Leo Babauta (quotes) - Wisdom Trove

Pick your life’s short list.
Don’t rush, go slowly, and be.
Celebrate every little success.
Don’t rush. Go slowly. Be present.
Happiness is not outside ourselves.
Instead of presents, give presence.
Breathe. Let all of that fade.
Focus on fewer but higher impact tasks.
The only way through uncertainty is love.
Chaos is creativity, and creativity is chaos.
Small tasks are always better than large ones.
What you pay attention to becomes your reality.
Visualize your successful outcome in great detail.
Focus on the present, to reduce anxiety and stress.
Limit yourself to fewer goals, and you’ll achieve more.
Adding little amounts over time makes a huge difference.
Focus on the present, to reduce anxiety and stress.
Don’t compare yourself to others, but be inspired by them.
Realize that failure isn’t a reason to judge yourself.’
Just list the One Thing you really want to accomplish today.
The root of all of our problems is our inability to let go.’
Happiness isn’t outside of us, but actually comes from within.
Focus is about finding simplicity in this Age of Distraction.
Advertising is the insidious whisper of the bad angel of commerce.
Knowing thousands of recipes doesn’t feed you, unless you start cooking.’
http://zenhabits.net/how-to-give-kind-criticism-and-avoid-being-critical/
The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A simple home is calming.
Here’s a simple solution: Take your expectations and throw them in the ocean.
There is almost nothing in your life that’s irreplaceable, other than people.
To live a better quality of life without having to spend and buy and consume.
Variety is a good thing — it keeps life interesting. So mix things up a bit.
When you limit your options, you really get good at sticking to what’s there.
Find what matters most to you, and eliminate as much of the rest as possible.
If you want a habit to stick, start so incredibly simply that you can’t fail.
You already have everything you need to be content, right here and right now.
Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest.
The key to keeping your filing system up to date is to file things right away.
Failure is simply an indicator that something in our method needs to be changed.
Enough means having enough to live, and enough to be happy, and enough to thrive.
Find something you love doing, that feels like play, and turn that into your job.
Doing a huge number of things doesn’t mean you’re getting anything meaningful done.
Sometimes hard stuff needs to be done in order to make the stuff you love possible.
By starting small, you keep your focus narrowed, and therefore increase your power.
Think of nothing that happens as either good or bad. Stop judging, and stop expecting.
Let go of control and allow yourself to be swept away by the powerful currents of life.
Doing a huge number of things doesn’t mean you’re getting anything meaningful done.’
The things that matter most should never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.
What’s important is being content with life, not stuff, and thereby reducing your needs.
If we reduce our needs and learn to be content with little, we need to work little to survive.
Start with just one small task from the project, instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
The life you have left is a gift. Cherish it. Enjoy it now, to the fullest. Do what matters, now.
Don’t rush. Go slowly. Be present. Rushing through our days causes difficulties and extra effort.
The more you practice equanimity, the better you get, and the happier and saner you will become.
Post your goal publicly. Tell as many people as possible that you are trying to form your new habit.
Break complex projects into smaller, well-defined tasks. Focus on completing just one of those tasks.
By setting limitations, we must choose the essential. So in everything you do, learn to set limitations.
Stop waiting for the right person to come into your life. Be the right person to come to someone’s life.
Get outside – nature is one of the biggest inspirations, and you’ll miss it if you’re inside all day.
Talk with new people – they’ll always expose you to new and interesting things, if you’re open to it.
At the end of the day, the questions we ask of ourselves determine the type of people that we will become.
Find time for silence – it’s more inspiring than you might think. Unfortunately, not enough of us do it.
Keep it simple, and focus on what you have to do right now, not on playing with your system or your tools.
Do one task at a time, without distractions. Don’t multitask, and don’t let yourself get interrupted.
Learn to be in the moment, focusing on one task at a time, and immersing yourself completely in that task.
We’re always thinking about the future (goals) instead of the present. I prefer to live in the present.
