The Beginner’s Guide to Zen Habits - A Guided Tour

Shanel Yang Says:

July 31st, 2008, 23:50 pm

Wow! Terrific list, Leo! Now I just need a month off to get to all of it. ; )

Leo Says:

July 31st, 2008, 23:56 pm

Thanks Shanel! But don’t go through all of it! Just pick a few things to read, and come back every now and then. :)

This darn post took me several hours to compile!

SpaceAgeSage Says:

July 31st, 2008, 23:59 pm

Wow. Lots of work. Lots of wisdom. Thanks for the compilation!
Lori

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

August 1st, 2008, 0:08 am

Leo -

First, heartfelt thanks for the mention of an opportunity I had to interview at my blog Success soul.

You have inspired me to become a blogger. What I’m doing is not for the money. I can make lot more money with my hotels but after reading your profile and your writing, I made a commitment to share my thoughts and ideas to this world I cherish and love. You’ve also taught me how to deal with everyone with utmost respect and honesty.

What I have learned in the last five months on the blogosphere has been invaluable. I would like to credit you for most of those lessons that I have learned and for most part still learning from your humble character.

–Shilpan

Courtney Moore Says:

August 1st, 2008, 0:44 am

What a GREAT list! Thank you!

Shamelle @ TheEnhanceLife.com Says:

August 1st, 2008, 0:50 am

Hi Leo,
As the number of posts increases, making a list like this must be very time consuming. Do you have a “Leo certified” way of managing it ;0) ?

Thanks for making this comprehensive list. It gives a “at a glance view” of all your wonderful posts.

I bookmarked it and will visit again.

Shamelle

Leo Says:

August 1st, 2008, 1:06 am

@Shamelle: I wish I had a “Leo certified way” of doing this … I did it all by hand. It’s something I wanted to do a long time ago, just to give new readers an easy way to go through the blog archives, but never had the time.

Ashna Says:

August 1st, 2008, 1:16 am

Wow!! Great list. Thanks for bringing it all together.

Abhijeet Rajwade Says:

August 1st, 2008, 1:24 am

Great Collection!!!

Jonathan Mead Says:

August 1st, 2008, 1:37 am

I’m curious Leo, just exactly how many articles are there in the Zen Habits archives?

Leo Says:

August 1st, 2008, 2:11 am

@Jonathan: Close to 600. Sometime last year I got rid of a bunch of the early ones I didn’t much like. I may do that again sometime. I’ve probably done about 700-800 total.

Writer Dad Says:

August 1st, 2008, 2:22 am

Wow. I look forward to having a body of work like that to compile someday. It’ll be nice to read some of these again, along with discovering those I haven’t read. I know you’ve heard it a lot, but I think what you did with Uncopyright. Really cool and really brave.

Johny Says:

August 1st, 2008, 3:55 am

Just bought your ebooks, think they’re great. I’ve been reading your blog since half year and I think the posts are very interesting.

Glynn Says:

August 1st, 2008, 5:38 am

Awesome post Leo - I’m going to forward this onto my loved ones!

Pete Says:

August 1st, 2008, 5:49 am

Nearly 600? Wow. That is a lot of posts. I thought I had a lot with 100 so far. What I think is incredible is the consistency of the messages over this time.

Leo, you certainly are a Blog Prodigy :)

http://www.YinVsYang.com

R Says:

August 1st, 2008, 7:23 am

Hi Leo,

I’ve been following this blog for only a wee while now, so the timing of this post couldn’t have been better from my point of view :)!

Thanks for posting this.

Miguel de Luis Says:

August 1st, 2008, 7:28 am

Good list, Leo. I had something like this set up for my blooks (novels in blog format), but I hadn’t considered doing it for my non-fiction blogs. Great idea.

Katie Says:

August 1st, 2008, 8:34 am

Hi Leo,

Great list, thanks for posting it :) Just a heads up - the link to “6 Annoying Fetishes I Talk Too Much About” is broken.

Bry Says:

August 1st, 2008, 9:16 am

Just found your site this morning and here is a newly created beginner’s list waiting on me! Fantastic! So glad to have found your site and look forward to the hours of reading ahead of me.

