The Power of Less

I am a big fan of StumbleUpon. It is a bit of a guilty pleasure to pass a little time in the evening. For those that have not used it, you set up a profile with your interests and hobbies and then by clicking stumble the site recommends sites that you may have an interest in. You can indicate which type of sites you like and the application better "learns" your interests.



While stumbling, I would frequently get referred to ZenHabits.net, a site by Leo Babauta. I found that I really enjoyed reading the posts on the site, and later found out that Leo had written the book The Power of Less.



I was drawn to Leo's posts and book as much for his thoughts on simplification, doing less while getting more done, etc. as I was his story. He himself is a father, husband, employee and he felt constrained by commitments, a poor diet, lack of exercise and ability to focus. By using the system that he developed he has transformed his life and now has two successful careers (one as a writer, which would be a dream of mine), has more time to spend with his family and runs on a regular basis.



I have set goals / resolutions to be more organized in 2010. Three months into the year, I am happy with the progress that I have made and the small successes have motivated me to do even more. I started a new job in Sept '09 and am proud to say that I have been able to manage my workload (including lots of travel), go to the gym (not as often as I like or should) and have begun to tackle some of the projects at the house including a major de-cluttering effort (we can park both cars in the garage for the first time in two years!)



Some thoughts from Leo's book.



12 habits to start with:



1) Set your 3 MITs (Most Important Tasks) each morning.

2) Single-task. When you work on a task, don't switch to other tasks.

3) Process your in-box to empty.

4) Check e-mail just twice a day.

5) Exercise 5 to 10 minutes a day.

6) Work while disconnected, with no distractions.

7) Follow a morning routine.

8) Eat more fruits and veggies every day.

9) Keep your desk decluttered.

10) Say no to commitments and requests that aren't on your short list.

11) Decluter your house for fifteen minutes a day.

12) Stick to a five sentence limit for e-mails.



Pick three projects and work on them until completion. (when you complete one, do not add another, complete all three)



Focus on completion:

Have an outcome in mind.

Move from projects to tasks

Each day, choose a task to move you to completion

Reassess your progress

Track your internet usage:
Toggl, yatimer, tick

All in all, I enjoyed this book. Some of the points were very obvious and simple, but I guess that is the point, right?