Thinking Mode vs Doing Mode

By Leo Babauta I spend a lot of time dreaming about things — incredible adventures I want to go on, self-improvement projects, all those books I plan on reading! And there’s nothing wrong with that. Dreaming is wonderful. What I’ve noticed, though, is that sometimes I get stuck in the thinking and dreaming mode, and...

3d

Dusting Myself Off After Falling Down

By LEO BABAUTA Earlier this year, I started writing a beta version of my new book on training yourself to do your meaningful work … and I got 1,000 people to volunteer to be beta testers! It was a ton of fun. Then I fell off my writing, because of a number of projects that demanded my attention. I got almost daily emails from beta...

6d

A Life of Meaning, Without Buying

By Leo Babauta Lately I’ve been buying a lot of things: a nice watch, some cool folding knives, some tools and outdoor gear. It’s fun! But as I give in to these impulse purchases, I notice that the thrill doesn’t last that long, and it leaves me wanting more. And of course it dawns on me that this is a lesson I’ve learned a thousand...

2w

Find Freedom in Any Moment

By Leo Babauta One of our deepest desires is for freedom: to be free of stress, anxiety, a frustrating person, a difficult situation, financial struggles, health problems, the daily grind, distractions, feeling inadequate.  So many books, products and other paid solutions offer a version of this freedom. Escape. Peace. Mindfulness....

3w

The Delightful Overwhelm of a Pile of Undone Tasks

By Leo Babauta As I came back to work after a month off, I noticed myself feeling overwhelmed by the mountain of work in front of me. I felt a ton of resistance, and stress about how much work had to be done. A perfect practice ground for me! In this article, I’m going to share how I’ve been practicing with...

4w

The Practice of Truly Enjoying Time Off

By Leo Babauta So I took the whole month of June off, just as I did in December — I’m standing for time off not only for myself, but as something I think is important for everyone. It wasn’t easy to take this month off. I had to make arrangements, sell it to my team and clients, get a bunch of work and content done ahead of time,...

Jun 2021

How We Shut Down What We Want

By Leo Babauta One thing I’ve learned about myself in the last year or so is how much I shut down what I want. Somehow the world taught me that what I want is not acceptable, that I should only want what seems reasonable, doable, or won’t inconvenience others. So I rarely even acknowledge that I want something. I shut...

Jun 2021

Free Training: 5 Myths About Finding Purpose & a Method for Creating Purpose

A lot of people I work with struggle to dive into their meaningful work because they get stopped up by beliefs they have about finding a purpose. I can’t find my purpose because I don’t have the time, I am not good enough, I don’t have any clarity, I’m not ready, I don’t have the money to create it powerfully. Anything that’s stopping...

May 2021

The High Bar of Expectations Can Crush Our Creativity

By Leo Babauta I have clients who really set high standards for themselves: they want to write amazing blog posts, create inspiring music, profound works of art, a thriving business that reaches hundreds of thousands of people. These are beautiful aspirations, and I love what we are aiming for. It’s amazing! And yet,...

May 2021

Training to Be Relaxed in Stressful Situations

By Leo Babauta Many of us face things every day that stress us out: overwhelming number of tasks, a big meeting, a project that feels really tough, behind on paying bills, someone is upset at us, there’s a family crisis, the world feels chaotic. Can we find a way to be relaxed in almost any stressful situation? Absolutely....

May 2021