Tim Ferriss Quotes & Sayings

But if it's tolerable mediocrity, and you're like, 'Well, you know it could be worse. At least I'm getting paid.' Then you wind up in a job that is slowly killing your soul and you're allowing that to happen. Comfort can be a very, very dangerous thing. — Tim Ferriss

Everyone is going to binge on a diet, for instance, so plan for it, schedule it, and contain the damage. — Tim Ferriss

Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. — Tim Ferriss

The first thing I would do for anyone who's trying to lose body fat, for instance, would be to remove foods from the house that he or she would consume during lapses of self-control. — Tim Ferriss

Get good at being a troublemaker and saying sorry when you really screw up — Tim Ferriss

I'm not averse to making a lot of money. But where does that end? I hang out with people with hundreds of millions of dollars. Is that the standard by which I should measure myself? Where does that take you if you're in my business? I think it takes you to pretty dark, corrupt places. — Tim Ferriss

Never check email first thing in the morning. Instead, complete your most important task before 11:00 A.M. to avoid using lunch or reading email as a postponement excuse. — Tim Ferriss

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

Massive elimination is the most important step and the most neglected step for entrepreneurs. — Tim Ferriss

Doing the unrealistic is easier than doing the realistic. — Tim Ferriss

Exercise is overrated. — Tim Ferriss

Creating demand is hard. Filling demand is easier. Don't create a product, then seek someone to sell it to. Find a market - define your customers - then find or develop a product for them. — Tim Ferriss

Luxury, to me, is not owning a lot of stuff. Luxury, to me, is feeling unrushed. — Tim Ferriss

You are who you associate with. — Tim Ferriss

I have plenty of money to do what I want to do, and I have the relationships. — Tim Ferriss

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

Sometimes you need to go on a low-information diet. — Tim Ferriss

Changing the world doesn't require much money. Again, think in terms of empowerment and not charity. How much were Gandhi's teachers paid? How much did it cost to give Dr. Martin Luther King the books that catalyzed his mind and actions? — Tim Ferriss

It isn't enough to think outside the box. Thinking is passive. Get used to acting outside the box. — Tim Ferriss

Slowing down doesn't mean accomplishing less; it means cutting out counterproductive distractions and the perception of being rushed. — Tim Ferriss

Remember - boredom is the enemy, not some abstract failure. — Tim Ferriss

For uncommon solutions, you have to look in uncommon places. — Tim Ferriss

Are you better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago? If not, things will not improve by themselves. — Tim Ferriss

Ninety-nine percent of people believe they can't do great things, so they aim for mediocrity. — Tim Ferriss

Compile your to-do list for tomorrow no later than this evening. — Tim Ferriss

Most inputs are useless and time is wasted in proportion to the amount that is available. — Tim Ferriss

Role models who push us to exceed our limits, physical training that removes our spare tires, and risks that expand our sphere of comfortable action are all examples of eustress - stress that is healthful and the stimulus for growth. — Tim Ferriss

The universe doesn't conspire against you, but it doesn't go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. — Tim Ferriss

Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals. Efficiency is performing a given task (whether important or not) in the most economical manner possible. Being efficient without regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe. — Tim Ferriss

Awareness, even at a subconscious level, beats fancy checklists without it, track or you will fail. — Tim Ferriss

With a decrease in the number of pirates, there has been an increase in global warming over the same period. Therefore, global warming is caused by a lack of pirates. Even more compelling: Somalia has the highest number of Pirates AND the lowest Carbon emissions of any country. Coincidence? — Tim Ferriss

Three ingredients of luxury lifestyle design are time, income, and mobility. — Tim Ferriss

For the employee, the goal is to have full access to necessary information and as much independent decision-making ability as possible. For the entrepreneur, the goal is to grant as much information and independent decision-making ability to employees or contractors as possible. — Tim Ferriss

Dreamlining is so named because it applies timelines to what most would consider dreams. — Tim Ferriss

Short, sweet, and to the point. Clear writing, and therefore clear commands, comes from clear thinking. Think simple. — Tim Ferriss

I still feel there are much smarter self-promoters out there than me. I am very methodical about my messaging, and I know how to gain attention very quickly. — Tim Ferriss

Reality is negotiable. — Tim Ferriss

Learn to ask, If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day? — Tim Ferriss

There are two components that are fundamental to enjoy life and feel good about yourself: continual learning and service. — Tim Ferriss

The bottom line is that you only have the rights you fight for. — Tim Ferriss

I do my best writing between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.. Almost every friend I have who is a consistently productive writer, does their best writing between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. My quota is two crappy pages per day. I keep it really low so I'm not so intimidated that I never get started. I will do the gathering of interviews and research throughout the day. I'll get all my notes and materials together and then I'll do the synthesis between 10 p.m. to bed, which is usually 4 or 5 a.m. — Tim Ferriss

Every time I find myself stressed out, it's because I do things primarily driven by growth. — Tim Ferriss

If you see distraction externally, you end up creating an internally distracted state. — Tim Ferriss

To do the impossible, you need to ignore the popular. — Tim Ferriss

Being called a huckster and a charlatan started several years ago, so that's something I'm accustomed to. In most cases, it doesn't bother me. — Tim Ferriss

Becoming a member of the NR is not just about working smarter. It's about building a system to replace yourself. — Tim Ferriss

Perfection is an impossible destination — Tim Ferriss

I value self-discipline, but creating systems that make it next to impossible to misbehave is more reliable than self-control. — Tim Ferriss

