books, declutter

Have you been wondering if life could be easier, and if you could get rid of bad habits and develop new ones? Would you like to enhance your productivity at work? Do you want to feel better about yourself and be more present to your family and friends?

Do you want your life to be rich rather than full? I do.

For several months now I have been trying to figure out how to live with less (less possessions, less commitments, less worry), and one voice stood out from all the material I was reading about it: Leo Babauta's Zen Habits.

I could not describe this website better than the way the author himself does on the Zen Habits 'about' page:

'Zen Habits is one of the top blogs on the Internet, and covers: achieving goals, productivity, being organized, GTD, motivation, eliminating debt, saving, getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, simplifying, living frugal, parenting, happiness, and successfully implementing good habits.'

I have been finding Zen Habits inspiring on several occasions recently, and full of tips for so many of the areas in my life demanding my attention. If you find yourself on a similar quest, I encourage you to head over to Zen Habits and start by sampling the most popular content listed at the bottom of the homepage.

Leo Babauta has recently written a book entitled 'The Power of Less', which tagline embodies exactly the kind of skill I want to develop:

'the fine art of limiting yourself to the essential… in business and in life'

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta is out now on Amazon.com, and is available to pre-order on Amazon.co.uk (publication date in the UK is 12 February 2009).

And if you order the book before the end of January 1 2009 you also get to choose a free ebook or audio podcast.

The publication of the book has also been marked by a the Power of Less New Year Challenge that you can join to commit publicly to develop a new habit next month. I have chosen to focus ten minutes a day on establishing and maintaining a badly needed bedtime routine, so that instead of falling asleep more often than not while reading or watching TV I will focus every night for ten minutes on:

• taking out my contact lenses
• brushing my teeth
• flossing
• laying out my clothes for the next day
• …and going to bed!

I will report my progress daily here and on the Power of Less Challenge forum. I tried to pick up this habit last September but it did not last. I am now confident that committing and reporting publicly will help me succeed.