How does ’simple’ differ from ‘minimalist’?

That’s the question someone asked me on Twitter recently, and it’s a good one.

Zen Habits has become known as a leading simplicity blog, and at the same time I recently started mnmlist, a blog about minimalism.

Why the two blogs? What’s the difference? It’s an important question as it forces us to examine each concept a little more closely.

First, let’s acknowledge that the two concepts are related, and in some ways are two ways of saying the same thing. When you simplify your life, you’re cutting back on the complexity of what you do and what you own. Minimalism is about the same things.

Each concept is really a striking back against the growing complexity of the modern world, against consumerism, against the mindset that we need to buy to solve our problems, that we need more and bigger. Against the idea that busier is better and that we must always be connected.

So how is minimalism different? It’s basically an extension of simplicity — not only do you take things from complex to simple, but you try to get rid of anything that’s unnecessary. All but the essential.

Minimalism says that what’s unnecessary is a luxury, and a waste. Why be wasteful when the unnecessary isn’t needed for happiness? When it just gets in the way of happiness, of peace? By eliminating the unnecessary, we make room for the essential, and give ourselves more breathing space.

Now, exactly what is essential will vary from person to person. So someone might look at my essential things and say “That’s too much — it’s not minimal!” But they’d be wrong — because essential is subjective.

How to do minimalism
There’s no one right way.

I talk more about my recommendations in my ebook, The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life. You can also read weekly (or so) articles at my other blog, mnmlist.

Some recent articles at mnmlist you might find useful:

• How to do minimalism in steps
• 12 minimalist ways to reduce your carbon footprint
• Minimalist eating
• A minimalist approach to books
• Less
• Why reading faster doesn’t increase productivity
• Learn to love less
• Simplicity is the path, not just the destination
• The sweet science of less mail
• The beauty of small
• The lust for new things
• 7 Ways to Avoid Buying New Stuff
• On owning nothing

Another great guide to minimalism is a new ebook by Everett Bogue called “The Art of Being Minimalist.” I just read it and it’s excellent.

You might also enjoy these other blogs on minimalism: mnmlist links.
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“There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

This morning I found myself lying around, enjoying a lazy weekend with my wife and kids, basking in the peaceful simplicity of today.

It’s in these moments that I find not only my greatest happiness, but my purpose in life.

I am here not to achieve or even to change the world, but simply to live. Life is a gift, and I’m happy to accept every moment of it.

And so, in this spirit, I thought I’d dig through my archives and share a few favorite posts, to help others find this peace.

A lot of Zen Habits readers are new, and haven’t taken the time to peruse the 800+ posts I’ve written. Shame on you! :)

Here’s a good way to get started. If you want more, check out the Beginner’s Guide to Zen Habits, or see the newly revamped Zen Habits archives for every post ever published here.

12 Classic Posts You Might Not Have Read
Don’t read these all at once:

1. Peaceful Simplicity: How to Live a Life of Contentment
2. The Four Laws of Simplicity, and How to Apply Them to Life
3. The Cure for What Ails You: How to Beat the Misery of Discontentment
4. 30 Things to Do to Keep From Getting Bored Out of Your Skull at Work
5. A Guide to Cultivating Compassion in Your Life, With 7 Practices
6. 9 Steps to Achieving Flow (and Happiness) in Your Work
7. 10 Simple Ways to Live a Less Stressful Life
8. 15 Tips for Becoming as Patient as Job
9. 12 Practical Steps for Learning to Go With the Flow
10. Calm as a Monk: How Equanimity Can Save Your Sanity
11. The Many Paths to Simplicity
12. The Magical Power of Focus

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~Lao Tzu

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For more than ten years I’ve operated a string of one-man businesses. My model is: keep it lean, hire no one, and outsource very little. I’ve made my share of mistakes (a long list!), but one thing has remained constant—I want to add extreme value to my customers, and I want to make a good living without simply creating a job for myself.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Hire no one. My Unconventional Guides business took off in early 2009, and for a while I felt an internal pressure to hire some kind of virtual assistant—mostly because that’s what everyone in the internet world seems to advise these days. “Get someone to do the things you don’t want to do,” is how the idea is usually sold.

I finally realized that another answer to dealing with “the things you don’t want to do” is to just not worry about doing them at all. If I have to supervise someone else doing boring work, it’s not that different from doing it to begin with. The things are still on my mind one way or another. Therefore, it’s just me in the virtual shop, working from more than 20 countries a year.

2. Outsource very little. The conventional alternative to hiring employees is to outsource your life through overseas agencies or virtual assistants. But instead of outsourcing, you can just stop doing stuff. I don’t want employees, assistants, or clones in India to answer my email. I actually like hearing from my customers and don’t want to create a barricade between them and me.

3. Offer no customization. As Henry Ford famously said about his Model-T automobile, “They can have any color they want, as long as it’s black.” Once you start providing options, color, sizes, and so on, things get complicated. If you want to stay deliberately small, don’t customize.

(I also offer no shipping services, since everything I sell is digital. Therefore I have no need for inventory, trips to the post office, or worries about lost orders.)

4. Pursue a lot of opportunities, but don’t be afraid to cancel. Last year I developed four new products, but I almost developed two others. No one heard about them, because they ended up not being a good fit for the mission. Failing quickly is OK; dying a slow death is not. Don’t worry about what you’ve spent to get to the point where you are. In the words of Seth Godin, “The only cost that matters is the one in front of you.”

5. Offer more to the right people. Properly set up, the creative use of cross-selling and upselling can rock your business world. Most businesses earn much more money from existing customers than from new ones. When I first set up a very basic cross-sell – “Would you like fries with that?” – I increased sales by 23% immediately, without increasing the workload. Then I set up a simple upsell – “If you bought x, you’ll love y” – and increased sales a further 12%.

6. Set a clear, non-ambiguous goal. Most businesses have the goal of “maximizing shareholder value.” There’s nothing wrong with making money, but an unclear goal is hard to achieve. How will you know when shareholder value has been “maximized”?

Therefore, my goal is basic: happy customers who benefit from my work, and a good living for myself. I don’t need seven-figures or an overseas call center to achieve either of those objectives. Instead, I need to be able to travel and work from anywhere without worrying about money.

7. Provide the strongest possible guarantee, and stop worrying. I don’t mess around with guarantees. My Frequent Flyer guide guarantees that customers will receive at least one free plane ticket (25,000 miles) in exchange for $49, or I don’t get to keep their money. Everything else is guaranteed for life, or for as long as the bank that processes my Visa transactions will allow me.

