Ask the Readers: What Possessions Would You Take in the Trunk of Your Car?

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

A recent commenter here on Zen Habits (unfortunately I forget which one) mentioned he tries to keep his possessions so simple he can fit them all into the trunk of his car.

He loves the idea that at a moment’s notice, he could pack up and leave.

That’s either minimalism to an admirable extreme, or someone on the lookout for the law. Let’s assume the former.

So, while I doubt my possessions would fit in the trunk of any vehicle that didn’t have “U-Haul” written on it, and I’m not suggesting you should either, this got me to thinking. (That’s never a good sign.) And it led me to wonder what your responses would be.

So here’s the reader question:

Could you simplify your possessions to fit in the trunk of a car? Which ones would you take?

The interesting thing about this question is that it forces us to consider which possessions are most essential. And if we can’t simplify to that extreme, we should be asking ourselves, “Why not? Why are these possessions so important I wouldn’t get rid of them?”

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

Note: I’m still in Japan at the moment. Check out our Japan travel blog, and all our photos in Japan, day by day! - Leo

A Simple Guide to Keeping Your Counters Clutter-free

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

While many readers seem to like my minimalist approach to a home, especially clutter-free counters and tabletops and floors, it seems to be a constant trouble area for some people.

Keeping counters (and other flat surfaces) clear, clean and clutter-free doesn’t have to be difficult.

Here’s a common scenario that I get from readers — and I should note, this was me only a few years ago: you get home, you toss onto a counter or table things such as your keys and purse/briefcase, papers and mail, shopping bags and anything else you might be bringing home.

This clutter is compounded over the course of weeks, as things accumulate. Over the course of years, you’ll end up with a mess the likes of which I don’t even want to imagine.

And no amount of decluttering will change the clutter problems caused by this habit, because as soon as you declutter, things will start to get cluttered again in a matter of days.

Some simple changes to your routines can clear this all up. Let’s look at how to do that.

How to Get Started
If you’re starting with a cluttered home full of cluttered counters and tables and floors, things can be overwhelming. Let’s not try to declutter everything at once. We’re going to start small, as always.

I suggest choosing just one countertop or tabletop. Something perhaps near your doorway, or in your dining room or kitchen if you like. I happen to enter my house through my kitchen, so they’re both the same for me.

8 Liberating Strategies for Clearing the Queues in Your Life

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Are the queues in your life stressing you out?

Our lives are filled with queues, from email inboxes to your to-do lists to voice and text messages to a variety of different inboxes in social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to work applications to RSS readers and bookmarked “to-read” articles and more.

For many people, managing all these queues is stressful, never-ending, and complex.

Let’s look at how to simplify things, how to clear your queues, and how to let go of the stress of managing them all.

Queues That Rule Our Lives
One of my favorite bloggers, Alex Payne, wrote a post a little while back called Life As A Series of Queues, and in the post he listed some of his queues. I’m reposting them here because they’re fairly typical for a lot of people. Of course, your particular list will definitely vary, but this is an example:

Things We Think About But Do Not Say

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead; follow him on twitter.

What would happen if we started being honest with ourselves about what we really want?

What if we started being ruthlessly real? What if we actually said the things that we think about, but are afraid to say?

Our egos may shrink and squirm, afraid to face reality as it is; afraid to bypass all the pretense; afraid to confront the shear nakedness of authenticity.

But maybe if we could evade the grip of our ego-based fears, we could embrace unfiltered, unmediated reality.

Maybe, just then, we’d start to come alive.

When I speak of open, authentic honesty, I mean being truly connected to your higher self. Not the ego-dominated self, but your spirit, (or whatever word you’d like to use, the word is not important). When you’re tuned into this source that is bigger than your puny ego, your living from a state of unadulterated awareness.

When you’re acting from this state, you’re not thinking about whether what you’re doing is right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate. You act completely naturally, unafraid to express yourself authentically and freely. You’re not afraid to tell someone how you really feel or ask for something you need. It’s from this place that you experience bliss, because there is no ego holding you back from it. There is no hesitation when the ego is not present.

So how do you get into this state of flow and uninhibited movement?

Here are the three simplest and most effective things you can to become more conscious, and in turn, more authentic.

The Art of Artlessness: On Living Simply and Naturally

“Simplicity is the essence of happiness.” - Cedric Bledsoe

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

A lot of the complexity in our lives come when we try to keep up certain appearances.

