Essential Zen Habits: Mastering the Art of Change, Briefly

by Leo Babauta

Essential Zen Habits shares a method and a six-week program for changing a habit, and outlines steps needed to quit bad habits, deal with life struggles, and find mindfulness. All in a very brief format of "just do this" instructions, no fluff whatsoever.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Productivity, Personal Development, Zen, Philosophy

142 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Leo Babauta is a simplicity blogger and author. He created Zen Habits, a Top 25 blog (according to TIME magazine) with 260,000 subscribers, mnmlist.com, and the best-selling books focus, The Power of Less, and Zen To Done.

Babauta is a former journalist of 18 years, a husband, father of six children, and in 2010 moved from Guam to San Francisco, where he leads a simple life.

He started Zen Habits to chronicle and share what he's learned while changing a number of habits.

Reviews

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I started uni and moved to the dorms, I've changed a lot of habits, just in order to incorporate that change. In the last week, I've gotten used to waking up naturally at 6am, spending like 10 minutes on my phone (can't possibly start the day without reading the news, of course), and showering. At this point, the time is around 6:20 and that's when I open up my computer, write a to-do list and start working, be it in for uni or for work.

Now, on days that I start my classes at 8:30, this works fine. However, when I start my classes at 10:30, around 9 is when I lost focus, open my phone and start procrastinating. I've been trying to break up my study times (for example, right now, I just finished my Econ homework, it's 7:00am, if things go well, I'll get back to studying in like 10 mins).

However, the problem is that I would absolutely love to do yoga in the morning. Ideally, I would like to wake up, immediately start doing yoga, then start working and whenever I lose my focus, go shower so I'll be able to continue. I would like to look at my phone for the first time at around 10am.

So I read this book with all of this in mind. Arpi Park (yes, I accidentally spent the other day binge watching all of his videos) talks about studying as a habit and really, my mornings are so productive and I don't ever stop to think about what I'm doing, it's a given that it's morning and mornings are study time.

The thing is, even though it's literally my 6th day of uni, I'm finding it incredibly hard to get out of bed and go yoga. I try to accomplish the ideas of this book, try to lower my expectations and yeah, I realize that it's hard because I'm attempting to break a bad habit and create a new one at the same time but still, this is something I should be able to do.

In any case, this is a short book. I didn't read it like the author had intended because, come on, if I was capable of reading a chapter a day, I would have been capable of doing Inktober and clearly, I am not (although, I used to be able to do NaNoWriMo).

I found myself thinking about how this feels very personal. I feel like habits are created in many ways, differently for different people. My study time happens because I promised myself it would, because I know that from 7pm and forward, I'm unable to study properly (basically, I lie to myself because I definitely study after 7pm). I haven't missed a Friday night run in years because it's my way to get from one place to the other. I can't miss it.

Ultimately, I'm all about creating habits that work because there's no other way. I'm already up and awake at 6am, why shouldn't I open my computer and start my Econ homework? I'm wearing pants I can run in and hoping that after my classes end today, I'll be able to get myself to go running as I'm already dressed for it, even if it'll be 7pm and dark outside. And if I do this enough times, I'll always do Monday runs (which could be perfect).

I think a lot of habits work because there's a sense of commitment. I want to succeed in my studies and so, I'm studying. I want to be mentally stable and even happy and so, I'm running. I see myself as a person that runs and gets good grades, this is who I am (that's a terribly unhealthy view point, I'm myself even when I'll fail Econ/ quit running) and therefore I do what it takes to be there.

Somehow, this book doesn't touch this enough. I think a habit should reflect you. Could I get myself into the habit of studying from 7pm to 10pm? Maybe, with the help of coffee, but if naturally I focus better in the mornings, why push? In the same vein, yesterday I did yoga at night and hey, maybe nighttime is better for me for yoga than the mornings (although, I've got to stop looking at my phone first thing in the morning, why do I want to read about Denmark's policies about "non-Western" immigration as the first thing I do).

Moreover, a few years back, I found myself constantly rereading Harry Potter and Unwind. So I decided to try and read a bit more new books. Using Goodreads challenge and never counting rereads helped motivate me to read new things. When I wanted to read more poetry, I started reading only poetry while waiting for buses, instead of opening Facebook. It worked well as it was a solid 20 minutes a day of poetry. So really, habits have to have a framework, a place that hold you accountable. The author says this as well and I've got to remember it. My to-do lists make my mornings accountable.

So I'm off to study again, and yeah, this review hardly talked about the book. I think we all forge our own paths. I'm glad this guy has managed to accomplish so much and hope he'll be helpful for others.