Some people ask, With such a generous guarantee, what’s the refund rate? Answer: less than 1%.

But don’t people take advantage of you? Answer: most people are honest, so why worry about the dishonest ones? Life is too short.

8. Focus entirely on relationship building and cash flow. That’s it. This is what your very small business will live or die by, so avoid getting sidetracked by anything else. Relationship building activities include talking to customers and creating new products based on their feedback; cash flow activities include joint venture promotions, sales, and offers to existing customers.

9. Track two key metrics and ignore the rest. For my blog I want to know: how many new readers did we add today? For my business I want to know: what was the total revenue that came in today? Everything is evaluated according to those figures. At the end of the month I also quickly look at a few other metrics like visitor value, sales from affiliates, and a few social media stats. But it’s all very simple; it takes fifteen minutes to update monthly, and I ignore everything else.

As Zen Habits readers know well, you can often do more by doing less. What you give up is just as important as what you hang on to—and besides, choosing to be very small in business is fun.

Chris Guillebeau writes for a small army of remarkable people at The Art of Non-Conformity. Follow him on Twitter here.

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I get asked a lot of questions, many of them repeatedly, and I figured instead of answering them all over and over, I’d compile my answers for everyone here.

Of course, there’s a lot more about me and this site on the About page, and I’d always love it if you checked out the Books page.

I hope you find this useful!

1. Why did you turn off comments on Zen Habits?
This has been the most difficult decision I’ve made since starting Zen Habits, as I truly loved comments here. I love hearing from readers, and it was my opinion that the comments often held better tips than the posts themselves. I learned (and still learn) a lot from my readers.

So why did I turn off comments? There was too much comment spam, resulting in huge headaches for me. Seriously, it took up a lot of my time — time I wanted to spend creating, or with my family. And the tiny minority of legitimate comments were mostly bloggers trying to get noticed — not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I just don’t want to spend my life moderating spam for this reason alone.

Edit: Yes, I’ve tried several different software solutions for comment spam, and they don’t really solve the problem of humans leaving comment spam. Even things like Askimet (and numerous other such filters) and CAPTCHA let a lot of spam through. Trust me, I’ve done a lot of research, and when spammers are motivated, they’ll find a way through for a site with this kind of traffic.

People can still give me feedback via Twitter, and if I don’t always respond I do listen. Getting rid of comments has been regrettable, but they don’t scale, and it has brought peace to my life.

2. When and why are you moving to San Francisco?
We’re moving to San Francisco this summer – in late June 2010.

And we’re super excited.

We’ve bought our plane tickets but haven’t reserved a house or apartment yet. We’ll be living in the city, going carless.

We’re selling all our stuff but a handful of clothes and my laptop, and a few pieces of artwork. Read more about selling all our stuff on our “yardsale” site (if you don’t live on Guam, you can’t buy anything).

I know the burning question is why. The reasons are manifold, but here are a few:

• Guam will always be home, but we’d like to experience more of the world, and we’d love our kids to see more than this tiny little slice of life, however wonderful it is.
• San Francisco is one of my favorite places in the world – I lived there as a teen-ager, and I fell in love with it. It’s beautiful, the people are diverse and crazy and awesome, there’s no shortage of things for kids and teens and adults to do, the food is great, the weather is superb, and the areas around it are varied and gorgeous, from the California coastline to the mountains to the redwoods to wine country to Oregon to the north to Disneyland to the south (I know, but we have six kids, so.).
• As a blogger, I can work anywhere in the world, and I’d love to meet online blogging friends and readers in real life from time to time.
• As homeschooling parents, my wife and I want to expose our children to more opportunities to learn from the world around them. Guam is a great place for that, but San Francisco offers more. It’ll be an incredible learning experience for our kids.
• We hope to go carless, and San Francisco is a good place to do that, with muni and BART and a cycling friendly city and the ability to walk and things like Zipcar and City CarShare if we need them. Guam is a very bad place to go carless if you have kids.
• I’m vegan, and Guam is also a bad place for that. There’s exactly two vegan/vegetarian restaurants on Guam, and great as they are, I’d love to be in a place with more options. I can’t wait to try veggie restaurants in S.F., or at least restaurants with more veggie options than, you know, salad. Farmers markets and natural food co-ops and leftist bookshops and such are also attractive to a person like me. We also considered Portland and Eugene, OR as options, for these same reasons, but for complicated reasons S.F. is our choice.
• We have awesome family in the Bay Area, and I can’t wait to spend time with them. Seriously, other than the family I have here on Guam, the ones in S.F. are among the rockingest I have (well, there’s also the ones in Eugene and Austin and Vegas and Scottsdale and Chicago and a couple other places, but I digress).
• My oldest daughter will be a senior in high school next school year, and being in California will help her visit and apply to colleges and even establish residency should she decide to go to college in CA.
• I try to buy as little as possible, but when I do need to buy something, I prefer to buy used. Guam’s options for thrift and second-hand shops are, shall we say, limited.

Again, these are just a few. I could go on all day.

I love Guam, but it’s time for a change. We’ll always come back to Guam. We just want some new experiences, and we can’t wait.

I hope to see some of you there!

3. What’s your current workout/running routine?
At the moment, I run 3-4 times a week (training for a half marathon), and I go to the gym 3 times a week, and bike a couple times a week. You can see my training plan on this spreadsheet, but be aware that it changes from month to month, depending on my goals.

I like to mix things up. I don’t often train for races anymore, but I still love running. I’m trying to build a little muscle, which is why I’m lifting weights right now, but in a few months I’ll probably stick to bodyweight exercises and the like.

I’m riding my bike right now to get in better bike shape — I hope to make it my main form of transportation when I move to San Francisco.

I also eat fairly clean, about 90% of the time. You can take a look at my Daytum to see how often I’ve been eating clean this week. Diet has been the biggest part of my weight loss, actually — I’ve lost 30 lbs. in the last year on my Bellyfat Challenge.

4. Cool. But can’t you give us a sample of what you typically eat during a day?
Um, sure. But before I do that, a couple of caveats:

1. Obviously I don’t eat exactly the same thing every day. It varies.
2. I usually have a “cheat meal” each week, and sometimes two.
3. I don’t recommend my diet for everyone — pick the eating style that works for you, your goals, your health situation, etc.

