Timothy Ferriss's Blog

November 28, 2025

The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: How to Simplify Your Life in 2026 — New Tips from Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck (#837)

Please enjoy this transcript of a special episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, featuring three close friends and long-time listener favorites—Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck.

As we head into the new year, many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity.

So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question:

What are 1-3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life in 2026?

(1) From Derek Sivers — you’ll learn how Derek uses a radical approach to living from first principles instead of default settings.

(2) From Seth Godin — how a handful of hard rules can turn a messy professional life into something simple and focused on your best work.

(3) From Martha Beck — how making one radical commitment forced her through growing pains but led to a simpler life built around peace and meaning.

Please enjoy!

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Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform.

DUE TO SOME HEADACHES IN THE PAST, PLEASE NOTE LEGAL CONDITIONS: Tim Ferriss owns the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, with all rights reserved, as well as his right of publicity. WHAT YOU’RE WELCOME TO DO: You are welcome to share the below transcript (up to 500 words but not more) in media articles (e.g., The New York Times, LA Times, The Guardian), on your personal website, in a non-commercial article or blog post (e.g., Medium), and/or on a personal social media account for non-commercial purposes, provided that you include attribution to “The Tim Ferriss Show” and link back to the tim.blog/podcast URL. For the sake of clarity, media outlets with advertising models are permitted to use excerpts from the transcript per the above. WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED: No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Tim Ferriss’ name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services. For the sake of clarity, media outlets are permitted to use photos of Tim Ferriss from the media room on tim.blog or (obviously) license photos of Tim Ferriss from Getty Images, etc.

Derek Sivers

Hi, I’m Derek Sivers, and I’m fascinated with the implications of simplicity. Most people don’t want a simple life. They want an easy life. But a simple life can be hard. My life changed when I learned what simple really means. Simple comes from simplex. The opposite of complex. Complex comes from complex, the verb that means to intertwine.

This is important. Remember this, dear listener, your life is complex when it is intertwined with dependencies. You are depending on things and things are depending on you. Your life is simple when it is not complex. It’s not intertwined with other things, but that means depending on less. Notice how easy it was to make your life complex.

Just say sign me up. Just click buy now. Just say you are hired. Congratulations. You just made your life easier. But now it’s objectively more complex. Untangling. That means quitting, firing, unsubscribing, uninstalling, disconnecting, breaking ties, breaking commitments, and getting rid of a lot of the things you own.

But that makes life harder. And, hardest of all, it means letting go of big parts of your identity. No more superman self-image. It’s admitting you can’t do it all. You’ll disappoint people that depend on you. You’ll say no to almost everything. It’s kind of a sad mantra. No, no, nope, nope, sorry, no, nope. Maybe you don’t really want a simple life.

Maybe your deepest joy comes from all your entanglements, friends who depend on you, services and subscriptions and assistance and pets and tools of titans that make your life easier. You probably have a career and a spouse and a child and a hobby and a pet and a home, and I doubt you want to get rid of all but one of those.

So you have different aspects, and that’s that. But you can still simplify your life within each identity. Instead of intertwining them, untangle them, and keep them separate. When focused on one, give it your full attention and make the rest disappear. Like in my case, when I’m with my boy, my phone is off.

I’m unreachable, and if I think of anything else, then, like meditation, I let it go, and I bring my full attention back to him. Within each of your aspects, you can be temporarily simple. Your phone is the enemy of this since it intertwines everything. Anyway, enough preface. Tim, you asked for my three major simplifications.

Number one, no subscriptions. No Spotify, no Netflix, no memberships, no monthly obligations, no mortgage, no employees, no team, no publisher, no contracts. Nobody depending on me except my boy. We all draw the line somewhere. 

Number two, programming. For me, this was huge, but most of your audience can’t relate, so I’ll make this quick.

For my fellow programmers, I simplified my computer programming code, so it has no dependencies, no external libraries. If something really matters to me, I code it myself. If I don’t want to code it myself, then it must not be that important, and I do without it. It’s harder upfront to make what I need, but long term, it makes everything objectively simpler, easier to understand, maintain, and change.

Long-term, it feels better, and feelings matter. To my fellow programmers listening, go find my code on GitHub and email me if you want. I love talking tech. 

Number three, building a house from scratch. I mentioned this briefly on our last podcast, and I got so many emails about it. I didn’t like living in existing houses full of shit I don’t need.

So I bought a piece of off-grid land in the forest in New Zealand. Then my son and I started living full-time in a tiny cabin there to see what we really need. Starting from scratch makes you question the necessity of everything. Do I really need lights? Do I really need curtains? Do I really need a kitchen?

Do I really need an indoor bathroom? Instead of assuming I do, I try living without it in practice, instead of just in theory. It’s no by default and a very reluctant yes, only when proven to be necessary. In all three of my examples here, life would be easier up front if I said yes instead of no. But long-term, my life is objectively simpler without them.

Less comforts, but less complexity. Less dependencies, less obligations, less to maintain, easier to change. Like a hermit crab. The less you’re bound to, the easier it is to grow. It’s thinking long term versus short term deep happy versus shallow happy. It makes me deeply happy to shed some comforts in return for a simple life, simple code, simple home.

It’s easy at first to make your life complex, but it’s a long-term trap. It’s hard at first to make your life simple, but it’s a deeper long-term benefit for the peace of mind, self-reliance, control, and freedom to change.

Seth Godin

Hey, it’s Seth Godin. I’m an author of 21 Bestsellers, a daily blogger and entrepreneur, and a teacher, and I’m thrilled to be with you today talking about the hard work of simplifying. I start with the idea that it’s hard work because if it was easy, you would’ve done it already. We are surrounded by systems, invisible systems, persistent systems, systems that push us to be stuck where we are. And if we’re going to leverage our agency, take advantage of our freedom and change the systems around us, it helps to begin by acknowledging it’s not easy. 

So there are a few things that I would like to share. Simple ways to simplify, but they weren’t easy. The first one is this real clarity about what it’s for and who it’s for. Particularly the who. Start with who. This work you are doing, who is it trying to please? If you’re trying to make the stock price go up, make the stock price go up.

Don’t be surprised that the kid down the street isn’t impressed with what you do for a living. If you are writing something for people who speak English, don’t be upset if someone who speaks Italian can’t read what you wrote. Make hard decisions, difficult choices about who it’s for, and then ignore everyone else.

So if you write a book. Someone gives you a one star review on Amazon. They’re telling you nothing about how good the book is. All they’re telling you is that it wasn’t for them. No reason to read that. They weren’t on your list of who it’s for again and again. When I come back to the discipline of being clear about who I am here to serve, I can then highlight whether I’ve made a good decision or not about that who. Then I can go back to work. 

Number two, finding clarity about the gray areas. Because it’s when there are gray areas when we have to constantly analyze left or right up or down a little bit more or a little bit less, things get complicated. I begin with this. Budgets and deadlines. Choose to be a professional.

Never go over budget, never miss a deadline. That’s simple. When you run outta money or you run outta time, you’re done. You don’t have to weedle or plead or negotiate or rob Peter to pay Paul. When you run outta money or you run outta time, you are done. This makes you much more focused when you accept a budget, when you accept.

A deadline because you have a code, you’re not gonna miss either one. 

Second, yeses and nos. Make your yes mean yes. Make your no mean no. Say your no quite clearly without offending people, but with clarity, get it over with. No, I won’t be able to do that. Yes, I can take this on when we are clear about what’s a yes.

And what’s a no? Life gets much simpler. It doesn’t get easier. It’s easier to just sort of waffle your way through and see what happens. But with the simplicity comes leverage comes clarity, and then we can get to work. 

The third one, a tiny one. Don’t go to a meeting if a memo will suffice. In big organizations, this can save you 30 hours a week.

Even as a soloist, as a freelancer, it forces us into clarity. Say what you need to say and move on. Conversations are great. I’m in favor of conversations, but meetings, meetings almost always make things complicated. 

And the last one I’ll share with you is personal boundaries, which is a version of budgets and deadlines.

We make a promise to ourselves. When are we on the hook for work and when are we not? You can’t shortcut your way to success by spending more time than everyone else. You are gonna run out of time anyway. So when I add all this up, it means no social media unless it serves the project. No reading of reviews unless you’re doing it in a way that’s going to make your work actually better.

Don’t take a gig where you can’t do a good job and be happy about doing it. And tell the same story to everyone. It makes it much easier to keep your life organized and that makes it simple. We have plenty of horsepower, plenty of ideas, plenty of energy to do extraordinary work, but then the systems make things complicated.

Resist the easy path of making it more complicated. When you make it simple, you put yourself on the hook. On the hook to show up to do what you said you were gonna do, and to do it with grace and care work that matters for people who care. Here’s the thing, nobody signs up for a complicated life. Nobody signs up to find themselves wasting a lot of time in a swamp of complications.

We get there drip by drip, bit by bit. Compromise by compromise. We get there trying to play it safe, spreading things out instead of being specific. 

So a few really specific examples from me so you can think about the ramifications and repercussions of deciding to play it simple. For example, I don’t go to meetings.

I don’t watch television on my own. I don’t look at Facebook or Twitter. 

If you get rid of these four things, how many hours a day would be freed up? It would make your life simpler. Also, the stakes would be much higher because you’d have to put yourself on the hook for specific things, things you got great at because of the things you just gave up, or figuring out what you stand for.

When I got to business school, I looked at the cases that they were giving people. There were about eight pages of prose and eight pages of spreadsheets, and I realized professors needed to have students who, when they called on them to analyze the case, would give them the kind of feedback that they needed to keep the discussion going.

I decided on that first day to simplify my life and never do a spreadsheet, that if a professor called on me and asked me for a numerical analysis, I would simply say I didn’t have one. It wouldn’t take long for professors to realize that they could embarrass me if they wanted to, but then the class wouldn’t flow.

But in exchange for that simplification, I had to be really ready and really good at coming up with something useful. For the pros section, something that would be referred to at least twice through the rest of the discussion. By focusing on that, by simplifying, I put myself on the hook and it ended up becoming part of what I stood for.

Same thing with building a reputation for doing offbeat sort of book projects at the same time saying I will never miss a deadline and I will never go over budget. Made my life simpler. It also made it a bit scarier. One more example, also, very prosaic. Makes things simpler and makes things harder. When I give presentations and I’ve given more than a thousand of them around the world, I have a very specific rider about how I do it.

I don’t change the rules. I don’t have a discussion with the client saying do you want me to do it this way or do you want me to do it that way? My friend Simon Sinek, he shows up, he wants a flip pad. Me, I show up and I say I will not work in the round because no audience member has ever said, oh, it was great that way.

I got to see their back half the time, and I always use the same tech setup. Why? It’s not ’cause I don’t like exploring new ideas; it’s because by simplifying the way I do one thing, I open the door to make other things richer, deeper, and more complicated.

Martha Beck

Hi, I’m Martha Beck. I’m an author, a coach, podcaster, mom, and I’m here to tell you about one decision that radically simplified my entire life.

