Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

This morning after our hill run my sister asked me about Twitter: “What’s Twitter all about? I don’t get it?”

Neither did I at first — I resisted using Twitter for more than a year because it seemed like just another distraction, just another way to waste time and have noisy chatter going on in front of you.

But I decided to see what the fuss was all about, and did my Great Twitter Experiment. To my surprise, Twitter was actually fun, interesting, and useful — if used correctly.

I’ve also found that Twitter isn’t something you can explain, and it’s not something you can understand until you’ve used it for at least a few days. You have to use it to get it.

I think that’s because Twitter can be so many things to so many people. One person might use it as a marketing tool, another to stay in touch with friends, another to collaborate with co-workers, and still others to stay informed about their favorite bloggers, websites, the latest gossip, reading, news and more.

Today we’ll look at some different ways you can use Twitter without spending too much time doing it.

A Minimalist Approach

When I first signed up for Twitter a few months ago, I followed a bunch of people I knew and was instantly fed with a stream of new “tweets” from all the people I was following. I read through all the tweets, but the stream just kept coming.

I’d wake up in the morning and try to read through all the tweets, or at least scan them. Then I’d try to keep up periodically throughout the day. It was stressful.

Then I learned the secret of Twitter: don’t try to keep up.

Twitter is like a river … you can step into it at any point and feel the water, bathe in it, frolic if you like … and then get out. And go back in at any time, at any point. But, you don’t have to try to consume the entire river — it’s impossible and frankly a waste of time in my eyes.

So that’s how I approach Twitter these days: I’ll just jump into the stream of incoming tweets and see what people are saying. I can ignore them or follow their links or reply if I want. Then I get out of the stream. I don’t try to read everything I missed, and if I miss a lot of stuff, I’m OK with that.

I’ve actually used this approach I learned from with other things, such as email, Facebook, RSS, news and other information. I don’t have to consume it all, but I can jump into the river anytime I like and read, reply if I like, and get back out. So what if I miss a ton of blog posts, news stories, and emails? Will my life fall apart?

The answer turns out to be no.

Simple Ways to Use Twitter

If you follow this minimalist approach, you don’t have to spend a lot of time using Twitter to get a lot out of it, no matter what your goals are.

Here are some guidelines and ideas for using Twitter that I’ve found to be useful:

• Don’t follow a lot of people. Some people follow thousands of people. Their incoming stream must be incredible — I’m sure they don’t even try to keep up with everything. Others might be even more minimalist than I am: they follow a dozen people or less. But then what’s interesting about that? You’re not getting very much out of Twitter if you only follow a few people. Your needs will be different than mine, but I’ve found that following a few dozen to a hundred people is ideal if you’re trying to keep things simple but still get a lot out of Twitter. I think I’m following about 60 right now. I add people now and then but also drop others if they tweet too often and I don’t get anything out of their tweets.
• Don’t tweet too much. Some people are constantly tweeting. Personally, I don’t like to read that many every hour, so if they’re filling up my stream of incoming tweets, they’re wasting my time. I’ve found that once a day or a few times a day or even 10 times a day at the most is ideal for me — your usage will vary. But if you do it too much, you have to be using Twitter a lot, and to me that’s too much of a distraction and time drain. So I go on a few times a day (at most) and tweet only when I feel I have something interesting to say or ask.
• Don’t be on Twitter all the time. Some people have it open all the time — and that’s fine if it works for you. Personally, I’ve found that if Twitter is open (or if Twitterific, my desktop Twitter program, is open) all the time, I have a hard time focusing on other work. So like I said, I close it most of the time and open it a few times a day to see what’s going on. Mainly when I want to take a break. I only open it for a few minutes at most.
• Make announcements. I like to announce things on Twitter — it’s more effective than announcing things through email and less obtrusive than doing an entire post on my blog.
• Ask questions. Sometimes I’ll need a solution or some ideas for something, and I’ll ask the question on Twitter — and immediately get a dozen great replies. Thank you Twitterers! One time I couldn’t order a notebook (Muji Chronotebook) online so I asked if anyone lived near a Muji store, in New York for instance — and one Twitterer actually went to the store and bought it for me, and mailed it to me! Btw, I love this notebook and use it daily now. Thanks Chris!
• Take a poll. I’ve asked people how often they like to see posts on Zen Habits, things they want me to write about, whether I should do a Zen Habits post about the presidential election, and other similar poll questions, and have gotten some great feedback.
• Tell people interesting things. If you have something going on in your life that’s really interesting, by all means, share it. That’s what Twitter is about. It often gets some great conversations going. If you don’t have anything interesting to say, don’t be afraid to be silent. No one really cares if you don’t say anything, but it’s annoying to read people share things that aren’t interesting.
• Jump into conversations sometimes. I don’t think you should get involved in every conversation, but sometimes it can be fun to jump in and say your two cents. Then jump back out when you’re done.
• Find some great reading. When I feel like a distraction and want to read something useful or interesting, I’ll scan through my Twitter stream and find a few cool links to read. People share some really great stuff from the web on Twitter. However, as a warning, it can be overwhelming if you try to read everything. Again, it’s a river — go into the water when you feel like it, but get back out too — don’t try to consume the entire river.
• Learn to be concise. What I really love about Twitter is its 140 character limit for tweets. Some people cheat by doing multiple tweets about the same thing, but that defeats the purpose of the limit. Instead, learn to say just the essential in one post (or two if you really need to). It forces you to choose, to edit, to simplify. I love that. I wish email had a limit.
• Use it as a log. I forget where I read this idea, but one fitness blogger suggested using Twitter to help lose weight: post *everything* you eat on Twitter. It’s a great idea (I think it was Craig Ballantyne) because it hold you accountable, and you don’t want to post something that you shouldn’t have eaten. But Twitter could be used as a workout log, a travelogue, anything really.
• Find someone to hire. Just now I posted on Twitter to find someone to redo the software for Guampedia.com in Drupal or Joomla. Got some great responses already! Whoever you need to find, Twitter should be able to help.
• Reduce your inboxes. If you use Twitter regularly, you can probably reduce your need for RSS (my favorite blogs are on Twitter anyways), email (you can DM people), IM, news sites, and so on. It’s nice to consolidate, as long as you use it intelligently.
• Create a Twitter personal assistant. Check out this guide for a pretty cool use of Twitter and associated services.