That said, here’s a typical day (lately):

• 7 a.m. 1/2 cup cooked rolled organic oats w/ berries, raw almonds, cinnamon, raisins, ground flaxseed.
• 10 a.m. Unsweetened coconut flakes w/ berries, almonds, soymilk.
• 1 p.m. Quinoa, steamed veggies, and some kind of protein — usually black bean chili or lentil curry or a veggie burger.
• 4 p.m. Soy yogurt w/ almonds, berries, some other fruit, ground flaxseed.
• 7 p.m. Quinoa, steamed veggies, and some kind of protein — usually black bean chili or lentil curry or a veggie burger.

I don’t eat many grains other than the rolled oats (quinoa isn’t a grain). I am vegan. I get more than enough protein. This diet is about 400 cals per meal, or 2,000 cals daily — which will net me a 500-1000 cal deficit depending on exercise and activity during the day.

5. What time do you go to sleep/wake up?
This question arises as I’ve written in the past about waking up early and becoming an early riser. One thing to realize is that those posts were written in 2007, so things have changed in the last few years.

At various times in 2007, I was waking at 5:30 a.m., 5 a.m., 4:30 a.m., and 4 a.m. Part of that depended on where I was in my marathon training — when I was doing long runs, I’d wake up at 4 a.m. so that I could leave by 4:30 or 4:45 for a 2 or 2.5 hour run. On days when I wasn’t doing the long run, I’d use the extra time early in the morning to write my blog before I had to go to work.

Or sometimes I’d sleep in. And these days, I sleep in half the time, as I don’t have a day job so I can blog any time in the morning. I still get up early many days — 4:30 or 4:45 usually — but on other days I’ll sleep in until 6 or even 7 a.m. and let my body recover from the previous day’s workout.

When do I go to sleep? I prefer to go to sleep by 9:30 or 10 p.m., but my wife likes to watch a little late-night TV (not cable TV but one of our favorite shows on the Apple TV), and I stay up with her, usually until 10:30 p.m.

6. Can you provide a sample “schedule” of your day?
Hoo boy. That’s a bit difficult, as I don’t follow a set schedule anymore. I prefer to live moment by moment and go with the flow of life. That’s a bit vague for most of you, so here’s an attempt:

1. 4:45 to 6 a.m.: Wake up, have coffee, read. The time I wake depends on whether I’m going for a morning run.
2. 6 a.m.: Run (Mon, Wed, Fri and sometimes Saturday)
3. 7-9 or 10 a.m.: Write, do other most important tasks.
4. 10 a.m. to mid-afternoon: Smaller tasks, catch up on RSS feed reading, research various things I’m interested in (and will often blog about later). This really varies.
5. Late afternoon – evening: Spend time with kids. Sometimes get a gym workout in. Or read. Also varies from day to day.
6. Evening until 10 or 10:30 p.m.: Eat dinner, spend some time with wife and kids. Watch one of our favorite TV shows (The Office, Community, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, Lost, 30 Rock, not in that order). Once a week Eva and I will go on a date.

Again, this is a rough sketch, but in general:

• I go for runs early and do other exercise later in the afternoon.
• I write and do other important tasks next.
• I do less important stuff later.
• Always try to find time for Eva and the kids.

7. What happened to the Search function on Zen Habits?
I took it off as part of my simplification of this site’s design. I took off a lot of things, including links to the Zen Habits Forums (which are still running, btw, and a great way to form habits), a lot of ads, and a crapload of links.

I know this is a little less convenient for some folks, but in my experience not many people used these links. And if you want to do a search, I suggest a Google search of Zen Habits — it works better than the old search box I had.

8. What theme are you using on Zen Habits? Is it available for download?
The theme is custom designed by a professional designer. It’s based on a premium theme that I am not able to share, but I plan to switch it over to another theme that I can share. I’ll let you all know when that happens.

9. What’s your story, buddy?
Hey there, friend! You can read my story here.

10. Can I use a post you’ve written here for my blog, my book, my magazine, etc.?
Yes, please do! Read my Uncopyright.

There is no need to email me for permission. You already have my blessing.

11. I’d like to do a guest post. What’s the deal there, buddy?
I don’t take guest posts. I run about a guest post a week, by invitation only, and at the moment I have enough for the next couple of months.

12. Why does Zen Habits have the word “Zen” in its title? Are you a Zen Master or Zen Buddhist?
No, I’m not. Read more about all of that here: Why Zen Habits.

13. How do I contact you via email?
I’m a bit of an email recluse, sorry. Here’s why I ditched my email inbox. You can always contact me via Twitter, though I don’t guarantee a response.

My focus is on creating, and spending time doing the things I love most. Email gets in the way of that.

14. But … I’d like to share my new book/blog post/product/seminar with you!
Thanks, but no. Please don’t ask me to promote your product, book, website, service, or blog post, or I will karate chop you to death.

15. Do you still wear Asics? Also, have you tried barefoot running?
Yep, still use Asics. Love em.

I’ve been trying barefoot running lately, a little at a time, at the recommendation of several readers. In fact, I ordered a pair of Vibram Fivefingers KSO and will be giving these a try. Basically, there have been a few studies done on barefoot running (including a couple of recent ones), but even those acknowledge that there are many questions and lots of other research needs to be done.

16. How can I follow Zen Habits? How can I thank you with a donation? Where else can I read your brilliant stuff?
OK, I’ll admit these aren’t really common questions, but hey, any opportunity for a shameless plug (or three), right?

I’d love it if you subscribed to Zen Habits via email or RSS subscription. It’s completely free (and always will be), and you get about three posts a week, all quality posts without the fat.

If you’d like to support Zen Habits, I’d love it if you bought my print book, The Power of Less, or one of my ebooks. Or you can make a donation if you have some extra cash lying around, Mr. Moneybags.

Other than my books, you can read more of my writing at my other blog, mnmlist, or little tips & brilliant insights on Twitter, or occasional thoughts on Zen Habits Offloaded, or links that I like to share on the Zen Habits tumblr. I also co-own and often contribute to Write To Done (for writers & bloggers) and Zen Family Habits. And then there’s my new site on changing habits: 6 Changes.

Other questions that I should add to this list? Ask via Twitter, & I’ll do my best to answer the most common ones. And feel free to share this post via Twitter.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

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 he’s the most successful and important.

Right?

Maybe not. Maybe we’re playing the wrong game — we’ve 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 we’re going at the wrong speed. Maybe if we are constantly rushing, we will miss out on life itself. Let’s let go of the obsession with speed, and instead slow down, stop rushing, and enjoy life.

And still get everything done.

Let’s 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 you’re 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. That’s the simplest reason to slow down.