If there’s any area of your life that is overwhelming you, and that you’d like to simplify, apply limitations.
The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.’
Happiness isn’t in the future, it’s not somewhere else. It’s available right inside us, right now, all the time.
Instead of focusing on how much you can accomplish, focus on how much you can absolutely love what you’re doing.
Clearing distractions so you can focus on one single activity is incredibly effective, and breathtakingly joyful.
Process your e-mail and other in-boxes at regular and predetermined intervals. Do not multitask. Twice a day only.
When people disappoint you, it’s not their fault. They’re just being who they are. Your expectations are at fault.’
Consider what you give your attention to each day. It’s a precious resource, and determines the shape of your life.
Have a time for distractions. Schedule time for your email processing, reading your feeds, and other distractions.
How do you respond to people who push you to do more, get more, be more when you are content with who and where you are?
Instead, try going slowly. This is the true tempo of an effortless life, and, ironically, it isn’t easy for many people.
Separate your day: a time for creating, and a time for consuming and communicating. And never the twain shall meet.
Work with inspired people – one of the best ways to stay inspired is to work with creative, energetic, positive people.
At least one of your top three projects should be related to your One Goal so that you are always moving that goal forward.
If you focus on the person (You’re a lousy writer’) instead of their actions, you will make them angry or defensive or hurt.
Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started.
Are you trying to escape the moment, fleeing from it and struggling against it? Or are you inhabiting the moment effortlessly?
Everything in its place. Clean as you go. Put it away now. Use a physical inbox, and empty it. Keep a simple filing system.
Focus on one habit at a time, one month at a time, so that you’ll be able to focus all your energy on creating that one habit.
Fear is trying to help you. Its intent is to protect you, to keep you safe, to prevent you from mistakes and unpleasant experiences.
Life is better when we don’t try to do everything. Learn to enjoy the slice of life you experience, and life turns out to be wonderful.
Sure, it may be rude and mean, but in most criticism, you can find a nugget of gold: honest feedback and a suggestion for improvement.
I accomplished all of this in small steps, one thing at a time. I focused on only one goal at a time, and put all of my energy into it.
Become aware of your doubts and fears. Shine some light on them. Beat them with a thousand tiny cuts. Do it anyway, because they are wrong.
The simple act of walking can be a tremendous boost to your focus, productivity, clarity of mind, not to mention your health and waistline.
Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you’re left only with what you love, with what’s necessary, with what makes you happy.
A minimalist is simply one who questions the necessity of things, and who tries to live with what’s necessary, rather than with consumerism.
If you use insulting or degrading language, or put down the person in any way, they will focus on that, and not on the rest of the criticism.
You’ll never sustain any action for long if you hate doing it. Change course to something you’re more excited about, and things will get easier.
Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness.
Distractions come at us from all directions. They’ve invaded our life one at a time until we no longer have time for what’s important to us.
Never criticize the person. Always criticize the actions. And when you’re making suggestions, make suggestions about actions, not about the person.
When I look at any moment, even uncomfortable ones, I find that there is a lot to be curious about, a lot to appreciate, a lot to discover and love.
A powerful realization that has helped me is simply this: You’re already good enough, you already have more than enough, and you’re already perfect.
Clear workspace clutter. Clear computer clutter. Turn off email notifications. Check e- mail at set points in the day, only 2 to 3 times per day.
Break out of your routine – see things from a different perspective. Take a new route home. Go to a new restaurant. Visit someplace new in your area.
Life is water, and we tend to push too hard, thrash about, force things, struggle. Instead, learn to float, learn to allow things to become effortless.
We may feel productive when we’re constantly switching between things, constantly doing something, but in all honesty, we’re not. We’re just distracted.
I identify the essentials based on my values, goals, what I love, needs vs wants and biggest long term impacts. Then I eliminate the non essentials.
Learn to let go of control, and surf the ever-changing wave. Let unpredictability rule, let randomness be the force of our life, let spontaneity be the rule.
