My Most Recent Failures and What I’ve Learned

Article by Leo Babauta. (Follow me on Twitter.)

Recently I read an old post about why another blogger doesn’t like Zen Habits, and it centered around the idea that she thought I was preaching to readers as if I’m perfect. And I thought to myself, “Boy, I hope people don’t think I’m perfect!”

Because the truth is, I’m far from it. I have problems like everyone else. I struggle with productivity and procrastination and losing weight and losing my patience and everything else, just like you do.

6 Seconds To Relax

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Sarah, a psychiatrist of How to Cope with Pain.

Ever have one of those days when it seems there’s not a minute to catch your breath, let alone meditate or relax? A day when you feel like the proverbial busy bee, with no time to admire the fragrant flowers you’re landing on?

Leo has given us some wise ways to relax, simplify, and take life more slowly, but you might still find it tricky to always put these suggestions to use. Or, perhaps for you, some days flow smoothly, but there are still some - or many - during which taking a break feels impossible.

“Ask Leo” Your Blogging and Writing Questions; Plus Some Other Great New Content

For the writers and bloggers among you, feel free to join us over at Write To Done where I’ll be starting a live Q&A session in a minute or so … that’s 5:00 p.m. Eastern U.S. time today (Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008). Again, that’s 5:00 p.m. today in New York.

I’ll be answering any questions you might have about writing and blogging in the comments of the “Ask Leo” post. I’ve committed to doing this for four hours, so be sure to come on over before 9:00 p.m. Eastern U.S. time.

Update: This session is now over. Thanks for those who participated!

Fire Fly Manifesto

My friend Jonathan Fields has launched the Career Renegade site, and with it he’s giving away a great free ebook called the Fire Fly Manifesto … click on the link to go get it for free. It’s a great manifesto that shows us that this bad economy, downsizing and all, is actually a great opportunity to do a whole bunch of things with your career, if you look at things in a new way. I love it.

Go get it now! No email address required. Pass it on to friends you think might like it.

Launch of Productive Magazine

My fellow productivity fanatics will love this new magazine: Productive Magazine. It just launched, created by the creator of productivity software Nozbe, and it features some great articles … including one about Zen To Done, an interview with GTD’s David Allen, essential productivity tools, a GTD primer, learning productivity tips and tricks in 2 minutes, and much more. And it’s a free download!

Living Simply: The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Your Clutter

“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

Article by Leo Babauta. (Follow me on Twitter.)

For many years, I was a packrat, clinging to possessions like a safety blanket, like trophies, like you might cling to the past. My life was filled with clutter, from my closets to my living room to my countertops to my desk at work.

That changed about a decade ago, when I realized that I simply had too much stuff.

I was owned by my possessions, and they were no longer making me happy. I wanted to conquer my clutter.

How to Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead.

While I’ve never been a big fan of fear mongering, it’s clear that the US economy is in a little more than a slump. There are many ways we can live more frugally, and that includes spending less on groceries and being more conscious of the things we buy.

I’m not recommending that we buy less quality foods for the sake of cutting costs. I won’t recommend buying conventional over organic in order to save money. I don’t think you should have to sacrifice quality in order to have less of an impact on your wallet. There are, however, some great frugal tips that I’ve learned to help save money at the market.

Ask the Readers: Could You Give Up Email?

President-elect Barack Obama may soon have to give up not only his (gasp!) Blackberry, but all email correspondence as well once he becomes president, the New York Times reported recently.

For Obama — just as it would be for many of us — that is a huge sacrifice. Some of us might opt not to become president if we had to stop email, IM, Facebook/MySpace messages, texting and the like. It’s a deal-breaker.

Many of us, in fact, have a hard time staying away from email for more than a day or so. What about you?

Could you give up email for four years? How about for a week?

And if you have done it, what have your experiences been?

And if you had to rethink email, what would be a better communication tool/solution?

I’d love to hear your ideas! Share in the comments.

10 Steps to Take Action and Eliminate Bureaucracy

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” - Leonardo da Vinci

Article by Leo Babauta. (Follow me on Twitter.)

I’ve worked in a few offices where the paperwork, endless meetings, and other bureaucracy was ridiculous — so much so that the actual productive work being done was sometimes outweighed by the bureaucratic steps that needed to be taken each day.

When the focus is on action instead of bureaucracy, things get done.