Given the swarm of swamis, shrinks, and life coaches these days, it can be hard to differentiate between the genuinely helpful and those aiming to enrich only their bottom line. Which is why we like to go back to Transcendentalist guru Henry David Thoreau, whose bible of minimalism, Walden, exhorted his countrymen to "simplify, simplify." Granted, that was back in 1854, when Thoreau's primary distraction was the mail ("I could easily do without the post office"), but many of his prescriptions for a streamlined life still apply. Take heed, and transcend.

Thoreau says: "Let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand."
We say: Thoreau was obsessed with preserving a "broad margin of leisure" in his schedule, so he cut his to-do list down to the essentials: thinking, writing, hoeing his bean rows, and evading human contact. Your interests may differ, but the strategy works: Weed out the extraneous—like those nagging social obligations you never have the guts to decline—so you have more time to surf, ski, bike, and play.

Thoreau says: "Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still."
We say: Damn straight! (Unless what you love is sitting on the couch eating Doritos and playing Xbox.) Jump-start your stalled passions by enrolling in a course or a workshop; you'll be amazed how a weekend of refining your fly-fishing skills or honing your photographic eye can reignite long-dormant recesses of your brain.

Thoreau says: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer."
We say: More often than not, greatness is achieved by those who follow their own muse. This doesn't necessarily mean ditching your day job and becoming a river guide, but it does mean having more faith in your own creativity. So if there's an idea you've been sitting on because it goes against conventional wisdom—like taking a leave to sail to Mexico or pitching a plan for community bike lanes to city hall—now is the time to act on it.

Thoreau says: "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."
We say: Though you'll probably want to stop short of Thoreau's hermetic extreme, spending some quality time alone helps bring mental clarity and perspective: Try to block out a minimum of 30 minutes a day of solo time—be it on your mountain bike or your meditation mat.

Thoreau says: "Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only."
We say: We're not going to tell you to give up certain nonessentials, like your new powder skis or this magazine, but the core thinking behind Thoreau's willful poverty is worth practicing. Make a habit of giving away or purging five things a week. Start with that old pair of sunglasses from your junk drawer, ancient receipts you no longer need, or that kelly-green CB ski jacket that's been hanging in your gear closet since 1988.