Find a quiet place, and just read. If you’re reading an ebook, clear away everything else but your ebook reader. Then you settle into the reading, and enjoy it.
Do one task at a time, without distractions. Don’t multitask, and don’t let yourself get interrupted. Single tasking and and focus are are the keys to execution.
Act because of passion. Not because you should’, but because you’re excited to do so. It will feel as if you’re going downhill, because it’s what you want to do.
If you hate doing something, figure out a way to stop doing it. This can sometimes be very easy, but other times it means eventually making a drastic life change.
Mindful eating is eating slowly, fully tasting the food, appreciating every bite, being conscious of what you’re putting into your body, savoring but not overdoing.
Practice being present. You can practice being in the moment at any time during the day. Simply focus on what you’re doing right now, not on the past or the future.
Why do we need to compare ourselves to others or the images we have of others (who are, after all, also flawed)? What does this do for us? It’s harmful, not helpful.’
There are a million possible reasons someone might do something, and they are not a judgment on you. They are more a statement of what’s going on with the other person.
Clutter is a form of visual distraction, and everything in our vision pulls at our attention. The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A simple home is calming.
At the end of your workday, identify the first task you’ll work on the next day, and set out the materials in advance. The next day begin working on that task immediately.
Without the human mind, things just happen, and they are not good or bad. It’s only when we apply the filter of our judgment that they become good or bad, beautiful or ugly.
It’s just as important as brushing your teeth everyday, more important than watching TV or reading online or answering email. Make time for something so crucial to a good life.
And saying no’ gets easier with practice, especially as you gain confidence that sticking to the essential is something that will have great benefits to you in the long term.
Have an outcome in mind. How will you know when your project is complete? Visualize what the project will look like when you’re done. Then write this down in a sentence or two.
The comfort of certainty and perfection vs. the fear of uncertainty and being suboptimal. This is the struggle. Let me let you in on a secret: no one is free from this struggle.
Cut back to a few important tasks and your work will be transformed. Do only a few things in life and those things will breathe and take on an importance they never had before.
If you start by identifying the things you really want to accomplish in the next year, you can plan your tasks so that you are doing things each day to further those goals along.
Simplifying isn’t meant to leave your life empty – it’s meant to leave space in your life for what you really want to do. Know what those things are before you start simplifying.
While criticism can be taken as hurtful and demoralizing, it can also be viewed in a positive way: it is honesty, and it can spur us to do better. It’s an opportunity to improve.
The point of simple living, for me has got to be: A soft place to land. A wide margin of error. Room to breathe. Lots of places to find baseline happiness in each and every day.
Immerse yourself in the task. Just start on the task, and focus completely on it. Forget about everything else, and let the world melt away. Get excited about the task and have fun.
Really think hard about how you can eliminate the non-essential things in your life. Work on this over time, and create the space in your life that you need for the things you love.
Take the time to really appreciate your food. Savor every bite and take the time to enjoy the flavors present in your meal. Make an effort to chew your food more before swallowing.
Do less, and you’ll force yourself to choose between what’s just busywork, and what really matters. Life then becomes effortless, as you accomplish big things while being less busy.
Make your organisation system usable. If it’s too difficult, you won’t use it. Keep it simple and usable — if possible, even fun — and you’ll be more likely to stick to the system.
The top three projects on your Projects List will be your entire focus until you finish all three, and then the next three projects you move onto this active list will be your focus.
If your first reaction is to lash back at the person giving the criticism, or to become defensive, take a minute before reacting at all. Take a deep breath, and give it a little thought.
A common productivity tip is not to check e-mail first thing in the morning, and it’s good advice. By checking e-mail in the morning, you’re allowing e-mail to dictate the rest of your day.
Don’t pay attention to your thoughts. Fearful thoughts are irrational and unhelpful. They make you think that bad outcomes will occur when the truth is that you don’t know what will happen.
Now I have a tiny bit of knowledge, but more interestingly, a bit of an awareness of my vast ignorance. This is humbling, and at the same time exciting, because it shows how amazing this world is.
