Personal finance blog that makes you save or earn a little at the time. Simple frugal living.
By Leo Babauta When we go about our day, we tell ourselves a story about what’s happening … and at the center of that narrative is a single person. Ourselves. When I talk to myself about how so-and-so is inconsiderate or treated me badly, when I tell myself that it’s OK to procrastinate because I’m […]
By Leo Babauta Yesterday afternoon, I set off on a long walk. I’d been having an off day, tired from lots of activities and unmotivated and my mind fixated on one thing … so I decided to walk. I put some snacks, a book, and some water in a backpack, put on some running shorts, […]
By Leo Babauta There’s a hidden mechanism that creates unhappiness, difficulty changing habits, relationship problems, frustration, anger and disappointment. Barely anyone is aware of this hidden mechanism, even though it’s happening all the time, in all of us. It’s the stories we tell ourselves. We do it all day long: we tell ourselves a story […]
By Leo Babauta I was talking to a 19-year-old recently and he has been struggling with motivation. His problem goes like this: he gets excited about starting a project or plan, and is very motivated at the start … but after a few days, that feeling dies down, and he starts procrastinating. He really does […]
By Leo Babauta I think I’m not the only one among us who wants to lose fat. I’m embarking on a 2-month fat-loss plan, and I thought I’d share it with you in case you’re interested. Some background: when I started this blog, almost 10 years ago, I was overweight but had already made a […]
By Leo Babauta Throughout the day, we get frustrated, irritated, angry. We are frustrated in traffic, when a loved one doesn’t behave the way we like, when someone tells us we’re wrong, when technology doesn’t work the way we want, when dinner is ruined, among many other daily stresses. These frustrations can build up into […]
By Leo Babauta One of the best things I’ve done to change my life — along with meditation, exercise, and eating healthier — is to get rid of most of my clutter. I downsized, and became a minimalist. It helped me find space in my life, figure out what was important and focus on that, […]
When you do something you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.” ~Shunryu Suzuki
I’m not going to claim to be the world’s greatest writer, but I do think I’m reasonably competent. I’ve been training for 25 years as a writer, and I make a living as a writer.
By Leo Babauta If you want to create a new exercise habit (for example), you might tell yourself something like this: “This is going to be amazing, I’m going to get fit and look incredible and be super healthy!” This is a story you’re telling yourself. It’s not real, but it has tremendous power to […]