What I'm Taking With Me
- Ahh, it's late, my time management has failed me.
- I'm not very Zen.
- So much to do, so little time.

[Taylor Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quotes for getting over the obstacles you might be facing when adding good habits into your routine or removing bad ones. Lots of analogies and short chapters with actionable steps make this a great way to get going on something you've been meaning to start. Starting a habit or cutting off from one can be a lot trickier than what's outlined in this book, but Leo Babauta does give you some "troubleshooting" tips that offer assistance. I personally can't apply his method to some of the habits I wish to instill, but it's been very helpful. I'm also a sobriety coach and have shared his quotes/analogies with my clients as I feel they paint a strong picture of whatever it is I'm trying to say. I particularly like his analogy of water rolling down a hill, not being stopped when it hits a rock but bending around that rock and continuing down the hill (because, you know, gravity and all). It helps make it clear the importance of being fluid with our intentions rather than thinking we're on a set track. Interruptions in our plans happen, we need to adjust accordingly.

[Monisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read and use this book as is suggested (one paragraph a day), then it's really good in helping you form a new habit. I have successful completed my new habit every day and am committed to it. Am going to keep at it for a few more weeks before tackling the harder challenge of removing bad habits.

[Sir Readalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a pretty short and concise guide for anyone who wants to change their life. I found this book to be a shorter version of The Practicing Mind: Bringing Discipline and Focus into Your Life.

[Ifa Mujawar · Rating 1 out of 5]

To me, this seemed just like an over-simplified how-to guide for people with excuses. Or maybe I'm an advanced reader who likes more depth to the subjects they read on. Who knows. I wouldn't call this a work of art in any way. Anyone (including myself) can come up with a thing like this.

[Keshav Bhatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid & concise book that gives you the key bits of information you need on habits & learning to adapt with change.

Some of the key things I learned were:

- The problem and source of our struggle is not the world, but our mental movie of how life should be/people should be. When we suffer and experience loss (and loss can come in many different forms) it is because we are grieving and resisting the change to how we imagined things to be

- Plan for imperfection. Given that things don't go according to a certain precise imagined plan (that we're attracted by) it is better to plan and expect imperfection. I'm going to use this with setting goals for example, assume that there will be stop starts, pauses, lapses, restarts etc.

- Starting small and learning before replacing (on habits). I love the idea of starting small with a really small change and building it up gradually. Having one vegetable per mean rather than eliminating junk food and eating 100% well 24/7. We do underestimate the size and complexity of changing our habits. He also writes about learning to creating new habits first, starting small, then ingraining them before trying to "quit" on bad habits.

[Matt B. Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I did not read this as instructed, that is to read a chapter a day and do the exercises within. Instead I read once through, devouring the insights, of which this book has plenty. It's a great, reassuring read for anyone looking to develop new habits, stop old hindering habits or face and do away with procrastination. I personally am using this as a guidebook of sorts, but however you choose to use it, I recommend taking the tips and advice to heart. Great stuff.

[Jarkko Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical, actionable, and beautiful, Zen Habits distills the core ideas of building lasting habits — and living a good life — into bite-size chunks you can apply every day.

As I was reading the book, I started the habit of doing regular morning exercises, and now I've been doing it for a month and half, and going strong on my second habit (waking up earlier again). Thanks to Leo Babauta's writing, I now have the tools to make the change happen, and enjoy it.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more 'habits related to Zen'; this was more 'habit formation with some mindfulness practice spackled on whether it makes sense or not'. It doesn't really do either habit formation or mindfulness well.
My suggestion: if you want information on habit formation, go to one of the recent science-based books on it, like The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. If you want a book on mindfulness or Zen, get a book on those things.

[Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The right book at the right time in life for me, this book helped me make my first habit change as I read the book. Much of the information in this book is quite helpful, as is the habit plan. I will be applying the habit plan from this book to many other habits I consider should be changed, implemented or gotten rid of.

[Ulysses Maccaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to recommend for everyone struggling with changes... and for everyone else as well.

Not only a lesson about changes, but about life itself!

As always, Leo's advice is worth its weight in gold!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

ZEN habits
1. Set aside 10 minutes every morning, and read one chapter a day.
2. Create one new habit for the next six weeks (not quit an old habit).
3. Follow the weekly focuses that I set out in this book, for your new habit.
4. Then read through the Troubleshooting, Quitting a Bad Habit and Life Struggles sections.
5. Finally, wrap it all up with the Just Do This section at the end, which will distill all of this book into a few pages of brief instructions.

Childish Mind: The part of our mind that complains about how things are, that fears discomfort, that just wants pleasure and comfort, that doesn’t want things to be difficult. This is like a little child who throws a tantrum every time he doesn’t get his way. We all have this Childish Mind, and in this book we’ll learn to deal with this part of ourselves.

