Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 42

January 21, 2021

Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett — Two Legends on Competing, Overcoming Adversity, Must-Read Books, and Much More (#494)

Illustration via 99designs

“Trying to do something that no one’s ever done before, you really have to approach it in every single different way possible than ever has been done before. There is no blueprint for it.”
— Michael Phelps

“Just be you and feel comfortable in that.”
— Grant Hackett

Michael Phelps (@michaelphelps) is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. He captured 28 medals, including a record-setting 23 gold medals, and set 39 world records over the course of his career. Michael utilized his performance bonus for winning eight gold medals in 2008 to establish the Michael Phelps Foundation, which promotes water safety, healthy living (physical and mental), and the pursuit of dreams. The foundation’s signature program—IM—is a learn-to-swim, healthy living, and goal-setting curriculum based on the principles and tools Michael utilized in his swimming career and is available through the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Special Olympics International. His advocacy for water safety and mental health has earned him the recognition of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (Champion of Youth), American Image Awards (Humanitarian Award), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Special Recognition Award), the Ruderman Family Foundation (Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion), and PR Week (Health Influencer 50 and 2020 Communicator of the Year), among others.

Michael served as an executive producer and featured talent in the HBO documentary The Weight of Gold, which explores the mental health challenges Olympic athletes often face. In addition, he has published two autobiographies, No Limits: The Will to Succeed and Beneath the Surface, which were New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and one children’s book, How to Train with a T-Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals.

Grant Hackett (@grant__hackett) represented and captained Australia in swimming at the Olympic Games. He collected a total of 58 medals over the course of his swimming career—with 26 gold at Olympic, Commonwealth, and World Championships levels—along with 16 world records. He remained unbeaten for 11 years in his pet event, the 1500m freestyle. Grant also received prestigious honors such as the Order of Australia, Centenary Medal, and Australian Sports Medal. Grant is a member of the Sports Australia Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame.

His qualifications include an executive master of business administration with first-class honors, a diploma of business law, and a diploma of financial services. Grant is the CEO of Generation Life, an Australia-based investment firm managing more than $1.3 billion.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, and ButcherBox premium meats delivered to your door. More on all three below.

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This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with the man who taught me how to swim in my 30s? Listen to my conversation with Total Immersion Swimming’s Terry Laughlin, in which we discussed how his technique taught me to swim effortlessly in 10 days when every other method had failed, embracing the counterintuitive, drills and exercises for reluctant beginners, and the secret to mastering new skills even in later adulthood.

#276: Terry Laughlin, The Master Who Changed My Lifehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/da471a92-6ab7-4ff8-aa05-63806a460cd3.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Michael Phelps:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Connect with Grant Hackett:

Instagram

The Weight of Gold | HBO Michael Phelps Foundation Generation Life No Limits: The Will to Succeed by Michael Phelps Beneath the Surface: My Story by Michael Phelps How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals by Michael Phelps, Alan Abrahamson, and Ward Jenkins The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Fermat’s Last Theorem | Wikipedia Total Immersion: How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days and You Can Too | tim.blog Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men’s 1500 Metre Freestyle | Wikipedia Physiology, Lung Capacity | StatPearls Is Lactate Testing for Sport Still Relevant Today? | SimpliFaster Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men’s 200 Metre Butterfly | Wikipedia Phelps vs. Hackett: Two All-Time Greats Go At It In Practice | YourSwimLog Days of Thunder | Prime Video Sydney 2000: 20 Years on Sydney’s Olympic Legacy Brings Comfort and Hope in Turbulent Times | Olympic News Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men’s 200 Metre Butterfly | Wikipedia Swimming: 15-Year-Old Sets World Record | The New York Times The Science of Michael Phelps’s Gold Medal-Winning Turn | Vice Free Divers Have Long Defied Science – and We Still Don’t Really Understand How They Go So Deep | The Conversation Graston Technique in Physical Therapy: How Does It Work? | BetterPT Blog 7 Cryotherapy Benefits: How Cryotherapy Can Improve Your Health | Healthline ‘LeBron James Spends $1 Million/Year on Just Body and Mind Recovery’: How Lakers Star Remains Injury Free at 35 | The SportsRush LeBron James and His Top-Secret Trainer, Mike Mancias | The Tim Ferriss Show Calm Tara Brach on Meditation and Overcoming FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) | The Tim Ferriss Show Ian Thorpe Happy to Have Been Proved Wrong by Michael Phelps | The Telegraph The Last Dance | Netflix Michael Phelps Says the Pandemic Has Brought About | CNN Michael Phelps: ‘I Am Extremely Thankful That I Did Not Take My Life’ | CNN Health Michael Phelps Prepares for Life After 2016 Rio Olympics | ESPN The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life by Trevor Moawad and Andy Staples Grant Hackett Opens Up About His Drug Use, Fights With Family, and ‘That Photo’ | Men’s Health, Australia How Michael Phelps Helped Turn Grant Hackett’s Life Around | The Sydney Morning Herald Talkspace Online Therapy The History of the Underwater Dolphin Kick | Swimming World News Everything Is Fucked: A Book about Hope by Mark Manson Harvard Business Review HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness by Harvard Business Review Extreme Ownership (How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win) by Jocko Willink Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight The Airbus A380 vs. Boeing 747: Which Plane Is Best? | Simple Flying Good to Great (6 Book Series) by Jim Collins The Juilliard School The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony De MelloSHOW NOTESGrant starts us off by recounting why his 1,500-meter freestyle race at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was the most painful of his career — even though he walked away with a gold medal for his trouble. [07:56]When it comes to suffering for a race, Michael concurs that he’s been luckier than Grant (though this might be chalked up to preparation). But they both have an obsession with studying — and training to beat — the numbers. Is this common in their corner of athleticism? [14:47]How did Michael and Grant come to meet and eventually train together? What did each see in the other as admirable and innovative? [18:59]It’s common for Grant and Michael to train 30 to 40 hours per week, and Michael even trained more than 540 days straight to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. How do they keep from burning out? [26:07]What does Michael do to treat his body like a Ferrari and keep it performing at its best, and how does Grant ensure he’s getting optimal sleep? [32:29]Why might a competitive swimmer want to avoid hiking regularly? [39:04]Far from being thwarted by critical remarks, Michael uses them as fuel to excel even harder. What kind of “fuel” did Ian Thorpe provide for Michael at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing? Did relying on this kind of fuel generate anger, or did it channel it from somewhere it already existed? What is Michael’s relationship with anger now that he’s no longer competing, and how does he manage it — especially during the pandemic? [40:22]Michael opens up about the first time he experienced depression and how he came to understand and accept that he needed help. What made this experience particularly scary, and what has he learned about coping with episodes of depression since then? [47:44]Books that have helped Michael get in touch with his spiritual side, and how his kids remind him to treasure the simple things in life. [55:50]What have the dark times looked like for Grant, and what has he taken away from them? [1:00:54]Rules and strategies that have helped Grant nurture his mental health. [1:06:13]Does Grant see a therapist regularly? How does he know when it’s time to check in, and what does the format look like? [1:10:06]Does Michael check in with a therapist regularly? How does writing down his feelings help him process what he’s going through? [1:17:15]Michael talks about his feelings surrounding involvement in The Weight of Gold, an HBO sports documentary exploring the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes often face — and why he’s grateful it came out during the COVID pandemic. [1:22:07]Books and resources Grant has found conducive toward maintaining mental health (and Michael chimes in with a few he’s thought of since I asked him). [1:28:22]What would Michael and Grant’s billboards say? [1:42:10]Parting thoughts. [1:46:55]PEOPLE MENTIONEDLarsen Jensen Bob Bowman Keenan Robinson Ian Thorpe Erik Vendt LeBron James Michael Jordan Nicole Phelps Ray Lewis Boomer Phelps Beckett Phelps Maverick Phelps Allison Schmitt Sharlene Fletcher Mark Manson Matt Targett Martin Seligman Tony Schwartz Warren Bennis Phil Knight Warren Buffet Jim Collins Mark Nepo Ryan Holiday Trevor Moawad John Ram Anthony De Mello

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Published on January 21, 2021 07:55

January 19, 2021

A Simple 2021 Reboot — My Short Letter to a Friend Who Wants to Get In Shape

Photo by Todd White

Happy New Year, all!

A close friend of mine recently asked me for a cheat sheet for getting into better shape in 2021. He specifically asked about supplements and abs several times. He’s looking for a rapid reboot.

The below is what I sent him, along with a copy of The 4-Hour Body, which was recently featured in a USA Today list of the top-10 most popular diet books of the last decade.

This blog post is minimally edited. I’m not trying to be Tolstoy; rather, I wanted to share a quick and dirty email of tactical advice to a friend who has limited time, a bunch of kids, no ability to go to a public gym during COVID, etc.

I’m also simplifying a lot to get my point across quickly, so read it with that in mind. Needless to say, I’m not a doctor and none of this is medical advice. Chat with your MD and do your homework on supplements before consuming anything new.

My friend is also a roughly 200-pound male, so adjust kettlebell weights accordingly. Pavel Tsatsouline has excellent further resources.

Enjoy…

###

Ahoy, Santiago!

If you follow the directions in the below links for four weeks, you should see some significant changes.

First, just a few basics:

– Weight training will help with fat loss and appearance more than cardio, as it helps to build muscle, which then changes your metabolism.

– As they say, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” We all have abs, and it’s diet that will make them visible or invisible, so diet is 90%-plus of seeing abs.

– Supplements can be helpful, but they are called “supplements” for a reason. They should supplement other more important changes to diet and exercise.

OK, here are my suggestions for the next 4–6 weeks, listed from most important to least important:

DIET

Focus on the Slow-Carb Diet. You get one “cheat day” per week to go crazy and eat whatever you want, so you’re not giving up your favorite foods for more than 6 days at a time. It really, really works.

These two articles are good starting points:

How to Lose 100 Pounds on the Slow-Carb Diet – Real Pics and Stories

Everything You Need to Know About the Slow-Carb Diet

Also feel free to print this Slow-Carb diet one-pager from The 4-Hour Chef, which encapsulates nearly all the main points.

