Zen Habits

I got it, thank you. Will get back with my thoughts on the interface. Edit: Looks decent for an unfinished/early stage project. I especially love how you can browse without requiring JavaScript. I feel this should be a hit among minimalism enthusiasts, like the readers of Zen Habits[0], for example. [0] https://zenhabits.net/

Think resonates well with minimalism. My site (halfcoded.com) is inspired by https://zenhabits.net/ and follows a minimal wordpress theme. Happy to learn that more people are cautious of the direct impact of internet on the green world.

Check out Leo Babauta: http://zenhabits.net/ Lots of great posts about creating habits everyone is suggesting, like sleep, rest, meditation, to find balance and letting go of stress.

Or the great free resource https://zenhabits.net/

Focus is a funny thing. I think those with brilliant minds are the ones that are most consumed and distracted. (I'm alluding to you, here.) I think each person is driven by different things. Personally, I find accountability to be a huge motivator. To that end, I work with partners on projects and try to find people who are just as passionate as I am. My partner never let's me drop the project so I continue to make progress despite whatever is distracting me at the moment. Some people use mental tricks for motivating their progress. (Like making games out of tasks. Or using systems to influence taking decisions that yield the greatest net personal gain.) Here are some of the resources I frequent to help mold my thinking and personal refinement. Maybe something below will help. http://the99percent.com/tips/browse/3/Action-Method http://www.oninnovation.com/videos/detail.aspx?video=1251 http://changethis.com/ http://zenhabits.net/

Somewhat related: The 100 Thing Challenge https://zenhabits.net/minimalist-fun-the-100-things-challenge/ I think it's worth reflecting on the amount of possessions one owns and considering whether having fewer would make one's life better. 100 may be too few to have, but aiming for fewer than one has may be an improvement for many people's mental state.

Here's a place to start: https://zenhabits.net/lifes-enough-stop-comparing-yourself-to-others/ More practically: https://forge.medium.com/were-all-finding-out-what-enough-is-155a806b9… Different people think that diminishing returns in a first-world economy starts at $50k/year, $100k/year, $200k/year, or some other number, but whatever one's desired purchasing power, it has zero relationship to how much Bezos or Gates are worth.

> my head is a lot clearer and I feel more present in the situations I’m in throughout the day. Exactly. This is why I stick to quality sources of content such as HackerNews and blog feeds of reputable, reliable thought leaders. Over-consumption only leads to cloudy, confused thoughts – I could fill my brain with trash from Reddit, but then I'd end up just another intellectual couch potato. If I really feel the need to consume mindlessly, I prefer sources that I know are well curated, like Jason Kottke's blog [1] or sources that are crafted to get my mind back on track, like Zen Habits [2]. [1] http://kottke.org/ [2] https://zenhabits.net/

I've been focusing, and doing, this wellness and exercise thing lately. Just reading for the last several years. Best article, which led me to action, is this http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/everything-you-know-about-fitness-… together with the book The Power of Full Engagement https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743226755/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&… And here are the guys I read regularly (on and off, actually): Scott Sonnon: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/ Pavel Tsatsouline: http://www.strongfirst.com Phil Maffetone: https://philmaffetone.com the guys at GMB: https://gmb.io and Leo Babauta: http://zenhabits.net

This newsitem reminds me of times whan HN had that news about people traveling with just a backpack, 100-thing challenge and other minimalism-related news. I discovered http://zenhabits.net/ and /r/minimalism. The idea of selecting 1 or 2 Most Important Tasks for the next day really worked for me, for example. Anyone care to share some good minimalism-related resources?

The short answer is to let go. It can take years of training and searching to let go, the best guide I have found is this book : http://zenhabits.net/lg/

You could try reading Leo Babuta's free 'Focus' book (http://zenhabits.net/focus-book/). It has all the elements mentioned in other comments here - e.g. Browser blockers and trying to split your time 50/10 etc. I certainly managed to wean myself off Twitter and Facebook from it. I try allowing myself smaller 'pleasures' e.g. The XKCD and the Daily WTF RSS feeds in my email client. Kind of like nicotine patches. Also if you're going to waste you're time it's best to make sure you waste it on sites that are genuinely useful. It's one of the great things of Hacker News that amongst all the time wasting you're acutally learning useful things. So if you're going to time waste make sure its on specific topics that you're genuinely interested in. For one there isn't a bottomless pit of content (as opposed to Twitter) and what you are reading might actually be useful.