I've seen the promised land, and there is good news. You can have it all. — Tim Ferriss

The manifesto of the dealmaker is simple: Reality is negotiable. — Tim Ferriss

Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness? Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness? — Tim Ferriss

The most important actions are never comfortable. — Tim Ferriss

It's not enough to have the right answers. You have to have the right questions. — Tim Ferriss

Tomorrow becomes never. No matter how small the task, take the first step now! — Tim Ferriss

I take notes like some people take drugs ... — Tim Ferriss

Being selective-doing less-is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest. — Tim Ferriss

Just as modern man consumes both too many calories and calories of no nutritional value, information workers eat data both in excess and from the wrong sources. — Tim Ferriss

Focus on impact, not approval. If you believe you can change the world, which I hope you do, do what you believe is right and expect resistance and expect attackers. Keep calm and carry on! — Tim Ferriss

The downstream effects are unknown. Do your best and hope for the best. If you're improving the world-however you define that-consider your job well done. — Tim Ferriss

Requiring a lot of time does not make a task important. — Tim Ferriss

You and your friends could plan the trip of a lifetime in 6-18 months to visit the completed school, teeming with dozens or hundreds of students who greet you with smiles and thank you letters. You'll know it's your school because your names will be on the door. — Tim Ferriss

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

People who avoid all criticism fail. It's destructive criticism we need to avoid, not criticism in all forms. — Tim Ferriss

There are two types of mistakes: mistakes of ambition and mistakes of sloth. — Tim Ferriss

Different is better when it is more effective or more fun. — Tim Ferriss

By working only when you are most effective, life is both more productive and more enjoyable. It's the perfect example of having your cake and eating it, too. — Tim Ferriss

You think you're fatigued, therefore you can't exercise. In fact, you choose not to move, therefore you feel fatigued. — Tim Ferriss

Resolve to do one thing every day that you fear. — Tim Ferriss

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

Life is too short to be small. — Tim Ferriss

Just a few words on time management: forget all about it. — Tim Ferriss

What do you want?' is too imprecise to produce a meaningful and actionable answer. — Tim Ferriss

If the challenge we face doesn't scare us, then it's probably not that important. — Tim Ferriss

I'm not a big believer in long-term planning and far-off goals. In fact, I generally set 3-month and 6-month dreamlines. The variables change too much and in-the-future distance becomes an excuse for postponing action. — Tim Ferriss

Pacifists become militants. Freedom fighters become tyrants. Blessings become curses. Help becomes hindrance. More becomes less. — Tim Ferriss

Companies that start by redesigning the economics of an industry often finish by redesigning the whole industry-and owning it. — Tim Ferriss

The commonsense rules of the "real world" are a fragile collection of socially reinforced illusions. — Tim Ferriss

Emphasize strengths, don't fix weaknesses. — Tim Ferriss

I think time management as a label encourages people to view each 24-hour period as a slot in which they should pack as much as possible. — Tim Ferriss

Just because something has been a lot of work or consumed a lot of time doesn't make it productive or worthwhile. — Tim Ferriss

Just because you are embarrassed to admit that you're still living the consequences of bad decisions made 5, 10, 20 years ago shouldn't stop you from making good decisions now. If you let pride stop you, you will hate life 5, 10, and 20 years from now for the same reasons. — Tim Ferriss

If you don't have time, you don't have priorities. — Tim Ferriss

I always point people to the article '1,000 True Fans' by Kevin Kelly. If you choose your thousand ideal customers or readers properly and find the single author blog that targets that audience, you never have to do any more marketing. You're done. That is a lesson that very few product developers and marketers have learned, and it's unfortunate. — Tim Ferriss

Writing is thought crystalized on a piece of paper, which can then be reviewed. — Tim Ferriss

What's the worst that could happen? — Tim Ferriss

Most people are good at a handful of things and utterly miserable at most. — Tim Ferriss

I encourage active skepticism - when people are being skeptical because they're trying to identify the best course of action. They're trying to identify the next step for themselves or other people. — Tim Ferriss

Language learning deserves special mention. It is, bar none, the best thing you can do to hone clear thinking. — Tim Ferriss

Happiness can be bought with a bottle of wine and has become ambiguous through overuse. — Tim Ferriss

The best way to improve mental performance, is to improve physical performance — Tim Ferriss

The goal is not to simply eliminate the bad, which does nothing more than leave you with a vacuum, but to pursue and experience the best in the world. — Tim Ferriss

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

If you look at the purported dangers of salt or fat, there is no consensus of support in scientific literature. So I would ask first: 'Is it possible to have an informed government that actually follows the science?' From what I've seen, it's not likely. — Tim Ferriss

The only rules and limits are those we set for ourselves — Tim Ferriss

Information is useless if it is not applied to something important or if you will forget it before you have a chance to apply it. — Tim Ferriss

The best entrepreneurs I've ever met are all good communicators. It's perhaps one of the very few unifying factors. — Tim Ferriss

There are no statues erected to critics. — Tim Ferriss

If we define risk as 'the likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome,' inaction is the greatest risk of all. — Tim Ferriss

One can steal ideas, but no one can steal execution or passion. — Tim Ferriss

Lacking an external focus, the mind turns inward on itself and creates problems to solve, even if the problems are undefined or unimportant. If you find a focus, an ambitious goal that seems impossible and forces you to grow, these doubts disappear. — Tim Ferriss