Just for fun: check out Twittervision 3D for an incredible global representation of tweets at they happen around the globe in real time.

What are your tips for using Twitter simply and funly? Share in the comments! Also feel free to follow me on Twitter.
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“Smile, breath and go slowly.” - Thich Naht Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk

Post written by Leo Babauta.

The words of Naht Hanh in the quote above are some of my favorite ever — I use them almost daily to remind myself to stay in the moment.

Hanh’s advice, of course, is advice on life, but if you are a runner like I am and see the marathon (and running in general) as a metaphor for life, then Hanh’s advice applies just as well for the marathon.

And so that’s what I did in the Honolulu Marathon this past weekend (Dec. 14) … I used those five words as my mantra, and DID AWESOME!!!!!

If you recall my previous post, I wrote about how I was going to abandon my time goal of coming in under 4 hours and focus instead on two goals: 1) have fun and 2) finish the race. This was especially true after I arrived in Honolulu to find that the island (Oahu) was being hit by a storm and was flooded in many areas.

Well, I accomplished those two goals (I had a blast!) and I still came in under 4 hours! It was all due to my mantra: Smile, breathe and go slowly.

I came in at 3:54:08 (it’s the “chip time” in the linked page) and ran what is called a “negative split” — my second half was faster than my first half. It was the perfect race for me.

I didn’t have high hopes of coming in under 4 hours, but I thought I’d just see if I could do a 9 minute/mile pace for as long as possible (a 9-min/mile pace is about a 3:56 marathon). The start of the race was super crowded, with lots of slower runners lined up before me, but I wove in between them with a smile on my face and did the first mile at 10 minutes (slow for me but actually it was a good start)

After that, I consistently did 9-minute miles (give or take 10-15 seconds, especially during a bathroom break) for the first half marathon and hit the halfway mark at about 1:59 … and decided to try to go a little faster. From there on out, I ran most of the miles faster than 9 minutes (sometimes under 8:30) and the final mile I did at a near sprint, crossing the finish line with my arms raised in the air in victory!

So here’s how Naht Hanh’s words helped my marathon:

1. Smile. Every time I repeated the mantra, I smiled … and instantly felt better! The simple act of smiling raised my mood every time, and made the run more enjoyable and less difficult. This worked even in the most difficult of times, when I was struggling after 20 miles (those last 6.2 miles are the longest miles ever). I’d smile, and all of a sudden nothing seemed so bad.