And so, you’ll need to change your mindset (if you’ve 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 Can’t Change!
There will be some among you who will admit that it would be nice to slow down, but you just can’t do it … your job won’t allow it, or you’ll lose income if you don’t do as many projects, or living in the city makes it too difficult to go slowly. It’s a nice ideal if you’re living on a tropical island, or out in the country, or if you have a job that allows control of your schedule … but it’s not realistic for your life.

I say bullshit.

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 don’t 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 doesn’t control your life — you do.

I’m not going to tell you how to take responsibility for your life, but once you make the decision, the how will become apparent over time.

Tips for a Slower-Paced Life
I can’t 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 don’t 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 you’re just creating, or when you’re 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 won’t be hurt. I promise.
4. Give yourself time to get ready and get there. If you’re constantly rushing to appointments or other places you have to be, it’s because you don’t 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 don’t 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 I’ve 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 they’re 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, you’ll do it with a smile.
6. Realize that if it doesn’t get done, that’s OK. There’s always tomorrow. And yes, I know that’s a frustrating attitude for some of you who don’t like laziness or procrastination or living without firm deadlines, but it’s also reality. The world likely won’t end if you don’t get that task done today. Your boss might get mad, but the company won’t 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 don’t 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?
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 you’re with someone, be with them fully. When you’re walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are. Read this for more, and also try The Mindfulist.
9. Slowly eliminate commitments. We’re overcommitted, which is why we’re rushing around so much. I don’t 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, we’re 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 don’t fit right now. Politely inform people, over time, that you don’t 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.
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If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.
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Read more about simplifying in my book, The Power of Less.

Why is it so difficult to ship?

Ship as in get it out the door. Ship as in make a difference at work. Ship as in contribute your art and vision and expertise and passion to the project you’re working on.

Regular readers of this blog (and of Leo’s life-changing book) have seen first hand what happens when you force the distractions out of your life and focus on what needs to be completed instead. What he has taught us is that when you focus your efforts and energies on things that matter and cut out the stalling and distractions, amazing things happen. It’s absolutely astonishing how much we can accomplish (and insanely disappointing how few people do).

What separates the few who ship from the masses who stumble, stall and ultimately surrender?

The resistance.

Steven Pressfield first wrote about the resistance a few years ago. The resistance is that little voice in the back of your head, the one that tells you that it will never work, the one that insists you check your email one last time, the one that worries that people will laugh at you.

The resistance loves committees and it hates a mission. The resistance creates fear and uncertainty, and it will do almost anything to keep you from being noticed. There’s a biological underpinning to the resistance–your amygdala. The amygdala is the pre-historic portion of your brain, located near the brain stem. It’s responsible for fear and anger and revenge and sex and survival. When the amygdala is aroused, when it feels threatened, when there’s a sense that people might actually laugh at you, it takes over. It rises up in rage and fear and shuts you down.

And so the resistance kicks in. The resistance goes to meetings and plays devil’s advocate (I didn’t know the devil needed an advocate.)

The resistance finds excuses, it makes tasks needlessly complex (or oversimplifies so much that you fail). The resistance uses phrases like, “see, I told you it would never work.” The resistance demands that you study the issue more, or grab a Diet Coke, or go visit those friends who are in from out of town and you won’t be able to see them unless you go right now. The resistance invented yak shaving. The resistance is also responsible for giving you an even better idea just before you finish this one… in fact, the resistance will do anything it can to prevent you from shipping.

Why do little companies get so much more out the door than big ones? Because big companies have committees, groups of people designed to protect the status quo, to prevent failure, to avoid catastrophe. The committee is made up of humans, each of whom is battling her own version of the resistance. “If this ships, my boss will see it, and I might get fired.” “If this ships, a kid might use it, cut of his finger and I might get in trouble.” “If this ships, people are going to think it was my idea, and there’s a chance, just a chance, they might hate it.” Most of all, “if this ships, people might laugh at me.” And so the committee shoots for the lowest common denominator of safety, a product or service or idea that arouses no one’s lizard brain. Which means mediocre. Or late. Or both.

The iPod came from two people, Steve and Jonathan. The Zune came from 250. Which product would you rather own?

The resistance sabotaged my work for years. It pushed me to focus on average topics, delivered in a blameless way, because that felt safer.

So, when others were starting search engines or revolutionizing the online world, I was busy creating sort of ordinary books for sort of ordinary editors who were looking for the next small thing. And no one scolded me for doing this. No one looked at my sort of average work and called me out on it, because they were fighting the very same resistance as I was. It’s surprisingly easy to get through life and make a career out of being average… the resistance would prefer it if you did.

The resistance is powerful, so powerful that all the shortcuts, time savers and focusing tools are powerless in its path. Now you know its name. Now you know how it sneaks in under the radar and sounds quite sensible as it undermines your work and compromises your vision. When the resistance appears, you must call it out. Call it by name. Recognize it for what it is and then defeat it. You will defeat it not by rationalization or even a calm discussion. You will defeat it with single-minded effort, effort so deep and dedicated that it might exhaust you.

Unfortunately, the web is filled with tips and tricks and lists that appear to help you in your quest to shut up the lizard, to defeat the resistance. I say unfortunately because these lists are calm, practical and ultimately ineffective. They are polite in the face of a nefarious enemy, they are rational in the face of screaming insecurity. None of them are working for you because you may not be serious about actually defeating the resistance. It’s fun to procrastinate and comforting to dissemble, because not shipping doesn’t arouse the lizard brain. It’s safe.

The challenge then, the missing link in the Zen Habits is this: you must quiet the lizard brain. You must defeat the resistance. You must find something SO IMPORTANT that it is worth enraging your prehistoric fears, SO IMPORTANT that you can’t sleep until it ships, SO IMPORTANT that yes, you are willing to go through all the hoops Leo lays out for you in order to ship.

Either that, or you could be mediocre instead.

Seth Godin is the author of a new book called Linchpin. It’s about recognizing, defeating and ultimately destroying the resistance on the path to doing work that matters. Read more about the book.
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If you liked this post, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.

OK, you’re going to want to take a deep breath before reading this post, but please, do read it.

Deep breath taken? OK, let’s get started!

First, Zen Habits has been nominated for the 2010 Bloggie Awards … which is a huge honor. I’m humbled.

I’m nominated in the “Best Topical Weblog” category, which as far as I can tell means, “We don’t know where else to put you.” It includes other great blogs, including Post Secret, which is kinda unfair as Post Secret rules. But just to be up for the same category as them is really flattering.

So, if you’re so inclined, I’d appreciate it if you went over to the site and voted … please vote for your other favorite blogs as there are a crapload of awesome ones.

