What are /r/ZenHabits' favorite Products & Services?

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For those who have not read his book, Man's Search for Meaning, I highly recommend it. He survived the holocaust and then became a respected neurologist and psychiatrist. Honestly, the book can be purchased for about $8 and read cover-to-cover into about half a day.

Reminds me of one of my fave quotes from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; "To live only for some future goal is shallow. It's the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top. But of course, without the top, you can have no sides" ― Robert M. Pirsig

I'm paraphrasing the last sentence because I can't find it on-hand, but it was something to that effect.

Hi. I'm one of the creators of the app. We're two persons making this app, and I'm doing light programming and the graphic design, and my friend does heavy programming and the voiceover for the video.

We are planning to get cloud sync live within the next month, which brings exiting new features with it. Not only will your doables be backed up, but you will be able to share todos with other users in a turn based system. We really think this can take collaboration on frequent tasks to a new level.

After that we'll start work on the online version, then the mac app and android app simultaneously.

If you have any questions or requests you are also welcome to leave them at our public trello board: https://trello.com/board/doable-public-development/501956bab6e1dd52265d0afe

Thanks again. Rasmus.

There's a book called how to Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill where this same idea is used.

Basically you write down your goals, write down how you're planning to reach them, and what you're planning to sacrifice to get there. Doing this internalizes these goals in your subconscious mind, and in turn your mind does it's best to reach these goals.

Mindfulness in Plain English (PDF Download)

For US: here is one that looks promising.

Posh make a bunch of other ones too- I'm more inclined to buy the circus/carnival ones, because they look more fun. Even if they're not labeled as art therapy, I'd assume that the concept of coloring books being therapeutic still applies.

Thank you for taking the time to write this up! I do agree with the other comments; this could have been written more clearly. I suggest that you read and learn from the work of people that are known to write well. I find the essays of Paul Graham a good place to start with. You can also find books that can help you with your writing like The Elements of Style. Thanks for putting your work out there.

I actually thought it was $60K. according to this TED Talk

I'm sure that would vary by a bit, depending on regional costs. The main point is still valid - once you have your basic needs met, happiness can only be created, not purchased.

Bessel van der Kolk, MD is one of the foremost authorities on trauma work and PTSD/cPTSD. Heis work helped me move past difficult cPTSD. Insight meditation helps also, but you really have to face your trauma and feel through it to make it disappear. It does, though.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143127748/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_abeoFbQQCT59T

Highly recommend Tim’s Book ‘Tools of Titans’ if you’re into this type of list/products.

I read it last holiday season and picked up some cool tips, tricks and a couple good product recommendations (sleeping tea) from the experts in the book.

>Interestingly, these results suggest that although almost everyone has problems with procrastination, those who recognize and admit their weakness are in a better position to utilize available tools for precommitment and by doing so, help themselves overcome it.

- Dan Ariely, from his book “Predictably Irrational”

Good read indeed :)

If you want meditation without the Buddhist or spiritual overtones, I recommend anything by Jon Kabat Zinn. His books and tapes on mindfulness meditation are wonderful. Most folks start off with "Full Catastrophe Living".

I just downloaded Graditude Journal. It's looks really nice and simple. However it does not have all the features that Grid Diary for iOS does. It only have the "today I am grateful for..." entries. You can not make your own cards/categories.

To help get to sleep, I use a phone app which has a list of rain sounds to choose from:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.mm.android.relaxrain&hl=en

I also recomment twilight to dim & orange your screen as it gets later.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.lux&hl=en

http://www.bookdepository.com/Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/9780812968255

This is the translation recommended by most people interested in /r/Stoicism it is also my favourite translation being easy to read yet retaining the complex thought within the text.

Congrats on all the work you've done so far! I'm working on my first iOS app at the moment so I know what you mean about being embarrassed at first!

I've looked at/tried lots of habit apps in the past (I collected 28 for this blog post: https://exist.io/blog/habit-apps/) and I agree with your thoughts about "building the chain" apps. I prefer to have more flexibility when scheduling my new habits.

