of a Minimalist Home I could probably go on for awhile about this, but let me just list a few key benefits:
1. Less stressful. Clutter is a form of visual distraction, and everything in our vision pulls at our attention at least a little. The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A minimalist home is calming. 2. More appealing. Think about photos of homes that are cluttered, and photos of minimalist homes. The ones with almost nothing in them except some beautiful furniture, some nice artwork, and a very few pretty decorations, are the ones that appeal to most of us. You can make your home more appealing by making it more minimalist. 3. Easier to clean. Its hard to clean a whole bunch of objects, or to sweep or vacuum around a bunch of furniture. The more stuff you have, the more you have to keep clean, and the more complicated it is to clean around the stuff. Think about how easy it is to clean an empty room compared to one with 50 objects in it. Thats an extreme example, of course, as I wouldnt recommend you have an empty room, but its just to illustrate the difference.

What a Minimalist Home Looks Like This would vary, of course, depending on your taste and how extreme of a minimalist you want to be. I am a minimalist, but not to any extreme. But here are some characteristics of a minimalist home:

Minimal furniture. A minimalist room would only contain a few essential pieces of furniture. A living room, for example, might only have a couch, another chair or love seat, a coffee table, a minimalist entertainment stand (not a huge one with a bunch of shelves), a television, and a couple of lamps. It could even contain less (couch, chairs, and coffee table, for example). A bedroom might have a simple bed (or even just a mattress), a dresser, and perhaps a night stand or book shelf. Clear surfaces. In a minimalist home, flat surfaces are clear, except for one or two decorations (see next item). There are not a whole bunch of knick knacks, and definitely not stacks of books or papers or other items. Accent decorations. A home completely clear of things would be a bit boring, actually. So instead of having a coffee table completely free of any objects, you could have a simple vase with a few flowers, for example. Or a clear desk might just have a family photo. An otherwise empty wall might have a tasteful piece of art (I use my dads artwork, as hes a great artist). Quality over quantity. Instead of having a lot of stuff in your home, a minimalist would choose just a few really good things he loves and uses often. A really nice table, for example, is better than 5 pieces of press-board furniture.

48

Examples. The photo at the top of this post is a nice example of a minimalist home (its not my home, but I wish it were). See more photos of that lovely home. Traditional-style Japanese homes are another great example of minimalism, as is this nice spread.

How to Create a Minimalist Home There are actually no set steps to making your home minimalist, except to change your philosophy and shoot for the ideals in the previous section above. But here are some tips that I would offer to anyone trying to shoot for minimalism:
1. One room at a time. Unless youre just moving into a place, its hard to simplify an entire house at once. Focus on one room, and let that be your center of calm. Use it to inspire you to simplify the next room, and the next. Then do the same outside! 2. Start with furniture. The biggest things in any room are the furniture, so you should always begin simplifying a room by looking at the furniture. The fewer pieces of furniture, the better (within reason, of course). Think of which furniture can be eliminated without sacrificing comfort and livability. Go for a few pieces of plain, simple furniture (example of a minimalist coffee table) with solid, subdued colors. 3. Only the essentials. Whether looking at your furniture or anything else in the room, ask yourself if the item is truly essential. If you can live without it, get it out. Try to strip the room down to its essentials you can always add a few choice items beyond the essentials later. 4. Clear floors. Except for the furniture, your floors should be completely clear. Nothing should clutter the floor, nothing should be stacked, nothing should be stored on the floor. Once youve gotten your furniture down to the bare essentials, clear everything else on the floor either donate it, trash it, or find a place for it out of sight. 5. Clear surfaces. Same thing with all flat surfaces. Dont have anything on them, except one or two simple decorations (See Tip 9 below). Donate, trash or find an out-of-sight storage spot for everything else. It will make everything much, much more minimal-looking. 6. Clear walls. Some people hang all kinds of stuff on their walls. No can do in a minimalist home. Clear your walls except for one or two simple pieces of nice artwork (see Tip 8 below). 7. Store stuff out of sight. This has been mentioned in the above tips, but you should store everything you need out of sight, in drawers and cabinets. Bookshelves can be used to store books or DVDs or CDs, but shouldnt have much else except a few simple decorations (not whole collections of things). 8. Declutter. If you are clearing flat surfaces and the floor, and storing stuff in cabinets and drawers, youll probably want to declutter your storage areas too. You can do this in a later stage if you want. See How to Declutter for more. 9. Simple artwork. To keep a room from being boring, you can put a simple painting, drawing or photo, framed with a subdued, solid color, on each wall if you want. Leave some walls bare if possible. 10. Simple decorations. As mentioned in the above tips, one or two simple decorations can serve as accents for a minimalist room. A vase of flowers or a small potted plant are two classic examples. If the rest of your room has subdued colors, your accents could use a bright color (such as red, or yellow) to draw the eye and give a plain room a splash of energy. 11. Plain window treatments. Bare windows, or simple, solid colored curtains, or simple, wooden blinds are good. Too much ornate stuff around the windows is clutter. 12. Plain patterns. Solid colors are best for floor coverings (if you have any), furniture, etc. Complex patterns, such as flowers or checkers, are visual clutter. 13. Subdued colors. As mentioned in Tip 9 above, you can have a splash of bright color in the room, but most of the room should be more subtle colors white is classic minimalist, but really any solid colors that dont stress the eyes is good (earth colors come to mind, such as blues, browns, tans, greens).