Intention: When you set to do something — let’s say write a book, or have a conversation with someone — you can set an intention before you do that activity, as a way of consciously deciding what you’re hoping to do during the activity. For example, you might have the intention of compassionately helping people as you write your book. This doesn’t mean you actually think things will turn out this way (you might not help anyone), but it means you’re bringing the intention of helping into the activity. This intention informs your approach, and how you feel and act during the activity.


There’s a tendency to treat a habit like a chore, and rush to move on to the next thing you need to do. Notice the rush to move on, and instead, try to slow down and enjoy the habit.

Is there a way to accept the thing you’re resisting, accept the discomfort, relax into it, and find gratitude for it? What is good about the discomfort?

Don't do the habit first, but just remember the intention first few days.
After you start, don't miss two days in a row.

You should inspire others do to the same, but don't force them. I don't really like this part, why would I want to change anybody...

Exercise to reduce stress (1-2 rests in a week).
Make list of 3-4 tasks each day, try to get rid of others if possible.
Unsubscribe from media (I agree, I don't have notifications except for calls).
Let go of guilt.

Quitting bad habit is harder. Create new positive habit. Track it and write each time you do it and what circumstances were at the time (before/after).

Gradual change VS cold turkey.
We need to track triggers (i.e. social medias instead of hard work, etc.). Just try 5 minutes of whatever you want to do.

Notice beauty of life. Be compassionate with it. Let yourself grief if loss.

Cope with anger, setup system for responding calmly.

Depends on what you already know, for me there way not many new things to be known, but it is well summarised and especially last chapters. I was expecting something different from this book (more of the ZEN part), but ok.

[yessvainilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encline más que iba tomar temas del mundo zen pero se enfoco más en un concepto más general para ser entendido para todas las persona. Tiene cosas rescatables pero puede a ver mejores opciones. Si quieres empezar hábitos y reinventarte quizás este libro puede ser un comienzo

[Réza Cinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jedná z těch lepších knih ve stylu "staň se lepším člověkem a nech se o tom poučit od Američanů".

Upřímně, nejela jsem to, jak je zamýšleno. Jedná kapitola (tak tři strany v průměru) na jeden den. Ani jsem si na začátku nevybrala žádný návyk, který bych pomoci knihy chtěla zkusit vytvořit. Ono totiž to samotné vytváření návyku, je jen velmi obecné. Babauta naťukne třeba, že si máte nový návyk připojit k nějakému stávajícímu, ale už se k tomu víc nevrací. A tak po třetině knížky už se zaobírá víc psychologií a přístupu k životu obecně, což mě naštěstí bavilo víc.

K některým kapitolám jsem se vracela (jak se soustředit na překážku, pozorovat ji a nenechat ji cloumat vaším majestátem nebo že cesta je cíl). Hodně se protíná s mindfulness, což se dá taky přeložit jako yolo nebo memento mori, podle zaměření člověka. Má tam zajímavé myšlenky, které mi konvenují - vědomý přístup, nutnost rutiny, nesoulad představ a reality.

Úplně na konci, poslední asi tři kapitoly, jsou pro mě naopak trochu úletem. Jako že jak zenově přijmout to, že jsem třeba po nehodě ochrnutý - nebýt naštvaný na nikoho, pořád si připomínat, že žiju, to podle mě fakt zvládá jen zenový mistr, ale ne běžný čtenář, a rozhodně se to nenaučí na třech stránkách.

V lecčem se podobá Konci prokrastinace a principy Lea Babauty aplikují třeba i behaviorální psychologové v mobilní aplikaci Fabulous. A tak to ve mně chtě nechtě budí pocit důvěryhodnosti a mám pocit, že si stejně jako z Konce prokrastinace v hlavu nechám naprostý zlomek (ne záměrně), ale o to víc ho budu aplikovat v životě. A to je víc, než můžu říct o většině self help knih, co jsem zatím četla.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blogger and author Leo Babauta shares a lot of interesting tips on how to start and continue with habits. The most important highly stressed piece of wisdom by him is to let go of the Mind Movie in your head that gives you an oftentimes unrealistic ideal of what a habit will be like, and to instead accept a habit into your life one step at a time, one change at a time. Those who would like to view my full appendix notes can see them here:https://www.notion.so/ingridnkenlifac...

It is a very quick read if you've already implemented these principles already from reading his Blog or other popular habit books out there, but it doesn't add anything new. There are chapters that go into how to overcome certain feelings, changes, and tragedies in your life so that you have the mental headspace to continue with your habits. But I feel a layer of emptiness reading these chapters because much of this advice just barely skins the surface and doesn't really touch on the deeper issues.