Jim Robbins Says:

August 1st, 2008, 9:25 am

Hello, Leo … you absolutely DIVINE looking hunk of man-male! Oh!

THANK YOU, honey-bunch, for posting this WONDERFUL list of your writing! You really SEND ME, Leo. Your articles are just FABULOUS! Ohhh!

It’s great to have this resource, where I can let my fingers do the walking all over your offerings! Oh!

Tell me, sugar … could you post some more pictures of you? I keep what I have on my desktop; I LOVE to look at you. It gives me CHILLS. Oh! Ohhh!

Give us some more posts on being present in the moment, you big handsome rock of masculinity!

Keep up the MARVELOUS work, Leo!

Hugs and snuggles,

Jimbo the Leo Fan

chris Says:

August 1st, 2008, 9:35 am

Leo,

I started blogging last February because I started following your blog. Since then, I ‘ve had the opportunity to read the majority of your past entries.

What’s really great about this whole thing is that if you take the time, you can pretty much see the development of your unique tone and perspective. In addition, the comments also have evolved into something better.

Compiling this list is great for your new readers. Cool move man!

Avi Marcus Says:

August 1st, 2008, 9:41 am

Wow, that’s a lot of writing!
Thanks for the compilation, opened 3 of the top posts.

BeyondRandom Says:

August 1st, 2008, 10:07 am

Im new to blogging so i spend alot of time reading others for ideas and examples but you and your site are a perfect example of perfect blogging!

I love this blog! lol

United Voices Says:

August 1st, 2008, 10:23 am

woh thanks for simplifying zen habits and making us easier. seems like I too had missed out quite a lot of amazing articles.

Fit Bottomed Girl Says:

August 1st, 2008, 10:34 am

Wow. I’m pretty new to the site, and this is AWESOME. I’m going to start with #5 and #12, then work my way around to the others.

I have Zen Fever! Says:

August 1st, 2008, 10:57 am

Leo - So many things to read! This will give me “Zen Fever” I will start with the first 13 Posts. Then I will look at - “My story”.

Windwolf Says:

August 1st, 2008, 11:12 am

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

How has one so young obtained so much vision and wisdom?

This site just may be the most actually USEFUL site on the entire web. Superb quality. I look forward to seeing your daily posts.

Peace,
Windwolf

Blue John Says:

August 1st, 2008, 11:13 am

A small question, why are Finance & Family lumped together?
They have overlap but they address much different things. You could be single and not care about family issues, just the finance ones. Although finances are important to family, you can talk about many family issues without touching on finances.

Blue John Says:

August 1st, 2008, 11:18 am

The link to “Bagels & Cream Cheese: A Conspiracy Theory” is broken. It’s a great title but alas, it’s may be one of those articles you deleted.

LivSimpl Says:

August 1st, 2008, 11:49 am

Great idea Leo!

Question: Did you have any reservations about deleting your older stuff? I think I’d have a hard time getting rid of posts, even if I didn’t like them all that much.

Jamila Says:

August 1st, 2008, 12:25 pm

Thanks, Leo for this “table of contents”. As I read your blog, I find myself going back to older posts to find out more information, comment threads, etc. This new outline will be helpful in referencing the things I like most about your blog - posts about simple living, productivity, and frugality. Thanks for the effort!

FatGuy @ ShapeupAmerica.com Says:

August 1st, 2008, 12:56 pm

Great post Leo!
I’ll take it slow but try to read one article a week.
Sometimes when you read too much of motivational articles, you lose it’s value and won’t have the affect you would expect from it.

Cynthia Says:

August 1st, 2008, 13:22 pm

Leo, Thanks for the list. I started reading your blog at the beginning of the year, so this is a great way for me to catch up.

Mary Says:

August 1st, 2008, 13:50 pm

I am going to change the link on my site to bring visitors to this page. It makes for a great jumping off place for new people. :-) Thanks, Leo, for taking the time to compile this.

Jason Says:

August 1st, 2008, 15:02 pm

Thanks for thinking of us newbies Leo. I have been following along for a little while now, but this list is great. Can’t wait to read some of the things I have missed.

ocbenji Says:

August 1st, 2008, 17:11 pm

Great list! I can totally relate about reading to my child.

Jonathan Mead Says:

August 1st, 2008, 17:19 pm

Wow Leo, that’s amazing.

I barely just hit 50. And I’m already thinking about culling some of the earlier ones where my writing wasn’t as ahem, refined.

Leo Says:

August 1st, 2008, 18:04 pm

Thanks for the nice comments everyone! I’m glad you found this list useful.

@Blue John, who asked: “A small question, why are Finance & Family lumped together?”

That goes back to the days when I had designated topics for each day of the week … health tip day, simplicity, productivity & organization, happiness, and finance & family … basically I did a poll with my readers at the time, and it turns out that of those main categories, the two least popular were finance and family. Some people didn’t care about family stuff (single people) and some didn’t care about finance. But I didn’t want to get rid of either, so I grouped them on one day and decided to alternate between the two. It’s a slightly weird grouping, I agree.

@LivSimpl, who asked: “Did you have any reservations about deleting your older stuff?”

A little, but these weren’t major posts like the ones I linked to in the Top 13 list above … these were short little things, sometimes linking elsewhere, sometimes just giving an update about the blog, sometimes just dropping a note to readers. Maybe a couple were longer posts, but ones I wasn’t much proud of.

@Blue John, who asked about the deleted Bagels and Cream Cheese Conspiracy Theory … it was a post that was supposed to be humorous, but no one seemed to think it was funny … so I deleted it. A lot of people thought I was serious at the time. I didn’t like that it confused people, so down it went.

Leo Says:

August 1st, 2008, 18:12 pm

@Katie: thanks for pointing out the broken link to the 6 annoying fetishes post … I just fixed it.

Tabs Says:

August 1st, 2008, 21:00 pm

Thanks for the 411 on using the site, I will definitely be taking the time to explore.

-Tabs

Nicole Chueng Says:

August 1st, 2008, 22:31 pm

Hi,Leo,
I read ur blog regularly and that really helps me a lot since I was a bit trend to slight hypochondria a few months ago.
I am Chinsese girl and now studying my master degree.
Thanks a lot!

PS:
I want to register in the forums,but I have tried many times and failed for the incorrect authorization code.I am confused about what the code really means,would you please explain it to me ?

Kirsten Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 0:12 am

I’ve been reading your site for a while and thanks for creating this handy tour as a reference guide. I found the Simple Living Manifesto especially helpful.

Leo Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 0:46 am

Hi Nicole … I believe the hint for the authorization code is “the opposite of up” … in which case the answer is “down” (with no quotation marks). I may be wrong and the question is reversed, in which case the answer is “up”.

Matt DeStefano Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 3:28 am

Leo,

As a person who is trying to change their own life - your site has been an inspiration. I haven’t subscribed, but I visit almost daily and have browsed through most of these posts. I mentioned you on my site and wanted to tell you to keep up the great work!

Pictures of Miley Cyrus Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 5:03 am

I definitely agree with Matt. I can’t get enough of your posts. I am devout in my faith, and I find your articles refreshing, and enlightening to the max. I can’t express enough to you how much reading this blog means to me!

Leo Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 5:53 am

Thanks for the nice comments, my friends! It’s your encouragement that makes doing this blog so rewarding. Seriously, thank you. :)

Linn Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 9:56 am

Thank you! I am new and love your ideas. It will be a pleasure to go poking around your archives now.

Mihai Says:

August 2nd, 2008, 16:55 pm

Hi Leo!

I’ve been reading Zenhabits for some time and it really helped me accomplish some important goals.
I ask if you could write a post on self-esteem. I’m 18 years old and because the relationship with my parents and lack of friends I’m really discouraged and can’t get things done. This is the hardest time of my life and it’s just because I lack self-confidence.
Thank you!

Mihai

c5ask Says:

August 3rd, 2008, 9:43 am

Leo,

I have read couple of articles on “Defeating the resistance to do useful tasks”.

I have been trying to follow this and successful to some extent. I do see markable change in routine activities.

At the same time, there is something called “Defeating the urge to do useless tasks”. I realised, there are certain tasks that we do, because we are so used to it that, we don’t know how frequently to do it. Eg: checking emails.