EXERCISE

Focus on kettlebell swings. Do these 2x per week and see these, in this order:

2. The Perfect Posterior: Kettlebell Swings and Cheap Alternatives

Here’s an excerpt from the above blog post:

In 2005, my interest in kettlebells reinvigorated, I returned to the United States from Argentina and purchased one 53-pound kettlebell. I did nothing more than one set of 75 swings one hour after a light, protein-rich breakfast, twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. In the beginning, I couldn’t complete 75 consecutive repetitions, so I did multiple sets with 60 seconds between until I totaled 75. Total swing time for the entire week was 10–20 minutes.

I wasn’t trying to balance tequila shots on my butt cheeks. I wanted clear six-pack abs. In six weeks, I was at my lowest bodyfat percentage since 1999, and l’d reached my goal. I’ve since worked up to 50+ reps with the 106-lb. “beast,” which has directly transferred to 100-lb.+ gains in the deadlift.

The king of exercises—the two-handed kettlebell swing—is all you need for dramatic changes.

BASICS

Get a 35-lb kettlebell and a ~53-lb kettlebell to start. Do one week of the lighter then move up to the 53. After the 4–6 week experiment, you might buy one that is heavier. Good idea to use chalk on your hands.

SUPPLEMENTS

– Eat 30 grams (30g) of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. I know this isn’t a supplement, but it’s important, so I’m putting it here, since I think you might skip to this section.

– Consider 1000mg of cissus quadrangularis before lunch.

– Take 100–300mg of alpha-lipoic acid 30 min before dinner.

– Take 3,000–5,000iu of vitamin D before bed.

For now, that’s PLENTY!

The 4-Hour Body will have much more to explore, if you like. Hardcover will be on its way to you.

Un abrazo!

Tim

###

P.S. To bring some optimism into 2021, I’d like to quote from an email I received at the end of 2008 from a mentor of more than two decades:

While many are wringing their hands, I recall the 1970s when we were suffering from an oil shock causing long lines at gas stations, rationing, and 55 MPH speed limits on Federal highways, a recession, very little venture capital ($50 million per year into VC firms), and, what President Jimmy Carter (wearing a sweater while addressing the Nation on TV because he had turned down the heat in the White House) called a “malaise.” It was during those times that two kids without any real college education, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, started companies that did pretty well. Opportunities abound in bad times as well as good times. In fact, the opportunities are often greater when the conventional wisdom is that everything is going into the toilet.

Well…we’re nearing the end of another great year, and, despite what we read about the outlook for 2009, we can look forward to a New Year filled with opportunities as well as stimulating challenges.

—

Once again, Happy New Year, everyone!

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Published on January 19, 2021 13:22

A Simple 2021 Reboot — My Short Letter to a Friend Who Wants to Get in Shape

Photo by Todd White

Enjoy…

###

Ahoy, Santiago!

If you follow the directions in the below links for four weeks, you should see some significant changes.

First, just a few basics:

– Weight training will help with fat loss and appearance more than cardio, as it helps to build muscle, which then changes your metabolism.

– As they say, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” We all have abs, and it’s diet that will make them visible or invisible, so diet is 90%-plus of seeing abs.

– Supplements can be helpful, but they are called “supplements” for a reason. They should supplement other more important changes to diet and exercise.

OK, here are my suggestions for the next 4–6 weeks, listed from most important to least important:

DIET

These two articles are good starting points:

How to Lose 100 Pounds on the Slow-Carb Diet – Real Pics and Stories

Everything You Need to Know About the Slow-Carb Diet

Also feel free to print this Slow-Carb diet one-pager from The 4-Hour Chef, which encapsulates nearly all the main points.

EXERCISE

Focus on kettlebell swings. Do these 2x per week and see these, in this order:

2. The Perfect Posterior: Kettlebell Swings and Cheap Alternatives

Here’s an excerpt from the above blog post:

The king of exercises—the two-handed kettlebell swing—is all you need for dramatic changes.

BASICS

– Consider 1000mg of cissus quadrangularis before lunch.

– Take 100–300mg of alpha-lipoic acid 30 min before dinner.

– Take 3,000–5,000iu of vitamin D before bed.

For now, that’s PLENTY!

The 4-Hour Body will have much more to explore, if you like. Hardcover will be on its way to you.

Un abrazo!

Tim

###

P.S. To bring some optimism into 2021, I’d like to quote from an email I received at the end of 2008 from a mentor of more than two decades:

—

Once again, Happy New Year, everyone!

View more on Timothy Ferriss's website »

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Published on January 19, 2021 13:22

The Random Show — Bitcoin Pros and Cons, 2021 Resolutions, Fave Books, Lucid Dreaming, Couples Therapy, and More (#493)

Technologist, serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, self-experimenter, and all-around wild and crazy guy Kevin Rose (@KevinRose) rejoins me for another episode of “The Random Show.” In this one we discuss Bitcoin, portfolio rebalancing, energy management versus time management, maximizing our enjoyment of nature, lucid dreaming, couples therapy, healthy Hawaiian venison, and more.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Magic Spoon delicious low-carb cereal, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, the best version of LinkedIn for sales professionals, and FreshBooks, small-business accounting software. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#493: The Random Show — Bitcoin Pros and Cons, 2021 Resolutions, Fave Books, Lucid Dreaming, Couples Therapy, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/5a2d020d-f1b8-4738-b9a8-95c62b89f84e.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Sales Navigator! LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the best version of LinkedIn for sales professionals. Tap into the power of LinkedIn’s 700 million+ member network. LinkedIn Sales Navigator gives you 20 monthly InMail messages, Lead Recommendations, Unlimited Searches, Actionable Insights and News, and access to free courses on LinkedIn Learning. Target the right prospects and decision-makers, unlocking 15% more pipeline from sourced opportunities, a 17% lift when saving leads on Sales Navigator, and 42% larger deal sizes.

Start your 60-day free trial —that’s a two-month free trial!—of LinkedIn Sales Navigator today by going to LinkedIn.com/Navigator

This episode is brought to you by Magic Spoon cereal! Magic Spoon is a brand-new cereal that is low carb, high protein, and zero sugar. It tastes just like your favorite sugary cereal. Each serving has 11g of protein, 3g of net carbs, 0g of sugar, and only 110 calories. It’s also gluten free, grain free, keto friendly, soy free, and GMO free. And it’s delicious! It comes in your favorite, traditional cereal flavors like Cocoa, Frosted, and Blueberry.

Magic Spoon cereal has received a lot of attention since launching last year. Time magazine included it in their list of Best Inventions of 2019, and Forbes called it “the future of cereal.” My listeners—that’s you—get free shipping and a 100% happiness guarantee when you visit MagicSpoon.com/Tim and use code TIM.

This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks. I’ve been talking about FreshBooks—an all-in-one invoicing + payments + accounting solution—for years now. Many entrepreneurs, as well as the contractors and freelancers that I work with, use it all the time.

FreshBooks makes it super easy to track things like expenses, project time, and client info and then merge it all into great-looking invoices. FreshBooks can save users up to 200 hours a year on accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Right now FreshBooks is offering my listeners a free 30-day trial, and no credit card is required. Go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear another episode of The Random Show? Check out my last conversation with Kevin in which we discussed wildlife friends and foes, the folly of facing off against Mike Tyson (even in his 50s), slow donkeys, universal basic income (UBI), breaking the pandemic pajama routine, smoked meats and Wi-Fi grills, Zen and the art of Kevin maintenance, how to hike without being hunted, hoity-toity beer, pandemic investing, and more.

#453: The Random Show — Zen, Investing, Mike Tyson, Artificial Intelligence, and the World’s Best Beershttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/297e69e7-3efe-4c36-89a2-117fe419a58e.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Kevin Rose:

