Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss

Tools Of Titans

What Top Performers Have In Common?

For many, breaking free from weaknesses seems like an impossible task. However, some people have shown grit to overcome challenges and establish lifestyles that have earned them the top performer tag. While the media sometimes showcases these nothing-to-something stories as self-made transformations, the author argues that it is impossible to ascend to the heroics without leaning on the wisdom of others.

These top performers have learned innovative ways to optimize their body and mind, and you can do the same. Hence, this impressive body of work from Timothy Ferris will open your eyes to practical steps on living an improved lifestyle. This book is, segmented into three crucial aspects of life – health, wealth, and wisdom. These three concepts encapsulate the core areas of your life that will determine your level of fulfillment.

In each segment, you will access different tools that have worked for renowned personalities who have shown a level of consistency at the top. The tools mentioned in this book are unique for each individual, and it is you that will choose the ones that will work for you. You should note that it is imperative to run some of the advice in this book through your nutritionist or doctor, especially the health and wellness part.

What do the top-performers referenced in “Tools of Titans” have in common?

1. Many of the elite performers in this book practice one form of meditation or the other
2. A large fraction of top-performers do not eat breakfast and the rest eat light meals in the morning
3. These people are certain that failure will expire
4. They have transformed their weaknesses into strengths

Exercise will help you live a healthy life

Have you ever felt that you lack the stamina to participate in rigorous tasks without taking a breather? This show of weakness suggests that you have not done enough to condition your body to withstand high-performance activities. The only way you can condition your body is to exercise regularly. While this is a given, it is not advisable to engage in any form of exercise without ascertaining the specific muscle it is fortifying.

People that indiscriminately engage in workout sessions often discover that their training had buffed up a section of their body​ while ignoring the others. The outcome is a disproportionate body structure that is not appealing to the eye. This is why Christopher Sommer, a former gymnastics coach for the US National Team and founder of GymnasticBodies, tells his clients to engage in a dynamic mix of Gymnastics Strength Training (GST) and AcroYoga.

This combination will help you increase flexibility and mobility, instead of the muscle-building effects of many workout routines out there. According to the author, AcroYoga is a blend of 3 contemporary disciplines — yoga, acrobatics, and therapeutics. Some of the exercises that fit into this description are J-Curl and shoulder extension.

To practice the shoulder extension:
• Lift a dowel and hold it behind your back while in a standing position.
• Stand on an elevated platform.
• Lift a dead-weight to your mid-section — while in the standing position, and
• Bend down until your head almost touches your knees.

You could start with a 15 pounds weight, as stretching is the most important factor in this exercise. You should do as many reps as you are comfortable with — there is no need to grind out reps which might end up injuring you.

Remember that the purpose of these exercises is to ensure that the entirety of your body becomes flexible and mobile.

For the likes of Joe De Sena, the co-founder of Death Race, subjecting the body to extreme stress is the key. As such, he decided to engage in activities that are the exact opposite of his life as a Wall Street professional. He fell in love with nerve-wracking marathons where he could only focus on the primary necessities of life — food, water, and shelter. According to Joe, it is important to sweat every single day to build the resilience to take on any challenge.

Ketogenic diet and fasting: the new health trends

There are lots of publications on the benefits of ketogenic diets. Nonetheless, many still do not understand what all the fuss is about. And when they do, it is an uphill task to find the right diet that will help them sustain ketosis. Before diving into the dos and don’ts of keto diets, you must first unravel the essence of ketosis.

Ketosis is an induced state of the body, which results from the unavailability of primary fuel sources. When the body does not have sufficient glucose to burn as fuel, it is forced to look for alternative sources, mostly fat. The breaking down of fat releases ketones that reduce the blood’s pH. As your body acidity levels rise, you risk falling into a coma or dying.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates”

On the upside, ketosis reduces weight, and it could lower the risk of developing heart diseases. In light of this, it is a common practice for people to adopt one form of ketogenic diets or the other. The aim here is to reduce the intake of carbohydrates to force the body to breakdown fat and maintain muscle. Rather than dieting, some people choose to fast, because fasting for 3 to 4 days will induce a keto state.

In its basic form, ketogenic diets are high-fat diets, which try to lower the intake of carbohydrates to 50 grams, or below, in three days. So, how do you know when you reach ketosis?

The author recommended that you use the Precision Xtra by Abbott to check your “glucose and blood levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB).” Once you reach a concentration of 0.5 millimolar, you are already at an early stage of ketosis.

For Dominic D’Agostino, an associate professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, mild to moderate ketosis state with concentrations ranging from 1 mmol to 3 mmol is the ideal keto state. Other benefits of adopting ketogenic diets or supplements include:

• It has anti-cancer effects
• Ketosis will help your body utilize oxygen optimally. Therefore, it is common for cyclists and people living at high altitude regions to experiment with ketosis to increase performance.
• The author discovered that reaching deep ketosis cured him of Lyme disease.

