Derek Sivers Reloaded – On Success Habits and Billionaires with Perfect Abs (#128)

Hi Tim,

I missed your deadline, but high quality and comprehensive notes take more time. The embeded hyperlinks also didn’t stay, but the original with links and correct formatting is here: http://podcastnotes DOT org/?p=275

Hope you like’em!

-Yoni

Listen HERE

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Tim’s first interview with Derek

What do you?

“I’ve heard that Stewart Brand gives a different answer every time he is asked,” a good challenge

I like saying “I don’t know,” “I’ve never thought about it before.” This helps derail the routine of a boring conversation (it’s like finding someone who doesn’t know their name)

Derren Brown: On confusing people and opening them to suggestions of what is happening

Check out “Tricks of the Mind”

First person that comes to mind as successful?

The first answer to any question isn’t much fun, it’s just automatic

Thinking Fast and Slow: Instant unconscious automatic response (System 1) and Slower, rationale conscious thinking (System 2)

Derek is more interested in the latter, slower thinking

For those areas where automatic response is useful, first take the time to slowly come up with that response

[Derek Sivers] Who is the 3rd most successful person that comes to mind and why are they more successful than the first?

1st: Richard Branson

2nd: Tim Ferriss?

3rd: I can’t answer without knowing a person’s aims, because that is how to evaluate if they were successful at it

What are the most common misconceptions about You?

I feel pretty understood

Better to think about the goal of writing to avoid being misunderstood vs. being understood

Morning Rituals?

I don’t have them, there is nothing I do every day outside of eating/writing

I get really focused [obsessed?] on 1 thing at a time for a period of time (e.g. hardcore coding project, hiking in New Zealand, reading books outside, work on big keynote speech)

CD Baby started like this, just lasted a lot longer than most projects

My nature doesn’t allow me to focus on my top 3 things at the same time

Knowing this, I can plan accordingly

World Class At, That People Don’t Know About?

I have the world’s longest attention span (it is happily rubbing off on my son)

I don’t meditate/yoga, my daily life is my form of meditation

[Sam, Stockholm Sweden] Status of the Do List Project?

I have about 120 directives that need some explanation and each will get a 1 page spotlight

Sign-up to be notified at sivers.org/list or email Derek@Sivers.org

Once they are all up, I’ll link to the full set with links to the detailed lists

Last step to put them into a book

[Tobin, Bolder Colorado] What are a few directives for sharing thoughts online in an authentic way, particularly for introverts?

Everyone is scared to share publicly, but online is easier than on stage

Recommended Book: Show Your Work, Austin Kleon

Notes at sivers.org/book

4 Directives:

Teach whatever you’ve learned immediately after learning it, while you still remember what is like not to know it

Share your work online, if it isn’t online, it doesn’t exist

Share the process, people want to see how the sausage gets made

Release your creation after you’ve already moved onto your next project, so when you get feedback it won’t feel as personal/direct

[Ayman, Morocco] Why in hell did you become a programmer?

Necessity, the best reason to learn anything

If you want to start programming, you need a serious problem you want to solve

Now I just love it for its own sake, to sit alone and just make things

[Tobin, Bolder Colorado] Directives for creating relationships with people who hold interesting world views?

You make people interesting, if you are interesting they will be too (or the reverse)

Recommended Books on People Skills Awful names, great books

How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

How to Talk to Anyone, Leal Lowndes

How to Make People Like you in 90 Seconds or Less!, Nicholas Boothman

Power Schmoozing, Terri Mandell

Practice with low stakes, on people you don’t think are VIPs

Have something to show for yourself, people want to meet another winner (don’t hide your accolades, but have humility)

[Dave, Kalamazoo Michigan] Does success in business need to be more complicated than coming up with ideas to help other people succeed?

Things are both Simple vs. Complicated, and Easy vs. Hard

We treat things we like as “simple” and things we don’t as “complicated”

Simple might not seem easy

Success in business can be simple: Just find a need that people are willing to pay for and fill it (but that still isn’t easy)

Notice things when complications are holding you back and look to simplify, but then look at the results and recognize when they might benefit from more complexity

Shut off all the junk business advice out there and just get started

“If information were the answer, we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs”

[Matt, Toronto Canada] How has knowing your [Myers Briggs] type (INTG) affected your life and played a role in an important decision?

Not much, It’s just shorthand for my preferences

Myers Briggs is like 16 little clubs, like Harry Potter houses, and allow us look seek out those who are also in our club – we tend to get along well

I found when I stopped going against my introvert nature and shaped my life around it, I became very happy

Work alone, avoid big group things and have good 1:1 time with other people

[Tobin, Boulder Colorado] What should someone ask to determine their own utopia?

Ask yourself if your idea is in theory or in practice?

There are so many things that seem great in theory, but are not

Do little tests, try a few months of the life you think you want, but leave an exit plan to go back

Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert

Talk to people who are where you think you want to be, ask them for Pros/Cons

[James, Ireland] How do you define success, what habits matter most for success?

