The Tim Ferriss Show

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” — SenecaI do an exercise called “fear-setting” at least once a quarter, often once a month. It is the most powerful exercise I do. Fear-setting has produced my biggest business and personal successes, as well as repeatedly helped me to avoid catastrophic mistakes.ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:My TED talk, which is what you are listening to, gives you an overview, and the text at tim.blog/ted provides more detail, step-by-step instructions, and real-world examples.You can watch the TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_ferriss_why_you_should_define_your_fears_instead_of_your_goalsThe three exercise slides from the TED presentation: https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ted_ferriss_fear_setting_sample_slides.pdfThis talk was also shared on the podcast TED Talks Daily, where TED shares new ideas every weekday. You might also enjoy my conversation with Chris Anderson on The TED Interview podcast, in which we discuss philosophy, psychedelics, and much more.

Dr. Jane Goodall — The Legend, The Lessons, The Hope | Brought to you by ExpressVPN and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions.“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” — Dr. Jane GoodallDr. Jane Goodall (@JaneGoodallInst) was born on April 3rd, 1934, in London England. At the young age of 26, she followed her passion for animals and Africa to Gombe, Tanzania, where she began her landmark study of chimpanzees in the wild,­ immersing herself in their habitat as a neighbor rather than a distant observer. Her discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools rocked the scientific world and redefined the relationship between humans and animals.In 1977, she established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to advance her work around the world and for generations to come. JGI continues the field research at Gombe and builds on Dr. Goodall’s innovative approach to conservation, which recognizes the central role that people play in the well-being of animals and the environment. In 1991, she fo

#420: Books I've Loved — Matt Mullenweg | Brought to you by Audible. Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types—from startup founders and investors to chess champions to Olympic athletes. This episode, however, is an experiment and part of a shorter series I’m doing called “Books I’ve Loved.” I’ve invited some amazing past guests, close friends, and new faces to share their favorite books—the books that have influenced them, changed them, and transformed them for the better. I hope you pick up one or two new mentors—in the form of books—from this new series and apply the lessons in your own life.Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) is the founding developer of WordPress, the open-source software used by over 35% of the web. Matt is also the CEO of Automattic, which is now the force behind WordPress.com, Jetpack, and many other products.Having built his own 1200-person company with no offices and wit

Ryan Holiday — How to Use Stoicism to Choose Alive Time Over Dead Time | Brought to you by LegalZoom and Trello."Anger is often what pain looks like when it shows itself in public." — Krista TippettRyan Holiday (@RyanHoliday) is one of the world’s foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in modern life. He is a sought-after speaker and strategist and the author of many bestselling books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and The Daily Stoic. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than two million copies worldwide. He lives with his family outside of Austin, Texas. You can subscribe to receive his writing at RyanHoliday.net and DailyStoic.com. Ryan was also the fourth-ever guest on the podcast in the very beginning, and he has written multiple popular guest posts for my blog, which you can find at tim.blog.His latest book is Stillness Is the Key, which was an insta

Esther Perel — Tactics for Relationships in Quarantine | Brought to you by Magic Spoon and ShipStation. “Maybe you don’t feel that enough people love you, but I can tell you, there’s a world of people out there who need you at this moment.” — Esther PerelPsychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel (@EstherPerelOfficial) is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she helms a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Esther is an acclaimed TED speaker and the host of the hit podcasts Where Should We Begin? and How's Work?.Esther recently launched Couples Under Lockdown, a bonus mini-series on her podcast Where Should We Begin?, and the first episode aired last week and features a couple in Sicily several weeks into their quarantine. Esther will also host an international conversation about the new normal, what it means for our rela

Dr. Vivek Murthy — Former Surgeon General on Combatting COVID-19, Loneliness, and More | Brought to you by NutriBullet and Trello.“All of us, regardless of what stage of life we’re at, we’ve got three basic needs: we all want to know that we matter, we want to be seen for who we are, and we want to know that we’re loved.” — Dr. Vivek MurthyDr. Vivek H. Murthy (@vivek_murthy, vivekmurthy.com) served as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States between 2014-2017. As the Vice Admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,600 public health officers globally. During his tenure, Dr. Murthy launched the TurnTheTide campaign, catalyzing a movement among health professionals to address the nation’s opioid crisis. He also issued the first Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, calling for expanded access to prevention and treatment and for recognizing addiction as a chronic illness, not a character flaw.In 2017, Dr. Murthy focused h

I expect next week will be an exceptionally difficult week for many people and many cities, New York City chief among them. There are several very urgent needs.This episode will highlight things that can be done to help healthcare workers (food, temp housing, PPE, ventilators and vent modification for higher capacity, etc.), as well as a few companies well positioned to immediately help.I would encourage you to think of healthcare workers, alongside people working on vaccine development and drug development, as the walls of our collective city. By protecting and helping them, we protect and help ourselves and everyone around us. If they fail, we all fail. These brothers and sisters on the front lines need help now, and it cannot wait a week.If it weren't for healthcare workers, I would be dead. If not for healthcare workers, my dad would be dead, and three uncles and two aunts would also be dead. If you are lucky enough to be healthy and reading this, you likely owe some thanks to healthcare workers. They are