Dominic has experimented with a lot of ketogenic diets, and he has discovered that the only way to maintain ketosis is to eat food that contains a lot of fat and moderate protein. One of his favorite ketogenic meals is “chicken breast chopped into a green leafy salad with lots of olive oil.” You could also take coconut milk in between meals. The important detail is to ensure that fat is 70% to 80% of the total calories you consume.

You could try Dominic’s special homemade keto ice cream when you get bored of eating fat and cheese. To make this special recipe, you need 2 cups of sour cream or unsweetened coconut cream, a tablespoon of dark chocolate baking cocoa, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir these ingredients into a thick mousse, put it in the freezer, and you have got your keto ice cream.

You can use unconventional body conditioning practices to sustain performance

There is no way Tim Ferris could have interviewed the long list of top performers he mentioned in this book without encountering individuals with unconventional practices to sustain performance. Some do not shy away from using drugs, particularly psychedelics that causes hallucinations or that could help them sustain focus, depending on the dosage.

If popping drugs is not your thing, you could utilize the floating tank technique to experience psychedelics. Here, all you need to do is “float in a 98o F hot tub with a lid over it.” You must have added 800 to 1,200 of Epsom salt to help induce buoyancy. The absence of a light or sound source and gravity will help you break free from distractions and focus on the important things.

Others have discovered the power of cold, as they have subjected their bodies to harsh conditions to release the right chemicals to suppress stress hormones. One of the individuals that have championed this practice is Wim Hof. He introduced the Wim Hof method, a breathing exercise that improves immunity and increases fat loss.

This exercise entails 40 reps of inhaling air until your lungs are full and a sharp exhale to empty it. If done correctly, you will start feeling lightheaded and tingling in your hands. However, the author warns that this exercise should not be done near or inside water, as it can cause a shallow-water blackout. Also, one of Wim Hof’s secrets is the cold bath routine, which entails that you immerse your body in a bathtub containing water and 40 pounds of ice.

On sleeping hygiene, Kelly Starret, a world-renowned performance coach, advised that you get rid of appliances that could emit light, be it a TV or phones. He also advised that you should go for a soft mattress, which will help you switch from extension — due to excessive sitting or exercising — to relaxation.

Furthermore, the author highlighted the importance of starting the morning strong, as it allows you to cultivate the right energy to tackle the challenges the day might throw at you. He believes that it is imperative to lower your morning winning bar because a cluster of wins is way better than chasing the impossible. And so, he went on to list his morning rituals which normally last for 60-90 minutes and includes the following:
• Make your bed
• Meditate for at least 10 minutes
• Do 5 to 10 reps of an exercise that works for you
• Write your morning pages or write the things you are grateful for and the amazing things you experienced the day before, in a journal.

You will only attain success when you start asking the right questions

Just as Timothy Ferris had handpicked some of the most fascinating health tools that top performers utilize, he also disclosed the winning formula of some of the most successful people he had met. While perusing through this long list of goal-getters, one cannot help but notice that they have a knack for asking the vital questions.

When the world shut the door in these people’s faces by proclaiming them unworthy of success, they did not give up. Instead, they kept knocking on the door by asking all of the right questions. We see this notion play out in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s narration of how he defied the norm to become a movie star. Even when producers and directors downplayed his chances, he did not give in and do what others were doing. Rather, he kept believing, and eventually, his apparent weakness distinguished him in an industry which thrived on trends-recycling.

“Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing.” ~ Euripides

Tony Robbins, world-renowned performance coach, reiterated this thought when he asserted that attaining a quality life depends on your propensity for asking quality questions. If people are telling you that your talent or product will not sell, you should focus on searching for new ways to beat the system. This approach will yield more results than focusing on the negatives.

To put this basic advice to practice, Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, has taught his mind to search for answers to problems while he is asleep. All he has to do is delegate problems to his mind, go to bed, and tackle the problem first thing in the morning, when there are no distractions.

In the same way, you too can work your mind to find patterns in chaos and opportunities in failures. {15} The author went on to share some basic insight into how great businesses thrived, even when they faced stiff competition. You can thrive in a competitive terrain by pondering on the little things that can give you an edge. This might require a simple alteration to your brand, or customer relationship culture. In most cases, companies become successful because they were able to figure out the simple things and deliver what others might have tagged irrelevant.

Open yourself up to ideas, problems, and people; soak up wisdom to manage your business the successful way

The abundance of views from entrepreneurs or serial investors in this book is a real boost for individuals that are on the verge of starting their businesses, or those that have already got one or two running. The first strategy that might work for you is starting small. Revel in the micro and experiment all you can before emerging into the spotlight.

A micro business can cater to a certain niche and nurture its first wave of customers effectively. This strategy is what the author calls the 1000 fans ​approach. At this stage, the company is familiar with the preferences of its customer base, and its services will have more impact. Ironically, effectively capitalizing on the benefits of starting small will naturally lead to growth. It is up to you to ensure that growth does not dilute the potency of your business values.