49

14. Edit and eliminate. When youve simplified a room, you can probably do more. Give it a couple of days, then look at everything with a fresh eye. What can be eliminated? Stored out of sight? Whats not essential? You can come back to each room every few months, and sometimes youll discover things you can simplify even more. 15. Place for everything. Ive discussed this in other posts, but in a minimalist house, its important that you find a place for everything, and remember where those places are. Where does you blender go? Give it a spot, and stick with it. Aim for logical spots that are close to where the thing is used, to make things more efficient, but the key is to designate a spot. 16. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. Once youve simplified a room, take a moment to look around and enjoy it. Its so peaceful and satisfying. This is the reward for your har d work. Ahhhh. So nice!

Posted: 08.15.2007

http://zenhabits.net/get-off-your-butt-16-ways-to-get-motivated-when-youre-in-a-slump/

Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When Youre in a Slump
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Even the most motivated of us you, me, Tony Robbins can feel unmotivated at times. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult. But its not hopeless: with some small steps, baby ones in fact, you can get started down the road to positive change. Yes, I know, it seems impossible at times. You dont feel like doing anything. Ive been there, and in fact I still feel that way from time to time. Youre not alone. But Ive learned a few ways to break out of a slump, and well take a look at those today. This post was inspired by reader Roy C. Carlson, who asked: I was wondering if you could do a piece on why it can be hard for someone to change direction and start taking control of their life. I have to say Im in th is boat and advice on getting out of my slump would be great. Roy is just one of many with a slump like that. Again, I feel that way sometimes myself, and in fact sometimes I struggle to motivate myself to exercise and Ill use that as an example of how to break out of the slump. When I fall out of exercise, due to illness or injury or disruption from things going on in my life, its hard to get started again. I dont even feel like thinking about it, sometimes. But Ive always found a way to break out of that slump, and here are some things Ive learned that have helped:
1. One Goal. Whenever Ive been in a slump, Ive discovered that its often because I have too much going on in my life. Im trying to do too much. And it saps my energy and motivation. It s probably the most common mistake that people make: they try to take on too much, try to accomplish too many goals at once. You cannot maintain energy and focus (the two most important things in 50