"Without great solitude no serious work is possible." - Pablo Picasso, http://zenhabits.net/creative-habit

This is so great. Actually Leo's post "100 Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids for Free or Cheap" (http://zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-for/) has at some point inspired me to create the random kid activity picker site (http://kidactivityideas.com). I went to Leo to inquire about permission to use that list for the site and was pleasantly surprised by that uncopyright policy. I am a big big fan of Leo Babauta and I think there a lot to learn from him (at least I do pretty often). Thanks again great dude!

Wish I'd seen this a bit earlier. I read a great article today from Leo Babauta from Zen Habits on essentially the same topic. Set a value system, and stick to it. That's exactly what this author is encouraging. I think it's unfortunate that the context the author chose to illustrate the point is distracting to many, but it doesn't change the validity of his message. Check out the article from Leo here at Zen Habits: http://zenhabits.net/12rules/

1. Quora - To participate in discussions and learn new things 2. http://zenhabits.net - Minimalism and Better habits 3. Reddit/r/Science 4. Techcrunch, GigaOm, Engadget - Tech Trends 5. Fubiz.net - For daily dose of inspirations

I've had some lows with work situations and loved ones always understand that kind of situation. What I've done in the past is get creative and try to still give gifts that are homemade or otherwise don't require money. Most of the time, they are so happy and excited for something so novel. Further reading: http://zenhabits.net/argh/, http://zenhabits.net/bah/, http://zenhabits.net/giftless/

There is an amazing (short) book called "Self Discipline in 10 Days" helped me get over a few of those inevitable slumps/burnout periods and prevented them for the most part since then. Here are a few ZenHabits articles that help too: http://zenhabits.net/how-to-defeat-burnout-and-stay-motivated/ http://zenhabits.net/the-lazy-manifesto-do-less-then-do-even-less/

I like that Leo has a "best of" page, it works well for him (and with the site's aesthetic). I'm not always a fan of his suggestions, though. Browsing some of his archives, I see advice against eating grains [0]: 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.) That last bit is blatantly false, and I can't help but think he's overstepping his bounds a little bit. That said, in general his advice is strikingly enlightening. [0] http://zenhabits.net/lean-tips/

Seth Godin's Blog - http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ Mark Cuban - http://BlogMaverick.com Paul Graham - http://PaulGraham.com Gary Vee - http://garyvaynerchuk.com/ 538 - http://FiveThirtyEight.com fascinating Freakonomics - http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/ as above ZenHabits - http://zenhabits.net I met him in person and Leo is as genuine as they come My Life In A Cube - http://www.mylifeinacube.com/ Great comic And like, hundreds more ;) Also the best place to find stuff I like is my StumbleUpon RSS feed at http://tr.im/sidsu I think it is all pretty spiffy stuff myself. And of course, my blog is at http://sidsavara.com

Short-term focus is why I fell in love with and still use Leo Babauta's GTD-related idea of MITs (Most Important Tasks). See links at bottom. Each morning I set 3 tasks (sometimes 4 or 5 if I absolutely have to and they're small) that would make me feel good about the day if I finish. I write them in an otherwise empty text document, order them by importance, and start working on the first one. These tasks can be large or small, sometimes even just "send this email" that will take 15 minutes to write, but is really important to send off. This also works great when working from home, because even if the environment is different, I can still feel productive if I at least finish those 3 things. If I finish the 3 things early, I assess my energy level and either finish the day with organizing emails or reading up on stuff or other low-effort tasks, or I tackle one last MIT if I feel up for it. The point is to prioritize short-term focus of the 3 MITs instead of looking at the potentially endless list of todos I could keep picking from all through the day. MIT: https://zenhabits.net/purpose-your-day-most-important-task/ Zen to Done: https://zenhabits.net/zen-to-done-ztd-the-ultimate-simple-productivity…

