Everything You Wanted to Know About Simplifying Your Life, and Way More

Sean Kelly Says:

June 11th, 2008, 22:02 pm

Awesome! Thank you so much…I can just show this link to people who are wondering why I’m trying to simplify my life. It’s weird how one blog can literally change someone’s life…but ZH has for me!
~SK

Corey - Simple Marriage Project Says:

June 11th, 2008, 22:29 pm

Congrats Leo- Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matters Says:

June 11th, 2008, 22:40 pm

A simple life is all about enjoying what we have and not what we want. I’ve read some of these posts, not all, so I got some reading to do.

Thanks Leo. You’ve inspired me many times within my blog.

Shanel Yang Says:

June 11th, 2008, 23:02 pm

Since I’m a relatively new reader of Zen Habits, this list is perfect for me to get into the groove of why everybody loves this blog so much. I’ve already seen some great articles, but this compilation sounds even more promising. Thanks and best of luck with your last chapter!

The Zen Dad Says:

June 11th, 2008, 23:05 pm

Nice compilation Leo!
My personal fave is missing GTD on your Mac.
I’m going to re-read a few of these though, for sure, especially 25 ways to simplify your life with kids, now that our first is three and our second is on the way!
Thanks again!
Zen Dad
http://www.zendad.net

Laurie Says:

June 11th, 2008, 23:15 pm

This is timely. I spent all day cleaning out my bedroom. It feels so good to go in there now. I can’t wait to move on to the next room! Thanks for the encouragement!

pavs Says:

June 11th, 2008, 23:17 pm

Leo, I have a question about your book. Will it be available in PDF format? and When will it be available?

Thanks

Ramesh | The Geek Stuff Says:

June 11th, 2008, 23:33 pm

Leo,

I’m eagerly waiting for the release of your book. Good to hear that you are onto your last chapter. Congrats.!

It’s also very helpful to see links of all the best articles in one place. Thanks for compiling the list.

Ramesh
The Geek Stuff

Ann at One Bag Nation Says:

June 11th, 2008, 23:53 pm

I discovered zen habits “back in the day”, when it was new, but I didn’t keep up. It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come since then!

I’ll look forward to browsing through these posts.

Vered Says:

June 12th, 2008, 0:00 am

“There are a lot of articles below. You don’t have to read all of them. In fact, in the name of simplicity, please don’t.”

This made me smile. :)

Looking forward to reading a sample of these (”75 Simple Pleasures to Brighten Your Day” sounds very promising), and to the book of course!

Daniel Says:

June 12th, 2008, 0:12 am

As always Leo, great stuff - some of my favorite articles are in that list! Personally, I still think simplicity all starts with singletasking AKA unitasking.

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

June 12th, 2008, 0:39 am

Leo -

I can’t wait till your release your book. It will be a MUST read for anyone striving to simplify life.

Shilpan

Leo Says:

June 12th, 2008, 3:12 am

Thanks for the nice comments everyone! I’m glad you liked this compilation … I may do more of these from time to time, as many people have just started reading ZH in recent months.

@pavs, who asked:

“Leo, I have a question about your book. Will it be available in PDF format? and When will it be available?”

You know, I’m not sure about PDF format … it might be available in Amazon Kindle, but to tell the truth, this is being published by a major publisher and I don’t have much control over this. I think the book will be coming out by the end of this year or early next year (like January).

Thirty Days Challenger Says:

June 12th, 2008, 4:04 am

Thank you leo for gathering it all in one page
it is going to be very helpfull in my thirty days challenge
———————————————-
http://locatereviews.com/1965420229

Babycakes Says:

June 12th, 2008, 6:40 am

Thanks so much for this post. I am really enjoying all of your tips. I hope you don’t mind but I posted about your site and this post on my blog.

JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You. Says:

June 12th, 2008, 7:44 am

I for one am looking forward to diving into these today as I don’t think I’ve read any of ‘em. Heading towards ‘Edit Your Life, Part 3: Closets and Drawers’ now
*smile*

Mike Says:

June 12th, 2008, 10:00 am

Great post Leo, I really like compilations of old posts - it can bring to light so many that I have missed. If ever you feel the need, do more :)
This reminded me that on my old blog I had a series of articles on simplifying your computing life - which got lost when I started afresh. I’ll have to rewrite them at some point with my increased knowledge.

Marc and Angel Hack Life Says:

June 12th, 2008, 10:15 am

Leo, you certainly have built up quite a resource for us. Good luck with the completion of your book. My wife and I both look forward to reading it.

Marc

etavitom Says:

June 12th, 2008, 11:16 am

congrats and best of luck with the book! i really liked the “zen mind” piece. i also like to have my place feeling very clean and no clutter. thanks for all the wisdom and best of luck…. brad

Catherine MacDonald Says:

June 12th, 2008, 15:25 pm

Bookmarked! Thank you for an amazing compilation. I know I’ll go back to it again and again for inspiration.

Jamie vargas Says:

June 12th, 2008, 15:34 pm

Love your website, and all off the guidance towards simplification.
My greatest struggle is how to stop myself from my desire to print each link! But I am working on it!

Thanks

Alex Shalman Says:

June 12th, 2008, 18:28 pm

Love having it all in one place. Thanks Leo!

Juile N Says:

June 12th, 2008, 19:02 pm

Great info! I had seen your blog a month ago, forgot the name and couldn’t find it until today! :) Subscribing now!

Liara Covert Says:

June 12th, 2008, 19:37 pm

You certainly have a variety of articles to choose from. Many thanks for your insights and perspectives. you encourage human beings to open their minds wider.

Larry D Says:

June 12th, 2008, 22:15 pm

Great information to help us simplify our life. I look forward to reading your new book.

CindySense Says:

June 13th, 2008, 0:00 am

Thanks! Bookmarked. I just recently found your site and love your posts! Now I know which ones to read and reread on my own lifes journey.

Laurie Says:

June 13th, 2008, 0:22 am

Great post! Can’t wait to try out some of this!

Godssecret Says:

June 13th, 2008, 8:47 am

Great stuff !
One must focus their mind on one idea, ridding themselves of all strange thoughts. You need to cut through the somethingness, removes blocks, silence the static thus affording your Divine soul the opportunity to connect above unhindered. In simple terms, the chattering monkey, internal dialogue and ego divert the self, and keep it pre-occupied and in a drunken stupor that separate it from its Creator. One must quiet the waves of their mind’s thoughts, and this is not easy. With practice though it can be accomplished. The effort to get ready before talking to God draws Divine assistance from on High. The engulfing Divine light extends down from a lofty place to engulf the person there and grant a feeling of the Omniscient, surrounding, ever-present Being. It subdues the stormwind of nervousness in the psyche and grants calmness. It is from this clear starting point one may enter spontaneous prayer. One prays to God in their own words. They ask him concerning all of their needs. To drawn them close to Him. To show the way. There are many solutions to difficulties. The key is to get the right advice. It is worth taking counsel and discussing all issues with God. Ask Him for just the right guidance that will solve all your problems. You will find His advice is the depth of your heart. Ask him to help you become Holy. This will not be able to be accomplished in a day it is tremendous work. One must struggle for years if they are to become Holy. There are those who never fix their mind deeply on any idea. They only occasionally seek to amuse themselves with religion or philosophy. To them these are only objects to entertain themselves with. These people truly are ignorant and dull. They are not persevering. If they happen to learn some thing worth while, they quickly forget all about it. If one only dabbles a little here a little there they will they will never attain anything. You must as in any thing set goals map out a spiritual discipline and supplicate to be successful to fulfill it. There are many things that are fitting for the soul. There is too much to do. If you try to take too much too quick you won’t get anything. One can’t be partially involved in their spirituality. This might only yield partial spiritual development. Spirituality requires your life, its not a part time job. One lifts themselves to oneness with God through complete dedication. A complete commitment is required, or else they will remain slaves to their animal nature, desires, shortcomings, idiosyncrasies and will never be able to transcend this orientation. Others intellectually learn understand and then come to accept the unity of God in the universe. This is different from arriving to this knowledge from direct spiritual experience. Knowing about something is alot different than doing it. It does take years to learn, in a instant is realization. You may believe, but what are you doing about it. If you believe in something - do it all the way.

think Says:

June 13th, 2008, 11:50 am

I like the organization of the articles. They definitely backup and promote the concept of simplicity. One thing I noticed is in achieving simplicity, one has to identify the categories, and keep pruning the categories along with the items in them.As always good post.

Jeff@My Super-Charged Life Says:

June 13th, 2008, 15:57 pm

Leonardo Da Vinci said:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

Smart guy, wouldn’t you say? It is easy today to let our lives get full of so much that doesn’t really matter. Simplifying and decluttering is a great way to create more happiness and fulfillment in life. The less you have, the less you have to take care of.