Please point me to articles, if any of similar topics.

c5ask.

Katie Hill Says:

August 3rd, 2008, 21:16 pm

Thank you Leo for you wonderful blog. I am a new reader and I always look forward to your posts. I also really like your reader’s comments, and have found many new blogs this way. Thanks for all the hard work!!!

Stephen Smith Says:

August 4th, 2008, 5:45 am

Yikes. I can just imagine how long it took to put his together, Leo. This is a great resource for your readers, new and old.

Somone Says:

August 4th, 2008, 11:02 am

Leo - I’ve been away for a month starting my own blog after you inspired me. Finally have some time again to read for fun. I love this post. Great to see you’re not getting too commercial. Cheers.

Leo Says:

August 4th, 2008, 20:44 pm

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

@Mihai: I’ll do an article on that very soon — thanks for the suggestion!

@c5ask: I’ll do a post on your topic soon as well!

Godssecret Says:

August 5th, 2008, 9:01 am

I wish to share

Know that compassion pushes away depression. Sometimes it is necessary to brake our nature not just guide it. If we brake our will for His will. He will do the same for us from His infinite Mercy. Blessings come to us from the Will of God. When we change our nature so as to fulfill His will, He can even change nature itself so as to bless us with his infinite bounty. When a person does kindness in a selfless way not imposing restrictions, the blessings they evoke will be limitless from God’s boundless sea of blessings. In a sense one must dissolve themselves to become part of the great whole. Worldly blessings are planted by good deeds.Virtue protects your blessings. Don’t be concerned about the blessings you going to get. Know nature is perpetually changing. God never changes and is everlasting. So its best for us many times to change our attitude. Challenging external situations at times require us to change our attitudes. When we do his will we can receive all blessings that exist in his will. Then you will have power to bless others. There should be purpose to all our actions. This purpose is to always be involved in the ultimate fulfillment of His will. This is the way of the universe. One must adapt themselves so that in any environment they can attach their mind to that which is most profound. God has certain rules by which he has made this world and by which it operates. Water only runs down hill, unless he rules otherwise. These rules are his will. By following in His way, that which is ”tied up” preventing flow of Divine abundance becomes untangled. The dirt on our souls is cleansed away. Lights separated become merged giving life. All things reach harmony as is proper. Then one can suddenly reveal the light of their soul. That was not seen before. The virtue of the righteous person is this wholeness. He doesn’t separate himself but lives merging himself in this universal Wholeness of God. Wholeness of life. He embraces this oneness. When one is one with God, God is one with them. By this all things benefit. Then all will once again will be united the way it should be with God. This is all obscure, yet it is the greatest clarity. You will be able to sense it, when all is right. In our world of limitations, paradoxes contradict and seem to exclude each other. In a place beyond limits they co-exist in harmony without any qualms. It is said “You can’t dance at two weddings”, unless you can be in two places at the same time. ‘Above’ concerns Providence. ‘Below’ is the realm of free choice. One who is connected to God in the upper worlds while still in this world can do this. This all links with the concept of making Divine providence. According to one’s closeness to God, their personal refinement the rules over the whole system and over you in particular change. As the powers and responsibilities of the king’s son differs from that of the palace janitor or one who has no place in the palace at all. Do his will and you will be blessed you will be a winner. You can live a spiritual life free of guilt with all of God’s blessings including healing when needed of your body and soul, wisdom, prosperity, forgiveness and all the wonders we pray for each day. His rules are the formula for true life. Since life was created for the sake of its potential to achieve closeness to God. When man can no longer live for that potential. His life is taken from him. A person who doesn’t want to get up in the morning. If this desire is strong enough he just dies. One must live a life of purpose. Ambivalence ranks high on the self-sabotage scale. This is usually due to a lack of vision a lack of purpose, and the secret desire to let others do and decide things for you. You need always to actively be in control of your life. Its outcome should not be left up to chance. One should always be growing, never becoming stagnant. Growth should be ecstatic, not something routine. You should jump into it. Be the architect of your life its imaginative engineer. One should always be striving to reach a higher level. Achieving greater completion, happiness and inner peace. Refining one’s inner vision is a process of unfolding. It is good to cultivate the disciplines of moderation and self restraint.