One of the fundamental principles of productivity is that in order to get things done, you’ve got to focus. And that necessary focus requires that you eliminate as many distractions as possible.
When you’re whole, you don’t need someone else’s validation to be happy – because you accept yourself. You don’t need someone else to love you in order to feel loved – because you love yourself.’
The way I define happiness is being the creator of your experience, choosing to take pleasure in what you have, right now, regardless of the circumstances, while being the best you that you can be.
A life without limits is taking a cup of red dye and pouring it into the ocean, and watching the color dilute into nothingness. Limited focus is putting that same cup of dye into a gallon of water.
We’ve frittered our attention away with a million different tasks, but clearing those tasks so that we put our attention on one thing at a time might just be the thing that transforms the way we live.
If someone behaves rudely and you get angry with him, the problem isn’t the other person’s actions – it’s your reaction. Or more accurately, it’s not even your reaction, but your action based on that reaction.’
When we try to control others, or obsessively control our surroundings, we are trying to control things that aren’t in our control. This will inevitably end up in failure, frustration, and conflict with others.
Dropping the things I hate frees me up to do the things I love. How much more skillful, soulful, and useful could your best work get if you didn’t spend so much energy pushing yourself into doing stuff you hate?
Find a quiet place, and just read. If you’re reading an eBook, clear away everything else but your eBook reader. Then you settle into the reading, and enjoy it. Bask in the luxury of reading without distractions.’
On the topic of exercise, It’s just as important as brushing your teeth every day, more important than watching TV or reading articles online or answering email. Make time for something so crucial to a good life.’
Try it for an hour. Every single thing you do should be done mindfully, and given equal importance — whether that’s putting something away, walking from one spot to another, picking up the phone, or talking to someone.
There’s a concept in Taoism, wei wu wei’, which is often translated as action without action’ or effortless doing’. I prefer to think of it more in the sense of action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort’.
Take in a deep, slow breath. Let your attention stay on this breath. Hold the breath in for 5 seconds, then slowly exhale and pause for another 5 seconds at the end of the exhale. Repeat a few times if you like.
Inspiration is just about everywhere you can look, if you’re looking for it. That’s the key: to keep your eyes open. Too often we miss beautiful sources of inspiration, because we’re too busy thinking about other things.
How can you develop equanimity? Here, as always, are my suggestions. Learn to meditate, even just a little. Learn to detach yourself and be an observer. Take deep breaths. Be Teflon. Let things roll off you. Seek understanding.
Over the last couple of years I’ve discovered the power of having simple routines, especially in the morning and evening. Having these routines can supercharge your day while simultaneously creating a sense of calm and sanity in your life.
Break things down into small tasks that can be accomplished in an hour or less – even better would be twenty to thirty minutes, or even ten to fifteen minutes. The smaller, the better, because then we’re more likely to actually get them done.
Inspiration is finding something else that is divinely inspired (people, nature, amazing ideas), having that inspiration breathed into you (breath’ is the root of inspiration’), and then taking action on it. Creating, doing, inspiring others.
Choose what you give your attention to, and do this choosing carefully. What is important to you? Writing? Photography? Design? Coding? Creating a new business that helps others? Your kids? Figure this out, and give this the majority of your attention.
Be compassionate. This makes dealing with others much more effortless. It also makes you feel better about yourself. People like you more, and you improve the lives of others. Make every dealing with another human being one where you practice compassion.
Create a landing strip. When I get home, I empty my pockets and put everything onto a tray near my doorway. Keys, wallet, my ID, anything. This way it doesn’t get tossed on our counter or table, and I never have to look for it or forget it when I leave.
Limit your communication time. Going into your email inbox? Just give yourself 10 minutes to read, reply, delete, and get out. Going to do Twitter? Give yourself 5 minutes. Seriously, set up a timer. Don’t let these things take up all your attention.