Jacko Says:

June 13th, 2008, 18:47 pm

“Simplify” is cute name for quitting because you don’t have the sack to handle a heavy load. Let’s call it what it is and stop bullshitting yourself.

Cheers

LM Says:

June 14th, 2008, 15:28 pm

@Jacko– if you feel the need to “handle a heavy load” just to “prove” to those around you that you “can”, that’s your problem, not ours.

Elizabeth Says:

June 14th, 2008, 15:34 pm

Thank you so much, Leo — what a wonderful idea, to select your favorite posts and gather them for your readers. I don’t need to tell you that your blogs comprise some of the best material on the Internet. You are helping and encouraging untold numbers of people.

I hope you will not hate me for this picky little addendum. I was an editor too, for many years. I have found an error in your writing for the first time ever! In the edit-your-rooms post, you ask us not to leave stuff “laying” on a table or surface. You might want to change this . . . or you might regard my gratuitous little correction as more unneeded clutter in your life! Just had to get it off my chest. Take care, and thank you again for your tremendous and healing contribution to a sad, stressed world.

Brad Gross Says:

June 14th, 2008, 19:41 pm

I just want to say thanks for all the great articles on this blog! I come to your site every day looking for great insight…and guess what? I always seem to find it here! Thanks a million, hope you’re doing well!

Ryan McLean Says:

June 14th, 2008, 23:24 pm

Wow what a great archive. What is the book you are writing?
I want to write a few ebooks. I currently have one in mind for my financial blog to teach people how to make money. I just can’t find the time to blog, be a student, work, go to church and write a book.
How do you fit things in?

When you talk about the simple life it seems so unattainable to me because I do so much.

ShoeLaLa Says:

June 15th, 2008, 0:36 am

i love you for this post. it is exactly the resource that i need right now. so THANKS!

Godssecret Says:

June 15th, 2008, 8:22 am

THE OWNER’S MANUAL TO PROSPERITY

AND A BETTER LIFE

INTRODUCTION

Since the beginning of time various individuals have excelled over all others, sometimes even in extraordinary ways. Why can’t you be one of them. If you feel as if you have reached the limit of your potential for success in all aspects of life. Then you probably don’t need to read this book or any book for that matter. But if you are you one of those who seek greater fulfillment in life this is the book for you. Would You like to have better quality interaction in your relationships then you have now ? Would you like to have more peace in your home ? Would you like to have better communication skills ? Did you ever wonder why some people seem to succeed in every area of life, while so many others just plod along? How do they do it? What is the personal secret to effectiveness that leads to success ?

One main asset of the successful person is that their responsibility to themselves has kept them persistently working until their momentous breakthrough. Being responsible to yourself is the key to mastering every facet of life. From working on one’s marriage, pursuing a career to developing into an increasingly whole and balanced human being. Blame is perhaps the greatest hindrance to self-responsibility. The responsibility for failure or success rests only on you. The successful person didn’t give up and blame this and that for his failure. They did what needed to be done. They took control of Their life. This is why they are successful. Start now, move forward on the road towards personal achievement and happiness. It is up to you to edit the movie of your life any way that you so chose.

This is a book about enpowerment. A tool for your awakening, rejuvenation and healing. A guide to succeed in what ever it is you choose to do. Whether we are talking about how to wake up best in the morning or how to have the force to be a great leader or a excellent team player. This is a manual about life and How to live it at its fullest. Be visionary, authoritative, capable and motivational. A book about ways of taking responsibility for your life that will lead to success. On becoming the kind of person who exudes a certain magnetism that attracts people. We shall discuss maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. Throughout the pages of this book we shall seek to restore the missing pieces so that our lives may become whole and we’re in balance. Consciousness is the sum total of what we know and what we experience. It contains the possibility of opening towards new horizons. Consciousness has the potential for growth on all levels of existence: the physical, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual. It is possible to expand awareness in all of these components of life. It’s like muscles that can be strengthened and enlarged with proper exercise. We are going to work to become the best we can be in all facets of our lives. We are going to seek new ways of going about doing just about everything, better ways. We will learn what is impeding our growth and how to remove or change these factors. Life is continually renewing itself. We are not dead yet, but are still able to grow. A southern sage once said “if it ain’t broken why try to fix it”. Is ignorance really bliss?