Zen Habits Ebook Profits will Go to Haiti Relief
Next up, I’m a bit late in announcing this, simply because things are a little busy for me, but I’ve been wanting to do something to help with the ongoing tragedy in Haiti. So many people have contributed to the relief efforts that I can’t possibly measure up to what’s been done already … but I figure every little bit counts.

So, this is an announcement that for the next 30 days, every penny of sales of Zen Habits ebooks will go to Doctors Without Borders. I spent some time trying to pick the right organization to donate the money to, but there are so many good ones … I decided to just pick one semi-randomly.

So here are the ebooks:

1. Zen To Done.
2. The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life.
3. The Zen Habits Handbook for Life.

If you haven’t bought any of these, this is a good chance to get a moderately priced ebook that I believe will be of value to you … and to help out a good cause at the same time. If you have bought them, they also make good gifts! :)

I’d also be happy to do a 60-90 minute (or so) webinar on changing habits, for a donation of $25 per attendee, with all donations going to Haiti relief, if people are interested. It would basically be me on streaming live video, answering questions on changing habits that you could ask by text chat. If you’re interested in this, let me know via Twitter. If I get 30 or more people say they’d pay $25 for this webinar, I’ll do it, and announce it later.

Leo’s Big Book Giveaway
So I’ve been meaning to give away a bunch of my used books for awhile now, and I figured I’ll just do it now.

These are books on my cherished bookshelf that I decided I love, but no longer want to keep. See my post on a minimalist approach to books for more.

These are mostly books on simplifying, living frugally, self-improvement, veganism and fitness (marathons, triathlons, etc.) that I’ve read and kept for reference. I’m giving them away, for free.

UPDATE: This book giveaway is now closed! Please don’t follow the instructions below.

If you’re interested in getting a free book from my shelf (you freeloader!), do one of the following:

1. Vote in the Bloggies.
2. Buy one of the ebooks mentioned above.
3. Tell friends about Zen Habits or The Power of Less – via email, Twitter, your blog, Facebook, or however you like.

Once you’ve done that, send me a tweet. The tweet should include the following info:

1. @zen_habits #bookgiveaway
2. What you did to enter (i.e. “voted” or “bought ebook” or “told friends” or “blogged”)
3. What books you’d like, ideally – although I don’t guarantee you’ll get them.

OK, if that’s not too complicated, let’s get to the list of books in the giveaway:

1. Simple Taoism – A Guide To Living In Balance, by C. Alexander Simpkins PH.D. & Annellen Simpkins PH.D.
2. The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff (awesome)
3. Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
4. George Sheehan on Running To Win (awesome)
5. Marathon – The Ultimate Training Guide, by Hal Higdon
6. The Competitive Runner’s Handbook, by Bob Glover and Shelly-lynn Florence Glover
7. Advanced Marathoning, by Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas
8. Simplify Your Life with Kids, by Elaine St. James
9. Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff … and it’s all small stuff, by Richard Carlson PH.D.
10. Your Money Or Your Life, by Joe Domiguez and Vicki Robin (an all-time great)
11. Ready For Anything – 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done, by David Allen
12. Getting Things Done – The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
13. Simply Organized, by Connie Cox and Cris Evatt
14. The Te of Piglet, by Benjamin Hoff
15. Simple Living for Busy People
16. Keep Life Simple, by Karen Levine
17. The Simplicity Reader, by Elaine St. James (awesome)
18. Career Renegade, by Jonathan Fields
19. Time Management In An Instant, by Karen Leland & Keith Bailey
20. 30 Days To A Simpler Life, by Connie Cox and Cris Evatt
21. Slowing Down to the Speed of Life, by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey (one of my favorites!)
22. Vegan Freak – Being Vegan In A Non-Vegan World, by Bob Torres and Jenna Torres
23. Author 101 Bestselling Book Publicity – The Insider’s Guide to Promoting Your Book — and Yourself, by Rick Frishman and Robyn Spizman
24. 10,001 Ways To Live Large On A Small Budget, by Wisebread
25. Vegan With A Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (excellent cookbook)
26. Training Plans For Multisport Athletes, by Gale Bernhardt
27. The Triathlete’s Training Bible, by Joe Friel
28. Design Your Best Year Ever A Proven Formula for Achieving BIG GOALS, by Darren Hardy

After 4 days, I’ll randomly pick winners from everyone who entered, and then do another post on the winners and how to claim your book. UPDATE: The book giveaway is now closed!

Thanks everyone for your help, support, and encouragement! It means the world to me.

I frequently tweet about my runs – including a gorgeous 8.5-mile run I did along the ocean this morning that just blew me away – and every time I do, I get asked running questions.

Today I thought I’d answer those questions, for a few reasons:

1. I love talking about running – and it’s your fault you got me started.
2. The more I can encourage others to enjoy this glorious pasttime, the better.
3. I’d love it if my passion for running could inspire others in some small way.

I should note that I am not an expert. I’m not even an advanced runner — aside from running track and cross country in high school, I’ve only been running steadily for the last 4 years. In that time I’ve done three marathons, a few half marathons, a couple of 20K races, a bunch of 10Ks and 5Ks and other road races, and have rarely missed a week.

Recently, even though I haven’t been training for races, I’ve run my best-ever 10K (44:30) and 5K (19:55), blowing away previous PRs done more than a year earlier. I’ve decided to run my first half-marathon in a year and a half – take a look at my training plan.

So take any advice I give with that in mind. And let’s dive into the questions!

Q: How do I get started running?

A: Slowly. Most beginner’s make the mistake of trying to go too long or too hard — being too ambitious. I did that, so I know. You think you can do more, so you do.

However, this is a mistake. You end up getting too sore (some soreness is normal at the beginning of any new activity) or worse, injured. Please, take it easy at first, I beg you.

If you’re out of shape, and especially if you’re pretty overweight (20-plus pounds or more), start by walking 20-30 minutes, a few times a week. After a few weeks of this, start doing some faster walking intervals — quick walking for a minute or two, alternated with slower walking.

If you feel you’re ready for running now, or if you’ve done the above walking routine for at least a month and are ready to incorporate running, I suggest run-walking. That’s warming up with walking for 5-10 minutes, then jogging for a minute or so, alternating with walking rest periods.

If you think you can run without the walking, do it for short periods at first — 10 minutes, then 12, then 15, and so on. Add some time every 2-3 runs, but don’t be too quick to add the distance. And don’t add faster paced running in yet.

The key principle is this: your body will adapt if you give it time. Start slowly, let your body adapt to that, then gradually gradually add time. Later, when you’re used to running (after a couple of months), you can add intensity.

