Getting Shit Done With Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity Guide

I am a flawed human being, and intensely aware of it. It’s why I’m attracted to self-help, fitness, organization, and productivity books. Most of them are useless. I’ve yet to find a book that was 100% on target with my life, but getting different perspectives on universal problems helps me discover my own solutions.

One of my biggest flaws is my lack of organization. I have no system in place. Everything in my life is a mess. Nothing gets done. Things get piled up and then forgotten.  I’m often drowning under a pile of shit to get done. It’s a crappy way of doing things, but I’ve yet to break the cycle.

This is why “Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System” interests me. Leo Babauta, the guy behind Zen Habits, is someone I’ve looked up to for a while. He struggled with his own bad habits, but was able to pull his shit together. Babauta is living the life he wants to because he overcame the impulses that were weighing him down.

“Zen To Done” has its flaws. Babauta is a blogger, and his writing style reflects that. His writing always has nice brevity, but it causes the whole book to read like a collection of blog posts. Information was needlessly repeated.  Each chapter’s main idea was narrowed to the point of silliness. He writes under the assumption you are already familiar with Zen Habits, David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) system, and “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.

The core of this book is very helpful. Babauta gives you a list of 10 habits to master, one a month, for the next 10 months. Month one has you collecting information and storing it in the right place; ideas go in your notebook, physical mail goes to the same place in your home, email stays in a single inbox. Then month two has you working on efficiently processing this information. Month three, you start planning on when and how you are going to utilize that information. The skills you learn in the previous month help you accomplish the habit you are trying to form this month.

This book is a great companion GTD; a system I love but found difficult to implement. Babauta explains that this is common for many people. GTD has you trying to make too many behavioral changes at once. It’s easier to make permanent life changes when you break everything down, then tackle one thing at a time. The desire to accomplish everything at once is our downfall.

Some of Babauta’s advice wasn’t helpful in the context of my own life. He thrives on structured routines and regular schedules. My brain doesn’t quite operate that way.  I can benefit from learning more organizational skills; implementing the entire Zen To Done system would make me miserable.

Time for the big question. Do I think you should read this?

Yeah, go for it. At only 114 pages, it is a super quick read. Plus you can download it on Amazon right now for only $2.99. “Zen To Done” isn’t going to fix your organizational problems, but it provides a good kick in the pants and some helpful ideas to get you started.

I give “Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System” 64 out of 100 mustachioed gentlemen.