This book presents the univeral answer it aims at bringing you to an awareness of something more than meets the eye. It is a journey toward wholeness. Also a search for purpose and meaning in life. From its pages you will feel touched in every sense of the word, physically, emotionally and spiritually. You will have a transformational experience. Your own inner spirit from working these pages will guide you to a more healthy way of life. The past few decades have seen the renewal of interest in the field of health and its connection with Human consciousness . We have come to discover that what we run through our minds has its effect on the body. This is being confirmed by the newly emerging science of psychoneuroimmunology. How you think determines your level of stress, which ultimately affects how your immune system combats disease. Everyone knows that stress leads to hypertension which kills. We shall learn some of the most effective ways of dealing with such problems, and other aspects of harnessing the power of the mind in positive ways. Everything that’s alive follows a rhythm. We breathe and our heart’s beat. We shall look at ways of bringing harmony and balance to the rhythms of life. Finally, before it is too late we must stop and recognize that we don’t have to do it alone. We are not here to work for our personal interests alone. That there is more to life than filling your belly and your desire for sex. Also life must have greater purpose then being born raising your children. Hoarding possessions as a weasel, paying your bills and then dying. Yet to millions of people these things are precisely what they live for. If these things are removed from their life it becomes empty and they would find it completely intolerable. Most people go through most of life in a haze. They really have no idea who they are, what is going on, and what they are here for. Most people are numb, desensitized, and out of contact with what’s going on inside. They are as a leaf blown in the wind, a ship tossed at sea, an aimless face in a crowd-going with the flow to nowhere. How can people feel as if life is so meaningless, that it serves no purpose. We’re born, we die and that’s it. This naturally leads to the question—What is spirituality? Spiritually is awareness and participation in the return of the Divine energy to its source, and the flow of this energy outward giving life animating our world, whether for healing, renewal or just finding a better taste in your food as all good comes from God. All happiness in life is there. The process of returning is also called repentance. such is the nature of the universe. Every thing returns to its root . Which is directly attached to its source. It is to be attached to the Infinite. The Eternal essence of the universe. Which is as a unfailing fountain of life that flows forever. It’s God as the Mother of all on earth. Mother of all things. If you work to maintain this relationship. Then you no longer have to rely only on your self. You can count on help in what ever you do. It is God who gives life to all things. With virtue He nurses, grows, shelters, comforts, nourishes and embraces them. It is you who closes and opens this wellspring. You may have created blockage of the flow of this fountain. This You will have to clean up, so the flow can continue as is proper once again. In ancient times as when the bible was written there were those who came to understand the spiritual unfolding, and matters of providence. I shall share with you some rare instruction, precious guidance that comes from the highest realm. With these discoveries we shall learn to involve our mind, body, spirit and soul together in a holistic way in all we do. It is in these issues we shall work with, learn and grow. What do you do to keep your spirit alive. Some one will tell you :

“I’m a good person, I don’t harm anyone”

My first reaction is not whether they cause harm;

I prefer to ask, “how much good do you do?”.

.

May you have success in all your endeavors

godssecret.wordpress.com

Maybe Tomorrow Says:

June 17th, 2008, 0:46 am

I love your message, but as a 23-yr-old single girl living in the fashion-filled world of New York City, it’s difficult to be simple when you gotta look hot everyday - for yourself, for the men, and for the girlfriends. It’s sad but it’s true: materialism has no end in sight and being simple just don’t cut it when my life has not settled, yet.

katrin Says:

June 18th, 2008, 9:24 am

The older I get, the more I feel the urge to simplify. When you’re young and building your home, family and career, you tend to accumulate — experience as well as stuff!

There comes a point when your kids are a little older and life just becomes too confusing and too packed full of responsibilities and STUFF and nothing seems more attractive than paring down. In my book, Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too, we interviewed 500+ moms almost all of whom craved a more simple life, with less to-dos and less clutter. Some of that is an inevitable by product of the age we live in but a lot of it has to do with the CHOICES we make.

Ultimately, life is really about the choices we make.While my book deals with the role of the mother and woman, the principles we espouse really deal with mankind in general.

Katrin
http://www.momstimeouts.com

Vincent Nguyen Says:

June 19th, 2008, 12:51 pm

Thank you for taking the time to make this great compilation Leo. You are already making our hectic lives one step simpler by saving us time to collect all these thoughtful links.
Your work is very inspirational and is helpful in so many aspects of our lives.

Pictures of Miley Cyrus Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 5:01 am

Lol. Your last paragraph in your post makes me giggle. “In the name of simplicity…please don’t.”

Your blog has sincerely inspired me, I hope you know. You’ve triggered a few emotions that should have been triggered a long time ago. I needed this blog. Thank you.