You’ll be tempted to ignore this advice and be more ambitious. But listen to me, and you’ll have a much better experience with running.

Q: What’s the best way to motivate myself to run regularly?

A: Three things that work brilliantly for me:

1. Get a running partner. I can’t tell you how great this is. My partner is my sister Kat, who is a wonderful person to have a conversation with – I really look forward to our runs together. She’s pretty reliable too, and I make sure to wake myself up and head out the door on time to meet her so that I don’t stand her up in the dark. Find someone to meet up with, and you will rarely miss a run.

2. Make a rule: just lace up your shoes and get out the door. That’s all you have to do. The secret is – and don’t tell anyone I told you this – you’ll run once you get out the door. You don’t have to run long, but as long as you run a little, you’ll continue to build up the habit.

3. Focus on the enjoyment of it. Don’t focus on how hard it is, or you’ll never keep doing it. Think about the beauty in the surroundings as you run. Enjoy the quiet and solitude, or the conversation if you have a running partner. Use it for contemplation, for stress relief, for release.

Q: But I hate running! Why should I run?

A: If you really hate it, don’t do it. I’m not saying running is the best thing in the world, and that everyone should do it. No – instead, find an activity you really enjoy, like cycling or swimming or yoga or hiking or tennis or whatever.

Or, if you like, try starting out slowly, as I described above, and get a partner who you enjoy spending some time with. Running is very enjoyable if you don’t overdo it at first, and if you can have a great conversation while doing it.

Q: I’ve been running regularly, but how do I build up my long runs? I can’t run for more than a few miles (or maybe 5 miles).

A: If you’ve been running regularly, you might set your sights on a longer race, like a 10K or a half marathon or something like that. If so, the best way to do that is one long run a week.

Take note of that – don’t make all of your runs longer. If you’ve been running 3 miles a day (for example) 3-4 times a week, don’t suddenly make all your runs 4 miles. Just pick one day a week to go longer.

Gradually increase that long run by half a mile to a mile each week. But it’s not good to keep increasing without rest — so if you increase for 2-3 weeks straight, cut back on your long run one week before progressing the next. So, if your long run progresses each week like so: 3.5 miles, 4 miles, then 4.5 miles, take a cut-back week where you just do 3.5 miles on the fourth week. Then go back to 4.5 miles, then 5 miles, and so on. Cut back on every 4th week or so, or you will risk injury.

Another thing to note is if you’re increasing the duration of a run, cut back on the intensity. So do your long runs a little slower at first — later, when long runs aren’t a problem for you, you can do faster-paced ones, but that’s more of an intermediate/advanced tactic.

Q: I did a long run of 10-plus miles and chafed badly. Tips?

A: Yeah, that’s something every runner has to experience once. As you go past the 10-mile (or so) mark, you’ll feel things you’ve never felt on shorter runs: you’ll chafe in the crotch and nipples, which are not places most people like to have pain (with some possible exceptions among you).

It’s best to avoid this pain by using some kind of lubricant – Vaseline works well, or BodyGlide if you can find it, or in a pinch, if you’re a parent of a baby like I was when I was training for a marathon, diaper rash cream.

Apply the lubricant to the areas in your crotch that your running shorts touch. I use Band-Aids for my nipples. Or if you’re a male, run without a shirt for those longer runs. Females will want to also put lubricant around the edges of their sports bra.

Q: Any advice on running clothes and shoes?

A: Runners don’t have to buy a lot of equipment, but investing in good clothes and shoes is important.

Actual running clothes really help. If you’ve tried running in cotton, it’s uncomfortable – it can chafe, it’s heavy once you start sweating, and just doesn’t feel great after rubbing against your skin over and over. Running fabric is light, doesn’t chafe until you go over 10 miles, and magically wicks sweat away from your skin. This includes real running socks.

I’m not qualified to give advice on running shoes – go to an actual running shoe store if you can and get the advice of professionals, who can watch you run and tell you if you’re an over-pronator or a supinator or neutral or whatever. Failing that, do some reading online to figure out what kind of shoe you need. It’s important – wear the wrong kind of shoe for too long (months) and you can get an injury.

After that, it’s trial an error to find the brand that works best for you. I personally love Asics.

Q: What about pre- and post-run nutrition? What should I be eating and drinking before and after a run?

A: This is something runners worry too much about. Honestly, unless you’re doing a marathon, pre- and post-run nutrition isn’t that important.

I usually don’t eat anything before I run, even on runs of 8-10 miles. Even when I do sprints or hills. Sometimes I’ll have a banana or a handful of raisins.

For a run of 15-plus miles, you’ll want to get some carbs before and during and after the run, either in the form of a sports drink or gels, or some kind of easily-digested food like bananas or gummy bears.

After a run, I don’t worry about getting anything. It’s not that important unless, again, you did a really long run. After a half marathon race (or longer), it’s good to get some carbs and protein. Chocolate milk is perfect for this.

If I’m really hungry after a run, I’ll eat. My favorite breakfast is oatmeal with nuts and berries and flaxseed.

As for hydration, it’s important, especially for longer runs. I always, always have a glass of water when I wake up, before I run. I usually don’t need to hydrate during a run unless it’s 10 miles or longer. Hydrate immediately after a run. You normally only need water.

Q: I heard steady-state cardio isn’t that healthy for you. Does it erode your muscles or something?

A: It’s healthy. Most people into fitness who bag on “cardio” or endurance running just had bad experiences with it. They would rather do weight training or shorter, intense workouts, and that’s fine.

But they usually say running is not that healthy because they see fat people on treadmills who never get any fitter. That might or might not be true — are they sure it’s the same fat people, month after month? – but even if it is, it’s probably because of diet. Those people are on the treadmill but are eating junk food.

Studies have shown that running improves health, time and time again. Sure, evidence shows that while you’re running a marathon, you’re at higher risk of things like heart attacks, but … duh. You’re putting yourself under a lot of stress, and you should be sure you’re pretty healthy before attempting a marathon. Also, after a marathon, you’re at higher risk of a cold, because of a weakened immune system. But regular running actually improves your immunity, as long as you’re not taxing your system as much as a marathon.

Some people worry about losing muscle because of running – mostly because they look at marathon runners like the Kenyans and think that means running will make you skinny. This isn’t something to worry about unless you run as much as the Kenyans do – 100-plus miles a week. For the casual runner, your body won’t make adaptations this extreme.