The Kevin Rose Show | Oak Meditation | Zero | Instagram | Twitter

Past Episodes of the Random Show | The Tim Ferriss Show AcroLove Festivals Kevin’s Raccoon Toss | YouTube Bitcoin’s Price History | Investopedia Decide Whether Hedging or Shorting Are for You | Dummies A “Grey Hat” Guide | Electronic Frontier Foundation Mad Max | Prime Video Dutch Tulip Bulb Market Bubble Definition | Investopedia How Does Bitcoin Mining Work? | Investopedia Bitcoin Goes Mainstream as PayPal and Square Embrace Digital Currencies | Barron’s True Ventures Why Everyone In Crypto Is Talking About DeFi | Forbes What is a Stablecoin? Most Comprehensive Video Guide | Blockgeeks Tether (USDT) | Investopedia Bitcoin ETF? A Crypto Holy Grail. But Don’t Expect to See One Soon, Say Experts. | MarketWatch 2 Overlooked Catalysts for Peloton Stock in 2021 | The Motley Fool “Don’t Sell a Share,” Says Billionaire Even as Tesla Stock Dips | Yahoo Finance Banking, Automated Investing, & Free Planning | Wealthfront Spotify Made Huge Investments in Podcasts — Here’s How It Plans to Make Them Pay Off | CNBC Investing, Trading, & Retirement | E*TRADE Financial Quicken | Personal Finance & Money Management Software Simplifi by Quicken Financial Planning and Wealth Management | Personal Capital Cafe De L’ambre: Legendary | Tokyo Coffee Plaid Of Wolves and Men by Barry Holstun Lopez Finding the One Decision That Removes 100 Decisions (or, Why I’m Reading No New Books in 2020) | tim.blog “If You Love Chocolate…” | Tim Ferriss, Instagram One Platform to Work with Social Media | Onlypult The Tail End | Wait But Why The Mysterious/Unsolvable Zen Koans | Henry Shukman | The Kevin Rose Show What Tree Is That? Tree Identification Guide | Arbor Day Foundation Shazam for Birds: Three Apps That Recognize Bird Calls | Lifehacker 12 Apps That Will Turn You Into a Nature Expert | Treehugger Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold Huperzine A: Health Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, Dosage, & Interactions | RxList Enlightenment, Dreams, Lucidity, and False Awakenings in Buddhism | Tricycle Frequent Lucid Dreaming Associated with Increased Functional Connectivity Between Frontopolar Cortex and Temporoparietal Association Areas | Scientific Reports What Processes in the Brain Allow You to Remember Dreams? | Scientific American Inception | Prime Video REM Sleep: Why is It Important? | American Sleep Association LSD’s Impact on the Brain Revealed in Groundbreaking Images | The Guardian Is Your Family Experiencing Greater Conflict During a Time of Self-Quarantine? | The New York Times The Center for Nonviolent Communication Imago Relationships CBN vs. CBD: What’s the Difference? | Weedmaps The Nation’s Leader In Cannabis Edibles | Wyld Oura Ring Fitbit The Truth About Alcohol and Sleep | The Sleep Doctor Physiological Effects of Touching Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis Obtusa) | Journal of Wood Science Hinoki Lab Native American Indian Coyote Legends | Native Languages of the Americas Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory | Prime Video “The Suspense is Terrible…” | Tim Ferriss, Instagram 2021 Storming of the United States Capitol | Wikipedia Reality Check: Life Behind Insta-Glam Image of ‘Influencers’ | The Guardian Damion Searls: How Does the Rorschach Inkblot Test Work? | TED-Ed The Social Dilemma | Netflix The Skinner Box or Operant Conditioning Chamber | Verywell Mind My Octopus Teacher | Netflix The Last Dance | Netflix Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution | Netflix Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia | Prime Video The Fog Of War | Prime Video What’s the Difference Between Iboga and Ibogaine? | Psychedelic Times Dosed | Prime Video Soul | Disney+The Mandalorian | Disney+Maui Nui Venison Axis Deer on the Rise, Experts Say | Maui News The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss Steven Rinella on Hunting (and Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show Cricket Protein Bars & Snacks from Cricket Flour | Exo Protein High Protein, Low Carb, Healthy, Keto Cereal | Magic Spoon Blue Bottle Coffee Hu Kitchen Mondelez International, Inc.FL Studio | Wikipedia Froot Loops | Kellogg’s Cocoa Puffs | General Mills Cereal Benchmark Capital Principles: Life and Work by Ray DalioSHOW NOTESReminiscing about the last time we hung out together pre-COVID. [05:26]Thoughts on COVID-era cryptomania, how we’ve invested in cryptocurrency in the past and present, where we see it headed, and some of the red flags we might want to keep an eye on. (Reminder: this is not financial advice. This is for informational and entertainment purposes only.) [06:49]How we’ve been rebalancing other assets in our portfolios during these especially uncertain times, what the lessons learned in 2020 mean for further decisions — financial and non-financial — and why I think ahead in blocks of three years rather than five or 10. [33:59]Kevin shares what he’s learned from spending “a crap ton” of time researching applications for tracking finances: the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we examine the evidence indicating that he may have a legitimate financial dashboard fetish. [56:38]Why I’ve been thinking a lot more about energy management than time management. [1:02:50]The best nonfiction book I’ve read in the last five years, and revisiting why, in 2020, I chose to read no books that were published in 2020 (and, by extension, be more purposeful about how I spend time in general). [1:06:12]Kevin and I talk about how we’re learning to best enjoy the time we spend in nature — whether this involves listening to audiobooks in real-time (or not at all) or identifying the sights and sounds of the wilderness — and why I’m having trouble reacclimating to Austin after a summer spent in the woods among the black bears, coyotes, birds, and trees. [1:15:12]Exploring the worlds of lucid dreaming, Zen enlightenment, and reality checks. [1:22:46]Ways we’ve found to cope with ourselves and our loved ones (and for them to cope with us) during the extended quarantine. [1:30:44]Kevin’s word for 2021, and how he’s applying it to drink less than the power of COVID compels him. [1:44:08]As Kevin’s alcohol consumption goes down, does his edible gummies consumption go up? [1:46:50]Kevin raves about the benefits of Japanese Hinoki wood and its oil. [1:49:12]My word for 2021 as an antidote to the seriousness of 2020 and a reality check against the expectations manufactured by social media. [1:51:27]Recommended documentaries, movies, and shows we’ve been watching this year. [1:59:07]Thoughts on healthy Hawaiian venison snacks and hunting. [2:04:51]Food investment forays and final thoughts. [2:10:42]PEOPLE MENTIONEDPaul Tudor Jones Joe Rogan Barry Holstun Lopez Michael Lewis John McPhee Mary Oliver Darya Rose Tim Urban Henry Shukman Stephen LaBerge Howard Rheingold Marshall Rosenberg Toaster Gene Wilder Hermann Rorschach B.F. Skinner Michael Jordan Hamilton Morris Errol Morris Jon Favreau Jake and Ku?ulani Muise Molly Steven Rinella Andy Rachleff Mike Maples Ray Dalio

View more on Timothy Ferriss's website »

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Published on January 19, 2021 10:49

January 14, 2021

My Favorite and Most Impactful Reads of 2020 (Plus: How to Remember What You Read)

Photo by Todd White

This post will share the most impactful articles and books that I’ve read in the last 12 months.

If you’d like to learn more about how I read, keep track of things, and review highlights, you might enjoy this YouTube video.

The below descriptions originally appeared in my free newsletter, “5-Bullet Friday,” which I send out every Friday. It’s a short email of bullet points that describe the five coolest things I’ve found or explored each week. “5-Bullet Friday” often includes books, gadgets, quotes, experimental supplements, and useful stuff from all over the world. To subscribe and join 1.5+ million other people, please click here. It’s easy to unsubscribe anytime.

***

MY FAVORITE AND MOST IMPACTFUL READS FROM 2020

What I’m reading — (week of December 30, 2019)
How Kepler Invented Science Fiction and Defended His Mother in a Witchcraft Trial While Revolutionizing Our Understanding of the Universe. Maria Popova (@brainpicker) is simply amazing. Her prose is worth reading for its beauty alone (keep in mind that English is not Maria’s native language!), and the stories in this essay highlight just how brilliant, stupid, ignorant, and insightful humans can be… sometimes all at the same time. Hat tip to JZ for the recommendation.

What I’m reading — (week of January 6th)
Having Kids by Paul Graham (@paulg). Here is one of my favorite sections: “I remember perfectly well what life was like before. Well enough to miss some things a lot, like the ability to take off for some other country at a moment’s notice. That was so great. Why did I never do that? … See what I did there? The fact is, most of the freedom I had before kids, I never used. I paid for it in loneliness, but I never used it.”

Article I’m reading — (week of January 13th)
The Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin, Science, December 13, 1968, 1243–1248. Thanks to Shane Parrish (@ShaneAParrish) of Farnam Street for pointing me to this. This is an incredibly thought-provoking read. Even if you think you understand the concept of the “tragedy of the commons,” this original piece that introduced the phrase offers a lot of food for thought.

Article I’m contemplating — (week of January 20th)
Reality has a surprising amount of detail by John Salvatier (@johnsalvatier). This 2017 beauty was sent to me by my dear friend, Pineapple-Eating Cat (long story). It made me recall my conversation with Tim O’Reilly and his daily habit of pausing to take a photograph of a flower. If you read this article (and it only takes 5–10 minutes), be sure to read to the end. Here’s a teaser paragraph:

This means it’s really easy to get stuck. Stuck in your current way of seeing and thinking about things. Frames are made out of the details that seem important to you. The important details you haven’t noticed are invisible to you, and the details you have noticed seem completely obvious and you see right through them. This all makes it difficult to imagine how you could be missing something important.

What I’m reading — (week of January 27th)
Why Is Joe Rogan So Popular? (Atlantic) by Devin Gordon (@DevinGordonX). This is one of the best explorations of Joe that I’ve come across. Devin captures the zeitgeist—with real insight into Joe and his format—better than anyone I’ve seen to date. Here is one of many sections that struck me, slightly edited for length:

[One journalist wrote,] “If traditional media were pissed about anything relevant to the Musk-Rogan interview, it was the extent to which Rogan got played.”

Played! Imagine writing that about one of the most discussed and downloaded podcasts of 2018. Rogan, the one who handed Elon Musk a spliff, on camera, and got him to smoke it, thus earning national headlines for himself and millions of listens for his advertisers, got played. In order to reach such a conclusion, you have to begin with the presumption that interviews must always be a form of combat, with winners and losers….

The hard truth for some of Rogan’s critics in the media is that he is much better at captivating audiences than most of us, because he has the patience and the generosity to let his interviews be an experience rather than an inquisition. And, go figure, his approach has the virtue of putting his subjects at ease and letting the conversation go to poignant places, like the moment when Musk reflected on what it was like to be Elon Musk as a child—his brain a set of bagpipes that blared all day and all night. He assumed he would wind up in a mental institution. “It may sound great if it’s turned on,” he said in his blunt mechanical way, “but what if it doesn’t turn off?

What I’m reading — (week of February 3rd)
Digital nomad: this is the reality of living the ‘dream’ Instagram lifestyle by Elly Earls (@ellyjearls). This piece highlights some of the risks of working remotely, as well as the incredible importance of community. Pair it with “Remote Workers Are Not All Digital Nomads” by Weiting Liu (@weitingliu).

Article I’m reading and rereading — (week of February 10th)
Body Count” by Epsilon Theory/Ben Hunt (@epsilontheory). This was sent to me by one of my smartest and most connected friends. It paints a spooky picture of the Chinese reports of what has informally been referred to as “Wuhan coronavirus.” Per the WHO at the time of this writing, the official virus name is SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes is COVID-19, much like HIV causes AIDS. Here is one portion from this essay (edited for length), and I suggest reading the entire piece:

From a narrative perspective, China is fighting this war against nCov2019 exactly like the US fought its war against North Vietnam. … They convince themselves that the people can’t handle the truth, particularly if the truth ain’t such good news. They convince themselves that they can buy enough time to win the real-world war by designing and employing a carefully constructed “communication strategy” to win the narrative-world war. That strategy proved to be a social and political disaster for the United States, as the cartoon tail (gotta get more NV casualties for Cronkite to report) ended up wagging the policy dog (send out more counterproductive search-and-destroy missions). I think exactly the same thing is happening in China. And I think the social and political repercussions will be exactly as disastrous.

