Sital Ruparelia

“Wealth is not found in what you own, but in how you spend your time. A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can let alone”

- Henry David Thoreau

Do you get stressed with the amount of ‘stuff’ on your ‘to do’ list? Are you overwhelmed by the complexity of modern life – either at the office or at home? Do you often wish for a far simpler lifestyle?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you’ll enjoy the following interview with Leo Babauta. Leo is a thought leader and author on productivity and simplicity. He’s the author of the hugely popular blog Zen Habits which is one of top 100 most popular blogs in the world with more than 80,000 subscribers. He’s also the author of a new book that comes out next week – “The Power of Less.”

I recently interviewed Leo to discuss the new book and also get he’s thoughts on how we can all become much more effective in managing our careers and lifestyles in 2009 – particularly in view of the current economic climate.

Sital: Leo, many of our readers won’t be familiar with you and the Zen Habits blog. Can you briefly tell us about yourself and how you ended up writing the blog and becoming an author?
Leo: I started Zen Habits in January 2007 after going through a year or so of very positive changes in my life, starting with quitting smoking. I had been living a very unhealthy life, smoking, eating junk food, not exercising, working long hours and not seeing my family much. I was also in a lot of debt and was very stressed out.

Quitting smoking was the catalyst for me because it taught me two important things:

1) That I had the power to change things in my life and
2) The effective habit-change principles I needed to create other new habits.

I started changing one habit after another: waking early, running, eating healthy, eliminating my debt, becoming organized and productive, and simplifying my life and so on. I was so excited about all these changes and the things I was learning that I started Zen Habits as a way to share all of this with others — and it turned out to be information that a lot of people wanted.

Today the Zen Habits blog is one of the top 100 blogs in the world with more than 80,000 subscribers following www.zenhabits.net blog.

Sital: Following on from the enormous success of the blog and e-books, you’ve just written your first book, The Power of Less. Tell us, what’s the central message behind the book?

Leo: The central message is that in focusing on doing less, we are increasing our effectiveness and our happiness at the same time. If you focused on one goal at a time, you’d achieve your goals more.

If you focused on fewer tasks and projects, but worked on the important tasks and projects, you’d accomplish more. If you did less in your life but focused on what you value the most, you’d be happier. The Power of Less shows you how to do this.

Sital: In recent years, the banking sector and wider economy have enjoyed a period of growth and excess. Lavish spending funded by ever increasing salaries and bonuses, coupled with excessive borrowing. But we are now in a very different world with more uncertainty, a lack of funding, reduced earnings and less material wealth. How does your philosophy in The Power of Less fit in with the shifts we’re likely to see in the economy and way we live in 2009?

Leo: People are beginning to realize that excess spending, borrowing, buying and having more isn’t necessarily the smartest or best thing.

So they’re thinking about cutting back but don’t really know how to do that in a smart way. The Power of Less shows you how to focus on the essential, so you can live on with less in your life but still have a better quality of life. It shows you that you can thrive on less, do what you’re passionate about, accomplish more, and be happier.

Sital: What advice would you offer individuals looking to change their spending habits and simplify their lives in the current economic climate?

Leo: It’s pretty simple: identify the 4-5 things that are most important to you, that you value most in your life. For me this is my family, writing, reading and running. Once you’ve created this Short List, try to eliminate as many of the commitments and spending that aren’t on the Short List as possible, to make room for the essential things on the Short List. Then fill your life with these essential things.

This method allows you to simplify, do less and spend less, but still have the things in your life you love. I’ve used it to create a better life for myself, save more money and eliminated all my financial obligations.

Sital: As most firms cut jobs, the individuals left behind may have heavier workloads, fewer resources and increasingly demanding expectations from shareholders and senior management. What are your top 2 or 3 productivity tips which they use to make themselves much more effective?

Leo: Three things:

1. Focus on one goal at a time to be more effective in achieving the goals.

2. Each day, identify your three Most Important Tasks — the three things that will have the most impact on your job and your life. One of those things, at the least, should be related to your one goal.