To save muscle, be sure to do resistance training with weights. I do weights three times a week, but I think twice a week would be sufficient. I recommend basic compound lifts, going heavy once you’ve gotten used to them: squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, lunges, pullups, dips.

Strength training helps running, in my experience. Since getting stronger, I’ve been running better than ever, despite minimal running training.

Q: How can I stop from getting shin splints? Or other injuries?

A: I’ve been lucky to have been running injury-free for most of the last four years, with a couple of exceptions (a twisted ankle once, pain in my heel during my first marathon training, back injuries a couple times from weight training).

Shin splints usually happen to beginners, and it’s usually just your body not adjusting quickly enough to the demands you’re placing on it by running so much. The answer is almost always rest. Rest a few days, or a week, and start again slowly. If you still have pain, rest a little longer. Don’t overdo it when you return.

Most other running injuries are a result of overuse, in my experience. Meaning, you’re running too much, or you’ve added too much running too quickly. Our bodies need time to adapt, and even if we give it adequate time, every person’s body has its limits.

The answer for most injuries is just rest, and when you return, to cut back on volume of training.

Some injuries are the result of using the wrong kind of shoes, in which case it’s probably smart to get a professional to look at you – either to get the injury treated or to get the right kind of shoe. I’m no doctor, though, so don’t take my word on injuries.

Q: Should I only do steady-state runs? Or should I mix it up somehow?

A: If you’re just starting out, just start with regular running – don’t add intervals or other challenges in yet. Your goal is to let your body adapt to the basic activity of running, and you should do that gradually.

But after you’re past that stage, you’ll definitely want to mix it up. There are too many ways to mix things up than I can mention, but to name a few: long runs, sprint intervals, longer intervals, hill runs, hill repeats, tempo runs, tempo intervals, faster-paced long runs, fartleks, and more. I’ve done all of these and love them all.

I recommend you add these different types of runs into your training one at a time, and that you go easy at first. Adding intensity needs to be done with caution – if you do intervals, for example, don’t do them all out at first. Just do them at a lower intensity, and after a few weeks, increase intensity a bit, until your body is used to them.

What kinds of runs you add into your training depends on your goals. Longer runs build endurance for longer races. Hills help you build strength. The other runs add intensity for various goals – increased VO2 max, the ability to run faster for longer, and so on. I’m not going to outline a pace or plan – that’s what online running sites are for. :)

Q: Any recommendations for reading about running?

A: There’s so many good ones out there that I can’t be comprehensive. But I’ll name a few to get you started.

Any books by Hal Higdon or Jeff Galloway are good for beginners. Once you’re into the intermediate phase, I recommend The Competitive Runner’s Handbook by Bob Glover and Shelly-lynn Florence Glover. For intermediate to advanced marathoners, you can’t do better than Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger/Douglas, though be warned this is not an easy plan.

My favorite running philosopher is George Sheehan, and you must read Running To Win, no matter what your level.

Runner’s World magazine, website and forums are great, though the tips can get repetitive once you’ve read them for awhile. I also like coolrunning, completerunning and a bunch of other blogs (like Mark’s).

Q: What about a good diet for runners?

A: I don’t buy that runners need a special diet or need to eat anything other than what’s healthy for most people: real, whole foods. Some people think runners need a huge amount of refined carbs, like pasta, but this is a myth based on the idea of carbo-loading for marathons or other longer endurance events. If you’re not doing a marathon, you don’t need to carbo load, and you don’t need sports drinks either.

If you’re running, you can eat a little more calories than most people, but it’s not an excuse to pig out. And if you’re trying to lose weight by running, you might actually eat more if you get really hungry from your runs. I would resist the urge to eat more if you’re trying to lose weight. Eat moderately, and don’t think you can pound down those donuts just because you did a 3-mile run. You’ll gain weight this way.

A better plan is to eat a nutritious diet of real foods: whole grains if you’re going to eat grains (whole oats, sprouted grains are my favs), lots of fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, beans, and if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, lean meats and dairy. My diet has limited grains (basically just oats), seeds like quinoa, beans and nuts, lots of fruits and veggies, and some soy (tofu, soymilk) but not too much.

On a diet like this, you’ll be healthy, and adding in an activity like running will only make you healthier. Like I said, I’ve been running better than ever on this diet, losing weight, and feeling great.

Q: Does continuous jogging help in reducing weight?

A: Yes, it can help. It’s not a silver bullet, though — jogging won’t cause you to lose your gut overnight.

Losing weight is simply burning more calories than you eat, over a good period of time. Not a week or two, but more likely a few months or a year or more. As running burns a good amount of calories, it’ll help you get into a caloric deficit, especially as you increase your endurance and can run for a longer time.

There’s a school of thought, especially in weightlifting circles, that sprinting intervals is better for burning fat. And if your workout time is very limited, this is true — if you can only work out for 20 minutes, you’ll burn more calories sprinting or doing some other intense exercise rather than just steady-state running (or jogging). There are a couple of problems with that thinking, though:

1) sprinting is very intense, so if you’re not in good shape it’s not smart to just start sprinting;
2) the intensity of sprinting means you need more time to recover — so you shouldn’t do it too often, and if you try to do it every day (or even every other day) you’re risking burnout or injury;
3) sprinting can’t be done for very long — it’s usually limited to about 20 minutes or so (otherwise you’re probably not really sprinting), so the amount of calories you burn are limited — while you can run at medium intensity for much longer, meaning you can burn many, many more calories running instead of sprinting, and thus burn more fat.

That said, I think sprint intervals are a great compliment to any running or fitness program, as long as you don’t overdo it.

Back to the original question about weight loss: the biggest component of weight loss is really diet. You can burn 600 calories in an hour of running, but you can easily eat 2-3 times that much (or more) at a restaurant in one sitting. So if you don’t control your diet, almost no amount of running will help you lose weight.

Have more running questions for me? Ask me on Twitter, and I’ll try to add some of my answers to this post.

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If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.

At the moment, I’m in the last phase of my Bellyfat Challenge — I’ve lost a good amount of fat but I have about 10 pounds to go (or so).

I’m enjoying getting lean, but those last few pounds are always the toughest.

And so, I’ve called in some experts.

Last week, I shared my favorite fitness bloggers and, in turn, the fitness blogs they read. This week I’ve called on them for tips on getting lean.

Now, let’s look at the question I’ve posed to them:

• I asked for their top tips for getting lean. Not every tip, just the best.
• Assume the person isn’t 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 won’t be for you. I’d 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 you’re looking to get rid of that last bit of stubborn fat, here are some great tips.