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

accomplishing a goal) if you are trying to do two or more go als at once. Its not possible Ive tried it many times. You have to choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely. I know, thats hard. Still, I speak from experience. You can always do your other goals when youve accomplished your One Goal. Find inspiration. Inspiration, for me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. I Google my goal, and read success stories. Zen Habits is just one place for inspiration, not only from me but from many readers who have achieved amazing things. Get excited. This sounds obvious, but most people dont think about it much: if you want to break out of a slump, get yourself excited about a goal. But how can you do that when you do nt feel motivated? Well, it starts with inspiration from others (see above), but you have to take that excitement and build on it. For me, Ive learned that by talking to my wife about it, and to others, and reading as much about it as possible, and visualizing what it would be like to be successful (seeing the benefits of the goal in my head), I get excited about a goal. Once Ive done that, its just a matter of carrying that energy forward and keeping it going. Build anticipation. This will sound hard, and many people will skip this tip. But it really works. It helped me quit smoking after many failed attempts. If you find inspiration and want to do a goal, dont start right away. Many of us will get excited and want to start today. Thats a mistake. Set a date in the future a week or two, or even a month and make that your Start Date. Mark it on the calendar. Get excited about that date. Make it the most important date in your life. In the meantime, start writing out a plan. And do some of the steps below. Because by delaying your start, you are building anticipation, and increasing your focus and energy for your goal. Post your goal. Print out your goal in big words. Make your goal just a few words long, like a mantra (Exercise 15 mins. Daily), and post it up on your wall or refrigerator. Post it at home and work. Put it on your computer desktop. You want to have big reminders about your goal, to keep your focus and keep your excitement going. A picture of your goal (like a model with sexy abs, for example) also helps. Commit publicly. None of us likes to look bad in front of others. We will go the extra mile to do something weve said publicly. For example, when I wanted to run my first marathon, I started writing a column about it in my local daily newspaper. The entire island of Guam (pop. 160K) knew about my goal. I couldnt back down, and even though my motivation came and went, I stuck with it and completed it. Now, you dont have to commit to your goal in your daily newspaper, but you can do it with friends and family and co-workers, and you can do it on your blog if you have one. And hold yourself accountable dont just commit once, but commit to giving progress updates to everyone every week or so. Think about it daily. If you think about your goal every day, it is much more likely to become true. To this end, posting the goal on your wall or computer desktop (as mentioned above) helps a lot. Sending yourself daily reminders also helps. And if you can commit to doing one small thing to further your goal (even just 5 minutes) every single day, your goal will almost certainly come true. Get support. Its hard to accomplish something alone. When I decided to run my marathon, I had the help of friends and family, and I had a great running community on Guam who encouraged me at 5K races and did long runs with me. When I decided to quit smoking, I joined an online forum and that helped tremendously. And of course, my wife Eva helped every step of the way. I couldnt have done these goals without her, or without the others who supported me. Find your support network, either in the real world or online, or both. Realize that theres an ebb and flow. Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for you. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. But realize that while it may go away, it doesnt do so permanently. It will come back. Just stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime, read about your goal (see below), ask for help (see below), and do some of the other things listed here until your motivation comes back. Stick with it. Whatever you do, dont give up. Even if you arent feeling any motivation today, or this week, dont give up. Again, that motivation will come back. Think of your goal as a long journey, and your slump is just a little bump in the road. You cant give up with every little bump. Stay with it for the long term, ride out the ebbs and surf on the flows, and youll get there. 51

11. Start small. Really small. If you are having a hard time getting started, it may be because youre thinking too big. If you want to exercise, for example, you may be thinking that you have to do these intense workouts 5 days a week. No instead, do small, tiny, baby steps. Just do 2 minutes of exercise. I know, that sounds wimpy. But it works. Commit to 2 minutes of exercise for one week. You may want to do more, but just stick to 2 minutes. Its so easy, you cant fail. Do it at the same time, every day. Just some crunches, 2 pushups, and some jogging in place. Once youve done 2 minutes a day for a week, increase it to 5, and stick with that for a week. In a month, youll be doing 15-20. Want to wake up early? Dont think about waking at 5 a.m. Instead, think about waking 10 minutes earlier for a week. Thats all. Once youve done that, wake 10 minutes earlier than that. Baby steps. 12. Build on small successes. Again, if you start small for a week, youre going to be successful. You cant fail if you start with something ridiculously easy. Who cant exercise for 2 minutes? (If thats you, I apologize.) And youll feel successful, and good about yourself. Take that successful feeling and build on it, with another baby step. Add 2-3 minutes to your exercise routine, for example. With each step (and each step should last about a week), you will feel even more successful. Make each step really, really small, and you wont fail. After a couple of months, your tiny steps will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success. 13. Read about it daily. When I lose motivation, I just read a book or blog about my goal. It inspires me and reinvigorates me. For some reason, reading helps motivate and focus you on whatever youre reading about. So read about your goal every day, if you can, especially when youre not feeling motivated. 14. Call for help when your motivation ebbs . Having trouble? Ask for help. Email me. Join an online forum. Get a partner to join you. Call your mom. It doesnt matter who, just tell them your problems, and talking about it will help. Ask them for advice. Ask them to help you overcome your slump. It works. 15. Think about the benefits, not the difficulties . One common problem is that we think about how hard something is. Exercise sounds so hard! Just thinking about it makes you tired. But instead of thinking about how hard something is, think about what you will get out of it. For example, instead of thinking about how tiring exercise can be, focus on how good youll feel when youre done, and how youll be healthier and slimmer over the long run. The benefits of something will help energize you. 16. Squash negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones . Along those lines, its important to start monitoring your thoughts. Recognize negative self-talk, which is really whats causing your slump. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, This is too hard! and replace it with, I can do this! If that wimp Leo can do it, so can I! It sounds corny, but it works. Really.