Hi, I want you to tell you a litte story about my self and my struggles. We should be about the same age. A year ago, I was going strong, working my job, having side projects and getting things done. I was doing a lot of sports and was on the level of a marathon runner. Then I had an injury. Due to the lack of sport, I fell into depression. I was unable to concentrate on a single thing for even five minutes and had no motivation whatsoever. I have had then set goals for myself and after I failed to accomplish them, I beat myself up. Rinse and repeat. Now, about 9 Months later, I am still in the recovering process. Like you I tried pretty much every productivity hack out there. From pomodoro to bullet journaling, habit forming and so on. What I want to say: There is no quick fix. It takes time. So I regularly try to niche down on the cause. Is it a motivation, concentration or multitasking problem? Then I try to fix the cause with experimenting with different tools and strategies. At different stages in your journey, you will have different bottlenecks, asking for different strategies. At the beginning the things that worked for me, were building up from my principles and core beliefs (Minimalism, Freedom, Simplicity). Then I started dreamlining with a monthly timeframe. But it is important, that the goals are measurable and attainable. Then I broke them down, to weekly and daily tasks. I also have daily todo lists, which I still fail way too often. Currently the biggest…

When my brain is functioning properly (according to third parties), this sounds like great advice, and I can even intend to head it next time I sink. However, once my brain was processing my every action as futile, I was often too depressed and incapacitated to shower, or even to get up and make food when I was hungry. In that state of mind, things like kayaking and hiking were functionally impossible. Music remained, but my brain retreated to the comfort of Radiohead's "Street Spirit" or "Creep" (etc). My point is that it's almost like being a different person. Reality is persecution, logic is warped, and intentions from good days do not always carry over. I was fortunate to have understanding and patient friends who helped me work on this during my good days. Kayaking is still unobtainable, but now I am able to turn to, e.g., "Katamari on the Rocks"[0] for music, and Alan Watts as well. The Zen Habits reminder to breathe [1] is a permanently open tab in my "distractions" group. As the quote from Infinite Jest says[2], the flames become terrifying. I can only speak for my own terror, but the help and support I've received have made it easier to face and combat. Long talks with friends, smiles from strangers... it has all been important. Thank you. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsB3IfttE50 [1] http://zenhabits.net/more/ [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9501234

I'm 23, and I'm in the same position as you. It might be a generational problem. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930… I also think we are tuned to focus on the future and all its glory and not focus on the present, especially in an environment that is all about "becoming the next big thing." So, one suggestion is to focus and be mindful of the present because if your head is always in the future or in the past, then you will be always unhappy. I see this present mind advice everywhere, but it is easier said than done. I don't have nearly the success you have, and I go through the same issues. "Why can't I start up a company and get it going? Why am I just working at a company? Why don't I get all the cool perks like Facebook employees? Is this going to be my life? Am I going to find someone to settle down with?" These questions naw at my core, but I am starting to find ways to avoid them. One of the best ways to focus on the present is to exercise. When I mean exercise, I mean the gasping for air at the end exercise, which I accomplish via basketball. I only just starting realizing how truly blissful I am after a game of basketball because all I can focus on is getting air into my lunges. Nothing else matters at that point. My mind is forced to clear out because the need for oxygen has taken over. The other one is to be introspect and read about this kind of stuff. I journal almost every day about my experiences, my emotions and…