2. Breathe. I would literally take a deep breath, and my whole body would relax. Breathing helped me to focus on the moment, rather than thinking about all the miles I’d run or all the miles I still had left to run — I left those thoughts behind when I focused on my breathing, and just thought about the mile I was running now. In fact, I didn’t even think about the whole mile I was running — I thought simply about the steps I was taking and how my body felt and all the sights around me. Focusing on the moment was tremendous, and the marathon was an incredible way for me to practice being present, repeatedly.

3. Go Slowly. This was a reminder for me to not go too fast, especially in the beginning. Of course, later in the race the same pace actually seemed fast, so I didn’t actually “go slowly” toward the end. But going slowly in the beginning really helped. It was also a nice reminder for me to drink in the entire marathon, not just focusing on my running but on everything that was happening. This was my first big marathon (I’ve only run on Guam before) so I was very happy.

This was my third marathon, and I beat my previous marathon in March by 20 minutes, so I was ecstatic with my performance and I loved the crowd and the atmosphere and the course. I had such a great time!

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” - Thich Naht Hanh

Honolulu: You really need more than three days

My wife Eva and I spent three days and four nights in Honolulu, and it really wasn’t nearly enough. I couldn’t do any longer because of our kids, the holidays, and my impending book launch, so we did the best we could in three days while still going slowly and relaxing.

We loved the weather in Honolulu, even if it was rainy sometimes. It was warmer than the continental U.S. but cooler than Guam, so pretty much perfect. The people were super friendly, the island is just beautiful, and everything we did was great. For example:

• Breakfast at Lulu’s … their stuffed French toast with macadamia nuts was so delicious we went back the next day for more.
• Ala Moana Shopping Center … a really cool open-air mall, I went to my first Apple store (OK, that shows that I’m both a rube from Guam as well as a Mac geek, but hey, I can’t hide those things) and hung out at Barnes & Noble reading for as long as I could.
• Alan Wong’s Restaurant … oh man, you can’t miss this restaurant! It’s an award-winning restaurant (named like No. 8 in the country by some food mag but I forget which one) that wins so many top awards in Hawaii they had to stop letting the restaurant compete (according to my new friend Sandee Oshiro). Eva had a seafood dish she loved but I don’t eat seafood so they cooked me up a mushroom risotto that wasn’t on the menu and it was the best risotto I’ve ever had! Then we had a chocolate sampler for dessert, with a chocolate cheesecake, chocolate creme brulee, chocolate ice cream and candy and it was awesome! Great atmosphere and service, but kinda expensive. (Update: Eva says she had the shrimp and clam penne with spicy black bean sauce and “it was frickin’ awesome!”)
• Auntie Pasto’s … great place to carbo-load before the marathon. Their butternut squash ravioli with Alfredo sauce was the best ravioli I’ve had since I can’t remember when. Yum!
• In addition we enjoyed the beach, Keoni’s restaurant (good Thai food), running through rich Honolulu neighborhoods early in the morning, the awesome sunsets and views from the 36th floor of our hotel, walking around the streets at night and finding little shops.

But we didn’t get enough. We didn’t tour the non-city part of Oahu like we’d hoped because we ran out of time and also there was flooding. And we didn’t go to any museums or temples or cultural stuff like we’d hoped. Oh well, there’s only so much you can do in a few days without feeling rushed (our goal on any trip is to take things slowly, smile, and breathe). And this gives us a reason to come back — to see the other stuff we didn’t get a chance to see!

I also had a chance to have lunch with a few Zen Habits readers: Sid Savara, Capsun Poe, Sandee Oshiro and her sister Cindy (who isn’t a blogger but trust me, I tried hard to convince her to at least microblog). It was nice because it was small — I’m better with small groups — and they were all lovely, friendly, interesting and disproportionately attractive people. I had fun!

From left: Sid Savara, Leo Babauta, Sandee Oshiro, Cindy Oshiro, and Capsun Poe. Photo courtesy of Sandee Oshiro.

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Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project.

Maybe you’re feeling down because of the financial crisis. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by holiday tasks. Maybe you’re rushing around to try to get things done before you leave for vacation. Or maybe you’re just having a lousy day.