Aside from your three most important tasks, there are always smaller tasks you need to complete each day. The trick is 1) not to let these smaller tasks take priority over your most important tasks, and 2) to do them in batches as much as possible to save time.
Instead of criticizing, which is rarely taken well, offer a specific, positive suggestion. A suggestion can be positive, it can be seen as helpful, it can be seen as an instrument for improvement and change. People often take suggestions well (but not always).
First thing in the morning, work on your most important task. Don’t do anything else until this is done. Give yourself a short break, then start on your next most important task. If you can get two to three of these done in the morning, the rest of the day is gravy.
Principle 1: By setting limitations, we must choose the essential. So in everything you do, learn to set limitations. Principle 2: By choosing the essential, we create great impact with minimal resources. Always choose the essential to maximize your time and energy.’
Often we make time for our family or other loved ones, but we neglect ourselves. Schedule time for yourself, doing something you love doing by yourself. For me, that’s reading and running, but others might like crafts or meditation or yoga or going on hikes or surfing or whatever.
What would a journey without a goal be like? No destination in mind. Nothing to achieve. Just curiosity, fun, not knowing. What would it be like to live life without a fixed plan? Without knowing where you’ll be living in five years, or what you’ll be doing, or what you want to achieve?
Give up on news. It’s a never-ending cycle. And if you’ve paid attention to the news as long as I have (I’m a former journalist), you know it’s all the same, year after year. Unless your job depends on it, the news is usually a waste of your attention. Let go of the need to stay updated.
Imagine setting out for a walk with no particular purpose — you might go in one direction because there’s a nice explosion of flowers over there, but then explore a different direction when you see someone playing music, then go in another direction because you’re curious about what’s there.
I want to reiterate that you may never be finished with fear. Don’t expect it to go away completely. Each time it appears is another opportunity for you to be kind, open, and loving. When it shows up, receive it like a friendly visitor. Know fear so it doesn’t hold you back, then go and enjoy yourself.
Schedule chunks of time throughout your week for all the things that are important. I suggest scheduling everything but work first (unless you’re on a set work schedule and always start and end at the same time) … this will ensure that you get everything in and that work doesn’t overwhelm the schedule.
Use positive public pressure to motivate yourself. Tell all your co-workers you’re going to achieve a goal. Email your family and friends and tell them about your goal and ask them to keep you accountable. Post your goal on your blog and post regular updates. Join an online forum related to your goal.
What are your values? Values are simply knowing what things are most important to you. Think about the things that really matter to you, the qualities you want to have, the principles you want to live your life by. Once you’ve identified these values, everything you do and choose should follow from those.
Make reflecting on your life a regular routine. Whether you keep a journal, or make reflecting on your day part of your evening routine, or have a weekly session where you review your life or take some time away from the office to reflect on everything … it’s important that you give things some thought. Regularly.
Our problem is living without limits. It’s like going shopping without spending limits—you tend to go overboard and end up with a bunch of stuff you don’t need or really want much. But if you have a budget (say one hundred dollars), you’ll choose only the things that matter, and you’ll end up with much less junk.
Create your own source of built-in happiness. Walk around as a whole, happy person, needing nothing. Then come from this place of wholeness, of self-reliance and independence, and love others. Not because you want them to love you back, not because you want to be needed, but because loving them is an amazing thing to do.’
To change our reactions, we must first be aware when these reactions happen. You can’t change them if you’re in automatic mode. Once you notice it, the key thing is not to act — it’s OK to have the feeling, but the action is what is usually destructive. Acting in anger means you’re going to do something not kind, not helpful.’
Here’s the thing with goals: you’re never satisfied. Goals are a way of saying, When I’ve accomplished this goal (or all these goals), I will be happy then. I’m not happy now, because I haven’t achieved my goals.’ The problem is, when we achieve the goals, we don’t achieve happiness. We set new goals, strive for something new.
The Power of Less is perfect for achieving goals: Limit yourself to fewer goals, and you’ll achieve more. At the same time, you’ll look at ways to narrow your focus on your projects, so that you can complete them more effectively and move forward on your goals. You’ll apply limitations to your projects to increase your effectiveness.’
There are a million blogs, people, services, media, competing for our attention. Our attention is limited, and valuable, making it one of the most precious resources we have. The world wants that attention. Only you can decide where it goes. And it does determine the shape of your life: what you pay attention to becomes your reality.
By attacking the attacker, you are stooping to his level. Even if the person was mean or rude, you don’t have to be the same way. You don’t have to commit the same sins. By participating in personal attacks, we dirty ourselves. But if we can stay above that level, we feel good about who we are. And that’s the most important benefit of all.
Clearing distractions is simple: turn everything off and get it out of sight so you have the space to focus on what’s important. That means closing your browser and email program and all programs other than what you need to work on the important task before you. It means turning off notifications and clearing your desk of all non- essential items.
Fear will try to stop you. Doubts will try to stop you. You’ll shy away from doing great things, from going on new adventures, from creating something new and putting it out in the world, because of self- doubt and fear. Become aware of these doubts and fears. Shine some light on them. Beat them with a thousand tiny cuts. Do it anyway, because they are wrong.
Instead of just saying, I want to spend more time with my family and friends’, try actually making dates with them. That might mean romantic dates with your spouse or significant other, or non- romantic dates with your friends or kids or other family members. You don’t have to call it a date, but just schedule time with them on a regular basis to do something together.
So if we are content now, and we abandon goals, does that mean we do nothing? Sit around or sleep all day? Not at all. I certainly don’t do that. We should do what makes us happy, follow our passions, do things that make us excited. For me and many people, that’s creating, building new things, expressing ourselves, making something useful or new or beautiful or inspiring.
Before you offer criticism, consider your reasons. If your motive is simply to hurt someone, vent your frustrations or to boost your ego, I suggest you stop yourself and think long and hard about why you feel the need to do that. On the other had, using criticism to help someone improve, to see a change affected, or to contribute to a discussion, are all good reasons for doing it.
Often our lives become derailed from the track we set it on. Or we can get so caught up in a routine that we don’t realize we can change it. Regular self reflection is the answer: think about how your life is going, how you’re spending your time, and decide whether you need to make changes. Then schedule time to make those changes immediately — or make the changes right away if possible.
See how everything is temporary, and wanting it to be permanent will only cause you to suffer. And then see how letting go of that wishing, and accepting the changing nature of things, and being unattached to each moment of those changing things, will help you to be calmer and happier. Embrace the non-attachment. Embrace the changing nature of things as beautiful. Accept the impermanence.’
First, make a list of the things you truly want to do. The things you love to do. The things you want to spend your precious time doing. Shorten it to four to five things, if possible—this is your Short List, the things that are most important. Eliminate as much of the rest of the stuff as possible from your private life. Schedule your free time so that you’re doing the things on your Short List.
Anti-rumination strategy is vital to breaking out of depression and other emotional ruts. Become aware of those times you dwell on the negatives in your life – both real or imagined – and stop them. It takes work and persistence but if you constantly tell yourself to ‘stop it’ when you start to go over and over the negatives, then you are building a positive habit that will change your life for the better.
We’re so caught up in trying to do everything, experience all the essential things, not miss out on anything important. We can’t read all the good books, watch all the good films, go to all the best cities in the world, try all the best restaurants, meet all the great people. Life is better when we don’t try to do everything. Learn to enjoy the slice of life you experience, and life turns out to be wonderful.’
Think of yourself as an explorer going into new territory. Mentally put on your headlamp and bring your attention into the fear. Forget about what you think it may be like, and be curious about what it is actually like. What triggers it? What sensations do you feel in your body? What thoughts appear in your mind? What urges do you have? Study your fear without acting on it so it becomes a known quantity to you.
You move with the flow of water, with the changing landscape. You are free to do this because you don’t care where you end up — you just want to be present in your journey, be compassionate with each step, have fun each moment along the way. The destination becomes irrelevant. No destination or goal matters if they are all good. Each step along the way, then, becomes the destination, and is exactly where you should be.
Such a simplified lifestyle can be truly wonderful – you’ll finally have time for the things you really love, for relaxation, for outdoor activities, for exercise, for reading or finding peace and quiet, for the loved ones in your life, for the things you’re most passionate about. This is what it means to thrive – to live a life full of the things you want in them, and not more. To live a better quality of life without having to spend and buy and consume.
Pay attention to your body and mindset throughout the day. Notice any tightness. When you do, do the following: 1. Visualize it dissipating. Just imagine the tightness floating out of you and into the air, dissolving into little bits and then being blown away by the breeze. 2. Go from tight to loose. 3. Breathe. Take in a deep, slow breath. Smile. This transforms everything. You can now approach any activity, any moment, with an attitude of relaxed enjoyment.
Now, slow down and enjoy every task. Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s a work task or taking a shower or brushing your teeth or cooking dinner or driving to work, slow down. Try to enjoy whatever you’re doing. Try to pay attention, instead of thinking about other things. Be in the moment. This isn’t easy, as you will often forget. But find a way to remind yourself. Unless the task involves actual pain, there isn’t anything that can’t be enjoyable if you give it the proper attention.
When people talk about a work-life balance, they mean that we should find a balance between work and our personal lives, which is definitely true. But it’s important to realize that if work is really something you love, you don’t need to cut it short in order to spend more time at home in front of the television. So the key is to remember that what we’re looking for is a balance between the things we love — not just work and the rest of life, but work and family and hobbies and chores and everything else.
You wake up, excited about being alive. You wonder, What do I feel like doing today?’ There’s no set plan, and the destination doesn’t matter as much as the process, the journey. You start, but you might shift as you go. You let go of your idea of what today was going to be, because these ideas of what should be are lightly held. The important thing is the flow. You learn to be flexible instead of set. You learn to be good at change and uncertainty, instead of fearing it. As things arise, you adapt.
Even if someone is harsh and rude, thank them. They might have been having a bad day, or maybe they’re just a negative person in general. But even so, your attitude of gratitude will probably catch them off-guard. And you know what? My habit of thanking my critics has actually won a few of them over. Even if the critic doesn’t take your thank you’ in a good way, it’s still good to do — for yourself. It’s a way of reminding yourself that the criticism was a good thing for you, a way of keeping yourself humble.
You will miss a ton, but that’s OK. We’re so caught up in trying to do everything, experience all the essential things, not miss out on anything important that we forget the simple fact that we cannot experience everything. That physical reality dictates we’ll miss most things. We can’t read all the good books, watch all the good films, go to all the best cities in the world, try all the best restaurants, meet all the great people. But the secret is: life is better when we don’t try to do everything. Learn to enjoy the slice of life you experience, and life turns out to be wonderful.
A slower-paced life means making time to enjoy your mornings, instead of rushing off to work in a frenzy. It means taking time to enjoy whatever you’re doing, to appreciate the outdoors, to actually focus on whoever you’re talking to or spending time with — instead of always being connected to a Blackberry or iPhone or laptop, instead of always thinking about work tasks and emails. It means single- tasking rather than switching between a multitude of tasks and focusing on none of them. Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness.
Effortless action isn’t something that is achieved overnight. In fact, if you try too hard to achieve it, you’ve defeated yourself already. Instead, when you find yourself in a whirlwind of activity, and pushing hard, slow down, relax, and do less. Eliminate some of your motions so that you’re moving with economy. Push less, and flow more. Slowly learn to do less, and then do less, finding ways of doing that require little action but lots of effectiveness. Learn to let things unfold naturally instead of pushing them to happen. Let people learn on their own instead of controlling them. Set things up so they happen without you having to steer everything. Slowly learn to use less effort, and then less than that.

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About Leo Babauta

Quotes by Leo Babauta

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