I'm curious about your decision to create Habitat. Did you not find any other apps that did what you wanted? Datalove and Loggr both offer more flexible tracking features like time and distance, rather than binary yes/no option, but they're not marketed as habit trackers, so maybe you've found a hole in the market there. Good luck with it!

Yes indeed.

Part of creativity & innovation is actually implementation. Generation is the first half :)

But you might need more help like with a coach. I help creatives get started and finished with their projects as well:

https://www.coach.me/jefffajans?ref=YpZwY

If you want a free week, you can use this code too: JEFFFAJANSWEEK

I use https://habitica.com currently. It has an RPG format, so it's enjoyable and has given me an easy way to share productivity ideas with my 5 year-old son :)

It's divided into 3 checklists: Habits that you want to either reinforce or discontinue, Daily/Recurring tasks, and general To-do

I would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to get things done.

Dude—for real read The Body Keeps the Score. It can be a tough journey but it’s THE groundbreaking work on cPTSD and PTSD and does everything from describe the experience (so you realize, hey someone gets it), to explaining why it happens (the neuroscience), to how to fix it (different types of therapy and interventions.) It’s amazing but potentially exhausting because you have to face some things to get free of them. It helped me release so much trauma. Thankfully, unlike other psychology topics, PTSD has been studied a lot, so a lot is known about it.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143127748/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_abeoFbQQCT59T

Hey guys, the biggest takeaway I got from Duhigg's The Power of Habit is that we cannot really erase / delete a bad habit. That's why it's so easy for us to fall back into old patterns. We need to replace them in order to make them Zen.

Psychologists advise these 7 steps when transforming a bad habit into a positive one.

1. Cut yourself some slack. Nobody's perfect!
2. Identify the underlying cause. What are the roots?
3. Deal with the real problem, e.g. overeating, because of stress.
4. Write it down. Make it official. Commit to changing.
5. Get yourself a friend's support. It's much easier that way.
6. Give yourself enough time. Habits are formed through consistency.
7. Allow for slips. Again, nobody's perfect. Just get back on track.

Hope this is helpful to you. I'm sure some of you have overcome bad habits in the past.

I've lost about 20 pounds last year after 2 years of trying. I was able to do that by changing my environment for once. I took 2 months off to study Spanish in Barcelona. I was on my feet day and night exploring a beautiful city, where I previously felt trapped in my appartment at home where I couldn't be bothered to explore anything on foot. All the gym cardio sessions in the world weren't able to help me.

Please feel free to share your story.

1) What was your main motivator?

2) What exactly do you attribute your success to?

I wouldn't say The Art of War is like chess either. Maybe like Risk. One of the best pieces of The Art of War is "Don't contend positions from which you don't gain anything" and "Don't contend positions you have no chance of winning". These two has lead me to almost never compete head on. I'll usually find a less contended niche, and be subversive if someone tries to compete with me. Rarely it's useful to compete directly with anyone.

Thinking, Fast and Slow is an overview of how your mind works. It introduces the concept that there are two systems that run in your mind: the fast, intuitive System 1 and the slow, methodical System 2. Since we spend most of our time running System 1, the book focuses on discussing how it goes wrong. The book introducing a plethora of heuristics and biases that System 1 runs off of and discusses their side effects.

2014 (and the tail end of 2013) was a very disorienting time for me. I left my boyfriend of over 6 years and had to figure out how to live on my own for the first time. Then I lost my job of nearly 5 years, and gained weight to put me at my heaviest. But I also managed to raise the bat signal for some amazing friends to show how great they are and also met my current boyfriend, who is phenomenal. I have a lot of self-improvement I want to work on because I've held back for years for a litany of reasons that don't add up to anything more than general excuses. I own "The Power of Habit" and am definitely interested in Daily Coffee.

I feel like I need to reign in my goals and focus on just a couple big ones. But here are things I want to work on and I've tried to categorize.

