By Leo Babauta

What an amazing year.

For me and Zen Habits, which just finished its 7th year of existence, 2013 was a year of pure joy.

Writing for all of you is a blessing, a ton of fun, a life I love living.

Here are some of the highlights of 2013 for me and Zen Habits:

  • I revised and relaunched the Sea Change Program.

  • I created a new video interview series, the Habits of Entrepreneurs, with 7 interviews released so far.

  • I co-created and recently revised the Simple Fitness Habit program.

  • I wrote the completely free Little Book of Contentment.

  • I created the 7-Day Vegan Challenge, with contributions from great vegan authors and chefs.

  • I wrote an ebook on sticking to habits as a bonus for the Simple Fitness Habit program: Discipline, Solved.

  • I traveled more than ever before: to Maui and Portland and Eugene and Los Angeles and New York City with Eva and the kids, to five European countries with Eva this fall, to Japan with Eva and a bunch of new friends during cherry blossom season, and to Beijing & Shanghai with Tynan in October.

  • I partnered with San Francisco Zen Center to co-create the Zen of Work online course (with co-teacher Robert Thomas) and the Flexible Mind retreat at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center (with co-teacher Susan O’Connell).

  • I ran my first 50-mile ultramarathon.

  • I completed a 6-month eating challenge where I ate practically no sugar, refined carbs, fried foods, and beer. I got leaner as a result.

  • I completed about 6 months of my Year of Living Without.

  • I started a blog about unschooling/homeschooling: Unschoolery.

  • I started creating a guide to life, for my kids (still working on it).

I don’t know how much Zen Habits grew in readership -- usually I share my readership numbers, which grow each year, but this year I stopped tracking my numbers. Instead, I’ve been focusing on how I can best help people.

But by any measure, it was a great year. Thank you, all of you.

And 2014 will be a big year too: I’m going to write and self-publish my best book ever, titled Zen Habits.

The Best Zen Habits Posts of 2013

Now that I’ve gotten the bragging out of the way, here are my favorite Zen Habits post from 2013:

  1. Do Less: A Short Guide

  2. Advice to My Kids

  3. My Pursuit of the Art of Living

  4. Self-Discipline in 5 Sentences

  5. Letter to an 18-year-old on the Career Path Less Traveled

  6. The Way to Be

  7. I Failed

  8. The Not Knowing Path of Being an Entrepreneur

  9. How to Savor Life

  10. Lyrical Learning, & Why We Learn Habits Wrong

  11. Discomfort Zone: How to Master the Universe

  12. Sticking to a Habit: The Definitive Guide

  13. A Guide to Practical Contentment

  14. My Advice for Starting a Business

  15. Living the Quiet Life

  16. The Futility of Comparing Yourself to Others

  17. Simplify.

  18. The 7 Habits of Calmness

  19. 12 Indispensable Mindful Living Tools

  20. Things Every Man Should Own

And more

For more best of Zen Habits: