Most of us today live hectic enough lives to find the concept of "simplicity" automatically appealing, but it has had its proponents--and practitioners--for millenia. American Transcendentalists in the 19th century admonished people to simplify (e.g., philosopher and activist Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden, an oft quoted passage from which is, "Our life is frittered away by detail. . . . Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!" [citation]). For centuries before that, many religions had been teaching simplicity as a way of focusing the mind and spirit, with the truly dedicated taking vows of poverty and living in isolation from society.
Of course, if simplicity appeals to you, you don't have to give away all your worldly possessions and retreat to a religious cloister. You can live a simplified (although not necessarily simple) life, decrease your stress, protect your sanity, improve your relationships, and enjoy your work by applying some of the suggestions offered by Zen Habits. (Well, maybe not all those things at once, but at least some of them, I would imagine.)
If you like to read blog posts in reverse chronology, click here to see Zen Habits arranged that way. If you're up for something new, click here to see "The Beginner's Guide to Zen Habits: A Guided Tour." That way you can start with a general topic of interest to you and read posts related to it. Here are some samples of resources highlighted on that page:
- "Ten Benefits of Rising Early -- and How to Do It"
- "Simple Living Simplified: 10 Things You Can Do Today to Simplify Your Life"
- "The Unsurpassable Productivity List: A Handy Guide to Getting Important Things Done"
Yep, Zen Habits takes a holistic approach to helping people improve their lives; there are posts on fitness, finance, goal setting, motivation, productivity, organization, and habits in addition to simplicity. The blogger doesn't claim to be a life coach or organization expert or anything like that. He's just sharing what he has learned from his own experience. He just might have something useful to offer you!
P.S. Another blogger's take on simplifying life: The Art of Zen Living: Live Simple, Live Happy.
(What is a catablogue?)
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