A lot of fame/fortune is luck, but people with it are actually miserable/horrible

Success: Master yourself and help others

Habits:

Managing your state and emotional actions/reactions

Know what people need in general and you need in particular

People skills

Focus, learn, practice and apply what you learn

[James, New Zealand] If you instantly lost all your money/resources/etc. and were not recognizable, what you do to become successful?

If you take everything from me, I’d still be successful because I know how to be happy, considerate, useful and how to learn

Having millions gives you a nice sense of security, but I don’t use it on a daily basis

What actually makes me happy:

A nice quiet place to live alone

Working laptop, internet, books

Money for food

Good health

2 good friends

Specific Actions:

Find any job

Find an old laptop, install Linux

Teacup/tea

Get back to reading, learning, writing, thinking and sharing what I’ve learned

If you want to make money, pick any online program that has been proven to help you pick a business and optimize it (not the get rich quick ones), just actually follow-through

Something you believe, but other people think is insane?

Alcohol and olives taste bad

I don’t like the smell of coffee (have never tasted it)

All audiobooks should be read/recorded by people from Iceland, best accent

Would be wonderful to move to a new country every 6 months for the rest of my life

You shouldn’t start a business unless people are asking you to

I’m below average (deliberate to compensate for our tendency to think we’re above average)

The movie Scott Pilgrim is a masterpiece

Music and people don’t mix: Music should be appreciated alone without seeing/knowing the musicians, or with other people around

It is unwise to prioritize Lifestyle Design, dangerously self-centered and you should be focusing on being useful to others

Loyalty to others is silly, we should try be disloyal and only be loyal to the rare thing we can’t be disloyal to

It is good to feel smug, it means you are proud of yourself, which means you’re living according to your beliefs

c

The Best Derek Sivers Quotes Extracted:

“We think the goal of writing and communication is to be understood. But I think a better goal is just making sure that you’re not mis-understood.” [8:49]

“[Directive] Number 1: Teach whatever you’ve learned immediately after learning it, while you still remember what it’s like to not know it. Once you get used to knowing it you can’t imagine what it’s like to not know.

[Directive] Number 2: Share your work online. If your work isn’t online it basically doesn’t exist.

[Directive] Number 3. Share the process and the residue of your work. People really do want to see how the sausage gets made. So become a documentarian of what you do.

[Directive] Number 4: But release your creations some time after completion. So once you’ve already moved on to the next thing. That way when the world gives you its feedback or critique it won’t feel like it’s reflecting on you but just some work you did in your past.” [15:46]

“You make people interesting. If you’re boring – they’re boring. And if you’re interested – they’re interesting.” [19:14]

“I think it really helps when you have something to show for yourself: You’ve got to have some kind of cred(ibility), because people want to meet another winner. So whenever you’re introducing yourself definitely don’t hide your accolades. It helps to just have a little tagline that hints at the fact that you got something going on.” [21:33]

“Knowing that we have this human nature to think of things we like as simple, and things we don’t as complicated, you can use this to deliberately simplify how you think of something you’re avoiding, making it more appealing.” [23:07]

“What you have to do is notice, in your mind, when your complications are holding you back, and then turn the dial towards simplicity in your mind. … But then notice in your results when a more simplified approach might be holding you back. Perhaps you’re only using one tool in your toolbox and you need to learn others.

And as for all the business advice out there… If information was the answer, then we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs. … Most of you just need to shut that shit off, put your blinders on and get out the door and start running. Metaphorically speaking that is.” [23:45]

[On determining your own personal utopia:]

“First ask yourself: “Is this in theory, or in practice? Have you proven from your experience that this is really what works best for you?” Whatever idea you have, you have to challenge it. You need to argue against it, because there are so many things that seem great “in theory.”” [26:22]

“My recommendation is to do little tests. Like try a few months of living the life you think you want, but leave yourself an exit plan, being open to the chance – the big chance – that you might not like it after actually trying it. The best book about this is Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert. His recommendation is talk to a few people who are currently where you think you want to be, and ask them for the pros and cons. And then trust their opinions since they’re right in it, not just remembering or imagining.” [27:23]

“If you want to be undeniably successful, you need to both master yourself, and help others. Don’t focus on the money or the fame – the real success is mastering your emotions and actions, and actually helping lots of people.” [29:48]

“I believe it’s good to feel smug. It means you’re proud of yourself, which means you’re living according to your beliefs.” [35:35]

What a great episode! His quote was spot on. “If more info were the answer we would all be billionaires with perfect abs.” I have, for years, looked for “more info” but rarely implemented much. It became a habit. One that I realized but couldn’t get over because it felt like second nature. I’ve also committed, after listening to the podcast, to writing small summaries of books I’ve read. This will give me an oppertunity to really internalize what I’m reading and how to implement the lessons. One of my favorite by far. Hard to beat Jamie Fox though! Mans a stud. Thanks for what you do.