Posted: 08.30.2007

http://zenhabits.net/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-simplifying-your-life-and-way-more/

Everything You Wanted to Know About Simplifying Your Life, and Way More
Im finishing the last chapter of my book today (cant wait for it to be done!) and so I thought Id take a break and leave you with some of my favorite old articles, in case you missed them the articles on simplicity.

52

As you might already know, living the simple life is one of my passions, and one of my greatest achievements. Sure, my life could probably get even simpler, but Im happy with where I am. I hope that these articles can help you in your journey to a simpler life, should you choose such a path. A quick note: There are a lot of articles below. You dont have to read all of them. In fact, in the name of simplicity, please dont. Choose a sample, and youll do just fine there are some common themes that run through all of them anyway. My Favorites:

Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life Simple Living Simplified: 10 Things You Can Do Today to Simplify Your Life The Simple Life The First Rule of Simplifying: Identify the Essential (or, How to avoid the Void) The Four Laws of Simplicity, and How to Apply Them to Life 75 Simple Pleasures to Brighten Your Day

Edit Your Life Series:


Edit Your Life, Part 1: Commitments Edit Your Life, Part 2: Your Rooms Edit Your Life, Part 3: Closets and Drawers Edit Your Life, Part 4: Your Work Space Edit Your Life, Part 5: Your Wardrobe Edit Your Life, Part 6: A Media Fast

On Decluttering:

Zen Mind: How to Declutter 15 Great Decluttering Tips 21 Tips on Keeping a Simple Home with Kids

For Minimalists:

A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home The Minimalists Guide to Simple Housework The Minimalists Guide to Fighting (and Beating) Clutter Entropy Cyber Minimalist: How to Work (Almost) Completely Online A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Workspace 10 Odd Little Minimalist Things I Do

And Even More:


36 Great Tips for Keeping Travel as Simple as Possible (and Two Poems) The Zen of Tech: 12 Powerful Ways to Keep Your Online Life Simple and Peaceful Eliminate All But the Absolute Essential Tasks Book review: Simplify Your Life Simplify Your Eating Habits and Meals How to Simplify Your Filing System; or, Why Stacking Just Doesnt Work 25 Ways to Simplify Your Life with Kids

53

Posted: 06.11.2008
http://zenhabits.net/the-unsurpassable-productivity-list-a-handy-guide-to-getting-important-things-done/

The Unsurpassable Productivity List: A Handy Guide to Getting Important Things Done
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

And now, for the list to surpass al l lists. The productivity guide youve been waiting for your entire life. The only resource youll ever need. Well, it might not be all that but I hope this list of my best productivity articles will be of some use to you. :) Ive gathered together some of my best posts on productivity, ZTD and GTD, to help guide you if youre having trouble getting work done. I hope this list will be a handy resource, and that youll bookmark it for future reading. A bit of Zen Habits history for those of you who are new to this blog: ZH started as a productivity/GTD blog, but very quickly expanded beyond that scope to include simplicity, organization, happiness, family, finance, health and fitness articles, among others. My Favorites

Haiku Productivity: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential Handbook for Life: 52 Tips for Happiness and Productivity Zen To Done (ZTD): The Ultimate Simple Productivity System 7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done Top 10 Productivity Hacks

GTD Resources

The Getting Things Done (GTD) FAQ Massive GTD Resource List 5 Amazing Mac Apps for Getting Things Done (Plus a Custom-Rigged Setup) 5 Simple, Effective GTD Tools Inbox Master: Get all your inboxes to zero, and have fewer inboxes Cranking Widgets: Turn Your Work into Stress-free Productivity Tips for GTDs Ubiquitous Capture

Simple Productivity

Eliminate All But the Absolute Essential Tasks Haiku Productivity: Limit Your Projects to Achieve Completion Haiku Productivity: Limit Your Work Week How to NOT do everything on your to-do list Lazy Productivity: 10 Simple Ways to Do Only Three Things Today

And More

54

How to Actually Execute Your To-Do List: or, Why Writing It Down Doesnt Actually Get It Done Big Rocks First: Double Your Productivity This Week Top 30 Tips for Staying Productive and Sane While Working From Home Optimize Your Productivity with Daily, Weekly Routines My Fav Procrastination Hack 30-10