It also helped me create this deep sense of meaning and purpose and peace that I can always access now, so I highly recommend it. It started when I was 29 years old. I made a decision to follow the experience of joy above all other factors or considerations. I don’t just mean any positive feeling. Like we can feel happy, we can feel up when we’re manic, when we’re on drugs, when, uh, we buy something that we don’t need and get a dopamine hit. In fact, almost all the things that we turn to to feel better, create that jolt of dopamine and other hormones in the brain that we come to crave, and then we have to do more and more and more to feel as happy as we did the first time we did that. So that’s not really functional. What I’m talking about is a sort of quiet release that resonates through every aspect of our nervous systems.

When we connect with it, all our muscles relax, and you can’t fake that. When you think of somebody you love and you hold their image in your mind, your muscles will relax, as long as there’s no argument going on. And we may breathe more deeply, especially exhaling like that sigh of relief. Or we may smile spontaneously even if there’s nobody there to see it.

And we feel a sense of lifting or opening. It is a physical and emotional sense of freedom. So once I’d made this decision to follow only that sensation, my way of charting a course through life became really radically simplified. It wasn’t always easy, but it was very simple. 

So the only rule was if it feels like true joy, go toward it, if it feels like misery and pain, go away from it. And here’s the kicker: no matter what. So I began following this credo, and it was like playing a game of you’re getting warmer, you’re getting cooler. If it’s more like joy, I’m getting warmer. If it’s less like joy, if it’s more tense, I’m getting cooler.

And I found that even when something felt daunting or frightening, it was clear and simple. You need a bit of practice to access the sensations, but once you get there, if you can feel any trace of joy in the body, heart, mind, soul. It becomes really distinct. You can use it as you are getting warmer, getting colder measurement.

So I started doing this no matter what I. That included breaking the rules of a lot of relationships I’d had, because they didn’t feel like joy or the way they were being played out didn’t feel like joy to me. So I would either back off or I’d really change the behavior, my own behavior in that situation, until I felt joy.

So some people dropped away from my life. Actually, a lot of people did. I’ll get to that in a minute. It won’t happen to you. But after I’d been living this way for a while, even though it did create some short-term chaos in my life, I began to feel stronger and clearer than I ever had and more at peace.

I had a little cluster, a large cluster actually, of autoimmune illnesses for which there was no cure. They all went into remission. People started asking me why this was happening and why I always seemed to have amazing luck. I was always in a situation that was sort of benevolent or beneficent to me. So I began talking to people and it turned into coaching people.

I would say, okay, here we go. This is the instruction. Pay close attention. If something feels really great to you, if you can feel it feeding your soul and your body and your heart, maybe do a little more of that. But if something always drains you and leaves you feeling miserable, maybe do less of that.

Like, this is not rocket science here, but I’m, I’m gonna repeat it to make it crystal clear, because weirdly people have trouble wrapping their minds around it. So I’m gonna say to whoever’s listening, if you wanna try this, if a person, a place, a task, even a thought, in fact, especially a thought, if that specific thing feels peaceful and joyful and makes your muscles relax and your face smile spontaneously, do more of it.

Go toward that. And if something makes you feel crunched up and miserable. And again, this can be anything from a significant relationship or a career or anything in your life, all the way down to the most fleeting thought. If it makes you feel miserable, do less of it. It’s always amazed me that people are amazed by this.

It’s so simple, right? But we can get caught in culture and pressure to do things that don’t bring us joy. So to my own astonishment. I made an entire career out of teaching people to adopt this one incredibly simple but radically honest approach to life. So what prompted this? When I was 29, I had surgery, and while I was in surgery, I had a near death like experience.

And there was a bright light that appeared. Maybe it was my brain, maybe it was, I don’t know, some mystical being, I don’t know, but its presence filled me with a level of joy that I’d never remembered experiencing before. And it seemed to communicate with me again. Could be my subconscious. And it said, your entire task in life is to live in a way that feels like you’re feeling now.

So I very suddenly made a total commitment to joy, and I never went back on it. Some chaos did result. Everything that wasn’t working in my life left me or I left it, and in my case, that meant my entire culture, because I’d grown up in a very, very, very deeply dogmatic religion. I left that. That meant that I left my family of origin.

They stopped talking to me. I eventually left my marriage, my job, my career. My house that I was living in at the time, pretty much everything that gave me my identity, but also created harm or exhaustion. All those things left with astonishing speed. I felt grief and fear while this was happening, but those emotions were now overlaid on a sort of bedrock of peace.

Something I think came from the deepest part of me, beginning to trust that I would actually take care of it. What was hard? What was easy? It was very hard to keep my promise when in relationship with others who didn’t approve. 

It was hard to face the judgment of people who didn’t go along with my new credo, but my life as a whole became so much easier. It was so easy to tell only the truth. Lies and secrets are very hard on the emotions. What has been the payoff? Every single moment of pure delight or deep meaning I’ve experienced since, and there have been so, so, so, so many. 

The payoff was finding my way to wonderful relationships. The payoff was doing only the work I love in this world, so the sense of purpose, the sense of being on purpose never leaves me. The payoff ultimately was coming home. I realized that home was inside me, and when I went there, the entire world felt like home. The payoff is never, ever having to leave a state of peace and I wish you that experience.

I wish it for everyone. Hope it helps.

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Published on November 28, 2025 16:28

November 26, 2025

How to Simplify Your Life in 2026 — New Tips from Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck (#837)

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show

As we head into the new year, many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity.

So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question:

What are 1-3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life in 2026?

To explore that, I invited three close friends and long-time listener favorites — Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck.

1) From Derek Sivers — you’ll learn how Derek uses a radical approach to living from first principles instead of default settings.

2) From Seth Godin — how a handful of hard rules can turn a messy professional life into something simple and focused on your best work.

3) From Martha Beck – how making one radical commitment forced her through growing pains but led to a simpler life built around peace and meaning.

Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

Incogni,  which automatically removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft.  https://incogni.com/tim  (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan) Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5  sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating:  EightSleep.com/Tim  (use code TIM to get $700 off your very own Pod 5 Ultra.) Coyote the card game​ , which I co-created with Exploding Kittens[image error]Listen onSpotify Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onOvercastHow to Simplify Your Life in 2026 — New Tips from Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha BeckAdditional podcast platforms

Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Derek Sivers is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Derek’s books (How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: sive.rs. His new book is Useful Not True.

Seth Godin is the author of 21 internationally bestselling books, translated into more than 35 languages, including LinchpinTribesThe Dipand Purple Cow. His latest book, This Is Strategy, offers a fresh lens on how we can make bold decisions, embrace change, and navigate a complex, rapidly evolving world. 

Dr. Martha Beck has been called “the best-known life coach in America” by NPR and USA Today. She holds three Harvard degrees in social science and has published nine non-fiction books, one novel, and more than 200 magazine articles. The Guardian and other media have described her as “Oprah’s life coach.” Her latest book is Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose.

This episode is brought to you by Incogni: erase your personal data from the web and prevent scams, fraud, and identity theft! Incogni automatically removes your information across 420+ data brokers (1,000+ additional sites covered in their Unlimited plan), and they keep it scrubbed automatically. Deloitte has independently verified the headline numbers (245M+ removal requests), and the company adheres to AICPA SOC security standards, with an A+ rating from the BBB. And with their Unlimited plan, if you find your info on a site they don’t automatically monitor, just send them the link, and their privacy team will handle it.Protect yourself now with Incogni. Go to Incogni.com/Tim to get 60% off their annual plan.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep. Temperature is one of the main causes of poor sleep, and heat is my personal nemesis. But a few years ago, I started using the Pod Cover, and it has transformed my sleep. Eight Sleep has launched their newest generation of the Pod: Pod 5 Ultra. It cools, it heats, and now it elevates, automatically. With the best temperature performance to date, Pod 5 Ultra ensures you and your partner stay cool in the heat and cozy warm in the cold. And now, listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show can get $350 off of the Pod 5 Ultra for a limited time! Click here to claim this deal and unlock your full potential through optimal sleep.

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Published on November 26, 2025 13:44

November 21, 2025

My 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: 11 Gifts to Make Your Holidays Extra Fun, Relaxing, and Delicious

This blog post is a very special holiday edition of 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter!

I dislike shopping, but I do love finding the perfect gift. Finding that gift, though, gets harder with time. Those damn adults seem to have everything. So… If you’re having trouble thinking up great options, below are some goodies that deliver. I’ve recommended or gifted all of the below to my close friends.

I also reached out to some of my favorite companies to get special deals for subscribers. I use all of these products on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the season and activity. Literally everything I mention below lives in my home somehow. Each sponsored bullet is indicated with a star at the end of it, just like this sentence.*

Happy holidays! 🙂

A few books I’m gifting this holiday season

Awareness: Conversations with the Masters by Anthony de Mello. Non-fiction, 184 pages. I’ve gifted this at least 50 times, so I’ll keep gifting it.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by ​Gabrielle Zevin​. Fiction, 416 pages, which go very quickly. #76 on the NYT’s list of The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. This was a new find in 2025.

Gold by Rumi and Haleh Liza Gafori. Poetry, 112 pages. A vibrant selection of poems by the great Persian mystic with groundbreaking new translations by Haleh Liza Gafori, an American poet of Persian descent. Read 1–2 poems before bed each night and thank me later.

Small fitness tool I’m loving

​Tune Up Fitness – Alpha Ball​. This was recommended to me by ​Nsima Inyang​, a mutant among mutants. The Alpha Ball solves a few different problems at the same time: (1) It’s precise. Foam rollers are big amorphous objects. It can be hard to get them to certain spots (e.g., hips—TFL, glute medius, piriformis), which the Alpha Ball can easily access. (2) It’s compact enough for luggage and travel. This also means I can use it against a wall for spinal erectors, rear of the shoulders, etc. (3) It has a Goldilocks density: not too hard and not too soft. The firmness hits the sweet spot—hard enough to work out deep knots but not so aggressive that it causes excessive pain or bracing. I’m writing this from Japan and literally have it in my suitcase five feet from me.

Stocking-stuffer game that I’m playing with friends and family

Coyote the card game (38% off), which I co-created with Exploding Kittens. It just won the Pop Insider “Best Geeky Game” of 2025 and also “Best Stocking Filler” in the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2025 (UK). If you have any kids or relatives aged 8–15, you can start playing—and laughing—in minutes. Think charades + hot potato + brain fun. The game is available at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Exploding Kittens, and more.

It’s currently the cheapest it will probably ever be, at $7.99–$9.00 for Black Friday savings. Buy it here​!

​​ Supplement I’m using daily

Momentous Creatine Chews. I’ve relied on Momentous products for years now, and I take their creatine as a daily staple for strength, recovery, and—particularly—brain health. Recent studies have highlighted how creatine can support cognitive function, even boosting performance when sleep deprived. Creatine works best when taken consistently, and Momentous Creatine Chews make it as close to effortless as possible. I typically aim for 5 grams per day.

Each tablet contains one gram of Creapure® creatine, the gold standard for purity in sports science. Like all Momentous products, the Chews are NSF Certified for Sport®, meaning independently tested for purity, safety, and label accuracy. Use code TIM from this page for 35% off your first subscription order and 10% off of future orders.*

Kitchen gadget I’m absolutely loving

Maestri House Rechargeable Milk Frother. OK, I never expected to have a frother in this newsletter, but this is a great example of “there is always a market for the best.” 

