Tag Archive for 'Zen Habits'

Leo Babauta: “The End of Busy”

carla published on June 15, 2010 in celebrity and zeitgeist. 5 Comments Tags: , , .

Good Morning, SuperForest!

Summer is here and is in full force and while I’ve been spending much needed time with the family, catching up on some sleep, and watching tons of basketball I’ve already found myself staring at this huge menacing list of things I have to do I get to do. I’ve always been a fan of the ol’ to-do list but sometimes, that list gets so intense and I feel so busy, I don’t even know where to begin and then find myself stalling, getting distracted, or watching just one more episode of Entourage.

Lucky for me, I follow Zen Habits. And just a few days ago, Babauta wrote something that, similar to a lot of his other posts, made a lot of sense. As it turns out, the key to quit being busy, is simply by a quick change of mindset.

Here’s a bit of what he says:

Think about how busy we are, and how it has become a way of bragging: I’m so busy, I must be important.

“I have a million things to do! I never have time for anything! I can’t slow down — I’m too busy.” This is thought to be a good thing in a society where we must be productive, active, occupied.

But it’s a fool’s game. Busy is simply noise, action without meaning, lots of little unimportant things rather than a few important ones.

Stop being busy. Just decide to stop, today.

Now you’re halfway done. You’ve decided to slow down, and to focus on what’s important. All of a sudden, your schedule clears up, and your to-to list shrinks down to almost nothing.
Now you just have one or two things to do, instead of a million. You clear distractions, andfocus.

It might seem impossible, but once you decide to put an End to Busy, you have taken the biggest step.

You can now make time for work you’re passionate about, for work that matters. You can make time for solitude, for creating. You can make time for contemplation, for yourself.

Stop being busy, and your job is half done.

Lovely! So, to recap…decide to stop being busy, drop your list down to a few really important things, be thankful you get to do those things, and it’ll happen. “Busy” will be a thing of the past.

Zen Habits: How to Be Mindful During the Holiday Season!

carla published on December 22, 2009 in zeitgeist. 7 Comments Tags: , , .

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk

Good Afternoon, SuperForest!

Well here we are. Christmas is three days away, and for those of us that celebrate it (and maybe even those that don’t), this could easily translate into a time of pure and utter chaos. Shopping, gatherings, gift wrapping, decorating, cooking, cleaning; it’s a whirlwind of activities that go down and as it so often happens, chaos has its way of turning into stress.

So, what do we do to combat this stress? According to Mr. Leo Babauta from Zen Habits, we “stay in the moment as much as possible” and being that this is one of those things that is easier said than done, he devised a simple three part system to help us do just that.

1. A simple practice. Take a fruit — an apple, a pear, a peeled banana or kiwi, some berries — and eat them mindfully. Slowly. Take a small bite, and really experience it. Feel the texture in your mouth. Savor the taste. Smell the fruit. Think about how you feel as you eat the fruit. Feel the juices in your mouth. Feel yourself swallow the bite. Eat the entire fruit this way, one bite at a time, really feeling and tasting and smelling and experiencing this fruit.

2. A simple mantra. Each time you feel yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, remember the fruit. Say to yourself “apple” or “banana” or “berries” (or whatever fruit you ate), and remember what it was like to be mindful as you ate that fruit. Now do the same thing with whatever you’re doing right now — whether you’re out shopping, or spending time with loved ones, or doing a work task. Focus on one thing, and really be in the moment with that thing or that person.

3. Remember what’s important. During these holidays, think about what’s most important to you. That might be your loved ones, or a loved one, whether that’s a spouse or friends or kids or parents or whatever. It might be your work — what you create and are passionate about. It might be something else. Focus on that during these holidays, and remember that the rest is just noise. It’s not important. Fully experience what’s important to you, and let the rest fade away.

Lovely!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

(image via superforester chris via flickr user wvs)