Personally, I am not panicking, but I’m curtailing unnecessary travel and group interactions for the next 2–3 weeks to see how things shake out, particularly given the asymptomatic “incubation period” of up to 14 days. Might that be an overreaction? Might I be misinformed? Totally. But then again, how many head-on car accidents have I had? Zero. I nonetheless put on my seatbelt every time that I drive, and we have great data on traffic fatalities. Do you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen? Would you accept $100 to get rid of it? $1,000? I wouldn’t. As unlikely as a kitchen fire might be, the extreme known consequences of an out-of-control fire easily justify a fire extinguisher, even if it gathers dust forever.

Even though some folks think of me as a “risk-taker,” I self-identify much more as a “risk-mitigator.”

I dislike the unknowns on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, and—like putting on a seatbelt—it’s easy for me to mitigate a lot of downside risk until the data paint a clearer picture. Videos like this (hat tip to Naval Ravikant) lead me to think that wearing an eight-point harness for a few weeks isn’t the worst idea.

I am constantly looking for such “seatbelts” in many areas of my life…

[The above bullet ended up going long. I just put the full version on my blog here.]

Book that I’m revisiting — (week of February 10th)
The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant. This short and powerful book was first recommended to me by famed investor Ray Dalio. At fewer than 150 pages, it can be digested in a few sittings and offers an impressive overview of human nature, as well as the rise and fall of civilizations. Here’s the official book description: “A concise survey of the culture and civilization of mankind, The Lessons of History is the result of a lifetime of research from Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Will and Ariel Durant. With their accessible compendium of philosophy and social progress, the Durants take us on a journey through history, exploring the possibilities and limitations of humanity over time.”

What I’m reading and forwarding to all of my friends — (week of February 17th)
Business gets ready to trip: How psychedelic drugs may revolutionize mental health care by Jeffrey O’Brien (@jeffreyobrien) in Fortune. I don’t do much media these days, but I made a huge exception for this one, as it should be huge: 12–16 pages in the print edition, making it the largest feature in the issue.

It’s one of the best articles on psychedelics I’ve seen in years, and it covers a lot of important ground: business, nonprofit, scientific, and investment considerations, among others. As one friend said about the piece: “Finally, this is the article I can send my parents to explain why this is so important.” If the article resonates with you as well, please consider sharing it. It can have a large impact.

Much gratitude to Jeffrey for diving so deep in this writing, and huge thanks to Alexandra and Steven and team at the Cohen Foundation (@cohengive), Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt), Blake Mycoskie (@blakemycoskie), and Craig Nerenberg for helping set such an ambitious example at Johns Hopkins. Just wait for the rest of 2020… there are some BIG things coming.

And for fun, here’s the Fortune sub-headline: Silicon Valley legends. Billionaire financiers. Patent attorneys. They’re all awakening to the massive potential of an industry preparing to emerge from darkness.

(Last note: It takes less than 15 seconds to register to read the full piece. You do not need to pay or enter credit card information. Just confirm your email.)

Article I’m reading and thinking about a lot — (week of February 24th)
How Sia Saved Herself by Hillel Aron (@hillelaron). After my short tweetstorm on the dangers of public exposure, reader Bryan Elliott (@BryanElliott) recommended this to me. What does fame look like without a face? Is it possible to be a pop star while breaking many of the supposed “rules”? Read this and find out. Excellent piece.

A short article that is definitely worth reading — (week of March 2nd)
How Public Health Policies Saved Citizens in St. Louis During the 1918 Flu Pandemic. I strongly suggest reading the entire piece. And huge thanks to David Stewart (@davidstewartNY) for highlighting it.

[AFTERWORD: The above link was shared the same week that I posted this tweet about the 100,000-plus-attendee SXSW festival.]

What I’m rereading — (week of March 16th)
Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature. This book was introduced to me under unusual circumstances that I’ll write about another time. For now, I can offer this context: I ordered it in response to a therapist saying to me, “I suggest you explore art, music, and so on. You know the problem with most books? TOO MANY WORDS!” If this exact book sells out, nearly all of Andy’s books are gorgeous, and this trippy documentary also does a good job of profiling his life and art. It’ll blow your mind.

What I’m learning more about — (week of March 16th)
Why coyotes and badgers hunt together by Russell McLendon (@russmclendon). One paragraph to give you a taste: “Each member of the hunting party has a distinct set of skills. Coyotes are nimble and quick, so they excel at chasing prey across an open prairie. Badgers are slow and awkward runners by comparison, but they’re better diggers than coyotes are, having evolved to pursue small animals in underground burrow systems. So when they hunt prairie dogs or ground squirrels on their own, badgers usually dig them up, while coyotes chase and pounce. The rodents therefore use different strategies depending which predator is after them: They often escape a digging badger by leaving their burrows to flee aboveground, and evade coyotes by running to their burrows.” I also highly recommend watching the following video: Coyote and Badger Caught Playing on Camera. For some reason, I find this short clip so uplifting that I bookmarked it and often watch it when I’m feeling down or overwhelmed.

What I’m reading — (week of March 23rd)
A Stoic’s Key to Peace of Mind: Seneca on the Antidote to Anxiety by Maria Popova ( @brainpicker ).

What I’m rereading — (week of March 30th)
Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy by Mo Gawdat (@mgawdat). This was recommended to me by a type-A MD who runs his life at 200 mph. He is also an engineer and strongly dislikes most woo-woo thinking. He gave this book his highest recommendation. To my relief, it doesn’t require any technical background. Here is part of the description, slightly edited for space: “Mo Gawdat, Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], applies his superior logic and problem solving skills to understand how the brain processes joy and sadness—and then he solves for happy. In 2001, Mo Gawdat realized that despite his incredible success, he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would: examining all the provable facts and scrupulously applying logic. Eventually, his countless hours of research and science proved successful, and he discovered the equation for happiness.” I’ve found it very impactful, especially his portion on “I am, therefore I think” as a more useful version of “I think, therefore I am.”

What I’m rereading — (week of April 6th)
The Risk of Discovery essay by Paul Graham (@paulg), which is only a few paragraphs long. It’s worth rereading a few times.

Brilliant and surreal piece I can’t stop thinking about — (week of April 13th)
Steak-umm’s Twitter Account Is a Brilliant, Bizarre Voice of Reason in Our Coronavirus Era. Thanks to Kelly Starrett for sending this over. Caution: Steak-umm may pull you into a vortex.

Short PDF I’m reading — (week of April 13th)
Howard Marks’ latest memo. Howard Marks (@HowardMarksBook) is co-chairman and co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, a leading investment firm with more than $120 billion in assets. Warren Buffett has written of Howard Marks: “When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they’re the first thing I open and read. I always learn something.” This is his latest, and I think it poses some of the smartest questions I’ve seen related to these wild times. Here’s one standout line, variously attributed: “Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Catholicism without hell.” For those who’d like to learn more about market cycles from Howard, here’s an entire interview woven around the topic.

Book I’m revisiting — (week of April 27th)
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. This is one of the books most frequently recommended by podcast guests. Long ago, Naval Ravikant (@naval) highlighted for me the protagonist Siddhartha’s response to “What can you give?” His simple answer is “I can think, I can wait, I can fast.” There’s much more to his response (search “Kamala” here for a good excerpt), and I think about it often. Skip the Amazon description, as it gives away too much plot, but consider reading or rereading this short gem. If you’d prefer an even shorter read, try this: Can We All Be Like Texas? by David Byrne (@DBtodomundo).

What I’m reading — (week of May 4th)
68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice by Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kelly). Kevin is arguably the real-life most interesting man in the world, so I jumped on this piece as soon as it came out.

What I’m reading — (week of May 11th)
Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. Here’s one notable line: “More than half of those who identified as atheist before the experience no longer identified as atheist afterwards.”

What I’m reading — (week of May 18th)
Mary Karr, The Art of Memoir No. 1 in the Paris Review. This is a simply stunning interview of Mary Karr (@marykarrlit) from 2009. I’ve read it multiple times, highlighted nearly every page, and saved my scans to Evernote. That’s how much goodness I think it contains. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny.

What I’m reading — (week of June 1st)
James Baldwin, The Art of Fiction No. 78 from the Paris Review, Issue 91, 1984. James Baldwin (1924–1987) was an incredible storyteller and weaver of culture into words. He was also a tortured soul, and I’ve been fascinated by him since college. I recommend reading his Wikipedia page before the Paris Review interview for more context, including the fact that he was discriminated against within the civil rights movement for being gay. One aspect of James that drew me to him is that he doesn’t oversimplify in his writing; another is that he strove to uncover messiness both within and without.

This interview contains a lot of gold (e.g., his interactions with painter Beauford Delaney, his thoughts on writing and the self), but it’s not an easy read. The subject matter can be hard, and on top of that, you’ll need to get through language from the interviewer at the beginning like this: “We lunched on an August weekend, together with seasonal guests and his secretary.”

But “The Art of Fiction No. 78” covers a mountain-load more than writing. This interview gives you a glimpse into the life and thinking of a unique human and someone who fought like hell—and struggled like hell—to change both the world and himself.