1. Mark’s 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:

• Cut out grains. This may sound crazy at first, but try going without them for a month – at the very least. For one thing, grains come preloaded with anti-nutrients, chemical defenses like gluten and lectins that are designed to dissuade animals from eating them by causing digestive issues and “leaky gut” syndrome. Grains are seeds, and if a plant’s seed is eaten and digested, it doesn’t get to propagate any new plants. Because reproduction is the ultimate goal of life, plants will do anything to ensure their seeds survive. They’re also packed full of carbs, which should also be minimized in a cutting, leaning-out phase. (Note: There is no requirement in human nutrition for carbs.) Consuming carbs stimulates insulin secretion, and insulin promotes fat storage. Too much insulin (read: from eating too many carbs at once) will reduce the sensitivity of your insulin receptors. Your pancreas, in turn, thinks you need even more insulin, and releases even more of it, and the cycle continues. To avoid this and really lean out, and if you really need the extra fuel, limit your carb intake to the immediately post-workout period, when your muscles are starving for glycogen and the glucose from the carbs will go straight to your muscles, instead of to your midsection. And when you do eat carbs, avoid grains and sugars; opt for starchy vegetables, like squash or sweet potatoes, instead.
• 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. We’re inundated with the idea that “more is better” when it comes to working out, but the reality couldn’t 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 – 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 survival’s 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 you’ll 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, there’s 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 you’ve 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. It’s an old holdover from the early hunter-gatherer days, when the hunt wasn’t 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, that’s why we store body fat in the first place – to save for energy for later, leaner times. For the person who’s almost lean, but not quite there yet, throwing in a fast once or twice a week can really be the difference maker. I’d even try ending each fast with an intense weight training session and waiting an hour after to eat to really get the full benefit.

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2. Fitness Black Book. Rusty Moore is an authority on creating a lean, slim, athletic look. Rusty, btw, has a new ebook out that I’m reading now called Visual Impact: Mastering the Skill of Gaining Muscle Without Bodyfat. Here are Rusty’s 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 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 body’s 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 can’t 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 Doesn’t 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 school”…research has proven that idea to be out dated. I am not saying that 6 meals per day is bad either, but it certainly isn’t 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!

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

• 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 you’re getting 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night.
• Have a few cups of High Quality Green Tea a day.

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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 you’ve 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 doesn’t matter as much what you do in the 3 hours you train per week as long as you’re 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 you’ve done and try to break records each and every time.

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5. Fitness Spotlight. Excellent fitness and health articles throughout the week, jointly written by two bloggers — Mike O’Donnell and Scott Kustes. Since I like both bloggers, I’m 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). I’m more lenient about the kinds of food I’ll eat after drinking, even if just having one or two. Further, alcohol is just empty calories and isn’t doing you any favors in losing those last 10 pounds.

Mike O’Donnell:

• 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 can’t 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 don’t 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 body’s ability to recover).
• Take fish oil as it will keep inflammation down, and result in more weight loss and quicker recovery. Also don’t discount the need for a good night’s 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.

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If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.

What unites us as human beings is an urge for happiness which at heart is a yearning for union. ~ Sharon Salzberg

Have you ever looked into the mirror and wondered who is staring back at you? Or longed to unite the many parts within you? The friendly one, the angry one, the resentful one, the sad one, the calm one, the impatient one, the confused one – that are all jumbled up behind a public persona that’s buffed and glossed – but tends to crack when you’re angry or upset.

This post is about how we become unraveled and alienated – and how we can reunite with ourselves and the whole world.

It is about the healing power of love.

There are four ways we become divided within:

1. We fragment through ‘if-only’ thoughts.

We think, “If only I had a different job; if only I was married to another person; if only I lived in a different place. If only I could study, travel the world, get a job, find a partner, win lotto, make friends.”

We think, “If only I was somewhere else, or doing something else – then I would be happy.”

2. A divided mind splits us into two.

Our mind is often divided. One part may be paying attention to what is happening, but another part often skips ahead to look at what comes next, or wonders how our actions or words might be received.

3. We deny aspects of ourselves.

We fragment when we deny the unloved parts of ourselves. When we try to cut off our anger, or our fear, or our shame, our emotions become muted, enthusiasm is hard to come by, and we feel alienated from ourselves and others.

4. Change leaves part of us behind.

Whenever we make a change in our life, a part gets left behind. That’s why change – even wholesome change – is often painful.

The French poet Anatole France said:

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

What makes us whole?

We long to become whole. Every spiritual quest is about union. Not just with ourselves, but with the wind, mountains, sea, grasses, clouds, loved ones, and people far distant.

What makes us whole is love.

In her book “Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness”, Sharon Salzberg’s says:

Great fullness of being, which we experience as happiness, can also be described as love. To be undivided and unfragmented, to be completely present, is to love.

Yes, love makes us whole again. I’m not talking about romantic love, because romantic love wants to grasp and own the object of passion. I mean our innate ability to cherish ourselves and others in a loving and kind way. Loving-kindness is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

Not only does loving-kindness knit us together when we fall apart, the practice of kindness re-teaches us our own loveliness and opens our eyes to the beauty of all beings. Here is one of my favorite poems. It’s by Galway Kinnell:

The bud
Stands for all things,
Even for those things that don’t flower,
For everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;
Though sometimes it is necessary
To reteach a thing its loveliness,
To put a hand on the brow
Of the flower,
And retell it in words and in touch,
It is lovely
Until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing.

So how can we flower again from within? How can we heal our fragmentation?

The practice of loving-kindness can knit us together.

Loving-kindness is an ancient spiritual practice. As Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield says, “Love and compassion are not the possession of any group or religious system. They are woven into our human spirit.”

I want to share with you a very simple loving-kindness meditation which the Dalai Lama teaches:

As you breathe in – cherish yourself.

As you breathe out – cherish all beings

If you find it difficult to cherish yourself, lay a hand gently on your heart as you do this meditation.

This is my back-pocket meditation. It’s the one I pull out at odd moments during the day. When my alarm clock goes off in the morning, or when I’m waiting for the water to run hot in the shower; when I stand at the window looking out at the rain, or walk under tall trees. Breathing in, I cherish myself; breathing out, I cherish all beings.

It’s simple. But it can transform life.

This meditation will make you happier, especially if you make it a daily practice. As your heart’s capacity for love and kindness grows, you’ll find a great fullness of being, and discover a warm kinship with all beings.

Mary Jaksch is a Zen Master and writer. Read more on her blog Goodlife ZEN and join her free Virtual Zen Retreat The Miracle of Kindness.