New E-book: The Zen Habits Handbook for Life!

I’m happy to be able to offer my second e-book, the Zen Habits Handbook for Life — it’s a series of my best articles on making your life simpler, on becoming happier, and on getting more productive.

I put this e-book together at the request of a number of readers, who wanted the essential Zen Habits articles gathered in an e-book format. I’m certain you’ll enjoy it!

The 10 Biggest Influences on Zen Habits

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” - Mahatma Gandhi

No writer or person becomes fully formed without any influence from the outside world. I certainly didn’t — my writings are influenced by dozens of writers and people in my daily life, from the writers I’m in love with to my loved ones and more.

But there are 10 people who have influenced the content of this blog above all others, and though I run the danger of leaving out many important people with this list, I thought I’d share my influences with you, in hopes that they’ll be useful.

7 Current Writers I’m In Love With

“Time moves in one direction, memory in another.” - William Gibson

I love to read. And I especially love to read good writers, people who are in love with the written word, who can tell great stories, create characters I want to be best friends with, invent new worlds that I can inhabit for a few days.

It’s by reading these writers that I realize what is possible as a writer myself. They bring my imagination alive.

Dream Come True: I’ve Got a Book Deal!

This time next year (give or take) I will be a published author!

This week I mailed out a signed contract for my first-ever book deal, giving me the freedom to announce it to you guys. I will be published by Hyperion, the publisher of fine titles such as the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series, and of course my favorite author on simplicity, Elaine St. James. Hyperion is distributed by HarperCollins.

The working title of my book right now is “The Power of Less” … I’d like to say more about it, but I’m still fine-tuning the table of contents. Suffice it to say that it will be about simplifying your work and personal life, and doing more with less. What it isn’t is a repackaging of my Zen To Done ebook or Zen Habits content … I want it to be original content, so that you’ll find value in it in addition to what you’ve already read here.

Book review: Simplify Your Life

Every Wednesday is Simplicity Day on Zen Habits.

One of the biggest inspirations for my life, and this site, is Elaine St. James, author of Simplify Your Life and Living the Simple Life, among other titles.

She’s one of my muses, along with David Allen, Stephen Covey and a few others.

St. James taught me to how to simplify, guided me through drastic changes in my life, and showed me the value of voluntary simplicity. I owe her a lot, and today I’ll tell you why I love her books so much.