Health

• Don't have another stress cigarette

• Brush and floss daily

• Get a primary care doctor that is willing to know what my specialists are up to (neurologist, physical therapist, dentist)

• Weigh less at the end of the month than at the beginning

• Complete the 60-day Insanity workouts in less than 90 days

Career

• Study for GRE, take it, and apply to grad school

• Take Coursera/other online classes to learn R

• Read at least one scholarly journal article per week

Social Life

• Go hiking with boyfriend at least one day each month

• Go back home for 10 year high school reunion

• Do the Warrior Dash with friends in May

• Visit New York with boyfriend and see a show on Broadway

Personal

• Renew passport before it expires

• Sew clothes that need holes mended

• Finish GoT books and re-watch series before new series comes out

• Pay off a credit card

I've read through two of these so far; Power of Habit and 4 hour work week. As one who enjoys to know the science behind everything, I found The Power of Habit a very good read. 4 Hour Work Week seemed a bit unrealistic for everyone to follow, but gives some sturdy advice on how to organize a day.

Anyone have input on Getting Things Done?

What other Scientology terms did I use? If "analytical" vs. "reactive" is such a common distinction in Scientology, how come I didn't use the word "reactive" once in the article?

Also, the distinction between "thinking" and "feeling" systems in the brain is hardly exclusive to Scientology. See: Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" for a more recent, completely mainstream example.

>You share a name with somebody who is a reprehensible manipulator who also pushes the same bullshit woo that you do. Weird coincidence.

My name is Steven Handel, I've been blogging about psychology and self-improvement for 4+ years and have written over 400+ articles available for free. For people who like what I do, I also have a series of e-books called "The Science of Self Improvement" which is the only way I make money from the site. There's nothing manipulative about it - the process is straightforward and transparent - and it's hardly something I push down people's throats.

Some good self help primers:

• Feeling Good by David D. Burns
• Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman
• 6 Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden

Some good mindfulness primers:

• Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana
• Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

I second the recommendation for "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

Another book that constantly surprises me which I think has many answers to life in it is Jostein Gaarder's "The Solitaire Mystery". He is more well known for "Sophie's World", but I prefer Solitaire for its readability.

This is the third refrerence to The Power of Habit I've come across this week. Twice in Reddit and another on a podcast I listen to. I've got to check it out.

I'll make my meager contribution in the hopes that others will share better resources: Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

This is the first book that I read on mindfulness, and I was drawn to other sources through it.

I'm reading Man's Search for Meaning and it is one of the most thought provoking and genuine books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Frankl's insight is truly inspiring and I find myself very much resonating with his theory of Logotherapy. I am so happy to have found his books. A fantastic human being.

This seems like really bad advice. Expecting huge results in 2 weeks or less is unrealistic. The key to getting something out of meditation is simply meditating. Picking and choosing from a smorgasbord of "techniques" in hopes of finding the "right one" for you sets you up for disappointment. There may be many different techniques but none of them will change your life in 2 weeks or less.

Edit - And for what it's worth, I highly recommend Mindfulness in Plain English (especially since it's free online).

Well, that becomes a matter of semantics rather rapidly. The term "Zen" has become quite watered down in Western usage, especially on-line. And even before that, the word was mostly misapplied.

Or at least misunderstood. I've always assumed that Persig named the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as a play on the titles of books like Zen and the Art of Archery, which actually are about Zen (or so I think).

Unfortunately, I suspect the vast majority of people who have encountered the book had little or no previous exposure to Zen, and even if they know the title is a joke, it still colors their understanding of the term.

(On the other hand, I've also encountered a number of people on-line who were quite annoyed to discover that Persig's book doesn't actually cover how to maintain a motorcycle, either. So, in the end, it's a horribly, horribly misleading title. But memorable, so, there you go.)

Anyway, your ire over the whole "numbered list" thing is understandable (and in general I agree) but complaining that your "Froot Loops" don't actually contain any "fruit" seems rather self-indulgent.

I would like to recommend the app Digital Detox Challenge (Android) for your third point. It blocks access to your phone for a few hours / days. You can even schedule that.

The Breather │ Natural Breathing Lung Recovery Exerciser Trainer for Drug-Free Respiratory Therapy │ Breathe Easier with Stronger Lungs │ FSA/HSA Eligible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FE8N7Y4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FS6E5JD6W4KF55V17JMC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Yes indeed! You can do this through Apple Health or Google Fit.

On iOS, you can sync Garmin Connect directly to Apple Health, which can then be synced to Metriport.