Posted: 07.01.2008

http://zenhabits.net/best-tips-getting-in-shape/

All The Best Tips on Getting In Shape, In One Handy List


Ive written a bunch of articles about health, fitness, and the challenges of getting in shape, and I thought it would be useful to compile some of the best articles in one place. Many readers have only begun reading Zen Habits in recent months, and may have missed some of these classics. So here they are, in one handy list bookmark it and come back anytime you need some exercise motivation! A quick note: Again, there are a lot of articles below. Please dont read all of them, as Im sure you need to get back to work. Choose a sample, and youll do just fine there are some common themes that run through all of them anyway. My Favorites

31 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise 17 Fitness Truths To Get You In Great Shape Zen To Slim: A Simple, 5-Step Weight Loss Plan The Rules of the Unbelievable Lightness of Being Club 17 Tips to Help You Get Leaner and Fitter

Starting Out

4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit How to Make Exercise a Daily Habit How to Get Back on the Exercise Train Get Healthy and Fit, Part 2 Exercise Edition Beginners Guide to Running 6 Tips for Commuting to Work by Bike

The Next Level


The Zen of Running, and 10 Ways to Make It Work for You 16 Tips to Triple Your Workout Effectiveness How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat Top 42 Exercise Hacks 10 Great Workouts to Spice Up Your Running Program

And More

55

Simple Things You Can Do to Lose Weight Want to gain weight? Focus on muscle-building, not calories 80 Awesome Weight Loss Tips

Posted: 06.24.2008

http://zenhabits.net/golden-money-list/

The Golden Money List: Hundreds of Tips for Turning Your Financial Life Around
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Ever since I got out of debt, I havent written much about personal finances, simply because its not one of the main focuses in my life. Still, Ive written a lot about finances in the past frugality, debt reduction, budgeting, and more and I think there are a lot of useful articles that newer readers might have missed. Ive learned a lot about personal finances in recent years, and I hope my lessons will prove valuable to you, or at least stir up some thoughts that help you in your journey. Im not a financial expert, of course, and all of this is simply from my personal experience, with my odd personal take on finances dont get into debt, be frugal, eschew credit cards. Please, please dont start the old credit card arguments again weve gone over them many times on this blog. So here it is a list of the best money articles on Zen Habits, as a resource for anyone trying to live more frugally, get out of debt, save money, or simply create a better financial system in their lives. Bookmark it for future reference if you like. Enjoy! My Favorites

20 Money Hacks: Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Finances Financial Zen: How to Get Financial Peace of Mind How to Make Your Finances Automagical 10 Habits to Develop for Financial Stability and Success

Frugality

The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living 50 Tips for Grocery Shopping Top 25 Life-Improving Christmas Gifts for Under $10 30 Frugal Gift Ideas to Show You Appreciate Someone The Cheapskates Bible: The Complete Tightwad Gazette Monitor Your Impulse Spending Urges Cheap but great dates Simple Way to Save $3,000 a Year: Brown Bag It 50 Ways to Be Romantic on the Cheap Enjoy Life Now, AND Save for Later; or, Why Delayed Gratification is a False Dichotomy 106 Money-Saving Tips for a Frugal Lifestyle

56

Debt Reduction

The 10 Key Actions That Finally Got Me Out of Debt; or, Why Living Frugally is Only Part of the Solution 73 Great Debt Elimination Tips The 12-Step Get-Out-of-Debt Program Fiscal Fitness: Eliminate Debt with 10 Successful Diet Principles 10 Ideas for Living a Life Without Credit or Debt How I Ended My Love Affair With the Credit Card (and Why I Use Cash) Eliminate Debt with the Snowball How to get your credit score up, and how not to care

Budgets and Such


Simple Finances: How and Why to Build Up a Cushion in the Bank How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck 10 Ways to Simplify Your Budget 21 Strategies for Creating an Emergency Fund, and Why Its Critical

And More

The Six Key Steps to Healthy Finances in Your Relationship 10 Ways To Improve Your Financial Situation In Just 15 Minutes 10 Lessons to Teach Your Kids About Money 7 Things You Can Do Today to Prepare for Retirement 6 Great Free Alternatives to Quicken & MS Money Automate Your Income to Simplify Your Life

Posted: 07.08.2008

57

Anda mungkin juga menyukai