It also reminds me of sage wisdom from Kevin Kelly, found in his tiny, practical book titledExcellent Advice for Living

Take note if you find yourself wondering “Where is my good knife?” or “Where is my good pen?” That means you have bad ones. Get rid of those. 

I’ve owned a lot of frothers for coffee and tea. Most of them are cheap, or I got them for free. They break, batteries stop charging, or they simply have two modes: completely off and outboard motor. Even the “tap here for three different speeds” types will backfire and spray coffee all over the place a third of the time. This Maestri House device fixes all of these problems. It just feels great to use. Plus, anything with “LunaFro” in the name…

One pan I use for nearly everything

Titanium Always Pan Pro. Many nonstick pans can release harmful “forever chemicals”—PFAS—into your food, your home, and, ultimately, your body. Teflon is a prime example; it is the forever chemical that most companies are still using. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to major health issues like gut microbiome disruption, testosterone dysregulation, and more, which have been correlated to chronic disease in the long term. This is why I use the Titanium Always Pan Pro from Our Place. It’s the first nonstick pan with zero coating. This means zero “forever chemicals” and durability that will last a lifetime. There is no degradation over time like traditional nonstick pans. Now through December 2nd, Our Place is having their biggest sitewide sale of the year, including significant discounts ($100 to $825) on their non-toxic cookware sets. Go to FromOurPlace.com/Tim now to shop Our Place’s Black Friday sale.*

Microphone that’s impressing me

Elgato Wave:3. Based on reviews, I picked up this microphone for a last-minute virtual recording on the road. It’s easy to pack and looks great on camera. Most impressive to me, it seems to cancel bounce and echo far better than my pro studio gear. Go figure. Their tech black magic can work wonders, but there’s one bug to look out for: when you first plug in the mic, it will often auto-select to speaker or headset mode, and you need to press the big button on the front to ensure you’re actually recording on microphone.

Honey I particularly enjoy during the winter

Premium MGO 1000+ Mānuka Honey from Manukora. I love this smooth and creamy Mānuka honey, and I use it before bed to help with sleep. Per the late Seth Roberts, PhD, and for reasons unclear to me, a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into hot water (or decaf tea) before bed seems to dramatically accelerate sleep onset time.

Sleep technology I’m using

Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra. Several years ago, I started using the Pod Cover for cooling and heating while I sleep, and it has transformed my sleep quality. It’s also probably saved quite a few marriages, since you can change your “zone” and not your partner’s. Eight Sleep recently launched their newest generation of the Pod: Pod 5 Ultra. The Pod 5 Ultra automatically tracks your sleep time, sleep stages, HRV, and heart rate. In addition, the all-new Blanket and Pod Pillow Covers expand the Pod into a head-to-toe sleep experience with real-time temperature regulation. Many of my listeners in colder climates enjoy warming up their bed after a freezing day. Conquer this winter season with the best in sleep tech, and sleep at your perfect temperature. Go to EightSleep.com/Tim and save $700 on the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia. This special offer is valid until December 1st.*

Newest workout staple I can’t leave alone

TANK® M3 Push Sled. This is, bar none, the best sled I have ever used for pushing or pulling. It isn’t cheap, but I use it infinitely more than the cheaper sleds I’ve bought in the past. 10–15-minute workouts in the morning sun have become my favorite way to set the stage for a great, mood-elevated day. The ease of rotation and traction makes it perfect for even a gravel driveway like mine. From the description: “Designed with patented Mag-Force™ Resistance Technology, the TANK M3 delivers scalable intensity, accommodating many fitness levels while minimizing the need for weight plates and clunky user swaps. The TANK M3’s three-wheeled design glides effortlessly across turf, rubber, or concrete, ensuring smooth operation on any surface. Ergonomic multi-position handles allow users to switch grips seamlessly, enhancing comfort and workout variety. Real-time performance monitoring helps users track progress and training metrics with an oversized digital screen to empower better workouts.”

What I’m gifting to friends and family who don’t want more “stuff”

The Way​. This is an easy one. I’ve explored a lot of meditation practices over the years. My current hands-down favorite, and the easiest way to get back in the habit, is ​The Way​, taught by Zen Master Henry Shukman. Using the app for just 10–20 minutes a day has reduced my anxiety more than I would have thought possible with any app. Try it for a week, and I think you’ll notice something similar. Here are 30 sessions for free​, no credit card required. Henry’s 10-minute sessions have become one of the highlights of my day, and I know it’s now true for other “non-meditator” friends, too. I recently chose to invest in The Way, given all the above, and I’ve been working with Henry and his team to make the app as good as humanly possible. If you want to gift an annual membership, it costs $99.99 and is worth every penny. Inside the app, tap ‘My Way’ and then go to ‘Account information.’ Then tap the ‘Gift’ button to buy a gift membership for someone.

And there you go! 11 of my favorite things that make great holiday gifts. I love them all and hope you do, too.

Have a wonderful weekend and wonderful holiday season, everyone!

Much love to you and yours,

Tim

The post My 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: 11 Gifts to Make Your Holidays Extra Fun, Relaxing, and Delicious appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on November 21, 2025 09:50

November 19, 2025

The 4-Hour Workweek Principles — 13 Mistakes to Avoid, The Art of Mini-Retirements, and Navigating the Dizziness of Freedom (#836)

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show

This time around, we have a bit of a different format, featuring the book that started it all for me, The 4-Hour Workweek. Even though it was published in 2007, it was one of Amazon’s top-10 Most Highlighted Books of All Time last time I checked in 2017. 

Readers and listeners often ask me what I would change or update, but an equally interesting question is: what wouldn’t I change? What stands the test of time and hasn’t lost any potency? 

This episode features three timeless chapters from the audiobook of The 4-Hour Workweek:

1) The chapter on taking mini-retirements, which challenges the deferred-life plan and shows you how to distribute recovery and adventure throughout life instead of saving it all for retirement.

2) “Filling the Void,” which addresses what happens when you actually achieve lifestyle design and the unexpected emotional and philosophical challenges of having a lot of time on your hands.

3) “13 Mistakes of the New Rich,” where I outlined the most common pitfalls I’ve seen people encounter when implementing the book’s principles.

The chapters are narrated by the great voice actor Ray Porter. If you are interested in checking out the rest of the audiobook, which is produced and copyrighted by Blackstone Publishing, you can find it on Audible, Apple, Google, Spotify, Downpour.com, or wherever you find your favorite audiobooks.

Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

Gusto  simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses Momentous  high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support Shopify  global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business Coyote the card game​ , which I co-created with Exploding Kittens[image error]Listen onSpotify Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onOvercastThe 4-Hour Workweek Principles — 13 Mistakes to Avoid, The Art of Mini-Retirements, and Navigating the Dizziness of FreedomAdditional podcast platforms

Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim FerrissMeditation, Retreats, and “Slowing Down” ResourcesThe Art of Living Foundation (Course II): International course recommended as a short silence retreat to reset.Spirit Rock Meditation Center: California-based meditation center offering retreats.Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health: Massachusetts center for yoga, retreats, and self-care programs.Sky Lake Lodge: New York–based retreat center mentioned as a contemplative option.Charity, Philanthropy, and Volunteering ResourcesCharity Navigator: Independent charity-rating site to compare and select nonprofits.Firstgiving: Platform for creating personal fundraising pages; Tim used it with Room to Read.JustGiving: UK analogue to Firstgiving mentioned for charity donations. Room to Read : Education-focused nonprofit Tim partnered with (via Firstgiving) to build schools in Nepal and Vietnam. Verge Magazine : Magazine featuring foreign relocation and volunteering case studies.All Hands and Hearts Disaster Response: Disaster relief organization mentioned under volunteering options.Project HOPE: Health-focused international relief organization.Relief International: Humanitarian relief and development organization.International Relief Teams: Disaster relief and development NGO.Airline Ambassadors International: Organization leveraging airline employees and travelers for humanitarian aid.Ambassadors for Children: Nonprofit arranging volunteer travel programs.Relief Riders International: Volunteer travel program combining horseback riding with humanitarian work.Habitat for Humanity – Global Village Program: International volunteer building program referenced explicitly.Planeta – Global Listings for Practical Ecotourism: Ecotourism directory recommended for practical and responsible travel.People, Books, and IdeasPaul FussellAbroad: Quoted on travel as a form of study.Rolf PottsVagabonding: Quoted on the importance of improvisation in long-term travel. Mohandas Gandhi : Quoted: “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”Charles Kuralt: CBS News reporter quoted on how highways can let you “travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.”Saint Augustine (354–430): Quoted on perfection and discovering one’s own imperfection.Joel Stein (Los Angeles Times): Credited with coining the “two-week (too weak)” trip joke.Fanny Burney: English novelist quoted on travel “ruining” happiness by raising your standards.Jules Henry: Anthropologist quoted about “the storehouse of infinite need” in modern industrial culture.Robert Henri: Artist quoted on the sacrifices needed to be free, happy, and fruitful.Paul TherouxTo the Ends of the Earth: Quoted on boredom when the route is too predictable.Anne LamottBird by Bird: Quoted on being engrossed in something outside oneself.Bill WattersonCalvin and Hobbes: Quoted on “not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do.”Anatole FranceThe Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard: Quoted on switching kinds of labor to relax.Joseph CampbellThe Power of Myth: Quoted on seeking experiences of being fully alive.Viktor E. FranklMan’s Search for Meaning: Quoted on the need for striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal.Dave Barry: Quoted on Americans discovering that people abroad “still speak in foreign languages.”Ellen Bialystok & Kenji HakutaIn Other Words: The Science and Psychology of Second-Language Acquisition: Cited regarding adults learning languages faster than children when work is removed. Oscar Wilde : Quoted: “Morality is simply the attitude we adopt toward people we personally dislike.”Paula Poundstone: Quoted on adults asking kids what they want to be because adults are looking for ideas.Thich Nhat Hanh: Quoted on the “miracle” of walking on the earth and being present.Frank Wilczek: 2004 Nobel Prize–winning physicist quoted on the necessity of making mistakes.Articolo 31 – “Un Urlo“: Italian rap group quoted: “I’ve learned that nothing is impossible, and that almost nothing is easy.”People and Case StudiesJosh SteinitzNileProject.com: Cancer survivor turned global vagabond and cofounder of a site providing customized itineraries to travelers.Jen Errico: Single mother who took her two children on a five-month world tour and later planned a move to a European ski chalet.Robin Malinosky-Rummell: Traveled through South America for a year with her husband and seven-year-old son, including time in Patagonia.Selected Travel, Places, and ExperiencesSmithsonian Tropical Research Island, Panamá: Private island trip with local fishermen and hidden dive spots (tied to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute ).Mendoza wine country, Argentina: Location for chartering a private plane over vineyards and the snowcapped Andes.Baffin Island, Nunavut: Arctic location where Josh watches narwhals from sea ice.Narwhals: Rare whales (“unicorns of the sea”) with spiral tusks; central to the Baffin Island story.Baños, Ecuador: Volunteer site for building wheelchairs.: Volunteer site for shepherding leatherback sea turtles.Recommended “vagabonding” starting points: Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba); China (Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei); Japan (Tokyo, Osaka); England (London); Ireland (Galway); Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai); Germany (Berlin, Munich); Norway (Oslo); Australia (Sydney); New Zealand (Queenstown); Italy (Rome, Milan, Florence); Spain (Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla); Holland (Amsterdam).TIMESTAMPS[00:00:00] Start.[00:02:31] Mini-retirements: embracing the mobile lifestyle.[00:09:22] The birth of mini-retirements and the death of vacations.[00:11:03] The alternative to binge traveling.[00:16:14] Purging the demons: emotional freedom.[00:18:43] The financial realities: it just gets better.[00:24:24] Fear factors: overcoming excuses not to travel.[00:30:08] When more is less: cutting the clutter.[00:39:29] The Bora-Bora dealmaker.[00:43:11] Questions and actions.[00:44:22] Take an asset and cash-flow snapshot.[00:45:02] Fear-set a one-year mini-retirement in a dream location in Europe.[00:48:38] Prepare for your trip.[00:59:42] Adding life after subtracting work.[01:01:51] Depression and boredom: it’s normal.[01:05:31] Frustrations and doubts: you’re not alone.[01:12:01] The point of it all.[01:13:37] Learning unlimited: sharpening the saw.[01:17:24] Service for the right reasons.[01:20:05] Questions and actions.[01:22:46] Make an anonymous donation to the service organization of your choice.[01:24:05] Take a learning mini-retirement in combination with local volunteering.[01:28:42] The top 13 new rich mistakes.