What I’m reading — (week of June 8th)
Little, Big by John Crowley. Little, Big is simply one of the best novels I’ve ever read, and even that doesn’t do it justice. It is, as one reviewer put it, “mysteriously affecting.” Read a few of the Amazon reviews here to get a glimpse of what I mean. On top of that, I feel like it put me in an altered state of consciousness that often lasted for 6–12 hours, best described as a deep feeling of serenity. And yet, I’ve hesitated for weeks to put it into “5-Bullet Friday”! Why? Because I think it’ll only grab 10–20% of you. In fact, my brother gave me the paperback version in 2018, and I tried reading it three or four times over the past two years. I put it down after fewer than 50 pages in each attempt. So how’d I end up finishing it this time? This go-round, I committed to reading at least 100 pages, reading daily, and reading the Kindle version. Why? It’s partly because the prose is stunningly beautiful, but it’s unusual and requires close attention. It’s partly because there are a lot of characters introduced in the first 100 pages, and you need to keep them straight, which is why I also posted a pic of a family tree (the last of the three photos in the post) to help everyone out. Last, author John Crowley uses exquisite and poetic vocabulary, but I needed the Kindle built-in dictionary quite a lot (borborygmus, anyone?). It all sounds like a lot of work, and—guess what?—it is a lot of work. But hot damn, the payoff is just so, so delicious that it’s hard to describe. If you try it, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 8 out of 10 of you will think I’ve lost my mind. But 2 out of 10 will find this tale of hyperreality, unreality, concrete jungles, fairy tales, and dreams to be nearly magical in its effects. This book is special.

What I’m reading — (week of June 15th)
Can MDMA help to treat addiction?, a short interview with Dr. Ben Sessa of Imperial College, London. Here is one of my favorite portions:

[INTERVIEWER:]

Why then do psychedelics seem to do better in the treatment of addictions than conventional treatments?

[DR. SESSA:]

Because underlying addiction, and many if not most chronic mental disorders, is rigidity. Stuck rigid mental narratives about self and the world, which arise early in life as a result of early experiences, in other words, the very core building blocks of our personality, which stay with us for life. The majority of mental health treatments, and certainly all the medicines we use, like SSRIs, don’t do anything to those narratives, they just paper over the cracks and treat the overlying symptoms. In my experience, psychedelics are the best new form of pharmacology that we’ve come across that has the potential to actually tackle those narratives and allows people to build them up in a new, more positive way.

Interested in learning more on this subject? Be sure to see this.

What I’m reading — (week of June 22nd)
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. This was first recommended to me by Caroline Paul (@carowriter), an incredible writer in her own right, who was also one of the first female firefighters in San Francisco. This is one of her favorite books because, as she said, “A lot of [O’Brien’s] writing, at least initially, was about Vietnam in thinly veiled autobiographical form, but fiction. That book actually got me back to reading. When you go to college, reading gets kicked out of you a little bit. You have to read all of these things, and I didn’t [start reading again] until my friend Eric, a whitewater rafter with me, handed me this book.” Be forewarned that it contains beautiful prose and graphic violence in equal measure.

Interview I’m reading — (week of July 20th)
From Productivity to Psychedelics: Tim Ferriss Has Changed His Mind About Success in GQ (@GQMagazine). It might seem strange that I’m reading an interview with myself, but it’s only 90% narcissism. I seldom do interviews these days, and I was very curious to see how this one would turn out. Why? There are rare times when I feel “on,” and this conversation with Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay) was one of them. In the end product, we discuss rethinking productivity, my quarantine philosophy, why not everything that is meaningful can be measured, and how the success I set out to find 13 years ago looks quite different from the success I’m focused on now. The article only includes ~15% of what we covered over a 1–2-hour call, so perhaps we’ll do something with the full audio later. Thanks for plumbing the depths, Clay.

What I’m reading — (week of July 27th)
The Four Quadrants of Conformism by Paul Graham (@paulg). Pair this with Paul’s 2004 essay “What You Can’t Say,” which features The Conformist Test: “Let’s start with a test: Do you have any opinions that you would be reluctant to express in front of a group of your peers? If the answer is no, you might want to stop and think about that. If everything you believe is something you’re supposed to believe, could that possibly be a coincidence? Odds are it isn’t. Odds are you just think what you’re told.”

What I’m reading — (week of August 3rd)
John McPhee on Writing and the Relationship Between Artistic Originality and Self-Doubt by Maria Popova (@brainpicker). Here is one of my favorite quotes in the piece: “As Auden observed in one of his singular strokes of wry perspicacity, ‘some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.’”

What I’m reading — (week of August 10th)
100 Things I Learned in 10 Years and 100 Reads of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations by Ryan Holiday (@RyanHoliday).

What I’m reading and celebrating (Wall Street Journal) — (week of August 17th)
Silicon Valley and Wall Street Elites Pour Money Into Psychedelic Research by Shalini Ramachandran in WSJ, which should also be going to print today. This is a great piece with some notable and surprising names. That said, the headline doesn’t capture the most important part to me: ~2,500 donors participated, in amounts ranging from one dollar to $5 million, to raise the $30 million needed to complete clinical trials for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for trauma/PTSD. My sincerest thanks to each and every one of you who helped make this happen! Every donation mattered and made a difference. NOTE: This is a special URL provided to me by WSJ just for you guys. (Thank you, WSJ!) For the next ~48 hours, you can read the entire article and simply close any pop-ups (e.g., “Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership”) by clicking “X.” After 48 hours, you’ll need to create an account to read the article.

What I’m reading — (week of August 24th)
Joe Rogan Is the New Mainstream Media (New York Times) by Bari Weiss (@bariweiss). For those seeking extra credit, you can read Bari’s powerful resignation letter from the NYT, which followed just 50 days later on July 14th.

What I’m reading — (week of September 7th)
How to Find the Side Door: Startup Lessons from RXBar, 5-hour Energy, and More. This post from Guy Raz of How I Built This explores how RXBar, 5-hour Energy, and other unorthodox startups created their own categories—and billions of dollars of value—by “taking the side door.” Sometimes the best way to beat the competition and win… is to sidestep competition altogether.

What I’m reading — (week of September 14th)
Draft No. 4 by John McPhee. This is one of the best books about non-fiction writing that I’ve ever read. Be forewarned that it skips the hand-wavy platitudes and gets straight to the nitty-gritty details, as all McPheesian stories do. From the official description: “Draft No. 4 is a master class on the writer’s craft. In a series of playful, expertly wrought essays, John McPhee shares insights he has gathered over his career and has refined while teaching at Princeton University, where he has nurtured some of the most esteemed writers of recent decades. McPhee offers definitive guidance in the decisions regarding arrangement, diction, and tone that shape nonfiction pieces, and he presents extracts from his work, subjecting them to wry scrutiny. The result is a vivid depiction of the writing process, from reporting to drafting to revising―and revising, and revising.”

What I’m reading and definitely needing this week — (week of September 21st)
9 Common Traits in the Lives of Stoic Leaders by Stephen Hanselman (@SteveHanselman).

Audiobook that I’m listening to — (week of September 28th)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, narrated by the one and only Stephen Fry (@stephenfry). Stephen Fry makes this audiobook incredible; it’s one of the best voice performances I’ve ever heard. Like many people, I’d come across this book now and again for decades, but I was turned off by the goofy cover. Shame on me, but… perhaps it was perfect that I landed on the audiobook, which has been an uplifting mood shifter as the days get colder and darker.

Book I’m revisiting — (week of October 5th)
Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity by David Lynch (@david_lynch). Filmmaker David Lynch describes his personal methods of capturing and working with ideas, some of them hinged on the immense creative benefits he has experienced from the practice of meditation. This book has been recommended to me by many high-calibre creatives.

What I’m re-reading (very short) — (week of October 12th)
On Needing to Find Something to Worry About. This brief blog post provides me with an afterglow of extended calm for at least a few hours (sometimes much more) after each reading. The quote from Donald Winnicott packs a wallop, so don’t miss it.

What I’m reading (longer but fascinating) — (week of October 12th)
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. From the abstract: “Biophilic design can reduce stress, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, improve our well-being and expedite healing; as the world population continues to urbanize, these qualities are ever more important. Theorists, research scientists, and design practitioners have been working for decades to define aspects of nature that most impact our satisfaction with the built environment. ‘14 Patterns of Biophilic Design’ articulates the relationships between nature, human biology and the design of the built environment so that we may experience the human benefits of biophilia in our design applications.”

What I’m reading — (week of October 19th)
Why Private Eyes Are Everywhere Now by Patrick Radden Keefe (@praddenkeefe) for the New Yorker.

What I’m reading — (week of October 26th)
The Psychedelic Election by Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish). Greek civilization, a mysterious once-in-a-lifetime ceremony at the Temple of Eleusis, and a cameo by Marcus Aurelius… what’s not to like? This fascinating piece touches on a lot, including how people in D.C. or Oregon can, just possibly, be part of the next Renaissance.

What I’m reading — (week of November 2nd)
Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. This book was first recommended to me by the phenom that is Safi Bahcall, a former physicist and founder of a publicly-traded biotech company, who also knows hypnotism and a dozen other fields inside and out. It took me more than a year to dig into Joyful Wisdom, as I was turned off by the title. I expected another rinse and repeat of the usual Buddhist bag o’ tricks, which have never quite clicked for me. Much to my surprise, I quickly found insights, analogies, and practices that *did* stick in the first 100 pages.

What I’m reading — (week of November 9th)
Politician Cyrus Habib Leaves Office to Join the Jesuits (New York Times — @nytimes). Have you ever fantasized about walking off and leaving it all behind? This is the amazing story of one man, on track for ever-growing prestige and power, who did just that. Kudos to Frank Bruni (@FrankBruni) for a great piece. For more on Cyrus, here is his Wikipedia page.

What I’m re-reading — (week of November 16th)
The Glorious, Almost-Disconnected Boredom of My Walk in Japan by Craig Mod (@craigmod). This remains one of my favorite pieces ever published by WIRED. I printed it out more than a year ago and reread it often, continuing to highlight new things. If you feel overwhelmed by the noise, or if you simply fantasize about being a stranger in a strange land, this is a wonderful transporter. Told through the lens of an ultra-marathon walk through Japan, Craig’s story contains a lot of gems, including paragraphs like these:

I have configured servers, written code, built web pages, helped design products used by millions of people. I am firmly in the camp that believes technology is generally bending the world in a positive direction. Yet, for me, Twitter foments neurosis, Facebook sadness, Google News a sense of foreboding. Instagram turns me covetous. All of them make me want to do it—whatever “it” may be—for the likes, the comments. I can’t help but feel that I am the worst version of myself, being performative on a very short, very depressing timeline. A timeline of seconds.