Its good to bring people good tiding, then good news will come back to you. One should say what they mean and mean what they say. Truth has no friends, but it is what it is. Based upon truth a person must stand firm as a cedar, even if at times one needs to be flexible as a reed. A living man is flexible and warm. Its a dead person who is rigid, stiff and cold. Which do you want to be ?

http://godssecret.wordpress.com/

designer4u Says:

August 5th, 2008, 9:51 am

Dear Leo,
I am a regular reader of your articles, I have learned lots of things from your blog and I am really thankful to you.
I found this Beginners-Guide very useful. I had searched for this kind of similar thing in the past when I confused where to start. I hope beginners and the old visitors found this useful. Bookmarked and shared with my friends.

Thanks a lot.
- Suresh
http://www.realgroup.co.in

sting Says:

August 6th, 2008, 7:45 am

Nice post! It’s very useful. Thanks！Leo！

Olivia Kuhn-Lloyd Says:

August 7th, 2008, 19:24 pm

Hi Leo,
your site and content are such gems! Really, you cover so many areas for peaceful and intentional living.

I’ll be coming back!
Olivia
Intent.com

FitAndBusyDad Says:

August 12th, 2008, 8:45 am

Great list, Leo. Thanks, this’ll help a lot. I’ve added Zen Habits to my daily routine. So, my goal now is to read the daily post and then one of the most popular ones everyday before I head out to work. Hopefully I’ll get caught up by 2010!

Cheers!

Allison Says:

August 16th, 2008, 13:07 pm

Leo, I just discovered your site and love it! Iam gradually working my way through your “Beginner’s Guide.” I really enjoy your perspective and your style of writing. Thanks for compiling everything in an easy-to-access way, and for sharing your life experiences!
Regards, Allison

Grace Says:

August 17th, 2008, 23:35 pm

Oh, my goodness, you do set the bar high! I’ve just started Blogging and then I discover your site. Sigh! Shall I just quit right now? :-)

But, no. I shall persevere. AND visit often. Thanks for the inspiration. G.

Paul Weinberger Says:

August 29th, 2008, 18:46 pm

How do I unsubscribe from e-mail feeds? It’s not apparent on the website. I subscribed first by getting e-mail and then I added you to Google Reader so I don’t need the e-mail. I tried to figure this out by myself without bothering you but I couldn’t. Thank you.

Dominik Says:

August 30th, 2008, 19:13 pm

Wow, this is the best blog I’ve found lately:) Good job Leo, really. I hope to find time to read all this stuff as quick as possible and try to bring some of the tips into my life:)

Greets! :)

Andrew Renk Says:

September 12th, 2008, 14:25 pm

This is a great post Love the simplicity of the site. Less is definitely more. I am going to write a post on our site about it.

Michelle Says:

September 20th, 2008, 19:15 pm

Do you ever archive any of your posts? I am sharing links to specific posts from my Facebook profile, and I would love to know that the links will always be valid for future reference.

Thank you so much for your truly inspiring writing. I discovered your blog at a time when I needed inspiration.

Sarah Palin Site Says:

September 27th, 2008, 12:54 pm

You are a unique & special human being, Matt. You inspire many people, including a few that I’ve directed towards your blog. Thank you so much for your writings, and I thank God that He blessed the world with your voice.

Marquis Says:

September 30th, 2008, 12:53 pm

I think this is a great productivity tip:

http://hintsfromhell.com/2008/09/29/monday-mega-tip-for-success-and-efficiency/

Roger Says:

October 4th, 2008, 22:41 pm

Leo- I’m loving your blog more each time I read it. This ‘getting started’ section is brilliant. I need to start implementing it. One step at a time lest I implode!

I have been drowning in information overload, trying to keep my job, doing my own blog, exercise, internet marketing and copywriting class. I’m pretty burnt. Your blog and writing are inspiring, just by their examples. Your work is speaking for itself and it’s saying great things!

Xabierkoa Says:

October 11th, 2008, 18:58 pm

Thank You very much…

Shanna Says:

October 15th, 2008, 20:50 pm

Thank you!