This episode is brought to you by Gusto! If you’re a small business owner looking to simplify payroll and HR tasks, Gusto could be the game-changer you need. Gusto is an all-in-one payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed specifically for small businesses. Gusto automatically files federal, state, and local payroll taxes, handles W-2s and 1099s, and offers straightforward health benefits and 401(k) options for nearly any budget. With an intuitive interface and features like time tracking, onboarding tools, and direct access to certified HR experts, Gusto saves time and eliminates headaches so you can focus on what matters—growing your business. ​As a special offer to lsteners, new customers get Gusto free for their first 3 months. This is the perfect time to choose Gusto to take care of your team and stay compliant. See for yourself why 9 out of 10 businesses recommend it. Get started now! Terms apply at Gusto.com/terms.

This episode is brought to you by Momentous high-quality creatine! I’ve long benefitted from creatine for athletic and gym performance, and now I’m increasing my daily intake to enjoy the cognitive benefits as well. A pilot study in Alzheimer’s patients demonstrated that supplementing can increase brain creatine levels in just 8 weeks, improving measures of memory, reasoning, and attention. And a double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that creatine can restore aspects of memory and attention within hours in adults who are sleep deprived. I use Momentous Creatine made with Creapure®, which is sourced from Germany and has the strictest lab standards to ensure it’s at least 99.9% pure. And try Momentous’s Creatine Chews—clean, chewable tablets with 1 gram of Creapure® creatine per chew—and their whey protein isolate and magnesium threonate, all of which meet their same, exacting standards. Check out Momentous for yourself and get up to 35% off your first subscription order with code TIM at LiveMomentous.com/Tim

This episode is brought to you by ShopifyShopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. Go to shopify.com/Tim to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It’s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/Tim.

Want more timeless tools from The 4-Hour Workweek? Listen to this episode on The Art of Refusal and The Low-Information Diet. These elimination strategies are the foundation that creates the freedom for mini-retirements — teaching you how to protect your most valuable resource (time) by saying no to both people and the endless stream of information competing for your attention.

The post The 4-Hour Workweek Principles — 13 Mistakes to Avoid, The Art of Mini-Retirements, and Navigating the Dizziness of Freedom (#836) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on November 19, 2025 08:38

November 11, 2025

Ben Patrick (KneesOverToesGuy) — 20-Minute Workouts That Produce Wild Results, From Chronic Knee Pain to Dunking Basketballs, Lessons from Charles Poliquin, Bulletproofing the Lower Body, and More (#835)

Ben Patrick, better known as “Kneesovertoesguy” (@kneesovertoesguy), is the founder of Athletic Truth Group (ATG), an online and brick-and-mortar training system rooted in rehabilitative strength and joint health. After years of debilitating knee and shin pain (including multiple surgeries), he rebuilt his body and performance, going from a sub-20″ vertical to a documented 42″ leap. Over the past 15 years, Ben has coached thousands of clients (from weekend warriors to pro athletes) across 50+ countries, sharing his stepwise method via social media and ATG’s coaching system. He is the author of Knee Ability Zero and other books on fitness and recovery. His mission now: democratize pain-free movement by making tools, systems, and education accessible to everyone, especially high-school students.

Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

Momentous  high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support Monarch  track, budget, plan, and do more with your money David Protein Bars  28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar[image error]Listen onSpotify Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onOvercastBen Patrick (KneesOverToesGuy) — 20-Minute Workouts That Produce Wild Results, From Chronic Knee Pain to Dunking Basketballs, Lessons from Charles Poliquin, Bulletproofing the Lower Body, and MoreAdditional podcast platforms

Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform.

TranscriptsThis episodeAll episodesSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Ben Patrick:

ATG Coaching | ATG Equipment | YouTube | Instagram

How-To Videos / Programs from BenBen’s Minimalistic Program with Sets and RepsGear & Training ToolsATG Backward/Forward “Resisted Treadmill”: Indoor analog to sled work.ATG Slant Board: For heel-elevated squats / ankle mobility work.ATG Tib Bar: For tibialis (front-shin) strengthening — an evolution from Bob Gajda’s dynamic axial resistance device (DARD).ATG Wrist Bar: Plate-loadable handle for forearm pronation/supination and elbow prehab/rehab.Torque TANK M1 Push Sled: Space-efficient friction sled.Books & Recommended ReadingI Followed the Knees Over Toes Guy’s Advice — And It Worked | Outside Magazine5-Bullet FridayThe 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy FerrissThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy FerrissThe Perils of Audience Capture | The PrismTools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy FerrissTraining Methods & ConceptsATG Split Squat: Front foot elevated, deep-range knee-over-toe progression to build end-range strength.Backward Sled Drags: High-rep, low-risk quad/tendon conditioning; circulation before deeper knee work.Barry Ross Protocol: Minimalist strength-training method that uses very low-rep, high-intensity deadlifts (typically 2–3 sets of 2–3 reps) with full recovery to build maximum strength and speed without adding excess muscle mass.80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle): Roughly 80% of results come from 20% of efforts or causes.VO2 Max “4×4” intervals: e.g., ~4 minutes on / ~4 minutes easy × 4–6 rounds; described using sled variants.Minimum Effective Dose (MED): Do the least to trigger the desired adaptation; sustained compliance beats maximal plans (pertains across training/nutrition).Myofascial Release & Active Release Techniques (ART): Modalities I first explored via Poliquin.Occam’s Protocol: A strength training program to maximize muscle growth in a short period.“Strength is gained in the range it is trained.”: Poliquin maxim (deep-range strength for durable mobility).Wall Tibialis Raises: No-equipment shin work to balance lower leg, help knees/ankles/feet.Westside Barbell Sled Culture: Louie Simmons’ parking-lot drags, prowlers, bands/chains lineage (historical context for backward sleds).Zone 2 Training: Steady aerobic base building; why/targets.PeoplePeter AttiaMark BellGary BreckaAl CaponeAllyson FelixBob GajdaJerzy GregorekNsima InyangByron KatieCharles PoliquinBarry RossArnold SchwarzeneggerDr. SeussLouie SimmonsChristopher SommerBalaji S. SrinivasanDave TateMark TwainAndrew ZimmernOrganizationsATG (Athletic Truth Group)EliteFTSTorque FitnessWestside BarbellYMCARelated Tim Ferriss Show EpisodesInside the World of SuperTraining — Mark Bell | The Tim Ferriss Show #252The Lion of Olympic Weightlifting, 62-Year-Old Jerzy Gregorek (Also Featuring: Naval Ravikant) | The Tim Ferriss Show #228Nsima Inyang, Mutant and Movement Coach — True Athleticism at Any Age, Microdosing Movement, “Rope Flow” as a Key Unlock, Why Sleds and Sandbags Matter, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #816Charles Poliquin on Strength Training, Shredding Body Fat, and Increasing Testosterone and Sex Drive | The Tim Ferriss Show #91Charles Poliquin — His Favorite Mass-Building Program, His Nighttime Routine For Better Sleep, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #198Christopher Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training | The Tim Ferriss Show #158Christopher Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training, Part Two: Home Equipment, Weighted Stretches, and Muscle-Ups | The Tim Ferriss Show #180Balaji Srinivasan on The Future of Bitcoin and Ethereum, How to Become Noncancelable, the Path to Personal Freedom and Wealth in a New World, the Changing Landscape of Warfare, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #506Balaji Srinivasan — Centralized China vs Decentralized World, The DeFi Matrix, Ascending vs Descending Trends, Bitcoin Mining as Energy Storage, Reputational Civil War, and Maximalism vs. Optimalism | The Tim Ferriss Show #547Balaji S. Srinivasan — 5–10-Year Predictions, How to Start a New Country, Society-as-a-Service (SaaS), Bitcoin Maximalism, Memetic Warfare, How Prices Are Born, Moral Flippenings, The One Commandment, and The Power of Missionary over Mercenary | The Tim Ferriss Show #606Andrew Zimmern on Simple Cooking Tricks, Developing TV, and Addiction | The Tim Ferriss Show #40TIMESTAMPS[00:02:32] How Ben went from Old Man Patrick to Knees Over Toes Guy.[00:06:37] Backward sled dragging for safe strength building and rehab.[00:13:14] Full range of motion squatting (deep squats vs. 90-degree limitation).[00:16:30] “Strength is gained in the range it is trained.” — Charles Poliquin[00:18:50] ATG split squat (front foot elevated split squat).[00:19:53] Heel elevation and counterbalancing techniques.[00:24:26] Ben’s mother’s transformation — from hip deterioration to sprinting at age 71.[00:27:36] Ben’s vertical jump progression — unable to grab rim in high school to dunking at 34.[00:28:14] Most effective exercises Ben’s mom might recommend.[00:29:54] Ben and I reflect on what Charles Poliquin (RIP) gave to us.[00:36:36] How backwards sled pulling became a revered exercise.[00:39:12] Mr. Universe Bob Gajda’s contributions to Ben’s regimen.[00:42:16] ATG prioritizes offering American-made products when possible.[00:43:14] Tibialis raises without equipment.[00:45:37] Why I included the ATG wrist bar in a recent 5-Bullet Friday.[00:48:32] Ben’s videos he most recommends.[00:54:48] Applying the minimum effective dose (MED) for maximum results in any endeavor.[00:59:55] What I would include in The 4-Hour Body if it were written or revised today.[01:01:13] A space-saving alternative for people who want to enjoy the benefits of sled work.[01:01:57] Real examples of high-yield workouts that require a low investment of time.[01:05:59] Ben’s basketball warmup protocols.[01:06:59] Regularly skip leg day? Try Arnold Schwarzenegger’s one simple trick.[01:08:49] Maintaining integrity in the ever-fickle world of content creation.[01:32:18] Parting thoughts.BEN PATRICK QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“I had a high school basketball coach who started calling me Old Man. I was so stiff it would take me so long to warm up compared to other players.”
— Ben Patrick

“[In the] 1970s, exercise science was becoming a thing in school and they found that when the knee goes over the toe, then there’s more pressure on the knee. So what went into textbooks was showing when you exercise, don’t let your knee over your toes. [But] think about stepping down the stairs and stop. You take a step downstairs, stop. You’re loading your knee over your toes, every single step you take downstairs.”
— Ben Patrick

“So the first thing that I could tell that allowed me to get off the painkillers was dragging a sled backwards.”
— Ben Patrick

“I try to be really careful to never lie in a YouTube title.”
— Ben Patrick

“My whole philosophy is just to have balance stability in the body, forward, backward, high positions, low positions, lower legs, upper legs.”
— Ben Patrick

“Elevating your heels a bit can help people get lower on a squat and holding a weight out in front of you reduces the pressure on the knee.”
— Ben Patrick

This episode is brought to you by Monarch! Traditional budgeting apps can help, but they don’t compare to the complete financial command center you get with this episode’s sponsor, Monarch. Monarch was named The Wall Street Journal’s Best Budgeting App of 2025, and it’s the top-recommended personal finance app by users and experts, with more than 30,000 5-star reviews. Get control of your overall finances with Monarch. Use code TIM at monarchmoney.com/Tim for half off your first year.