…

In the context of a walk like this, “boredom” is a goal, the antipode of mindless connectivity, constant stimulation, anger and dissatisfaction. I put “boredom” in quotes because the boredom I’m talking about fosters a heightened sense of presence. To be “bored” is to be free of distraction.

What I’m reading — (week of November 23rd)
How to Think for Yourself by Paul Graham (@paulg). I have recommended many of Paul’s essays over the years, including The Risk of Discovery, Having Kids, Keep Your Identity Small, and, perhaps more than any other, Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule. How to Think for Yourself is a fabulous new addition to the list. Here’s one of my favorite excerpts from it: “Treat it as a puzzle. You know that some accepted ideas will later turn out to be wrong. See if you can guess which. The end goal is not to find flaws in the things you’re told, but to find the new ideas that had been concealed by the broken ones.”

What I’m reading (longer but easy) — (week of December 7th)
Tales of the Dervishes: Teaching-Stories of the Sufi Masters over the Past Thousand Years. Sometimes I learn, and absorb usable truths, best through time-tested fiction. Most stories in this book are only 1–5 pages long. Description: “Dervish tales are more than fable, legend, or folklore. For centuries, dervish masters have instructed their disciples by means of these teaching stories, which are said to increase perception and knowledge and provide a better understanding of man and the world. … Idries Shah spent many years traveling through three continents to collect and compare oral versions of these remarkable stories. This anthology…contains stories drawn from the repertories of dervish masters over a period of more than a thousand years.”

What I’m rereading (short) — (week of December 7th)
Do Not Disturb: How I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain by Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) for the New York Times.

Article I’m revisiting — (week of December 21st)
Michelin restaurants and fabulous wines: Inside the secret team dinners that have built the Spurs’ dynasty (@espn). This piece is FANTASTIC. It is wonderfully written and full of takeaways if you read carefully. Hat tip to @bakerlink for the recommendation. Here’s a short teaser from the beginning:

As much as [Coach] Popovich knows about hoops, he really knows food and wine. “I don’t know that he doesn’t know more about wine than he does about basketball,” former Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo says. Popovich scouts restaurants and wine lists as obsessively as he might any opponent. Before games, in his office, he can be found watching the Food Network. Sommeliers and restaurateurs claim to owe their careers to the man.… As absurd as it seems, one of the greatest basketball coaches in history might be more revered in the culinary world.

Read the whole thing, as the ending is killer. Coach Popovich has been on my mind as a possible podcast guest for years. This piece just reinforces the interest, but I know how much he dislikes most media. Perhaps some day…

***

P.S. In 2021, would you like one reading recommendation each week? Sign up for “5-Bullet Friday” and join 1.5M+ people who read my free weekly newsletter. Each Friday, you’ll get a short email of five bullet points, sending you off to your weekend with fun and useful things to ponder and try. It’s easy to unsubscribe anytime.

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Published on January 14, 2021 11:26

Richard Schwartz — IFS, Psychedelic Experiences without Drugs, and Finding Inner Peace for Our Many Parts (#492)

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We are locking up these parts of us that are so wonderful and have so many talents when they’re not locked up and when they’re not stuck in the past.
— Richard Schwartz

Richard Schwartz is on the faculty of the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

He began his career as a family therapist and an academic at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he discovered that family therapy alone did not achieve full symptom relief. In asking patients why, he learned that they were plagued by what they called “parts.” These patients became his teachers as they described how their parts formed networks of inner relationships that resembled the families he had been working with. He also found that as they focused on and, thereby, separated from their parts, they would shift into a state characterized by qualities like curiosity, calm, confidence, and compassion. He called that inner essence the Self and was amazed to find it even in severely diagnosed and traumatized patients. From these explorations, the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model was born in the early 1980s.

IFS is now evidence based and has become a widely used form of psychotherapy, particularly with trauma. It provides a non-pathologizing, optimistic, and empowering perspective and a practical and effective set of techniques for working with individuals, couples, families, and—more recently—corporations and classrooms.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Helix Sleep premium mattresses, LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 700M+ users, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.

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This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

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This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 best overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress for each and every body’s unique taste. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

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Want to hear another episode that outlines effective paradigms for dealing with trauma and addiction? Listen to my conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté, in which we discuss investigating the causes rather than the consequences of addiction, the therapeutic value of psychedelics (including the right way and the wrong way to experience ayahuasca), why some powerful modalities aren’t for everyone, and much more.

#298: Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addictionhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/a0c1eace-43ca-4a95-8076-0f33ab872641.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Disclaimer from Richard Schwartz: There is an on-going debate in the culture regarding the validity of recovered memories. While there is considerable evidence that recovered memories of abuse can be real, in some cases they are not. If such memories come to you, it is important to not act on them without corroborating evidence.

Internal Family Systems | IFS Institute Introduction to the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard C. Schwartz You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For: Bringing Courageous Love to Intimate Relationships by Richard C. Schwartz Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, A New, Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy by Jay Earley Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts by Richard C. Schwartz | Sounds True Internal Family Systems Therapy, Second Edition by Richard C. Schwartz and Martha Sweezy Internal Family Systems (IFS) for Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, & More with Dr. Richard Schwartz & Dr. Frank Anderson | PESI My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse (Includes Extensive Resource List) | The Tim Ferriss Show Inside the Revolutionary Treatment That Could Change Psychotherapy Forever | Elemental, Medium MDMA Therapy Training Program | MAPS The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach The Internal Family Systems Model Outline | IFS Institute Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Resources) | tim.blog Lord of the Flies by William Golding Suicidal Ideation | Wikipedia Dangerous Firefighters by Marta Chausee, Judy Lauwasser, and Dick Schwartz | Self to Self (via Derek Scott)“The Curious Paradox Is That When I Accept Myself Just as I Am, Then I Change.” -Carl Rogers | Dimensional Psychotherapy Integrating Psychedelic Experiences Utilizing the Internal Family Systems Therapeutic Model | International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review The Frogs and The Fighting Bulls | Fables of Aesop How to Work With Your Inner Critic: An Interview with Richard Schwartz | 1440 Multiversity Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction | The Tim Ferriss ShowSHOW NOTESAfter sharing my story of childhood abuse with the world, what has the aftermath been like? [08:24]As a freshly graduated family therapist in the early ’80s, Richard shares how he first encountered the concept of “parts” that became foundational to IFS. [15:17]I confess my initial resistance to IFS and how seeing its non-pathologizing methods put into action changed my opinion, and Richard speaks to why diverging from traditional therapy can be a hard sell. [22:34]Richard gives us a brief conceptual overview of IFS so we can understand the context of terms like “parts” and “exiles” and “firefighters.” [29:03]A note on how IFS prompts self-discovery in a way that some have only found through the use of psychedelics. [37:22]For the sake of demonstration, Richard takes me through an IFS session to explore how I might move from a place of anxiety and fear to a place of trust and faith by addressing and getting to know the parts of me that stoke that anxiety and fear rather than trying to dismiss them. [39:54]A post-game analysis of what we just experienced together — how becoming a compassionate witness to these traumatically burdened parts of ourselves and giving them a voice fosters much-needed self-empathy for the healing process to truly begin. [1:06:13]How parts work can be applied to someone going through suicidal ideation. [1:09:48]As psychologist Carl Rogers once said, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change.” How does this relate to the IFS model, and what’s the step after this acceptance? [1:16:08]While psychedelic experiences have proven therapeutically helpful for a number of issues including PTSD, they’re not suitable for everyone. But might it possible for IFS to help a prospective patient prepare for a psychedelic experience? What are the potential dangers? [1:17:31]How can someone make IFS a daily practice? Richard gives us an example from his own life that took place right before this interview, and shares what a good check-in might look like. [1:23:42]Couples in quarantine over the past year may have experienced what IFS would call a “protector war.” What is this and how would Richard help resolve it? [1:27:49]What are trailheads, and how can they lead us toward a breakthrough? [1:34:20]Richard’s recommended resources for someone looking to further explore IFS (these can be found at the top of the selected links above). [1:36:18]Parting thoughts. [1:39:19]PEOPLE MENTIONEDJack Kornfield Debbie Millman Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Michael Midhoffer Annie Midhoffer Frank Anderson Bessel van der Kolk Tara Brach Stan Graf Carl Rogers Gabor Maté

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Published on January 14, 2021 06:02

January 6, 2021

Dr. Stefi Cohen — 25 World Records, Power Training, Deadlifting 4.4x Bodyweight, Sports Psychology, Overcoming Pain, and More (#491)

Illustration via 99designs

[Visualize] a negative outcome. We don’t want to plan for it, but we need to prepare for it so we know how to react. Can you keep it together and try again, or will you crumble under pressure?
— Dr. Stefi Cohen

Stefi Cohen (@steficohen) is a 25x world-record-holding powerlifter and the first woman in the history of the sport to deadlift 4.4x her body weight. She is a doctor of physical therapy, author, co-host of the Hybrid Unlimited podcast, and business owner passionately educating people with her NO BS, evidence-based view on all things training and nutrition.

Stefi is the co-owner of Hybrid Performance Method, where hundreds of thousands of strength seekers go monthly to find progressive strength training and nutrition programs plus tons of free articles and videos. Stefi is a creative mind and loves collaborating with the Hybrid team and partners to develop powerful content, inspired fashion, and both fitness and nutrition tools for a stronger life.

Stefi is also the co-author (with Ian Kaplan) of Back in Motion, now available for pre-order.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Tonal smart home gym, LMNT electrolyte supplement, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.

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#491: Dr. Stefi Cohen — 25 World Records, Power Training, Deadlifting 4.4x Bodyweight, Sports Psychology, Overcoming Pain, and More
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This episode is brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.

Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM at checkout.

