"By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day."
- Robert Frost
The Book in Three Lines
- Our aim should be to abandon the deferred life plan (of a laborious 9–5 cycle) and create a luxury lifestyle using the currency of the "new rich" - time and mobility - by increasing output with the same input and gaining negotiating power.
- Risk is perhaps the most essential yet most avoided aspect when crafting a "successful" life (whatever your definition of success might be).
- Being productive means understanding the difference between being efficient vs effective. Doing something unimportant well does not make it important. Neither does requiring a lot of time make a task important.
Impressions
As a novice to "lifestyle design," I didn't have many expectations from the book, despite hearing great reviews. Even so - or perhaps because of that - the ideas and values felt both new and comforting.
Tim Ferriss manages to stay relatable while offering practical methods for:
- improving productivity
- overcoming risk aversion
- taking ownership of your life
This is definitely a book worth revisiting, and I plan to do so.
Out of all the books I read in 2020, this ranks in my top 5, narrowly beating Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
"The worst case would be a tolerant and comfortable existence doing something unfulfilling."
- Tim Ferriss
Who Should Read It?
Initially, I described this as a book for "anyone who fears a boring 9–5 job." But honestly - even if you have your life fully planned or love your current path, I would still 100% recommend it. No matter your stage in life, this book is worth picking up.
How the Book Changed Me
1. Taking More Risks
After a long day of online classes, I was scrolling through Instagram when my favourite polyglot influencer, Lindie Botes, went live and started accepting video requests. Normally, I would've ignored it - but this time, the quote "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" stuck with me.
I sent the request. She accepted. We spoke for 20 minutes - and even planned to meet for lunch when I move to Singapore.
Many a false step was made by standing still.
2. Radical Task Prioritization
One of my goals has always been to read one book per week, but I struggled to follow through - until this book. Previously, I overloaded my to-do list, felt productive crossing off small tasks, and ended up completing only 2 out of 10 tasks → guilt.
The book introduced a simple but powerful rule: "If I only complete this task today, will I be satisfied?" And a constraint: maximum 2 tasks per day. These should be high-impact, time-consuming, and urgent. This method drastically improved my focus and productivity. 10/10 recommend.
Top 5 Quotes
- There is a direct correlation between an increased sphere of discomfort and getting what you want. - Tim Ferriss
- The fishing is best where the fewest go… there is less competition for bigger goals. - Tim Ferriss
- Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. - Anatole France
- It is fatal to know too much at the outcome… - Paul Theroux
- I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. - Mark Twain
Final Thoughts
I wouldn't be surprised if you've already read this book. If you have, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If not, let me know if you decide to give it a shot!