If so, you can make yourself happier – right now. In the next thirty minutes, check off as many of the following items as possible. Each one will lift your mood, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals; by doing so, you boost your feelings of self-efficacy, which can boost happiness.

1. Boost your energy. Stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk ten-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of “emotional contagion,” if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic, too.

2. Count your blessings. Take ten minutes to think about all the things in your life that are going right, about all the things that other people do to help you, about all the things that you’re thankful for. In the tumult of everyday life, it’s very easy to focus on the negative and to lose sight of what really matters.

3. Reach out to friends. Make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is the KEY to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Somewhat surprisingly, socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.

4. Perform an action that reflects your values. Do you think organ donation is a good idea? Sign up online to be one yourself; it takes less than a minute. Worried about climate change? Refill your water bottle from the tap instead of buying a couple of bottles throughout the day. The First Splendid Truth holds that to work on happiness, we should think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth. Living up to your values will help you “feel right.”

5. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Answer a difficult email, do an errand you’ve been putting off, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and relief.

6. Create a calmer environment. Clear some physical and mental space around yourself by sorting papers, pitching junk, cleaning a closet, answering a few emails, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizeable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the “one minute rule” — i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. And always make your bed in the morning!

7. Lay the groundwork for some future fun. Order a book you’ve been wanting to read (not something you think you should read) or plan an excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater—whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.

8. Do a good deed. Make an email introduction of two people who could help each other, or set up a blind date, or shoot someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise. Do good, feel good—this really works. Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

9. Act happy. Put a smile on your face right now. Research shows that even a fake smile has a positive influence on your emotions—turns out that just going through the motion of happiness brightens your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal. To the contrary. Studies show that happier people are more sociable, likeable, healthy, and productive—and they’re more inclined to help other people. So in working to boost your own happiness, you’re benefiting others as well.

What other strategies have you tried to give yourself a happiness boost?

Read more from Gretchen Rubin at her blog, The Happiness Project, or subscribe to her feed.

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I’m excited to share the new webiste for my upcoming book, THE POWER OF LESS: ThePowerOfLess.com. My book will hit bookstores and online book retailers on Dec. 30, 2008, and this website will share information about the book and much much more:

• Audio podcast tips on topics such as handling email, setting and achieving goals, losing weight, and focusing on one task at a time.
• Audio interviews with top names in the productivity field.
• A free ebook entitled “THRIVING ON LESS: Simplifying in a Tough Economy”.
• THE POWER OF LESS New Year’s Challenge: form one habit in 30 days, just 10 minutes a day.

All of these things will be completely free, and will be released on different days in the next couple weeks!

While the book goes on sale on Dec. 30, you can actually pre-order it today:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Borders
• IndieBound

For more info on the book and other things coming out, see the website or these pages:

• The Book (including table of contents)
  
• FAQs
• A Conversation with Leo Babauta
• The Free Ebook: THRIVING ON LESS (coming soon)
• Free Audio Podcasts (coming soon)
• The New Year’s Challenge (coming soon)

Music licensed via Creative Commons from Josh Woodward. Video created by Leo Babauta.

The video above can be found on this page: THE POWER OF LESS Video … I’d love it if you went to the page and clicked on the “Tell a Friend” button to share it with your friends, family, co-workers, blog readers, Twitter or Facebook friends, and so on … help me spread the word! Feel free to share the website and any other things I release on the site as well.

In the days leading up to the launch on Dec. 30, and in the days following it, I’ll be releasing different things such as the extras mentioned above, as well as doing interviews and guest posts on other blogs, to help promote the book. I hope you don’t mind if I announce those releases, interviews and guest posts on Zen Habits — while some of you might tire of the announcements, others might find these things useful.

As you can probably tell, I’m excited about the launch of the book!

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Post by Leo Babauta.

I’ve been trying out Gmail Tasks, which is a pretty simple to-do list app in Gmail … I think it’s pretty useful. It’s not the most full-featured of to-do apps, but I like things simple. Remember the Milk (RTM) is probably still better, depending on your needs.

I’ve tried many to-do apps and other productivity software over the years. My current favorites:

• Gmail Tasks for my to-do list
  
• Quicksilver for doing everything via keyboard
• Evernote for remembering everything
• Gmail
• Gcal for calendar
  

But my preferences change all the time.

So I’d like to hear from you:

What are your favorite productivity apps? And why?

Share in the comments!

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