On managing the pressure that comes with growth, Derek Sivers, founder of CD baby, suggests that you learn how to say no to the less important stuff. This principle will help you create ample time for the essentials. Likewise, Tony Robbins believes that successful individuals are those people who try as much as possible not to lose money. They take risks quite alright, but they do not jump at opportunities blindly. In most cases, these individuals will diversify their investment to spread risks.

While lending his voice to the topic, Reid Hoffman stated that successful companies and people solve the simplest and easiest tasks first. In contrast, organizations that focus on big problems might find it difficult to sustain success.

It is important to point out that though the feats of people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, or Larry Page are epic, the next generation of successful innovators will create things that are quite different from what we have today. As such. Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal, stated that it is crucial to ensure that trends do not erode the creativity of future pioneers. It is important to learn how and when to say “No”, as saying “Yes” to every opportunity and idea will sink your business.

The author corroborated this assertion by explaining that great companies realize that it is futile to compete for a market that a bigger corporation dominates. Instead, these companies create new categories that will help them nurture a new market. And rather than market their products directly, they promote their categories. For instance, companies that discovered that they could not rival the technical and marketing power of IBM simply created new niches that helped them survive the onslaught.

While noting that many of the business strategies mentioned in the book are not something you learn in school, the author recommended that people planning on starting a career in a chosen field should get mentors that will help them grasp the fundamentals. By so doing, you will learn to do away with your ego and focus on soaking enough wisdom to last you through your career. All you need do is open yourself up to more ideas, problems, and people.

Trying to please everyone is a mistake, people will always ridicule an innovative mind

One thing that stuck out as interesting while perusing through the wisdom that had elevated people from normal to the extraordinary is that they were not scared to do things differently. As simple as this is, many find it difficult to walk a new path, as they are aware of the repercussions of saying no to the norms. People that had dared to say no to consensus beliefs have had their intelligence questioned, or they had felt like an outcast.

However, being accepted should never serve as your goal. Instead, you should adopt goals that guarantee happiness. One of the norms that you should avoid is believing that being busy is a good problem. Today, busyness is a trend, and people believe that the busier you are, the more respect you command.

“To be alone is to be different, to be different is to be alone.” ~ Suzanne Gordon

In its true sense, busy connotes a misguided attempt to cloak unproductivity with engagement. Not all work is profitable. Moreover, putting yourself in a situation where work becomes chaotic suggests that you do not have a time management system in place. As such, it is imperative to work smart. Stop accommodating all the distractions that burn your time, so you can focus on core issues.

Knowing that adopting the life of an outlier would put you in the bad books of many, hence, the author suggested tactics that can help you maneuver attacks on your ideologies.

First, you must shift your attention from the people that do not agree with you to those that get you. Exerting your energy on things or people that do not matter is a waste of your time. Also, you should realize that there are a handful of individuals that would take your opinions personally. When you expect this, it will no longer surprise you when people attack you for thinking differently.

If you believe that you ought to respond to criticism, it is vital not to over-apologize for being unconventional. Discovering that trying to please everyone is a mistake will make it easy to come to terms with the fact that people will always ridicule your innovative mind.

Downsizing challenges, it gives you little to fret about and helps you focus on one small problem at a time​

When the author asked Jamie Foxx what he thought was on the other side of fear. Jamie replied, “Nothing”. If you carefully ponder on Jamie’s answer, you will discover that there is nothing to fear. Fear stops people from chasing their goals. They hide behind excuses like “I am not qualified” or “My talent will waste in this sort of endeavor”, or “The system or market is a mess right now.”

You must see through all these excuses, find where your fear lies, and face it head-on. Having said that, the first thing you can do to fight fear is to avoid being the victim. Stop complaining about the things that you don’t have, or the hand that life has dealt you. A better approach to life is to avoid letting anyone feel sorry for you. Own your failures and seek out ways to turn them into success stories.

It is not that the people in this book are immune to fear. They have faced their fair share of fear. But what separates them is their ability to break free from their anxieties. One other distinguishing factor is that they have learned to plan for the long-term. When you can visualize all the opportunities lying beyond your fears, you will start seeing things differently. You will no longer prioritize your current failures or pains over long-lasting results.

Likewise, successful people have a knack for downsizing their problems, which makes it easier to proffer solutions. By downsizing challenges, it gives you little to fret about, and it helps you focus on one small problem at a time, so you can make steady progress.

Conclusion

Do not think for once that successful people are special because they have luck on their side, or they have this special gene that gives them the tenacity to do the impossible. These people might have found a way around obstacles, but they started just like you. Once you realize this fact, it will push you to adopt some of the winning strategies in this book and to make your mark.

There is no shame in asking questions. Questions open you up to new ideas, and it is also a good tool to assess situations before taking action. So, when next you are in doubt or you have something troubling you, the best response is asking the right questions.