A simpler, happier life can be achieved when we drop those appearances and just live naturally, without pretense or artfulness.

Let me give you just a few examples:

• There was a time when wardrobe was important to me — I wanted to impress my superiors and so I had lots of (fairly) expensive clothes. Now that I’ve decided I don’t need to keep up those appearances, I normally wear shorts and a T-shirt and sandals to all of my meetings. I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not, and people can deal with me on those terms or not. I’m happier, and my wardrobe and life are simpler for it.
• I’ve also decided that a huge, fancy house and beautiful luxury car are no longer important to me (not that I ever had either, but I did strive for them). Now I go for function, and I’m debt-free.
• There was also a time when I tried to impress others with my knowledge, intelligence, competence. I’d try to show off, or take on more than I could handle, just to impress people. Now I worry less about this and instead just try to do the best I can in whatever I do. In the end, I’m more satisfied with the job I do, and with myself, and others seem to be happy with this as well.

Ask the Readers: How to Let Go of Control

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Something I’ve been working on for awhile now, and making decent progress on, is letting go of control.

I’m a slight control freak — nothing too extreme, but it’s definitely something I’d like to change. I try to control the world around me, get everything in perfect order, and feel calmer when I’m in control.

Unfortunately, the world doesn’t always go according to your plans.

So I’ve slowly been learning to let go of control. I let others do as they like, let things happen even if I don’t plan them, stop trying to plan things down to the tiniest details, and just go with the flow. I’m not perfect at it, but I’m getting much better.

The result is a much more simplified, relaxed attitude towards life.

I’d like to hear from all of you, from those who are or were control freaks: “How have you learned to give up control?”

Or maybe you haven’t? Is this a problem? Is it a goal?

If you have, what have you learned? What has worked for you?

Share in the comments!

How to Create a Minimalist Computer Experience

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

A minimalist computer setup, as paradoxical as that may sound to some, lends itself to a more serene, focused creative environment in my experience.

I love a clean desktop, a friction-free interface, and simple tools that help me focus on what I really need to get done: to create, without distractions.

And when I gaze lovingly at my icon-less desktop, I sigh with contentment. I really love simplicity.

If this kind of minimalist experience appeals to you (and it won’t appeal to everyone), read on for my suggestions for creating this setup.

An Uncluttered Desktop
I don’t have any icons on my computer desktop — I’ve had the experience of having a thousand icons on the desktop and it really doesn’t compare to an uncluttered environment. Sure, it may be easy to just double-click on a frequently used app or document (although that’s not as fast as what I suggest under the “Interface” section below). But having to look at so many icons is visual stress and distraction, so I’ve banished this method of working.

Cut the Cubicle Umbilical Cord: The Seven Traits of the Free Man

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead; follow him on twitter.

If you want to wake up happy on a daily basis, you have to own your own time. You have to be the one that dictates what you do and when you do it. Otherwise, you’re at the mercy of your owner boss.

You may think that you should be grateful for your job, and you should. But when it comes down to it, you’re not going to hit a ceiling of happiness and purpose if you’re not working for yourself. (I know there may be a few exceptions, but let’s be honest, they are exceptions.)

There’s no getting around this.

The Art of the Small: How to Make an Impact

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

There’s a Jedi Force technique called The Art of the Small wherein the Jedi essentially narrows his focus … until he can use The Force to change things at a microscopic level.

That’s a geeky way of showing how focusing on less and less can, in the end, change everything.

There are a lot of us who would like to make an impact on the world, in some way or another. We’d like to make a contribution, change things for the better, improve lives, leave behind something positive.

And yet, with the vastness of this world, with the number of people out there who will resist change … it seems impossible at times. How can one person make an impact on the world? Normal people — those of us who aren’t in the circle of influencers such as elected officials or influential media types — just don’t have that kind of power, right?

Not necessarily.

The Mindfulness Guide for the Super Busy: How to Live Life to the Fullest

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

The idea of being mindful — being present, being more conscious of life as it happens — seems a bit impossible to many of the super busy.

But not only is it possible, I’d submit that it’s desirable, and that it’ll help the busy (and non-busy) achieve their goals and enjoy life more fully.

One of my favorite web big shots, Digg.com founder Kevin Rose (who is actually heading several companies and multiple other projects), has “be mindful” at the top of his resolutions for 2009. I hope he’s doing well, and I’d love to hear how someone as busy as he is implements a resolution like that.