Am I the only one who finds his storytelling hypnotizing? A couple of times I almost forgot the questions Tim was asking Derek once he starts answering, my guess is that he reflecs his “Flow” state into his storytelling style 🙂 Great short episode! A lot to digest and to research, great interview Tim, congrats!

Cheers from the Monterey Bay

Hi Tim.

I’ve just finished the show notes for the latest episode of Tim Ferriss show, and it turns out that in comments you can’t insert links directly into the text so that it looks neat and readable, so I thought that it would be helpful to send it via the email. Your personal assistant received the version with the hyperlinks built into the text.

Here is the plain text version:

Selected Links from the Episode

Watch video Russian Scam by Derren Brown

Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown –

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – (Derek Sivers’s notes)

Zen

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon – (Derek Sivers’s notes)

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes (Derek Sivers’s notes)

How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman

Power Schmoozing by Terri Mandell

Myers–Briggs Type Indicator

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert (Derek Sivers’s notes)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie

Derel Sivers’s notes on books

CD Baby

Subscribe to Derek’s email list

Connect with Derek Sivers: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | TedX Talks

Show Notes

When people ask you what do you do, how do you answer that? [5:04]

When you think of the word successful, who is the first person that comes to mind and why? [7:03]

What are the most common misconceptions about you? [8:41]

Thoughts on morning rituals [9:38]

What are you world class at that people might not realize or what do your friends know you’re world class at that the rest of the world does not about ? + Thoughts on meditation [12:30]

Progress on “Do This” project [14:03]

Why did Derek become a programmer? [16:16]

Directives for creating relationships with people who hold interesting worldviews?[19:13]

Thoughts on success in business [22:30]

How does knowing your personality type effect your life and has it played a major role in major life decision? [24:49]

What should someone ask to determine their own utopia? [26:21]

What’s Derek’s definition of success and what habits or skills are most important to living a successful life? [28:13]

If you lost your resources, money, contacts etc, have no possessions except your clothes and $1000 and you look like completely different person, what steps would you take to become successful? [31:22]

What is something you believe that other people think is insane? [34:15]

People Mentioned

Stewart Brand

Derren Brown

Daniel Kahneman

Richard Branson

Timothy Ferriss – just in case you are not familiar with this gentleman

Socrates

Robin Williams

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Related & Recommended Posts

Derek Sivers on Developing Confidence, Finding Happiness, and Saying “No” to Millions

Tim and Derek,

You are the two titans of influence (from people who don’t know me personally) on my life.

@Tim – 4 hr workweek changed my life. Not only have I been able to create business opportunities and hand off work to families of less affluent nations, but I have created life long friends overseas as well. It’s opened my mind to the fact ‘Murika isn’t the only place that exists or matters.

@Derek – When I consume your content I do more than read and digest. I try to actually live in a mental space like yours. I’m in the INTJ “club” too, and it’s nice to know there is another happily lonesome guy out there like me. Also, you taking the time to talk back to me in a few emails, meant EVERYTHING to me.

@Both – You should create your own new random show :). Even if it sometimes has to be from Derek piecing together Tim’s sound bites or vice versa. “What…underwear…would you put on a billboard… in your 20s…that you are world class at that others might not realize?” I would love to know the answer to that one.

-Adam

Okay, if I’m the only person that this happens to, fine. But I get emails from the Ferris organization and there’s always somewhere in them to say “To download this podcast right-click here”, and I right-click there and it links to an htm file, not an mp3 audio file.

I can mess around and climb my way to the mp3 but it would probably be more professional if the original existing link worked correctly.

Deaest Tim,

Business Model: I wish to be the “Tim Ferris” in my field which focus on Education, Business,…. Adopted children, Post trauma, Parenting special kids, Creativity skills, Oxycontin, Family Vision, etc.

I know lots of experts and I am searching for the business model:

Interview specialists and gaining money from sponsors?

Charging the specialists for me business coaching them?

Producing Digital on-line products for the families?

I searched for an online course you lead and found only this one:

https://www.creativelive.com/courses/4-hour-life-tim-ferriss/class-materials

Which I am not sure give the answer for my question.

It will be a great thing to have yr advise or a link.

As a present for 2016

Can I translate yr posts to hebrew?

Do you have an affiliate program?

Have a lovely year!!!

Thanks

Sharona

This is great. Love the part about defining success with your inner game. Success as habits instead of outcomes. Great principle!

Gross. This was gross. What a pussy… Derek how often do you cry for not getting your own way? Pre-Paired and edited… Re-edited answers are fucking Gross.

Just about every time I listen to a new podcast, I tell myself “this is the most fabulous one ever”. Same thing happened listening to your interview with Derek Sivers-an extremely intriguing human. Thanks once again Tim, for such an enjoyable podcast. My favorite of everything I listen to! They are all just fabulous. Thank you –

The editing on this by Derek is hilarious!