Being selective—doing less—is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Rest, Work, Doing, Focus
Most people are good at a handful of things and utterly miserable at most.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Good, People, Work
Unbeknownst to most fun-loving bipeds, not all stress is bad. Indeed, the New Rich don’t aim to eliminate all stress. Not in the least.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: New, Work, Stress, Rich
Focus on being productive instead of busy.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Busy, Focus, Work
If it’s important to you and you want to do it “eventually,” just do it and correct course along the way.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work
The key to having more time is doing less, and there are two paths to get there, both of which should be used together: (1) Define a short to-do list and (2) define a not-to-do list.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Doing, Work
Believe it or not, it is not only possible to accomplish more by doing less, it is mandatory. Enter the world of elimination.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work, Doing, Believe
The benefits of becoming fluent in a foreign tongue are as underestimated as the difficulty is overestimated. Thousands of theoretical linguists will disagree, but I know from research and personal experimentation with more than a dozen languages that (1) adults can learn languages much faster than children when constant 9-5 work is removed and that (2) it is possible to become conversationally fluent in any language in six months or less. At four hours per day, six months can be whittled down to less than three months.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Zen, Persona, Rest, Work, Learn
Emphasize strengths, don’t fix weaknesses.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work, Weakness
The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is—here’s the clincher—boredom.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Love, Work, Happiness
The commonsense rules of the “real world” are a fragile collection of socially reinforced illusions.
—Tim Ferriss
People are smarter than you think. Give them a chance to prove themselves.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Give, Work, People, Think
Learn to ask, “If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?”
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Learn, Work
Don’t suffer fools or you’ll become one.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work
Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let alone thrive.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work, Act, Rest
A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Success, Life, Work
Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of mental laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Action, Work, Think, Thinking, Busy, Act
Options—the ability to choose—is real power.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Power, Work
What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Fear, Doing, Work
Dreamlining is so named because it applies timelines to what most would consider dreams.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Dream, Work, Dreams, Lies
I open each class with an explanation of the singular importance of being a “dealmaker”. The manifesto of the dealmaker is simple: Reality is negotiable.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work, Sin
It’s amazing how someone’s IQ seems to double as soon as you give them responsibility and indicate that you trust them.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Responsibility, Give, Trust, Work
Money is multiplied in practical value depending on the number of W’s you control in your life: what you do, when you do it, where you do it, and with whom you do it. I call this the freedom multiplier.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Freedom, Life, Money, Act, Work, Control
It isn’t enough to think outside the box. Thinking is passive. Get used to acting outside the box.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work, Act, Think, Thinking, Acting
Tomorrow becomes never. No matter how small the task, take the first step now!
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work
Resolve to do one thing every day that you fear.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work, Fear
Personally, I now aim for one month of overseas relocation or high-intensity learning (tango, fighting, whatever) for every two months of work projects.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Persona, Work, Learning, Learn
For all their bitching about what’s holding them back, most people have a lot of trouble coming up with the defined dreams they’re being held from.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Dream, People, Dreams, Work
Just a few words on time management: forget all about it.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Time Management, Work, Management
There is a direct correlation between an increased sphere of comfort and getting what you want.
—Tim Ferriss
Topics: Work
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Seth Godin American Entrepreneur
- Sheryl Sandberg American Executive, Author
- Jim Collins American Management Consultant
- Michael Porter American Management Theorist
- Robert Kiyosaki American Businessperson
- John C. Maxwell American Author, Speaker
- Steve Pavlina American Motivational Speaker
- Clayton M. Christensen American Academic, Business Consultant
- Max De Pree American Businessman
- Jerry Seinfeld American Comedian
Leave a Reply