Most people's problem isn't that they have too much to do and therefore need to find out how to get it all done, it's that many of the things they have to do aren't ultimately worth doing in the first place.
And then Zen, as I understand it, isn't about doing, it's about being. Activity in Zen is an effortless extension of being, of acceptance.
I never really considered myself a 'true' zen practitioner, but years ago I did regular zen retreats. It included sitting meditation, walking meditation, a mindful lunch with other practitioners, and... chores. (Maybe they used a different word - I don't recall.) One time I spent our ~hour washing dishes. Another time, sweeping the zendo.
The point of it, beyond contributing to the greater community, was to do these chores mindfully. There was no higher spirituality to it; just be present. When washing dishes, I was only focusing on washing, rinsing, drying, and putting them away. When sweeping, I was only sweeping the floor to collect dirt. When I collected the dirt, I was only collecting it. And so on. It sounds a bit silly, but it was a tremendous practice to force yourself to only do one thing and to think about that thing while you're doing it.
False dichotomy too. When I was kid my parents always required me too do things "vite et bien" (fast and well) and it its only much later, with more experience and also some understanding of what is said by Zhuangzi the Taoist, that I understood that both are compatible, and even require each other. Example: if you tidy up your room, doing it slowly means focusing on ordering your Lego by size and color, while doing it fast means moving everything to their place in less than 5 mn.
I’ve had a similar experience with Taoism. It is a kind of tough nut to crack coming from Western cultures what with our extensive theologies, holy books, and prescriptivist religions. I highly recommend “The Way of Chuang Tzu” by Thomas Merton.
Perhaps this betrays some fundamental ignorance on my part, but I think understanding and internalizing the Taoist mindset makes meditation a little less relevant or necessary. Taoism IMO is the sublime wisdom of not attempting to be wise (usually manifesting as inane and unnuanced rules, or clever-sounding quotes) and not neuorotically attempting to conform to practices or ways of thinking forced on us by culture, tradition, ideology, etc. Meditation and mindfulness help incrementally in that pursuit but they are like climbing rungs of a ladder next to an elevator that Zhuangzi built for us.
Have you ever heard of Zen Buddhism? All the "advice" you get from Zen teachings is pretty similar to this, except with more focus on not-doing as an approach to doing.
I think this book is about cultivating a home with exactly what you need, or essentialism; to view it as purely a self-help text on the aesthetic of minimalism is a loss to the reader, and overlooks the relationship between Zen and Japanese culture.
I was offered some advice last year by a monk who had been living at a monastery that resonated when I read this book:
"Our surroundings have a profound impact on our psyche. If you want to do good deeds, consider surrounding yourself with good people. If you want to work hard, consider surrounding yourself with hard workers.
And if you’re feeling sad, down, and kind of messy? Clean your room."
"The problem with that is, like much Eastern spiritual thought, it doesn't scale. Sure, we could all be Zen practitioners, but we'd have no fast computers, cool phones, or footprints on the Moon to show for it."
I think what Buddhism preaches is more along the lines of functional minimalism rather that forgoing material production altogether. The idea is to develop a clear mind that can better distinguish between the means and the ends in everyday decision-making.
I would probably try to read some short works on Zen Buddhism. Zen, in my experience, is all about appreciating so-called boring moments in life, like washing the dishes, weeding the garden, and so on. Better to end your life with a quiet happiness than in a YOLO, frenzied attempt to finish your bucket list.
Sole criticism is that it's perspective is too "western-centered"? Though I agree it's eastern resources are sine qua non. One could conceive an entire Digital Library devoted exclusively to Ancient Indian Philosophy & Music and it would encompass 10x the scale ;)
Looking at the term "Ikigai" as if it's some sort of dogma or a way to improve one's life sorts of defeats the point. East Asian philosophies are not for achieving "meaning of life" and other mundane goals.
Yeah, the general idea is good, the specific techniques are limited. It's not really about control, more about Choice. Few people ever truly make choices, and instead, select from a menu of options. That gives the illusion of choice.
As I mentioned in a different comment, there are much better teachings found in wisdom lineages -- and not just ones from Eastern spiritual traditions. There are shamanic initiations one can undertake. There are specific esoteric martial art lineages that instill this as part of the training.
Eastern philosophy isn't impenetrable, and people who cannot penetrate it aren't hampered by cultural difference.
Even for natives of those cultures, penetrating that philosophy often takes years of spiritual practise and training. The reason is that it isn't about ideas, it's an actual body-mind training and transformation of being. It isn't something you just sit and talk about and discuss, although it can include that, but also it must come with actual implementation to occur.
That's the main difference I've noticed between western philosophy and eastern philosophy which makes them difficult to integrate. The former is almost always understood by the experience of so-called "ordinary beings" and communicated in terms of intellectual arguments, whereas the latter cannot really be understood unless you actually physically and spiritually transform your very being.
For example, I used to practise Soto Zen, and Dogen's philosophical writings are very popular there. Western philosophers, or just general non-practitioners, absolutely bash their heads against his writing, it's just so difficult to wrangle and there's no connection. In Soto Zen we understand it by sitting zazen (seated meditation). Literally, the only way I know to understand it is by doing meditation practise. Then next time you read it and you have a deep connection with it that you can't explain in a way that someone who hasn't had that connection would understand. Western philosophy seems to not be compatible with those kinds of transformations. If it cannot be explained in a way that is somehow independent of the observer's own practise, then it is not considered rigorous, but also such a thing is impossible when talking, for example, about Zen.
Taoism isin't too far. I once read the Tao of Pooh and thought the ideas were great. I think my conflict is that information allows things to change. Decisions can be made given a better understanding.
A more practical thing might be to do your chores with music - so you'll focus on it and not on your next chore.
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