This episode is brought to you by Momentous high-quality creatine! I’ve long benefitted from creatine for athletic and gym performance, and now I’m increasing my daily intake to enjoy the cognitive benefits as well. A pilot study in Alzheimer’s patients demonstrated that supplementing can increase brain creatine levels in just 8 weeks, improving measures of memory, reasoning, and attention. And a double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that creatine can restore aspects of memory and attention within hours in adults who are sleep deprived. I use Momentous Creatine made with Creapure®, which is sourced from Germany and has the strictest lab standards to ensure it’s at least 99.9% pure. And try Momentous’s whey protein isolate and magnesium threonate, all of which meet their same, exacting standards. Check out Momentous for yourself and get 35% off your first subscription order with code TIM at LiveMomentous.com/Tim

This episode is brought to you by David Protein Bars! I’m always on the hunt for protein sources that don’t require sacrifices in taste or nutrition. That’s why I love the protein bars from David. With David protein bars, you get the fewest calories for the most protein, ever. David has 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. Their bars come in six delicious flavors, all worth trying, and I’ll often throw them in my bag for protein on the go. And now, listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show who buy four boxes get a fifth box for free. Try them for yourself at DavidProtein.com/Tim.

Want to hear another episode with the coach who inspired Ben’s breakthrough? Listen to my second conversation with Charles Poliquin, whose radical knees-over-toes philosophy helped Ben overcome chronic knee pain and get off painkillers. We discuss his favorite mass-building program, nighttime routines for better sleep, how to differentiate terrible trainers from the best, and much more.

The post Ben Patrick (KneesOverToesGuy) — 20-Minute Workouts That Produce Wild Results, From Chronic Knee Pain to Dunking Basketballs, Lessons from Charles Poliquin, Bulletproofing the Lower Body, and More (#835) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on November 11, 2025 17:09

November 4, 2025

David Baszucki, Co-Founder of Roblox — The Path to 150M+ Daily Users, Critical Business Decisions, Ketogenic Therapy for Brain Health, Daily Routines, The Roblox Economy, and More (#834)

David Baszucki (@DavidBaszucki) is the co-founder and CEO of Roblox. TIME named Roblox one of the “100 Most Influential Companies,” and it has been recognized by Fast Company for innovation on their “Most Innovative Companies” and “Most Innovative Companies in Gaming” lists.

Previously, David founded Knowledge Revolution, where he and his brother Greg created Interactive Physics, a leader in educational physics and mechanical-design-simulation software.

Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

Qlosi  prescription eye drop used to treat age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) in adults AG1  all-in-one nutritional supplement Wealthfront  high-yield cash account [image error]Listen onSpotify Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onOvercastDavid Baszucki, Co-Founder of Roblox — The Path to 150M+ Daily Users, Critical Business Decisions, Ketogenic Therapy for Brain Health, Daily Routines, The Roblox Economy, and MoreAdditional podcast platforms

Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform. Watch the interview on YouTube.

TranscriptsThis episodeAll episodesSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with David Baszucki:

Roblox Profile | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube

Featured David Baszucki ResourcesRobloxBaszucki GroupMetabolic MindTech Talks With David BaszuckiDoctors Said My Son’s Bipolar Disorder Couldn’t Be Healed by Diet. They Were Wrong by Jan Ellison Baszucki | San Francisco ChronicleI’m David Baszucki, CEO of Roblox, and This Is How I Work | LifehackerTools & ApplicationsAtmospheric Calm Spotify PlaylistContinuous Ketone Monitoring (CKM)FreeStyle LibreOura RingPrecision Xtra Ketone/Glucose MeterNotable Roblox GamesBird SimulatorDress to ImpressGrow a GardenThe MimicNatural Disaster Survival99 Nights in the ForestRecommended Reading Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health-and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More by Christopher M. Palmer Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility by James P. Carse Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD and Calley Means The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek Mutiny on the Bounty: A Novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Dr. Fei-Fei LiMovies 2001: A Space Odyssey MusicWhite Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane (from Surrealistic Pillow )PeopleRoald AmundsenMatthew BaszuckiJan Ellison BaszuckiJames P. CarseCaptain James CookDominic D’AgostinoHarley FinkelsteinWim HofPablos HolmanAndrej KarpathyAlan KayFei-Fei LiTobi LütkeFerdinand MagellanCasey MeansHAL 9000Chris PalmerKevin RoseRobert Falcon ScottSimon SinekJoshua SlocumAdam SmithDick TracyHealth Concepts & Metabolic ResourcesBipolar DisorderContinuous Glucose MonitoringCyclical Ketogenic DietExogenous Ketones / Ketone EstersGluconeogenesisHyperbaric Oxygen TherapyIntermittent FastingKetogenic DietKetoNutritionMcLean HospitalMetabolic & Mental Health at Baszucki Group10 Best and Worst Fats to Eat on the Keto Diet | Everyday Health10+ Best Keto Fat Bomb Recipes | Delish15 Best Keto Coffee Drinks | Insanely GoodChronic Schizophrenia Remission Brings Hope | Metabolic MultiplierDom D’Agostino — The Power of the Ketogenic Diet | The Tim Ferriss Show #172Evidence for Altered Energy Metabolism, Increased Lactate, and Decreased PH in Schizophrenia Brain: A Focused Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Postmortem and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies | Schizophrenia ResearchHistory and Origin of the Ketogenic Diet | Epilepsy and the Ketogenic DietKetogenic Diet Helps Young Ecuadorian Twins Improve Their Schizophrenic Symptoms | Chris Palmer, MDThe Ketogenic Diet for the Treatment of Mood Disorders in Comorbidity With Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents | Frontiers In PharmacologyThe Life-Extension Episode — Dr. Matt Kaeberlein on The Dog Aging Project, Rapamycin, Metformin, Spermidine, NAD+ Precursors, Urolithin A, Acarbose, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #610Metabolic Psychiatry: A Patient-Provider Discussion with Christin Kehoe & Christopher Palmer, MD | Metabolic Health SummitMy Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island | The Tim Ferriss Show #193Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #398 Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric HagermanStudy Shows Keto Diet Can Help You Sleep Better | Sleep FoundationTop 13 Common Keto Mistakes and How to Fix Them | Perfect KetoWhat is Metabolic Psychiatry? | Stanford MedicineTIMESTAMPS[00:00:00] Start.[00:01:48] Kicking off with custom kettlebells.[00:03:00] How David and I connected through Dominic D’Agostino and metabolic health research.[00:04:30] Matthew Baszucki’s eight-year journey with bipolar disorder before keto breakthrough.[00:08:14] Rescuing Matthew from the streets with a strategic hospital admission.[00:18:18] Matthew’s disappearance from his mother’s perspective.[00:19:37] Understanding how the ketogenic diet helps people with bipolar disorder.[00:24:21] Meeting the challenges of ketogenic diet compliance.[00:30:06] Measuring ketone levels.[00:32:17] The clandestine Canadian CKM smuggling ring.[00:33:07] The calm optimism, mental clarity, and reduced sleep requirements of ketosis.[00:35:19] Breath hold experiments.[00:37:44] Optimizing my sleep and minimizing my OCD on ketosis.[00:40:18] How exogenous ketones improve verbal acuity of relatives with Alzheimer’s[00:41:49] Lyme disease and ketosis.[00:44:37] Talk therapy vs. mechanical therapy: Fixing the machinery first.[00:45:47] Dangers of talk therapy without physiological foundation: Learned helplessness.[00:46:49] Atmospheric Calm playlist: Ambient music for focus and productivity.[00:49:16] How Roblox fits in with human connection evolution to the tune of 120 million daily users.[00:52:50] Emergent games within the Roblox ecosystem.[00:54:32] Roblox’s safety infrastructure: Built for all ages from day one.[00:55:24] Future of 3D work: Virtual meetings replacing video calls, concerts, and political rallies.[00:56:57] The inevitability of innovation.[00:58:07] From early revenue challenges to a creator community earning over $1 billion a year.[01:02:52] Taking economic inspiration from Adam Smith.[01:03:54] Building the successful Robux system with a 20-person team in three months.[01:10:17] How does Roblox guard against IP theft among its digital creators?[01:14:32] Best company decisions made at Roblox thus far.[01:19:35] Missteps and mistakes.[01:21:07] When intuitive tech predictions pay off.[01:25:49] David’s favorite niche Roblox games.[01:28:41] Roblox kid safety: Filtered communication, parental controls, future AI age estimation, and clustering.[01:32:02] Roblox AI infrastructure: Hundreds of models for safety, translation, 3D creation, and procedurally generated dreaming.[01:33:33] Predictions: Sci-fi becoming reality, holodeck timeline, AI movies in 3-5 years, photorealistic virtual concerts.[01:37:24] Product development and challenges of being a public company CEO.[01:41:35] David’s self-care routine.[01:45:20] Roblox wellness: CGMs for all employees, snack labeling system, employee transformations.[01:47:11] Exploratory reading.[01:49:32] “Feed Your Head”: David’s Jefferson Airplane-inspired billboard.[01:50:24] Whole cream vs. half-and-half for coffee and other parting thoughts.DAVID BASZUCKI QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“[Our son with bipolar] tried a ketogenic diet, and literally within three weeks or four weeks, we saw progress that we had never seen with any drug or medication. Mind blown, really, and a miracle.”

— David Baszucki

“One other way to predict the future, I think, is many things are just inevitable. There are enough smart people around that the wheel was inevitable.”

— David Baszucki

“Roblox was always what is called a user-generated content platform, which means creators are making stuff, people are learning STEM, people are getting excited. Even the ego burst of having three friends play a game can really motivate a young person to get into computer science.”

— David Baszucki

“If you’re having a mental health crisis, work on your body and your machinery, maybe, before you work on the talk therapy. Get the strategic things right first.”

— David Baszucki

“If we were to tabulate the number of new entrants into computer science or graphic arts or economics that had been inspired by Roblox, it probably is in the millions, given just that experience that people have had on our platform.”

— David Baszucki

“What’s interesting is I’ve never really ever liked any business books ever. … The books I was obsessed with in my youth were the books about Magellan and Captain Cook and Mutiny on the Bounty and Joshua Slocum and just all of these crazy explorers, Amundsen and Scott and all of that stuff.”