3. Focus on one task at a time to be more effective in completing tasks. Be sure to start with your three Most Important Tasks at the beginning of each day, and focus on one at a time until each is completed. Clear away distractions like email and the Internet while you’re working on each task.

Sital: Many of our readers are looking to change their careers. Making major career transitions, starting new businesses, becoming freelance consultants, relocating away from big cities or taking sabbaticals to travel and just get away from the corporate world.

Having made some major changes yourself, what inspired you – and what key lessons can you share from your own transition?

Leo: I was lucky enough to be able to make a slower transition over the period of 6-9 months, where I kept my day job and built up the writing career I wanted to move into. To do this I had to become more focused in order not to work more hours – so I did my day job in fewer hours by using the productivity principles I mentioned above, and freed up an hour or two a day to work on my blog. I used that hour or two for the blog in the most effective way possible, focusing on just those tasks that would grow my blog the most.

I also made sure I had multiple income streams, even after I quit the day job. Not only did I have advertising revenue from my blog, but I sold two e-books that did very well, and was doing freelance blog writing at the same time. I also pursued my book deal, and the advance for the book helped a lot. I wasn’t reliant on just one income stream, and I highly recommend this for anyone looking to work on their own.

Create these income streams one at a time, and figure out what tasks will be the best use of your time and focus on those exclusively. Don’t waste your time with things that don’t matter much.

Sital: For many people, January is a time for new year resolutions. Working less, saying ‘no’ more often, spending more time with family, exercising more, and giving up smoking or drinking.

Having mastered so many new habits yourself, what advice can you offer our readers to ensure their resolutions don’t fall apart within a few days or weeks as they may have done in previous years?

Leo: Instead of making resolutions, which almost always fail after a few weeks, create new habits.

The problem with resolutions is that they aren’t actionable or sustainable — you can say “I’m going to exercise more this year” but when and how are you going to do that and what will you use to keep that going?

Focus on creating one habit at a time and use effective habit change principles to create that habit — I spell this out in The Power of Less. They include things like creating public accountability, identifying triggers and putting the habit into your daily routine, setting rewards, starting small, and more.

I encourage everyone to go to www.thepowerofless.com to join The Power of Less New Year’s Challenge instead of making resolutions!

Sital: So what is The Power Of Less New Year Challenge?

Leo: It’s a free program where you publicly commit to making ONE habit change for 30 days, and commit to just 10 minutes a day. Anyone can do it, because you are starting small and giving yourself the best chance for success. We have a forum for support and public accountability, a free download with 9 effective habit-change principles, and a way to report your progress each day to ensure you stay on track. After 30 days, you have a new habit!

Sital: Well on the 1st January 2009, I plan to give up processed sugar for at least 30 days – so I’ll be using your New Year Challenge! How about you – what new habits are you planning for yourself in 2009?!

Leo: I’m actually very happy with my habits right now, but I’ve decided my focus for January 2009 is to focus more on being in the moment. I’ve worked on this before but I think I can always improve on it. Being present, in the moment, is one of the best ways to be happier, live a better life, and be more productive at the same time.

Sital: Leo, thanks for taking the time to speak with me, I really appreciate it.

If our readers want to learn more about The Power Of Less book or download some complimentary tools related to the book, where should they go?

Leo: It was an honour to speak to you and your readers. Check out www.thepowerofless.com

for more information on the book, as well as download a free e-book called “Thriving on Less“, download some free audio tip podcasts and audio interviews I’ve done with top experts in the productivity field, and join the New Year’s Challenge. Thanks everyone!

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The Power of Less comes out on 30th December and is predicted to storm to the top of the best seller list. So give yourself a great present for the New Year by pre-ordering your copy now from Amazon now.

Shows you how to focus on the essential, so you can live on with less in your life but still have a better quality of life. It shows you that you can thrive on less, do what you’re passionate about, accomplish more, and be happier.

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