If you're an Android user, there's an app called Health Sync you can use to import your Garmin data into Fit, which can then be imported to Metriport. This is what we do with a Fenix 5X.

Please note that direct Garmin integration is on our roadmap to be done ASAP, as we've been getting this request from many people!

Among the maxims on Lord Naoshige's wall there was this one: "Matters of great concern should be treated lightly." Master lttei commented, "Matters of small concern should be treated seriously."

Hey CloudieKitt, thanks for all the suggestions! Blobby is now live on android, in case you want to give it a try :) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simonrahm.blobby Please let me know if you like it and what i can improve!

I've learned to value peacefulness more than happiness. If you're calm inside and accept everything, you're going to enjoy happiness when it comes, without losing your shit during bad times. I wrote about this here.

I'm not so sure.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/dont-think-positively/379993/

https://lifehacker.com/the-benefits-of-pessimism-1620150406

The pessimism argument has always seemed more compelling and logical.

Sorry if this is spamming, but I've found 750 Words to be a good tool for getting into the habit of dumping your thoughts. The interface is dead simple, and there is a badge and point system to keep you motivated.

Tracking habits is great. The don't break the chain effect does really help carry them forward.

​

I've been using http://www.habitbull.com a simple free phone app.

Habit Hunter (link IOS or link Android)is the perfect example of a gamified productivity app that can help build habits, and stay motivated.

I highly recommend this book:

The Upside Of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It

This book changed my life

Hi! I usually enjoy meditative zen experience that comes from Native American shamanic music. It's really calming and relaxing.

There're plenty of it on youtube, just search "native american music" or something.

Also if you wanna play it offline, there's one good app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.strongsun.nativeamericanmusic

(but unfortunately there's no iOS version)

First Break All The Rules is a great book for managers that use this approach. They recommend focusing on developing someone's strengths rather than trying to fix their weaknesses.

Search Inside Yourself. It's written for engineers and other practical-minded folks. Terrific!

Anything by Alan Watts for Zen and general life-changing factor.

Also, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is a classic by Shunryu Suzuki, but if you've read that there's a lesser known book of his lectures called Not Always So (only available in paperback) that has quickly become a favorite of mine.

Also this book So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport is a good read

Wow I haven't seen a picture the AOM guy since soon after he started the blog and looked .... very different. He's really all in on the moustache-pomade-pocketsquare stuff, eh?

The Power of Habit is a good book and a quick read but there are interviews with the author floating around (one was with Ramit Sethi) that I think are worth looking into even if you've read it; it's obvious he's been interviewed about it so much that he's able to communicate some of the keys with real clarity.

There's a very good reading by Shunryu Suzuki called "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind". It's a pretty short read and it helped me ease into correct meditation practice. But always remember, there never has to be technical ""rules"" for meditation. There's emotional meditation, energy meditation, spiritually-directed meditation... it all depends on what you're trying to "achieve". I recommend reading Zen Mind, and also try to take up the practice of mindfulness in your every day life. This is an important factor in meditation and eases the mind. It gets you used to just simply doing what you are doing, with no crazy running thoughts behind it.

I'm currently reading The Power of Habit and it has been incredibly helpful in understanding the ways that habits are formed. I highly recommend it. It's not really a step-by-step guide on how to form better habits, but it might give you enough popular science to reflect and determine what would work best for you. The Power of Habit

An into class for a few weeks or a month wool teach you all you need to know about the yoga postures, then you can do them for free at home. That will give you more flexibility in regard to a meditation practice. I recommend vipassana meditation. The book Mindfulness in Plain English will explain the ins and outs of the practice and answers most questions people usually have. Other than that, my advice is to stick to it! The benefits off both are very real. Good luck!

Reading a book called "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg it's all about this cycle of cue/routine/reward..

Also he discusses Keystone Habits .. These are habits that can cascade and trigger change in vast ways ..

One example was exercising in the morning and how that can create lots of other positive changes in the rest if your life

There is a great book that draws parallels with what this post presents. "Learned Optimism" by Martin Seligman was recommended to me a few years ago and has been a great resource when it comes to this pattern of negative thinking. It truly is a habit that can be difficult to break. If you are the research oriented type, then this book may spark your interest. Seligman delves into his extensive research with thinking patterns and how they affect how you feel on a day to day basis. It addresses the whole cognitive behavioral theory and relates it to everyday life.