— David Baszucki

This episode is brought to you by Qlosi, an FDA-approved, prescription eye drop designed to improve your near vision and help you see things up close more clearly. With once- or twice-daily dosing, packaged in single dose vials, Qlosi fits into your routine and is ready when you need it. In clinical studies, people could read letters in the eye chart equivalent to reading menus, recipes, and phone screens with fast acting, near vision improvement often starting in just 20 minutes. Most side effects in studies were mild and short-lived, including eye discomfort and headaches. Give your readers a break and ask your eye doctor if Qlosi is right for you. Visit Qlosi.com/Tim to find an eye doctor, along with full prescribing information.

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Want to hear another episode exploring the groundbreaking power of metabolic psychiatry? Listen to my conversation with Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer, in which we discussed his pioneering work using ketogenic diets to treat psychiatric disorders, the brain energy theory of mental illness, extraordinary case studies of recovery from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, how mitochondrial function affects mental health, and much more.

The post David Baszucki, Co-Founder of Roblox — The Path to 150M+ Daily Users, Critical Business Decisions, Ketogenic Therapy for Brain Health, Daily Routines, The Roblox Economy, and More (#834) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on November 04, 2025 16:07

October 29, 2025

Jack Canfield — Selling 600+ Million Books, Success Principles, and How He Made The 4-Hour Workweek Happen (#833)

Jack Canfield (@JackCanfield), known as America’s #1 Success Coach, is a bestselling author, professional speaker, trainer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of the Canfield Training Group, which trains entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, sales professionals, educators, and motivated individuals how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals. 

He has conducted live trainings for more than a million people in more than 50 countries around the world. He holds two Guinness World Record titles and is a member of the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame.

Jack is the coauthor of more than two hundred books, including, The Success Principles™:  How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, The Success Principles Workbook, Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction, The Aladdin Factor, Dare to Win, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers and has sold more than 600 million copies in 51 languages around the world.

Please enjoy!

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Monarch track, budget, plan, and do more with your money AG1  all-in-one nutritional supplement Helix Sleep  premium mattresses [image error]Listen onSpotify Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onOvercastJack Canfield — Selling 600+ Million Books, Success Principles, and How He Made The 4-Hour Workweek HappenAdditional podcast platforms

Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform. Watch the interview on YouTube here.

TranscriptsThis episodeAll episodesSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Jack Canfield:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Featured Jack Canfield ProjectsChicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor HansenThe Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer100 Ways to Enhance Self-Concept in the Classroom: A Handbook for Teachers and Parents by Jack Canfield and Harold Clive WellsThe Soul of Success: The Jack Canfield StoryThe Jack Canfield Podcast25 Ways to Complete Before Moving Forward

From Jack:

How many things do you need to complete, dump, or delegate before you can move on and bring new activity, abundance, relationships, and excitement into your life? Use the checklist below to jog your thinking, make a list, and then write down how you’ll complete each task.

Once you’ve made your list, choose four items and start completing them. Choose those that would immediately free up the most time, energy, or space for you—whether it’s mental space or physical space.

At minimum, I encourage you to clean up one major incomplete every three months. If you want to really get the ball rolling, schedule a “completion weekend,” and devote two full days to handling as many things on the following list as possible.

Former business activities that need completionPromises not kept, not acknowledged, or not renegotiatedUnpaid debts or financial commitments (money owed to others or to you)Closets overflowing with clothing never wornA disorganized garage crowded with old discardsHaphazard or disorganized tax recordsCheckbook not balanced or accounts that should be closed“Junk drawers” full of unusable itemsMissing or broken toolsAn attic filled with unused itemsA car trunk or backseat full of trashIncomplete car maintenanceA disorganized basement filled with discarded itemsCredenza packed with unfiled or incomplete projectsFiling left undoneComputer files not backed up or data needing to be converted for storageDesk surface cluttered or disorganizedFamily pictures never put into an albumMending, ironing, or other piles of items to repair or discardDeferred household maintenancePersonal relationships with unstated requests, resentments, or appreciationsPeople you need to forgiveTime not spent with people you’ve been meaning to spend time withIncomplete projects or projects delivered without closure or feedbackAcknowledgments that need to be given or asked for

Excerpt from The Success Principles™ by Jack Canfield, ©2005, 2015 Self-Esteem Seminars, L.P. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

BooksBefore the Mayflower: A History of Black America 1619-1964 by Lerone Bennett Jr.The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance by Dr. Nate ZinsserExploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard RheingoldThe Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel RuizThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim FerrissMen Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex by John GrayThe One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers by John KremerAnthony Robbins’ Personal Power II: The Driving Force! by Tony RobbinsThe Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott PeckThe Success System That Never Fails: Experience the True Riches of Life by W. Clement StoneThe Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos CastanedaThink and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century by Napoleon HillTools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy FerrissYes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr. by Sammy Davis Jr., Jane Boyar, and Burt BoyarConcepts and Related ResourcesGeorge Carlin on “Heaven and Hell”George Carlin on “Stuff”Clean Up Your Messes (Incompletions)E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome)Feedback is the Breakfast of ChampionsThe Four AgreementsGestalt TherapyGoal Setting with BeliefIkigaiByron Katie’s “The Work”Limiting BeliefsMassive Action and PersistenceMeditationNéng Piàn Jiù Piàn100 Percent ResponsibilityPlant Medicine/AyahuascaThe Power of Community and SupportRule of FiveVisualization and AffirmationsJocko Willink on the “Good” MindsetFilms and TV ShowsGood Morning AmericaThe SecretSleepless in SeattleSliding DoorsThe Oprah Winfrey ShowCompanies, Organizations, and EventsAmerican Booksellers Association (ABA)Anhui PublishingB. Dalton BooksellerBarnes & NobleBordersCombined InsuranceESPD50Inside EdgeThe Learning AnnexPachamama AllianceRythmia Life Advancement CenterSkillPath SeminarsStrategic CoachSuccess MagazineSVASE (Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs)Thrive GlobalTranscendental MeditationW. Clement & Jessie V. Stone FoundationPeoplePatty AuberyLerone Bennett Jr.Ken BlanchardJane BoyarBurt BoyarBuddhaGeorge CarlinDale CarnegieCarlos CastanedaBarbara De AngelisSammy Davis Jr.John GrayStephen HanselmanMark Victor HansenTrip HawkinsJesse JacksonNapoleon HillJesusByron KatieChiang Kai-shekStephen KingStephen LaBergeJay LenoOg MandinoNick NantonM. Scott PeckVladimir PutinHoward RheingoldTony RobbinsDon Miguel RuizW. Clement StoneDan SullivanJanet SwitzerLynne TwistPeter VegzoJocko WillinkMao ZedongNate ZinsserTIMESTAMPS[00:01:57] How a single “yes” from Jack shaped my career.[00:04:55] A contract lesson: How Chicken Soup for the Soul sold millions in China with zero royalties.[00:06:45] Jack’s background: From poverty to Harvard.[00:09:43] Discovering Chinese history and the “easy A” that changed everything.[00:11:07] Winning “Teacher of the Year” teaching Black history.[00:14:35] High praise from Sammy Davis Jr.[00:17:37] W. Clement Stone: The $600 million mentor who turned motivation into a science (and insurance).[00:21:35] Stone’s challenge: Take 100% responsibility and stop watching TV (a 14-month year hack).[00:22:40] From visualizing $100,000 to a million.[00:25:42] Chicken Soup origins.[00:27:35] Mark Victor Hansen joins.[00:29:15] 144 rejections later.[00:31:28] The ABA miracle.[00:34:05] The Rule of Five.[00:36:05] Selling The Soul and splurging on sweaters.[00:37:27] The Soup sourced from the universe.[00:39:33] The big break.[00:41:22] Word-of-mouth magic.[00:45:37] Lessons from live feedback.[00:47:27] The burnout years.[00:49:25] Life after Chicken Soup.[00:51:05] Late-night typing marathons and pun-laden chapter transitions that led to The Success Principles.[00:54:02] How Jack’s love of transformation beats any royalty check.[00:55:07] Retirement reflections.[00:59:32] Jack’s longevity formula: Laughter, organic food, love, and letting go.[01:02:10] An ayahuasca awakening.[01:03:39] The story of Rythmia Life Advancement Center and how it’s affected Jack.[01:06:43] Breaking belief loops and understanding community as medicine.[01:10:06] E + R = O and strategies for taking 100% responsibility of one’s life.[01:22:27] Why “clean up your messes” is first in Jack’s list of productivity tips.[01:29:27] Where to begin if you’re unfamiliar with Jack’s work.[01:31:08] Ken Blanchard: “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”[01:32:13] Parting thoughts.JACK CANFIELD QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“When you were a kid, your grandmother gave you chicken soup when you were sick. … People’s spirits are sick. They’re in resignation, hopelessness, and fear.”

— Jack Canfield

“When I went off to college, my stepfather, he gave me $20. He looked me in the eye and he said, ‘If you need a helping hand, look at the end of your own arm. There’ll be no more gifts coming from me.'”

— Jack Canfield

“Nobody ever complains about gravity. You’ve never seen an old person walking through the mall, all bent over going, ‘Gravity, I hate gravity. If it wasn’t for gravity, I wouldn’t be all bent over. Gravity sucks.’ Never said that. Why not? Because you can’t change gravity. Everyone knows gravity just is, so we don’t complain about it. So anything you’re complaining about, you have to have a reference point in your mind of something better.”

— Jack Canfield

“[W. Clement Stone] said to me, ‘Do you watch television?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘How many hours a day?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. Good Morning America, the news, maybe a movie at night.’ He said, ‘That’s three hours a day. Cut out an hour a day, because that’ll give you 365 additional hours a year to be productive. Divide that by a 40-hour work week, that’s nine-and-a-half weeks. It’ll give you a 14-month year. You’ll be much more competitive than all the people in your field if you do that.”

— Jack Canfield

“E + R = O — event plus response equals outcome.”

— Jack Canfield

On retirement: “I realized there were things I want to do that I haven’t done. I want to become a really good chef cook. I want to learn how to oil paint. I play guitar mediocrely. I want to learn to play the piano.”

— Jack Canfield

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. Right now, get a FREE Welcome Kit, including Vitamin D3+K2 and AG1 Travel Packs, when you first subscribe. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones!

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Want to hear another episode with someone who built a publishing juggernaut through consistent principles and daily discipline? Listen to my conversation with bestselling author James Clear, in which we discussed launching a mega-bestseller that’s sold 10+ million copies, building an email list to two million+ people, the power of identity-based habits, strategies for consistent creative work, finding leverage in your life and career, and much more.

The post Jack Canfield — Selling 600+ Million Books, Success Principles, and How He Made The 4-Hour Workweek Happen (#833) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on October 29, 2025 11:19

October 24, 2025

Notes on Being a Man, and Advice for Young Men Who Are Feeling Lost — Scott Galloway

Scott Galloway (@profgalloway) is a professor of marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. Scott has founded nine companies and served on the boards of The New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Panera Bread, and Ledger.

His latest book is Notes on Being a Man, and I deeply believe in Scott’s mission and messages with this book. We are sitting on a tinderbox and need to address the elephant in the room: young men need help.