Here is my method, with just Chrome and a combination of 2–3 organization methods. I’m tired and not english native so this is poorly written, but it enables me to keep 434 favorites (and growing, I could scale to at least 1500 I’m sure) and not feel overwhelmed by them. ----- Simple filing from zenhabits’ article: http://zenhabits.net/how-to-create-a-minimalist-computer-experience/ I have four folders on my chrome bar, inbox – projects – reading – archives. -- Inbox is for things that I must take action on, like reading it (but that doesn’t go into Reading because I must read it, unlike things in Reading that are good to read but not mandatory for me). -- Projects contains links related to the projects I’m currently working on, each project got its own folder. -- Reading categories from Mark Hurst’s book Bit Literacy: Inside my reading folder, I have: Stars for blogs (and the like) from which I usually read every article/news. Scans for blogs/etc. that I enjoy much but have to scan to then decide what I’m reading (HN for example, the other one I have is Quora). Targets for blogs from my competitor that I want to keep an eye on. Tryouts for blogs that are good but not good enough that they are on my routine for reading. For specific articles, they go at the root of Reading. This is poorly written and I’m sorry, you should check Bit Literacy anyway as it has a lot of info for not feeling overflowed by bits in general (applies whether you’re a newbie or an…

Okay, so this is gonna be a bit longer, but bear with me, because I think reading this might help you. I've been exactly where you've been. AND I did almost all the things that people here suggest. Thought I had ADHD and took Ritalin. Thought I had a depression and took Prozac (both of which I definitely cannot recommend, as they screwed badly with my short term memory). I've tried gazillions of plugins, "hacks", to-do lists and the like, only to see that if you're smart (I assume you are because you're posting here), your subconcious is only smarter. If there's one universal truth I got out of these, it's: You can't shit yourself. I've personally read Getting Things Done, The Now Habit, Eat That Frog and consumed lots more of self-help from some of the distinguished authors there are, including Tony Robbins, David Allen, Steven Covey, Brian Tracy, Keith Ferrazzi, Leo Babauta etc. (just to name a few). I can honestly say that all of those books gave me something, some pushed me over the edge for a week, but then I slipped back into procrastination and self-pity. So here's the deal: For some of us, it's just much harder to stay focused on our goals and dreams. All that can and will change, but only with the right leverage, and your missing piece of the puzzle might be a different one that someone else needs. Anyway, I'll be listing the things from all those excellent books above that helped me most (repeating some of the excellent suggestions here), and finishing with my…

I would say: 1) First thing in the morning, don't check your email, Hacker News, or any other distracting sites. Not even for a minute. You can spend a bit of time figuring out your tasks / biggest rock(s) for the day (see #2); but after that, the next thing you should do is get to work. 2) Set a 1, 1.5 or 2 hour timebox where you get your "Biggest Rock" of the day done first (it's okay to split this across multiple timeboxes. More on the Big Rock stuff here: http://zenhabits.net/big-rocks-first-double-your-productivity-this-wee… 3) Work on your email in batches. So, when you open your email, set 45 minutes (or whatever) to reply / respond to whatever is in your inbox. Then close it until it's time for your next email batch. 4) I haven't gotten into this one yet, but I think it would be good to deal with each email once it's opened. Don't mark it as unread or leave it in your inbox. Respond to it or archive it (or do something with it that would make it "done."). Yeah, I think those would be my best tips at the moment. The biggest one being #1. I hope this helps.

The term is most commonly associated with Suzuki Roshi, who founded the San Francisco Zen Center. He has a book, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." You can learn more about him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunry%C5%AB_Suzuki Here are a few blog posts: - https://zenhabits.net/beginner/ - https://jackkornfield.com/beginners-mind/ Here are a few talks/podcasts: - http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/68/talk/17919/ - http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/23/talk/500/ - http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/139/talk/893/ Finally, I have had the most special "beginner's mind" experiences while attending multi-day, silent meditation retreats. I live in the Bay Area, so I've attended Spirit Rock up in Marin. However, retreat centers exist all across the world. I recommend "insight" retreats, which are sometimes referred to as "mindfulness" or "Vipassana" retreats. I hope this is helpful!

I usually point people at Zen to Done, it takes an incremental approach to setting up the system instead of throwing the whole thing at you. https://zenhabits.net/zen-to-done-ztd-the-ultimate-simple-productivity…

Sounds like you'd like Zen to Done, a modified version of GTD. The basics is here: https://zenhabits.net/zen-to-done-ztd-the-ultimate-simple-productivity… (and there's a longer ebook version for sale, too).