Anyways, I enjoyed the read. Thanks for the post.

There are literally hundreds. Some of the classic sources are the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, anything by Wayne Dyer, buddhism and zen, and many many many more. Most blogs will be sourced/rehashed/watered down/convergent versions of those works. If you want to get into some real heavy stuff tho look into the writings of "Seth" by Jane Roberts or "Bashar" by Darryl Anka and the general culture surrounding that.

No, definitely not. It is literally entirely designed to be a textbook on how to wage war using old methods. Due to recent advances in technology(planes, bombing, nukes, ICBM, even guns for god's sake) it is no longer useful as a textbook, and would only be useful if you happened to get trapped in a battle where there is no modern tech in play. Not only that, but even some of the methods outlined in the book were surpassed before the modern technology arrived.

One book which a lot of people on here would appreciate is "Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tzu. That is an interesting book, and related to this subreddit. The Art of War is about as far away from a necessary reading as you can get, especially for people in this subreddit.

Mindfulness in Plain English.. Really just a great book that has taught me to meditate. I have been meditating seriously now (by keeping a structured schedule) for about 2 months. Usually 15 min in the morning and 15 min at night. Out of all the other "quick fixes" (or fixes in general) for anxiety, this has been by far the most helpful.

Read bits of "Peace is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hahn. Meditate some more.

Talk to your emotions (ask your anger/sadness/pain... how it is doing today), they are just another part of you like your joy or your left pinky toe. Put out the fire within instead of looking for who is to blame for putting the fire there.

...and it sounds cheesy, but it may help to spend some time getting to know your inner child.

I think Get a Life!: The Little Red Book of the White Dot is pretty much the definitive book on the subject. Obviously Netflix and streaming in general should be considered "TV" ... and I'd argue any aimless internet puttering as well (most of my own reddit time for example).

I highly, highly recommend this book for that:

http://www.amazon.com/Buddhas-Brain-Practical-Neuroscience-Happiness/dp/1572246952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458157786&sr=8-1&keywords=buddha%27s+brain

Pretty sure the word was coined by Nassim Taleb in his similarly-titled book. It's about systems that are strengthened by perturbations rather than weakened (fragile) or unaffected (robust) by them.

Great book on personal time management. Great to find out ways I'm sabotaging my time and productivity. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118179676?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Interesting suggestion, I’m making a note!

In the meantime we really enjoy Maria Popova’s infographic about the Sleep Habits vs. Literary Productivity of famous writers’ and Mason Currey’s book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. Mason already features historic figures in his book, so this might be especially interesting for you. In case you want to learn how Mason starts his day himself, we have him on MMR :)

How to Love by Thich Nhat Than

If you are looking for beginner series, there are some very good eBooks on Amazon Kindle you can search - If you are looking for something practical and a very quick read - then this is the eBook I have pre-ordered and you might like too: http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Full-Mindfulness-Practical-mindfulness-ebook/dp/B00ZB3H6KS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1434050338

Search Inside Yourself. It's written for engineers and other practical-minded folks. Terrific!

I recommend 'Work as a Spiritual Practice' by Lewis Richmond.

Also don't fall into the mind trap of 'there's nothing else out there'. It's an easy way to waste your youth doing something you hate (i know this because i did it). Unless you're in the middle of the Sahara, there's always other stuff out there. You just have to be willing to walk into places and ask, rather than relying on postings or ads. Most places hire from the inside first, so you need to be proactive.

A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough by Wayne Muller. If you're completely opposed to the concept of spirituality, it's probably not the right book (but it's been a long time since I've read it). However, it is really good.

old fasion tally on paper(a tick for every word and grouped in fives), but im sure there is an app for that. Maybe one of those counters that adds one after every click like this one could be helpful for some.

Who knows if it actually works, but I really like playing the games on Peak.

The "stats" they give you line up with my scores on the games, and I know my focus is pretty shitty. I think they games at least attempt to cover their skill well.

Not sure if I'll upgrade again next year yet.