September 20, 2024

Leo Babauta Talks About the Power of Slowing Down and Intentional Living

30 minutes

In this special Flashback Friday episode, I’m revisiting a conversation I had with my long-time friend and the founder of Zen Habits, Leo Babauta. This episode offers timeless insights into slowing down, living intentionally, and focusing on what truly matters. In 2024, Leo and I caught up to reflect on how much – or how little – has changed since our initial conversation. His wisdom and practices remain as relevant today as they were back then.

If you're not familiar with Zen Habits, it's a blog that has stood the test of time. Over the years, Leo has shifted focus from pure productivity to a more holistic and sustainable approach to living. In this episode, we explore how those philosophies have evolved and deepened, and how they continue to serve us both personally and professionally.

Key Discussion Points

The importance of slowing down and focusing on what truly matters in life and work

How Leo manages his time with a large family and multiple projects without burning out

The power of consistency versus sustainability in daily habits

How Zen Habits has evolved as Leo's life has changed, but the core principles remain the same

Leo’s approach to balancing digital tools and paper for organization

The difference between productivity as efficiency and productivity as aligning intention and attention

As always, it's a pleasure to share these insights from my conversation with Leo. I’ve found that many of the lessons we discussed back in 2011 continue to resonate, especially as the pace of life and work increases. I hope you find these reflections valuable and that they inspire you to slow down and focus on what truly matters. (Originally recorded in 2011)

Links Worth Exploring

Connect with Leo: Website | Instagram | X/Twitter

Check out the Fearless Living Academy: Learn more

Watch Leo's YouTube channel: Check it out

Listen to Leo's podcast: Hear it here

While you're listening: Check out Episode 299 of Cal Newport's podcast

Related Conversation: Episode 229: Exploring Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport

Related Blog Post: The Rushing Feeling: How to Hush it

Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.

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Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

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Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive Potential

If you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.

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