In high school, I won the lottery by chancing upon one coach whose influence saved me from the fates of many of my male friends: jail, overdoses, DUI deaths, and more. Ever since, I’ve searched for ways that we might nudge young men towards optimism and better lives. Left unaddressed, the potential for violence and societal disaster is also high. Testosterone and aggression will go somewhere, so best to channel it.

I’m hoping Scott’s book will act as a virtual mentor for young men who are feeling lost, stuck, angry, or despondent about the future.

But what am I so worried about? Here are just a few stats from Scott’s book and appearances:

Men are dropping out of college at higher rates, leading to a graduation ratio of roughly 33:66 (men:women).The percentage of young men aged 20 to 24 who are neither in school nor working has tripled since 1980. 45 percent of men ages 18 to 25 have never approached a woman in person.Between 2008 and 2018, the share of men who hadn’t had sex in the last year rose from 8% to 28%.On dating apps like Tinder, the top 10% of men (in attractiveness) receive 80–90% of all swipe-rights.This dating imbalance contributes to increased susceptibility to misogynistic or extremist content online.Men are twice as likely to be suspended from school for the same infraction as girls (behavior-adjusted).Boys in single-parent households perform worse, while girls’ outcomes remain relatively stable.Men are 3× more likely to overdose.Men are 4× more likely to commit suicide.Men are 12× more likely to be incarcerated.

I asked Scott if I could reprint “The Scott Method” from his new book, and he and his publisher kindly agreed. It does a good job of highlighting the no-BS tough love + practical tactical combo that makes Scott who he is.

Enter Scott . . .

When friends ask if I’ll mentor their sons, I always say yes. We focus on four things—fitness, nutrition, money, work. Master these and they’ll be in a place to start exploring relationships. 

It’s worth repeating: many men think they have to be a mix of Aristotle, Gandalf, and Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid to mentor a younger person. That’s horseshit. The questions I get asked are easy, and a cat could give the advice I do. 

I ask questions as mundane as: When’s the last time you ate a real meal? What do you eat and drink during an average day? Red Bull, Cheetos, sativa gummies? How do you think those might affect your body and brain? So . . . you work in retail, and/or you earn four hundred bucks a week at Chipotle? How much of that goes to online sports betting? A hundred dollars a week? That means you’re spending a quarter of your income on gambling. How are your relationships? Are you dating? What’s your relationship with your parents like? What about your relationship with yourself? What’s your story? Do you have a plan, a blueprint, a map? If not, let’s come up with one. You can adjust it, swap it out in six months or a year—nonetheless, you need one. Do you want to apply to junior college? Skip college, enter the workforce? Move out of your childhood bedroom and start having sex with strange women? First you need to make some money. 

Young men have a single source of capital: time. Where to find it? On their phones. By tracking their activities, we reallocate those hours to more productive places. 

I’m eternally amazed by the number of college-age kids who live at home and who are convinced their parents are the enemy. Yes, your parents can be tone-deaf, uncool, a source of frustration, but give me a fucking break—they’re not trying to undermine you or wreck your life. Unless home is a hellscape, and they’re abusing you, assume everything they do comes from a good place. Don’t want to obey house rules? Then stop taking your parents’ money and find a fifth-floor walk-up. Accepting their support means taking their advice. 

Next, we unlock their phones. Not so I can judge them or be absolute—I watch porn and spend too much time on TikTok, too. By analyzing screen time, we free up eight to twelve hours a week. From now on, they’ll agree to spend thirty minutes a day, not two hours, on TikTok. Two hours a week watching porn are reduced to forty-five minutes, and six-plus hours spent on Reddit, Discord, Coinbase, Robinhood, are distilled to two. 

Many young men don’t take advantage of their muscle mass, bone structure, and testosterone to get physically strong. From now on, they’ll work out three, later four, times a week—we download an app to track progress. The goal is to start small and build up. 

Get to Work . . . 

These days, anyone with a phone and a driver’s license can make money driving for Lyft or doing chores on Taskrabbit. If you want to make money, you first need to start earning some via a part-time job. A nice thing about making money is that you start developing a taste for it—think Dracula and blood. Money, you realize, is fun and interesting, and making it is a good feeling. Why not see if you can make more? If you work at CVS, do you have the skills and organization to get a job at Whole Foods and earn even more money? 

Along with fitness and work, I also ask young men to place themselves in an unfamiliar situation in the company of strangers three times a week in the agency of something bigger—a writing or cooking class, a nonprofit, church, a sports league. The only rule is that within the month, they have to introduce themselves to everyone there. Starting with hello, then asking a stranger out for coffee. The other person might say no. The next day, they have to call and tell me how they feel. It might hurt, but guess what? They’re not mortally wounded, or bankrupt, they’re still standing, and that’s everything. Now do it again until they start developing a callus. The more nos they get, the more they can calibrate what works and doesn’t. The key, the skill, the talent, the mastery, the ninja artisanship no one teaches, is that the greatest, most specific skill a young man can develop is his willingness to endure rejection. 

The above works for most young men—others need more of a sounding board. It’s freakishly easy to add value to a young man’s life. One young man in his twenties told me he planned to move from Washington, DC, to Alaska. Not sure why—I think he saw a special on the Discovery Channel once. 


SCOTT: Do you have a job in Alaska? 


YOUNG MAN: No. 


SCOTT: Friends? Relatives? Any support system? 


YOUNG MAN: No, it’ll be a fresh start. Wait, I forgot to tell you—my mom was just diagnosed with Parkinson’s. 


SCOTT: Parkinson’s? 


YOUNG MAN: I think that’s what the doctor said. 


SCOTT: Why are you being such an idiot right now? Don’t quit your job in DC, you’re making a hundred grand a year! 


YOUNG MAN: Oh, okay, good point. 


SCOTT: Also, it sounds like your mom is really sick. I’ll bet she needs you. Is this really the right time to move? 


YOUNG MAN: Hadn’t thought of that. Probably not. 


SCOTT: Here’s some more advice. Bank enough money so you have six months of cushion. Take a week off, fly to Alaska, and see if you like it—you might really hate the place. Also, if I were you, I’d get a job there first, before you move. Also, your mom needs you. 


YOUNG MAN: Wow. I didn’t think of any of this. Thanks, Scott. 


A lovely colleague once asked if I’d be willing to mentor her son, a college sophomore, pre-med. Dan was feeling low because he’d torn his Achilles tendon playing football and was out for the season. 


SCOTT: Are you on the fast-track to playing in the NFL?


DAN: [laughs hysterically


SCOTT: In that case, everything’ll work out. How’s college overall? 


DAN: Really good. I’m having second thoughts about med school, though. 


SCOTT: Stick it out another year. The world won’t end if you quit and do something else. 


DAN: Okay. 


Dan was fine, I told his mom. The Achilles injury was a setback, but college was good, he had strong relationships, went to church, and was in regular touch with family members. As a successful professional, his mom expected him to follow a certain groove, and right now her son wasn’t grooving—so what? Parents across the United States would pray for problems like these. 

Finally, I remind young men to cut themselves slack and stop being so hard on themselves. Reminded daily of their own perceived physical and financial shortcomings in a numbing, dumbing, deep-pocketed digital ecosystem designed to make them feel like screwups and cultural outsiders while simultaneously persuading them they can have a viable social and work life on their phones—while other voices online whisper that the world is against them thanks to women, trans athletes, and immigrants—their judgment and sense of reality take a beating. Adolescence is hard, the twenties harder, as one’s potential begins narrowing, more is at stake, perspective is limited, and any/all career decisions feel dispositive (see above, limited perspective). 

One high school senior I met got rejected by his parent’s alma mater. It devastated him. I told him he would still go to college, that there are a hundred great schools in America that double as the best hundred schools in the world. He would get into one, move into a dorm, drink too much beer, hang out with his friends, meet and have sex with women, test his limits, and have a thoroughly amazing time. In five years, when he and I caught up, the only thing he’d be upset about would be how upset he once was. 

S-C-A-F-A 

My anger and depression issues started when I was in my thirties, probably passed down from my dad. I’ve never been clinically diagnosed for depression, never taken an SSRI. In my thirties, though, I began developing grudges against myself and others. I had a hard time moving past things, would get triggered by something trivial, could feel my blood thickening, and I’d feel hollow and down. I still have trouble getting past things, and periods when I feel nothing—my average daily mood doesn’t always sync with my privilege and blessings.

It’s not one issue or trigger that makes me anxious, it’s more about me. The nerve fibers of the spinal ganglia penetrate our guts, where they identify pain, pressure, and more. What makes me go dark is less a function of a bad phone call or a shitty investment decision than my own brain and body chemistry. Once, I was on the phone with my sister when she remarked I always seemed pissed off about something. “I have to be honest,” she said. “You have less right to be angry and upset than anyone I know. I mean, look at your life.” 

She was right, though I’m still a long way from mastering happiness. These days, I pick up the warning signs more easily that I need to pay more attention to myself. If I haven’t exercised, the intensity and frustration that builds up in my body and brain are displaced. I get snappish, monosyllabic, and self-absorbed. I start role-playing aggressive situations in my head that never happened, like a face-off with a coworker, a cab driver, or an unfriendly barista. These simulations are verbal, never physical. The biggest giveaway is I start thinking about the Holocaust. 

I realized certain behavioral changes could help snap me out of it. I came up with the terrible mnemonic SCAFA, short for Sweat, Clean eating, Abstinence, Family, and Affection—my five pharmaceuticals. 

Sweat and exercise are good for resetting my system. They’re the closest thing we humans have to a cheap, indiscriminately available youth serum—and they make me a nicer person, too. Clean eating means I try to eat home-cooked food versus gorging on trans fats or too many over-seasoned restaurant meals. Abstinence means no alcohol and weed—a short ban against whatever hits my pleasure sensors. Finally, I spend time with my family, even if my sons are being awful and demanding, absorbing as much affection as possible from them, my wife, and our dogs. Love my dogs. 

Note: If you feel low, go back to the basics: Sweat, Clean Eating, Abstinence, Family, and Affection. Take care of your brain and body and the rest will follow. 

****

From Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway, published by Simon & Schuster. ©2025 Scott Galloway. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

More on Scott:
Scott has won multiple Webby and Best Podcast awards, and his New York Times–bestselling books have been translated into 28 languages. Across his Prof G Pod, Prof G Markets, Raging Moderates, and Pivot podcasts; his No Mercy / No Malice newsletter; and his YouTube channel, Scott reaches millions. His prior bestselling books include The FourThe Algebra of HappinessPost CoronaAdrift: America in 100 Charts, and The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security

Photo credit: Lukas Rychvalsky

The post Notes on Being a Man, and Advice for Young Men Who Are Feeling Lost — Scott Galloway appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on October 24, 2025 13:53

October 22, 2025

The Return of The Lion Tracker — Boyd Varty on The Wild Man Within, Nature’s Hidden Wisdom, and How to Feel Fully Alive (#832)

Boyd Varty (@boyd_varty) is the founder of Track Your Life. As a fourth-generation custodian of Londolozi Game Reserve, Boyd grew up with lions, leopards, snakes, and elephants and has spent his life in apprenticeship to the natural world. He is a lion tracker, storyteller, and literacy and wildlife activist. At the intersection of his two greatest passions, tracking and personal transformation, Boyd uses ancient wisdom to help people create a purpose-driven, meaningful life and to discover their most authentic, essential self. 

