Q&A with Leo Babauta of Zen Habits: Success


credit: ePi.Longo

 

Today I was fortunate enough to be part of a four hour question and answer session with Leo Babauta from one of my favourite blogs, Zen Habits.

Zen Habits (as if you haven’t heard of it!) is a very successful site that covers topics like achieving goals, productivity, being organized, motivation, eliminating debt and successfully implementing good habits. I really appreciate Leo’s down to earth nature and insight into the many different topics he writes about.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to ask Leo two questions that he answered very well, I thought I’d take a moment to share one of them with you (the other was on market saturation and blogging, you can read his response on the site; link is at the end of this post):

Question: Leo – with your recent success you must have days where you feel sky high.. Apart from the tips found in great posts written on this subject, is there a way you stay so grounded/humble?! You seem to be so good at it! I’m always looking for ways to better myself and part of that is taking advice from those that have been there / done that….

Answer: Well, I have to admit that things have definitely changed for me as a blogger … success brings amazing new opportunities but also some new challenges … bloggers who want me to link to them, authors who want me to review their books, websites that want me to be their partner, people who want to buy links within my posts (which I don’t do) … I’m not complaining, though, but just pointing out that I definitely have to change the way I operate to stay sane. I don’t get to answer comments as much as I used to — I used to respond to every single comment! Those days are long gone, sadly.

But as for staying grounded … I think the key for me is gratitude. I try to remind myself of all that I’m grateful for, including my wonderful, encouraging readers, my simple lifestyle made possible by a full-time blogging job, the ability to do what I’m passionate about for a living … these are amazing things and I’m truly grateful for all of them.

When you remember to be grateful, you also remember that any of it can be taken away by circumstances. So I try to remember all of that and not think that I’m invincible or anything.

I also remember that I’m not perfect, by a long shot. I try not to think I’m better than anyone else. If I’ve been successful as a blogger, there are dozens of bloggers who’ve actually done better than me … and for those below me in the blogging ladder, I remember what it was like to be on their rung. It’s a struggle, when you’re first starting out, and I know that. So I try to be kind to those who want to promote themselves on my blog, just as others were kind to me when I was in that position.

 
Thanks again Leo for making yourself available, and for taking the time to produce such heart-felt genuine responses to questions. You can find the rest of the questions and answers from the session at Write To Done. I hope that you were equally as impressed as I was with Leo’s response.