This episode is brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink-mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear another episode with a world-class powerlifter? Listen to my conversation with Mark Bell in which we discuss exercises for the new and aspiring powerlifter, idiot-proofing the bench press, using the warmup as a diagnostic tool, why it’s sometimes dangerous to emulate techniques of top performers, and much more.

#252: Inside the World of SuperTraining – Mark Bellhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/647d8b72-9739-4310-bb9b-832215e77016.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Stefi Cohen:

Hybrid Performance Method | Hybrid Unlimited Podcast | YouTube | Instagram

Back In Motion by Stefanie Cohen and Ian KaplanCaracas, Venezuela, South America | Lonely Planet6 Things You Need to Know About Venezuela’s Political and Economic Crisis | The Washington Post66 Years Ago, Roger Bannister Became a Legend | Runner’s WorldStefi Cohen Just Broke 3 More Powerlifting World Records Like It Was No Big Deal | Men’s HealthThe Revenant | Prime VideoTribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim FerrissAnts Can Lift Up to 5,000 Times Their Own Body Weight | Entomological Society of AmericaHow to Deadlift: The Complete Guide | The Art of ManlinessSumo Versus Conventional Deadlift: Your Definitive Guide | BarBendUSA Powerlifting Famous Sayings: #26: ‘Hard Work Beats Talent…’ | Shmaltz and MenudoJesse DiCocco Pulls 475 Lbs. in the Trap Bar Deadlift | John AlvinoTrain to Failure in Weight Training | Verywell FitEverything You Should Know About the Bulgarian Method | Muscle & FitnessTop 10 Things to Know Before BUD/S | Military.comSacroiliitis Symptoms and Causes | Mayo ClinicEvidence-Based Medicine: A Science of Uncertainty and an Art of Probability | Journal of EthicsReplication Crisis | WikipediaMRI Findings of Disc Degeneration Are More Prevalent in Adults with Low Back Pain than in Asymptomatic Controls: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | American Journal of NeuroradiologyFlexion vs. Extension Intolerant Back Pain | Ruthless PerformanceForces on Bone – Compression, Tension, and Shear | Bone and SpineLoad Tolerance: Reduce Your Risk of Injury | Never Too Old to LiftHealing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by John E. SarnoKetamine: NMDA Receptors and Beyond | Journal of NeuroscienceTrunk Muscle Strength and Back Muscle Endurance in Construction Workers with and without Low Back Disorders | Journal of Rehabilitation Research and DevelopmentBack Extension Hold | Catalyst AthleticsA Defense of Round-Backed Deadlifting | MyosynthesisStable or Robust? What’s the Difference? | Santa Fe InstituteFunctional Movement Systems Gray Cook on the Turkish Get-Up | On Target PublicationsSingle-Leg Deadlift | CrossFitGray Cook: Chop and Lift Basics | On Target PublicationsMovement Variability: Connecting Strategies, Errors, and Interventions | SimpliFasterWhy Is General Physical Preparedness (GPP) Important for Long-Term Success? | BarBendThe McGill Big 3 For Core Stability | Squat UniversityHow I Dealt With Lower Back Injuries: 3 Drills I Used To Recover | Stefi Cohen5 Tips To Avoid Any Injury | Stefi CohenExercise-Induced Analgesia | Better MovementStefi Cohen’s Tips for Shattering Your Personal Records | Muscle & FitnessKern US Open The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan HolidayWith Winning in Mind: The Mental Management System by Lanny BasshamExtreme Ownership (How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win) by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinMindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. DweckHenry Ford Quotes | The Henry FordThe Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth GodinThe Sunk Cost Fallacy Is Ruining Your Decisions. Here’s How | TimeThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy FerrissShould You Go to Physical Therapy School? | Stefi Cohen

SHOW NOTES

What was Stefi’s childhood in Venezuela like, why did she eventually move to the United States, and how did she feel about it at the time? [08:38]Where did Stefi arrive when she first moved to the US? [14:04]As a 25x world-record-holding powerlifter and the first woman in the history of the sport to deadlift 4.4x her body weight, Stefi shares the details of these epic feats of strength. [15:01]Who is Ed Coan, and what does Stefi find most impressive about him? [18:05]What are the differences in how the deadlift is approached, and how does someone cross the chasm into being able to defy gravity with weight that physics might suggest is impossible? [22:12]If hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, how much do genetics factor into the success of an aspiring powerlifting juggernaut? What might someone with average physical attributes do to improve their deadlifting potential? [25:54]What goes into a competition training split, and what a typical week of training looks like for Stefi. [35:13]How do rehab and prehab figure into Stefi’s training? What is the question we should really be asking? [38:58]What has Stefi done to recover from an injury that might differ from more common approaches, and what was the wake-up call that directed this course of action? [43:50]You always need to consider the sources of your research because, as Dr. William Osler famously said, “Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.” [50:54]Because, as Stefi says, “pain isn’t a reliable sign of damage,” she lays out the problem with the question “What can we do to fix it?” and what we might ask instead. [54:07]Taking the first steps in trying to pinpoint what might be causing back pain and what form its relief might take. [57:52]My own experience with ketamine infusion and its effects on the pain from a long-term back injury, and Stefi’s thoughts on what may have transpired behind the scenes. [1:01:23]How someone might develop greater resilience to prevent injuries from happening in the first place or at least diminish their likelihood, and why the concept of “bad” versus “good” form is relative. [1:04:44]The benefits of adding certain exercises to our routine that extend our range of movement variability, and why Stefi believes it’s crucial to have a general physical preparedness (GPP) regimen if we’re training — especially in overspecialized sports like powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting, but really in any arena prone to repetitive motions, whether it’s playing tennis or sitting at a desk for hours every day. [1:12:02]While she stresses that there’s no such thing as a magical exercise, Stefi shares her thoughts on The McGill Big Three — bird dog, dead bug, and side plank — and why they’re particularly efficacious in decreasing back pain. [1:15:50]Stefi addresses the value of visualization — for positive and negative outcomes — and how she’s put this into practice. [1:19:27]What were the benefits Stefi gained by spending a year with a sports psychologist? [1:25:53]Books Stefi has gifted or recommended most. [1:29:21]Describing herself as someone who doesn’t really memorize well, how did Stefi manage to pull off a doctorate in physical therapy, and why did she choose not to follow through with taking the licensing exam? [1:31:26]In the realm of physical therapy, what is it about Greg Lehman’s approach that stands out for Stefi? [1:37:40]Winners never quit and quitters never win: false, in the life experience of Stefi Cohen. Bonus: what Stefi, in hindsight, wishes she hadn’t quit. [1:40:41]As someone who completed her doctorate while training to break 25 world records and simultaneously creating a successful business, how does Stefi approach time management — and how did she wrangle the complication of scoring less than 75 on a test at a school that kicked people out for such infractions? [1:47:31]Favorite failures that opened the door to unforeseen opportunities, and how pandemic and pain collaborated to nudge Stefi in the direction of a new sport. [1:57:04]Six things you should do for any injury [2:03:38]: Stop doing what hurts. [2:04:16]Don’t underestimate isometric exercises. [2:04:33]Increase aerobic activity. [2:04:48]Use pain to optimize your movement. [2:05:17]Turn off the pain alarm. [2:05:35]Understand that tissue adaptation takes time. [2:05:55]Parting thoughts. [2:06:30]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Matt Vincent Kelly Starrett Jason Silva Hugo Chavez Maria Popova Roger Bannister Leonardo DiCaprio Ed Coan Barry Ross Camilo Garcia Mark Bell Sherlock Holmes William Osler Goldilocks John E. Sarno Konstantīns Konstantinovs Gray Cook Stuart McGill Hayden Bowe Ryan Holiday Jocko Willink Carol Dweck Lanny Bassham Henry Ford Greg Lehman Seth Godin Adee Cazayoux Ira Fiebert Karim Aun

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Published on January 06, 2021 11:34

December 28, 2020

Dr. Jim Loehr on Mental Toughness, Energy Management, the Power of Journaling, and Olympic Gold Medals (#490)

Illustration via 99designs

The power broker in your life is the voice that no one hears. How well you revisit the tone and content of your private voice is what determines the quality of your life. It is the master storyteller, and the stories we tell ourselves are our reality.
— Dr. Jim Loehr

Dr. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist and author of 17 books, including his most recent, Leading with Character, which also comes with “The Personal Credo Journal: A Companion to Leading with Character.”

He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.

From his more than 30 years of experience and applied research, Dr. Loehr believes the single most important factor in successful achievement, personal fulfillment, and life satisfaction is the strength of one’s character. He strongly contends that character strength can be built in the same way that muscle strength is built through energy investment.

Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine, and law enforcement, including Fortune 100 executives, FBI hostage rescue teams, and military special forces.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Helix Sleep premium mattresses, 99designs global design platform, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.

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#490: Dr. Jim Loehr on Mental Toughness, Energy Management, the Power of Journaling, and Olympic Gold Medals
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/2e047355-724f-4671-b50a-373a6e61af96.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 best overall mattress pick of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress for each and every body’s unique taste. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by 99designs, the global creative platform that makes it easy for designers and clients to work together to create designs they love. Its creative process has become the go-to solution for businesses, agencies, and individuals, and I have used it for years to help with display advertising and illustrations and to rapid-prototype the cover for The Tao of Seneca. Whether your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99designs.

You can work with multiple designers at once to get a bunch of different ideas or hire the perfect designer for your project based on their style and industry specialization. It’s simple to review concepts and leave feedback so you’ll end up with a design that you’re happy with. Click this link and get $20 off plus a $99 upgrade.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with an athlete at the top of her game? Have a listen to my conversation with tennis powerhouse Maria Sharapova in which we discuss discipline, rejection, effective self-talk, exercises for injury prevention, the problem with the phrase “work-life balance,” and much more.