Lori Gottlieb — The Power of Getting to *Unknow* Yourself | Brought to you by Four Sigmatic and LinkedIn Jobs.Lori Gottlieb (@LoriGottlieb1)  is a psychotherapist and author of the New York Times bestseller Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which is being adapted as a television series by Eva Longoria and the creators of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series The Americans. In addition to her clinical practice, she writes the Atlantic's weekly "Dear Therapist" advice column and contributes regularly to the New York Times and many other publications.Her recent TED Talk is one of the top 10 most-watched of the year, and she is a sought-after expert in media such as the Today show, Good Morning America, CBS's Early Show, CNN's Newsroom, and NPR's Fresh Air. Her new iHeart podcast, Dear Therapists, produced by Katie Couric, will premiere this year.Please enjoy!This podcast is brought to you by Four Sigmatic and their delicious mushroom coffee featuring lion’s mane and chaga. It tastes l

Jack Kornfield — How to Find Peace Amidst COVID-19, How to Cultivate Calm in Chaos | Brought to you by FreshBooks and 99designs."We have the opportunity, even in difficult times, to let our spirit shine." — Jack KornfieldJack Kornfield (@JackKornfield) trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, shortly thereafter becoming one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974.Jack has had a profound and direct impact on my life, and I'm thrilled to have him on the podcast once again.Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband, and activist.Jack's books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies, including 

Tyler Cowen on Rationality, COVID-19, Talismans, and Life on the Margins | Brought to you by NutriBullet and ExpressVPN. "If you need to measure, you've failed." — Tyler CowenProfessor Tyler Cowen (@tylercowen) has a personal moonshot: to teach economics to more people than anyone else in the history of the world—and he might just succeed. In addition to his regular teaching at George Mason University, Tyler has blogged every day at Marginal Revolution for almost 17 years, helping to make it one of the most widely read economics blogs in the world.Tyler cocreated Marginal Revolution University, a free online economics education platform that’s reached millions. He is also a bestselling author of more than a dozen books, a regular Bloomberg columnist, and host of the popular Conversations with Tyler podcast, where he examines the work and worldviews of thinkers like Martina Navratilova, Neal Stephenson, Reid Hoffman, and many more.His latest project is Emergent Ventures, a $5 million fund to support entreprene

Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Self | Brought to you by Helix Sleep and Athletic Greens."I think of learning as unobstructed self-expression." — Josh WaitzkinJosh Waitzkin, author of The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance, is an eight-time national chess champion, a two-time world champion in Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands, and the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under nine-time world champion Marcelo Garcia.For the past 12 years, Josh has been channeling his passion for the outer limits of the learning process toward training elite mental performers in business and finance and to revolutionizing the education system through his nonprofit foundation, The Art of Learning Project. Josh is currently in the process of taking on his fourth and fifth disciplines, paddle surfing and foiling, and is an all-in father and husband.Please enjoy!This podcast is brought to you by Helix Sleep. I started sleeping on a Helix 

Richard Turner — The Magical Phenom Who Will Blow Your Mind | Brought to you by Nulo and Inktel."Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." — Richard TurnerI am very, very excited to introduce this interview, as I've been wanting to meet today's guest, Richard Turner, for almost two years now. I first came across Richard Turner (richardturner52.com, youtube.com/richardturner52) in the documentary Dealt, directed by Luke Korem.I can't remember the last time I finished a documentary, only to want to watch it again immediately afterward. I also can't remember a doc that made me as emotional as Dealt did, pushing me from laughter to tears. It has 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and won the 2017 Documentary Feature Audience Choice Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Everyone should watch it.But back to my guest: Richard Turner is regarded as the best card mechanic and among the best up-close magicians in the world. He has entertained millions of people, including notables like Johnny

Ryan Holiday — Turning the Tables | Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs and 99designs.Welcome to The Tim Ferriss Show! It is — usually — my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types to tease out the habits, routines, favorite books, and so on that you can apply and test in your own life. This time we have a "turning the tables" episode. What does that mean? Well, I will not be the one doing the interviewing. Instead, I will be the one being interviewed by my friend, Ryan Holiday.So who is this Ryan fella?Ryan Holiday (TW/IG: @RyanHoliday) is one of the world's foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in modern life. He is a sought-after speaker and strategist and the author of many bestselling books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and The Daily Stoic. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than two million copies worldwide. He lives with his family outside of Austin, Texas. You can subscribe to receive h

Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More | Brought to you by Brave and Helix Sleep."We chase extraordinary moments instead of being grateful for ordinary moments until hard shit happens. And then in the face of really hard stuff — illness, death, loss — the only thing we're begging for is a normal moment." — Brené BrownDr. Brené Brown (@BreneBrown) is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. Brené is also a visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead, which is the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership. Brené hosts the Unlocking Us

The Random Show — New Year's Resolutions, 2010-2019 Lessons Learned, Finding Joy, Energy Management, and Much More | Brought to you by Calm and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions.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 explore the language of relationships, polarity, energy management, difficult conversations, finding peace and patience, the importance of self-compassion, the search for palatable decaf coffee, panic-selling, serving the moment, and much more!This episode of The Tim Ferriss Show is brought to you by Calm. What did LeBron James tell me was the single most important element of his training regimen? Sleep. Whether you're an athlete, programmer, or student, healthy sleep is essential to peak performance. It strengthens your immune system. It improves cognitive functions like problem-solving and decision-making. It gives you crea

“If I can't run it, then I don't want to own it.” — Sam ZellWelcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types to tease out the habits, routines, favorite books, and so on that you can apply and test in your own life. This time, we have a slightly different episode. I will not be the one doing the deconstructing. Instead, we have a takeover by my very good friend, Peter Attia.As longtime listeners of the podcast know, Dr. Peter Attia (@PeterAttiaMD) is a former ultra-endurance athlete, a compulsive self-experimenter, and one of the most fascinating human beings I know. He is also one of my go-to doctors for anything related to performance or longevity. Peter also hosts The Drive, a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking, and a few other things. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.In this episode, we have Peter interviewing Sam Zell, a

Bob Iger — CEO and Chairman of Disney | Brought to you by 99designs and HumanN's BeetElite.As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger (@RobertIger) is the steward of one of the world's largest media companies and some of the most respected and beloved brands around the globe. Since becoming CEO in 2005, Iger has built on Disney's rich history of storytelling and innovation with the acquisitions of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), Lucasfilm (2012) and 21st Century Fox (2019), and the landmark opening of Disney's first theme park and resort in Mainland China, Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016.Always one to embrace new technology, Iger has created an ambitious direct-to-consumer strategy that leverages Disney's unparalleled creative content across new platforms, including the new Disney+ streaming service, ESPN+, Hulu, and Hotstar.Iger serves on the boards of the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Bloomberg Philanthropies. He is a graduate of Ithaca College.His new autobiogr

Penn Jillette on Magic, Losing 100+ Pounds, and Weaponizing Kindness | Brought to you by Brave and LinkedIn Jobs."One of the biggest challenges we face is staying kind with profound disagreement—and staying kind when a mechanism has been set up to make money and power out of hate." — Penn JillettePenn Jillette (@pennjillette) is a cultural phenomenon as a solo personality and as half of the world-famous, Emmy Award-winning magic duo and Las Vegas headliners Penn & Teller.Together since 1975, Penn & Teller's live show spent years on Broadway and is now the longest-running headliner show in Las Vegas where it plays nightly at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The pair has been awarded Las Vegas Magicians of the Year an amazing eights times.As part of Penn & Teller he has appeared on hundreds of shows, from The Simpsons and Friends to Billions. He recently co-wrote an episode of the Emmy-winning Netflix series Black Mirror.He co-hosted the controversial Showtime series Penn & Teller: Bullshit

Books I've Loved — Steve Jurvetson | Brought to you by Four Sigmatic.Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types—from startup founders and investors to chess champions to Olympic athletes. This episode, however, is an experiment and part of a shorter series I'm doing called "Books I've Loved." I've invited some amazing past guests, close friends, and new faces to share their favorite books — the books that have influenced them, changed them, and transformed them for the better. I hope you pick up one or two new mentors — in the form of books — from this new series and apply the lessons in your own life.Steve Jurvetson (@jurvetson) is an early-stage venture capitalist with a focus on founder-led, mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology and new industry formation. Steve was the early VC investor in SpaceX, Tesla, Planet, Memphis Meats, Hotmail, and the d

Tony Fadell — On Building the iPod, iPhone, Nest, and a Life of Curiosity | Brought to you by SuperFat and Four Sigmatic.“Get bored. Just put away all of your things. Maybe go clean up the garage or whatever it is. Right? Through that, you're going to start to think differently. You're going to act slightly differently and your mind might open up to other sources of inspiration, other problems...” — Tony FadellTony Fadell (@tfadell), sometimes called "the father of the iPod," is an active investor and entrepreneur with a 30+ year history of founding companies and designing products that profoundly improve people's lives. As the Principal at Future Shape, a global investment and advisory firm coaching engineers and scientists working on foundational deep technology, he is continuing to help bring technology out of the lab and into our lives. Currently, Future Shape is coaching 200+ startups innovating game-changing technologies.Tony founded Nest Labs, Inc. in 2010 and served as its Chief Executive Of