So overall, compared to other books like Atomic Habits or Transform your Habits , this book is average. Not bad but not great. Would be higher up there if the steps were more exercise based and if he'd just condensed these few hundred pages into two or three blog articles.

UPDATE 10/2022: Ive incorporated many elements of ZTD in my using tools as simple as Google Calendar, Apple Notes and a goal setting system in my Spreadsheet and my life has felt so much more purposeful and organized. Well worth reading.

[Danny An · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read on personal development. Unlike other books that claims to "transform" your life within weeks or months, this book explores the realistic struggles that everyone goes through whether it's in developing a new habit, quitting a bad one, or coping with a radical life change such as a death of a loved one.

Some of the valuable principles in the book are
- to start with a small change, so small that you just can't make an excuse not to do it (e.g. 2 minutes of running or 2 minutes of meditation).
- to let go of the ideals you have about yourself, others, and the world.
- to embrace impermanence and accept life as it is.

Leo goes into more details about the concepts and walk you through his personal stories to make his points. It's a nice, easy read that you can commit to reading while you're making one change. I can say that since I started the new habit with this book, I have been consistently doing it for the past 5 weeks now, and it's awesome!

Overall, I love the concepts in the book because it's SO practical while introducing you to many spiritual concepts of Zen Buddhism.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book not only provides insightful perspectives, examples, and practices on how to deal with major life changes, but you work the habit as you read the book and can read a chapter each day. Having a habit plan and implementing one habit at a time is the key to building a successful momentum.

I wrote in my journal as I read as well, so I will be coming back to this as I master each habit and to remember the practices. Brilliant analogies.

[Jef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo has written a book that everyone can practice and follow here. By being open to change and accepting that our habits do take time to change he proposes that we can create meaningful and lost lasting change.

There are parts where the concept of changing and habits becomes repetitive although this could arguably be included to demonstrate the point. Enjoyed the book and simple to read and implement

[Ville Salmensuu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mindfulness version of building good habits and getting rid of old ones. A great book with plenty of practical advice. Small steps, learn the habit change process by starting very small, end up hopefully with life-changing results. Be mindful and let go of your "Mind movie" and "Childish mind", your ideals and expectations. Get support for your habit change. There is a newer, shorter version but I read this one that is freely available on internet.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Physically, the book is gorgeous. Layout, cover, fonts... it all shows an obsessive attention to detail and style. The words? Pretty good. Some fairly standard stuff if you've read material on habits, some passages that were enlightening.

[Fernando Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of applying some sort of a weekly "sprint review" to our habit plan is a really good one.

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves -- slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future." - Thich Nhat Hanh

A solid 4. Out of 5.

[Blaine McGaffigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Zen Habits” is the perfect book to read in the morning before doing a habit. It provides tips for building ongoing habits in your life. It also teaches strategies for awareness so you can better understand feelings and triggers that surround habits.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read through it once and now I'm going back and doing the day-by-day chapster missions, starting from today. Yikes.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the early parts of this book about creating habits, but I greatly enjoyed the later parts about dealing with change more generally. I will read this book again to digest the concepts further.

[Dan Carp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good practical advice on building habits and dealing with the obstacles that may arise along the way. Recommended read for anyone looking to change something about themselves.

[sprinkle.your.sparkle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do yourself a favor and read only the simple plans of creating/changing a habit at the end of the book.

[Mary Staub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I enjoyed reading through this book! I found it to be to the point but filled with many valuable messages.

[J. Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Simple Blueprint to Being Your Best Most Authentic Self

I used this book and each chapter as a journal prompt for the weeks that I read it. One chapter at a time. I would read a chapter then practice some of the learnings, so it took me a while to finish. It is a very easy read chock full of nuggets of advice. I can say I’ve successfully created a couple of new great habits and adjusted one old bad habit just following this book and journaling/reflecting on some of the key points.

This will be a reference for me for the rest of my life. I highly recommend reading the Kindle version so you can refer back to your highlighted sections.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would.

Zen Habits takes the science of habits (as presented by Duhigg) and layers in Zen philosophy. The result is short guide for building and breaking habits that recognizes that the person (eg: me) is complicated, flawed, and Ned’s emotional support to deal with change. It’s a helpful and compassionate read with the right mix of prescription and empathy.

[Ken The Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Babauta provides clear thinking and straightforward instruction to help the reader either develop new habits or successfully drop old ones. As the title betrays, he applies Zen thinking to these challenges, and does so in a way that is not intimidating. This books is simple, practical and easy to read. Great to pick up and re-read at the beginning of any year, when new and old habits are often up for review!