#261: Mental Performance, Work-Life Balance, and the Rise to the Top – Maria Sharapovahttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/de88c4ee-e280-46b9-a42c-3439f5e0ffac.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Jim Loehr:

Website | LinkedIn

Leading with Character: 10 Minutes a Day to a Brilliant Legacy by James E. Loehr with Caren KenneyThe Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony SchwartzTribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim FerrissThe Hobbit by J. R. R. TolkienMental Toughness Training for Sports: Achieving Athletic Excellence by James E. LoehrNational Prep Wrestling Olympic Speed Skater Dan Jansen Falls after Sister Dies | HistoryDan Jansen’s Olympic Secret | NJBIZWhat the Voice inside Your Head Says About You | BBC FutureWhat My Morning Journal Looks Like | tim.blogBoomerang Effect | APA Dictionary of PsychologyWhat is Motivated Reasoning? How Does It Work? | Discover MagazineGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela DuckworthDefiance, Iowa | WikipediaDamion Searls: How Does the Rorschach Inkblot Test Work? | TED-EdThe Last Dance | Prime VideoTwo Most Important Days in Your Life: The Day You Were Born and the Day You Discover Why | Quote InvestigatorBraveheart | Prime VideoSenna | Prime Video30 for 30 | ESPN+Lonesome Dove | Prime VideoReturn to Lonesome Dove | Prime VideoRobert Duvall Remembers | Cowboys and Indians MagazineOpen: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

SHOW NOTES

Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.

Jim has worked with hundreds of world-class performers. Who are a few the listener might recognize?How Jim’s work influenced me as a high school wrestler, and the context of why I wrote “I LOVE THE 1,000” in my journal during this time — the story of Olympic speed skating champion Dan Jansen.Jim’s notes on the real power broker governing our lives: the internal, private voice only we can hear, and what we have to gain by understanding our relationship with that voice.How can we better develop an awareness of what our private voice is trying to articulate and reinforce in us so it serves rather than hinders our efforts?How might a script that channels encouragement from this private voice be implemented?What inspired Jim to write Leading With Character, and what is the intention of the companion journal that accompanies it?In six to eight words, describe who you are when you’re most proud of yourself.In six to eight words, how would you like your life to be summarized on your tombstone?Having worked with countless athletes who could be considered number one in their craft, what consistent life patterns does Jim see among those who have staying power contrasted with those who seek their way to the top via shortcuts?Does Jim believe practicing kindness is more than just the right thing to do, but a crucial investment in one’s own chance at success?Documentaries and movies that Jim finds moving.Parting thoughts.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Jim Courier Novak Djokovich Monica Seles Mark O’Meara Eric Lindros Mike Richter Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini Hector “Macho” Camacho Dan Jansen Riley Opelka John Buxton Jane Jansen Kevin Scott Nick Kyrgios Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Angela Duckworth Arnold Palmer Hermann Rorschach Michael Jordan Andy Roddick Tiger Woods Mark Twain William Wallace Dennis Rodman Ayrton Senna Joe Gebbia Andre Agassi Ray Mancini Robert Duvall Gus McCrae Tommy Lee Jones Steffi Graf

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Published on December 28, 2020 05:52

December 22, 2020

Guy Raz Interviews Tim Ferriss — How I Built This — Key Lessons, Critical Decisions, and Reinvention for Fun and Profit (#489)

Monica Nguyen-Vo for NPR

Welcome to The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to deconstruct world-class performers, to tease out their routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life. This time around, the tables are turned. I was interviewed by Guy Raz (@guyraz) for his mega-popular NPR podcast How I Built This.

In this episode, Guy traces my story from the very early days to the current day, asking me about key decisions, hard times, obstacles, lessons learned, and much, much more. We had a blast, we covered a lot of new ground, and Guy was kind enough to offer me the chance to post the audio, so that’s what you’ll hear.

For more Guy, check out his podcasts How I Built This, Wisdom from the Top, and The Rewind. He is also the co-creator of the acclaimed podcasts TED Radio Hour and Wow in the World, a children’s program.

Happy holidays and a very happy new year to you and yours.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by GiveWell.org, producers of the world’s top research on charities and effective giving, and Athletic Greens all-in-one supplement. More on both below.

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#489: Guy Raz Interviews Tim Ferriss — How I Built This — Key Lessons, Critical Decisions, and Reinvention for Fun and Profit
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/4fe4a82b-3936-4b77-ace7-3647adb8be04.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by GiveWell.org! For over ten years, GiveWell.org has helped donors find the charities and projects that save and improve lives most per dollar. Here’s how: GiveWell dedicates over twenty thousand hours a year to researching charitable organizations and hand-picks a few of the highest-impact, evidence-backed charities. Since 2010, GiveWell has helped over 50,000 donors direct over 500 million dollars to the most effective charities. Most importantly, these donations will save over 75,000 lives and improve the lives of millions more.

This year, support the charities that save and improve lives most, with GiveWell. Any of my listeners who become new GiveWell donors will have their first donation matched up to $250 when you go to GiveWell.org/Tim and select “PODCAST” and “Tim Ferriss” at checkout.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS FROM THE EPISODE…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Guy Raz:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs by Guy RazHow I Built This with Guy Raz | NPRWow in the World | NPRTED Radio Hour | NPRWisdom From The Top | LuminaryThe Rewind with Guy Raz | Spotify The Tim Ferriss Show podcast Books by Tim Ferriss Guy Raz — Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs, The Story of ‘How I Built This,’ Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #462Psychedelics — Microdosing, Mind-Enhancing Methods, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #377Some Practical Thoughts on Suicide by Tim Ferriss

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Published on December 22, 2020 13:26

The Top 30 Episodes of The Tim Ferriss Show from 2020

Happy holidays!

Thanks to all of you, The Tim Ferriss Show crossed more than 600 million downloads this year, and it’s fast approaching 700 million. At the time of writing, the podcast is #1 in Business and in the top 25 for all Apple Podcasts. Doing the podcast has been one of my very few respites and saving graces amidst the madness of 2020. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for listening.

In case you have some extra time over the holiday season, perhaps after a pumpkin pie or cookie coma, below are my most popular episodes of the year. It’s a fun list.

We used an imperfect methodology—number of downloads one week after publication—but it’s good enough to surface the episodes you all felt were the most exciting. With the wild gyrations at the start of COVID, measurement changes (like excluding Apple Watch downloads), plus the fact that I aim to create evergreen episodes, take the below with a huge grain of salt.

2021 is going to be big. If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your audio morsels.

Happy holidays to you and yours!

With heartfelt thanks,

Tim

Here’s the list, starting with the most downloaded:

#1: Hugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More (Episode #444)

#2: Tim Ferriss — My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse (Episode #464)

#3: Jack Kornfield — How to Find Peace Amidst COVID-19, How to Cultivate Calm in Chaos (Episode #414)

#4: Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More (Episode #409)

#5: The Random Show — New Year’s Resolutions, 2010–2019 Lessons Learned, Finding Joy, Energy Management, and Much More (Episode #408)

#6: Ryan Holiday — Turning the Tables (Episode #410)

#7: Naval Ravikant on Happiness, Reducing Anxiety, Crypto Stablecoins, and Crypto Strategy (Episode #473)

#8: Richard Koch on Mastering the 80/20 Principle, Achieving Unreasonable Success, and The Art of Gambling (Episode #466)

#9: Tyler Cowen on Rationality, COVID-19, Talismans, and Life on the Margins (Episode #413)

#10: Matthew McConaughey — The Power of “No, Thank You,” Key Life Lessons, 30+ Years of Diary Notes, and The Art of Catching Greenlights (Episode #474)

#11: Brad Feld — The Art of Unplugging, Carving Your Own Path, and Riding the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster (Episode #448)

#12: Penn Jillette on Magic, Losing 100+ Pounds, and Weaponizing Kindness (Episode #405)

#13: Sam Zell — Strategies for High-Stakes Investing, Dealmaking, and Grave Dancing (Episode #407)

#14: Bob Iger — CEO and Chairman of Disney (Episode #406)

#15: Sam Harris — Psychedelics, Meditation, and The Bigger Picture (Episode #433)

#16: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self (Episode #412)

#17: Jamie Foxx on Workout Routines, Success Habits, and Untold Hollywood Stories (Repost) (#465)

#18: Richard Turner — The Magical Phenom Who Will Blow Your Mind (Episode #411)

#19: Dr. Vivek Murthy — Former Surgeon General on Combatting COVID-19, Loneliness, and More (Episode #417)

#20: Jim Dethmer on the Power of Radical Responsibility and How to Be the Author of Your Own Life (Episode #434)

#21: Esther Perel — Tactics for Relationships in Quarantine (Episode #418)

#22: Dan Harris on Becoming 10% Happier, Hugging Inner Dragons, Self-Help for Skeptics, Training the Mind, and Much More (Episode #481)

#23: Yuval Noah Harari on The Story of Sapiens, The Power of Awareness, and The Brilliance of Bone-Conduction Headphones (Episode #477)

#24: Elizabeth Gilbert’s Creative Path: Saying No, Trusting Your Intuition, Index Cards, Integrity Checks, Grief, Awe, and Much More (Episode #430)

#25: Janna Levin on Extra Dimensions, Time Travel, and How to Overcome Boots in the Face (Episode #445)

#26: Jerry Seinfeld — A Comedy Legend’s Systems, Routines, and Methods for Success (Episode #485)

#27: Michael Lewis — Inside the Mind of the Iconic Writer (Episode #427)

#28: David Yarrow on Art, Markets, Business, and Combining It All (Episode #443)

#29: Esther Perel — The Relationship Episode: Sex, Love, Polyamory, Marriage, and More (Repost) (Episode #463)

#30: Mike Novogratz on Bitcoin, Macro Trading, Ayahuasca, Redemption, and More (Episode #451)

P.S. In case you missed it, transcripts for all episodes are now available for free at this link, and you can find all sponsors from 2020 at this link.

P.P.S. To stay up to date when new episodes are released, take 10 seconds and sign up for “5-Bullet Friday” here. Each Friday, you’ll get a short email of five bullets, sending you off to your weekend with fun and useful things to ponder and try. If you dislike it, it’s easy to unsub.

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Published on December 22, 2020 12:16