Tim Ferriss

“Any time I’m telling myself, ‘But I’m making so much money,’ that’s a warning sign that I’m doing the wrong thing.”

Looking back at his career, B.J. Novak noticed that he could have stalled in a number of places. Instead, he became very well known for The Office and other mega-successes.

How did he repeatedly choose the right fork in the road? He attributes a lot of it to heeding the above rule of thumb.

If you find yourself saying, “But I’m making so much money” about a job or project, pay attention. “But I’m making so much money,” or “But I’m making good money” is a warning sign that you’re probably not on the right track or, at least, that you shouldn’t stay there for long.

Money can always be regenerated. Time and reputation cannot.

1 week ago | [YT] | 847

Tim Ferriss

Schedule (and, if possible, pay for) things in advance to prevent yourself from backing out. I’ve applied this to early morning AcroYoga sessions, late-night gymnastics training, archery lessons, etc. Make commitments in a high-energy state so that you can’t back out when you’re in a low-energy state.

1 week ago | [YT] | 1,206

Tim Ferriss

Tonight or tomorrow morning, think of a decision you’ve been putting off, and challenge the fuzzy “what ifs” holding you hostage. If not now, when? If left at the status quo, what will your life and stress look like in 6 months? In 1 year? In 3 years? Who around you will also suffer?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1,633

Tim Ferriss

To keep things fun for myself, I include inside jokes and Star Wars references in my books that only a few friends will get. In The 4-Hour Body, there was one line that drove copyeditors crazy: “Because I’m a man, meng.” It’s a long story.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 325

Tim Ferriss

Friends! Do you have any stories about how you’ve applied The 4-Hour Workweek to your life (building a business, lifestyle design [e.g., more time with family], mini-retirements, geo-arbitrage, and/or otherwise)? If so, I’m soliciting real-world stories for a new experiment. The book just needs to have had a large impact on your life; building something huge isn’t necessary. If you have a story, please go to tim.blog/casestudy to submit it! I look forward to reading all of them.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 1,009

Tim Ferriss

Since nearly all the rules are made up anyway, during my podcast sabbatical I asked myself a bunch of questions, including:

What might this look like if it were maximally fun?

What might this look like if it were easy?

If I get to do this for another decade, or had to do this for another decade, what new rules might I create to keep it interesting?

Of course, these are implicitly “for me.” It’s a highly personal thing.

In my experience, keeping it interesting for me generally keeps it interesting for my lovely listeners. At the very least, it’s the only way to ensure I have the enthusiasm required for endurance.

Sure, sometimes what-Tim-likes is too strange and misses the mark, but trying to cater to the tastes of an abstract “audience” or the YouTube gods, without paying attention to what you like, has sent a lot of podcasts to the elephant graveyard.

And even if you manage to “win” that game, winning might be the most dangerous.

Rather than getting Old Yeller’d behind the barn, you have just enough income or traction or validation or growth to make it seem crazy to stop. How could you shut it down? Then you adjust to the creeping boredom and incremental gains, and you convince yourself that it’s all a cost of doing business.

You start by feeding the machine through the cage, only to wake up one day and realize that you’re the one inside the cage.

Media is a great tool and a merciless master.

1 month ago | [YT] | 910

Tim Ferriss

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” — William Morris

1 month ago | [YT] | 1,143

Tim Ferriss

Khaled Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner in the early mornings before working as a full-time doctor. Paul Levesque often works out at midnight. If it’s truly important, schedule it. As Paul might ask you, “Is that a dream or a goal?” If it isn’t on the calendar, it isn’t real.

1 month ago | [YT] | 2,046

Tim Ferriss

Excuses are a dime a dozen. In the case of entrepreneurship, the “I don’t have” list—I don’t have funding, I don’t have connections, etc.—is a popular write-off for inaction. But lack of resources is often one of the critical ingredients for greatness.

1 month ago | [YT] | 918

Tim Ferriss

The Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, beloved for his fairy tales, including “The Little Mermaid” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” perhaps put it best:

“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

Extending lifespan at the expense of quality of life makes little sense. It’s easier (and lazier) to focus on subtraction and avoidance, but a life of constant denial is not a life of freedom. The greatest rewards come from a good life, not just a long life.

This probably includes a bit of red wine and a few cheesecakes.

1 month ago | [YT] | 916