Boyd is a TED speaker, the author of Cathedral of the Wild and The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life, and the host of the Track Your Life podcast. Using wilderness as a place for deep introspection and personal transformation, Boyd has taught his philosophy of “Tracking Your Life” to companies and individuals all over the world.

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Listen to this episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform. Watch the interview on YouTube here.

SHOW NOTES & LINKSTranscriptsThis episodeAll episodesSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Boyd Varty:

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Featured ProjectsThe Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life by Boyd VartyCathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home by Boyd VartyTrack Your Life with Boyd Varty | Apple PodcastsBoyd Varty: What I Learned from Nelson Mandela | TED TalkLondolozi Game ReserveLondolozi BlogBoyd’s Last Appearance on This ShowBoyd Varty — The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life | The Tim Ferriss Show #571Tracking, Bush Craft, and Persistence HuntingTracker AcademyJu/’hoansi (San) BushmenPersistence HuntingPlaces and Wild ContextsKalahari DesertLuangwa River / ValleyMaasai MaraCotswoldsPractical Carry-Overs from Wild to CityAvoid the Simmering SixDigital SabbathJetboil StoveWhole-Body Yes (WBY)Zen KoansBooksThe 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley KlempThe Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Josh WaitzkinMovies and TV ShowsGilligan’s IslandThe Great Dance: A Hunter’s StoryMy Octopus TeacherSearching for Bobby FischerThe Three StoogesWalker, Texas RangerAnimalsAnacondaBaboonBadgerBearBlack MambaBuffaloCheetahCowCrocodileElephantElkGarter SnakeGemsbok (Oryx)GiraffeGreen Variegated Bush SnakeGround SquirrelHouse SnakeHyenaKuduLeopardLionOctopusPorcupineSouthern BoubouVervet MonkeyWarthogWildebeestWolfPeopleRich BartonMartha BeckDiana ChapmanJim DethmerCraig FosterMarcelo GarciaToby PheasantRenias MhlongoHeath RobinsonChris SaccaSersant SibuyiAlex van den HeeverJohn Varty (JV)Josh WaitzkinJohn WayneTIMESTAMPS[00:00:00] Start.[00:01:59] Boyd returns.[00:03:14] Elite firefighting unit: Boyd’s French Foreign Legionnaire predecessor.[00:04:27] The paper mache lion incident and Lucky’s dramatic exit.[00:08:07] Firefighting drill disaster: When 50/50 failed spectacularly.[00:09:58] Leadership lesson: Bringing energy down when chaos climbs.[00:11:52] Story hunting and the natural world as meaning machine.[00:17:16] Uncle JV: Wildlife filmmaker with a dangerous drama meter.[00:19:10] Camera bearing adventures: Elephants, hyenas, and the red mist.[00:22:30] Zambia expeditions: Crocodiles, dead elephants, and shovel oars.[00:25:48] Orienting toward safety: Building capability versus childhood overwhelm.[00:29:11] Wilderness retreat lessons: Wordlessness and natural state.[00:31:40] The Londolozi time war: Tech detox and parasympathetic shifts.[00:39:49] Mystical animal encounters: Lions, southern boubous, and synchronicity.[00:43:11] Re-enchantment: Nature’s desire to help us heal.[00:45:25] Following non-rational energy and forays into wordlessness.[00:52:31] Diana Chapman’s Whole-Body Yes and avoiding the simmering six.[00:58:04] Toby Pheasant and the great black mamba escape.[01:06:09] Training for persistence hunting using Bushman Great Dance wisdom.[01:09:23] The desert as storehouse: Abundance psychology in action.[01:11:23] Persistence hunt mechanics: Heat, time, and the animal’s energy transfer.[01:15:04] Running into ceremony: 47 degrees and letting the body know.[01:21:31] The kudu gives itself: Profound respect at the edge of survival.[01:27:22] Seeking the wild man: Access to the full spectrum of presence.[01:29:20] Context and discernment: Armor in cities, openness in wild spaces.[01:34:55] Men need men: Collective exploration around the fire.[01:37:40] Relationship as practice: Moving from romantic myth to active work.[01:40:15] Dick jokes and raft building: The indirect work that does heavy lifting.[01:45:43] Lunch the baboon: Hand lotion, bloody handprints, and royal delays.[01:55:43] Living amongst the animals: Warthog intelligence and leopard relationships.[01:57:27] Parting thoughts.MORE BOYD VARTY QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“The natural world is not just where meaning constellates. It is meaning in some fundamental way.”

— Boyd Varty

“I have this idea that comes from Martha Beck, where her take on the natural world is that it’s a wordless environment. If you look at the animals, they don’t have verbal minds. You don’t see them thinking past and future. You don’t see lions lying there thinking, ‘Oh, Janine messed up that hunt yesterday; we can’t trust her going forward.’ If you can go into wordlessness, then very quickly people start going into oneness. The key thing I have found now is get people to be quiet, get them into more wordlessness, create an opportunity for them to interact and receive lessons from the natural world, and then things rapidly start to happen.”

— Boyd Varty

“I think people need to be re-enchanted. One of the things that we’re afflicted with is that we are dulled down and we are disconnected from magic. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be that woo-woo, just to see a leopard and her cubs leap up into the branches of a marula tree and to feel like, ‘God, this is the beauty of it,’ and to have that affect you in some profound way. I’ve just seen so much of it now. I’m a real believer that nature wants us to heal, and nature knows when we come to her with the desire to mend our soul.”

— Boyd Varty

“All roads in personal transformation lead to the information inside you. You actually know it’s in you in the way that lions know how to be lions and leopards know how to be leopards.”

— Boyd Varty

“To [The Bushmen], the desert is their storehouse, which is quite an amazing idea. There’s no sense of needing to hold or store because it’s an abundance psychology that everything you need is there.”

— Boyd Varty

“It’s not just a random leopard, but we know this leopard. She allows herself to be seen. We have a relationship with her, and that’s a very, very deep and beautiful way to live.”

— Boyd Varty

“The natural world is a story machine. It’s a meaning machine. It’s a symbolic machine.”

— Boyd Varty

“If you start saying ‘I want to go out into the local park; I want to go out into my garden and I have a specific question’ and you write that question down and you start asking, specifically nature, ‘Could you help me answer that question?,’ it’s almost like a Zen koan. You’re holding an intention and a desire for certain answers. Then, what you see, your psyche will run that through a specific matrix and insight will start to develop.”

— Boyd Varty

“I say to people, ‘Stop trying to know and stop trying to use this retreat to get the next thing, and in fact let yourself not know and just enter into the circadian rhythm of seeing the sun rise and seeing the sun set, watching it go from stars to stars.'”

— Boyd Varty

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Want to hear Boyd’s first appearance on the show? Listen to our original conversation, in which we discussed the origins of Londolozi Game Reserve, the ancient lineage of Shangaan trackers, living 40 days and 40 nights in a tree, crocodile attacks, the killer bee story, tracking as a philosophy for life, and much more.

The post The Return of The Lion Tracker — Boyd Varty on The Wild Man Within, Nature’s Hidden Wisdom, and How to Feel Fully Alive (#832) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.

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Published on October 22, 2025 11:27

October 10, 2025

Nick Kokonas and Richard Thaler, Nobel Prize Laureate — Realistic Economics, Avoiding The Winner’s Curse, Using Temptation Bundling, and Going Against the Establishment (#830)

Richard H. Thaler (@r_thaler) is the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics and the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a founding principal at FullerThaler Asset Management, which uses behavioral finance to manage over $30 billion in small-cap US equities. 

Thaler has been a professional disrupter. He helped create the fields of behavioral economics and finance that lie in the gap between economics and psychology. He investigates the implications of relaxing the standard economic assumption that everyone in the economy is rational and selfish, instead entertaining the possibility that some of the agents in the economy are sometimes human. 

Thaler is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness (with Cass R. Sunstein) and the author of Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics. His new book is The Winner’s Curse: Behavioral Economics Anomalies, Then and Now, co-authored with economist Alex O. Imas. 

My co-host is Nick Kokonas (@nickkokonas), an entrepreneur, investor, and author best known as the co-founder of The Alinea Group (sold, 2024) and the reservation platform Tock (now owned by American Express). After revolutionizing how restaurants and experiences are crafted, booked, and managed, he’s now focused on creative ventures that blend business, technology, and art—from immersive theater projects to Napa Valley winemaking. A philosophy graduate of Colgate University, he is as interested in ideas and first principles as he is in building things that last. He lives in Chicago and Napa Valley with his wife and two sons.

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SHOW NOTES & LINKSTranscriptsThis episodeAll episodesSHOW NOTES

Books and Articles:

The Winner’s Curse: Behavioral Economics and Anomalies Then and Now by Richard H. Thaler and Alex Imas Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics by Richard H. Thaler Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness  by by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis“The Last Decision by the World’s Leading Thinker on Decisions” (Wall Street Journal)

Additional Resources:

Richard H. Thaler — X Profile Richard H. Thaler — Chicago Booth ProfileInterview with Richard H. Thaler — NobelPrize.orgRead These Five Papers to Understand Thaler’s Nobel-Winning Work (Bloomberg)The Making of Richard Thaler’s Economics Nobel (The New Yorker)Richard Thaler Wins the Nobel in Economics for Killing Homo Economicus (The Atlantic)Nick Kokonas — WikipediaNick Kokonas — How to Apply World-Class Creativity to Business, Art, and Life (#341) — The Tim Ferriss ShowNick Kokonas on Resurrecting Restaurants, Skin in the Game, and Investing (#429) — The Tim Ferriss ShowTock — Official SiteThe Alinea GroupAlex Imas — Chicago Booth ProfileDaniel KahnemanAmos TverskyProspect Theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979)Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases (1974)Availability Heuristic (Tversky & Kahneman, 1973)Endowment Effect & Coase Theorem (Kahneman, Knetsch & Thaler, 1990)Fairness as a Constraint on Profit Seeking (Kahneman, Knetsch & Thaler, 1986)Save More Tomorrow™ (Thaler & Benartzi, 2004)Default Effects in 401(k)s (Madrian & Shea, 2001)Choice Architecture (Thaler, Sunstein & Balz, 2013)Schiphol’s “Fly in the Urinal” NudgeSunk Cost Fallacy (Arkes & Blumer, 1985)Gambling with the House Money and Trying to Break Even (Thaler & Johnson, 1990)Golden Eggs and Hyperbolic Discounting (Laibson, 1997)The CFO Survey (Duke/Fuqua)Libertarian Paternalism (Thaler & Sunstein, 2003)Journal of Economic Perspectives (open access)Anomalies: The Winner’s Curse (Thaler, JEP)Estimating the Reproducibility of Psychological Science (Open Science Collaboration, 2015)Evaluating Replicability of Laboratory Experiments in Economics (Camerer et al., 2016)Temptation Bundling (Milkman, Minson & Volpp, 2014)Paying Not to Go to the Gym (DellaVigna & Malmendier, 2006)

Note from the editor: An expanded list of links & resources will be added.

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Published on October 10, 2025 06:24