The Sunday Starter Silhouette: Tim Ferriss

Welcome to The Sunday Starter, a weekly email of tools and techniques, that help you navigate your journey to just get started and keep moving forward.

In this week’s Starter issue, I am going to recognize one of my favorite entrepreneurs, thinkers, and creators; Tim Ferriss.

I came across the Tim Ferriss Show back in 2015 and immediately fell in love with the deep-dive discussions Tim was having with a mix of the most iconic entrepreneurs and thinkers of our time to people who may not be household names but were incredibly brilliant in what they were accomplishing.

The podcast's subject matter has stayed true throughout its existence, Interview world-class performers and deconstruct and tease out the habits, practices, and principles they use to achieve their success.

When I think about the opportunity to learn nowadays, the internet is a vast oasis of anything and everything you can imagine.

Unlike my childhood of cable TV and encyclopedias, we have so many options. As I think about personal and professional growth, I have to tip my hat to Tim and his podcast as one of the big contributors who has shaped my thinking positively over the years.

I’d like to share one big lesson I’ve learned from Tim over the years that can help you on your journey.

But first…

❔ Did You Know?

→ Tim went to Princeton University and graduated with a degree in East Asian Studies in 2000

→ Tim studied abroad in Japan in high school and was the only American in a school of 5,000 japanese students.

→ He has raised funds for the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and for the Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. Since 2016, he has donated at least $2,000,000 for clinical research into psychedelic drugs.

→ He has one of the largest newsletters on the internet, 5-Bullet Friday, that I highly recommend subscribing to. → Sign-up here

🍿 Sunday Snacks To Munch On:

🎥 Check out this deep interview with Tim Ferriss on Collin and Samir - Watch Here

📺 One of my favorite Ted Talks - Define Your Fears Instead Of Your Goals

🎙 A recent Tim Ferriss Show Interview with Arthur C Brooks - This is fantastic! Listen Now

📖 The Tao of Seneca: Letters from a Stoic Master → If you like Stoicism or are interested in learning more, this is a masterful work…all for free - Read It Here

📚 If you haven’t read “The 4-Hour Work Week” you might be one of the few. Grab a copy here and you won’t be disappointed.

There are so many great lessons we can learn from Tim’s books, Podcasts, or explorations into optimizing our lives. I thought it might be valuable to deep-dive, like Tim often does, into one main topic… Dreamlining

In Tim Ferriss's book "The 4-Hour Work Week," he introduces the concept of "dreamlining" which is a process that helps individuals identify and achieve their personal and lifestyle goals. Here's how Tim Ferriss describes it in his own words:

"Dreamlining is not about acquiring things, nor is it about having more money. It's about creating a list of experiences that you want to have and figuring out how to make them happen. It's about lining up your goals, whether they are temporary or long-term so that you can experience what it's like to live life on your own terms."

In essence, dreamlining involves setting specific, achievable goals for experiences and achievements that align with your ideal lifestyle. These goals can be both short-term and long-term and can encompass various aspects of life, including travel, personal development, relationships, and more.

The idea is to prioritize and plan for these experiences, making them a central focus of your life rather than waiting for retirement or some distant future to start living the life you desire. Dreamlining is a key component of Tim Ferriss's approach to lifestyle design and achieving greater freedom and fulfillment.

Here is a breakdown of the steps you can take to Dreamline your life:

→ Define Your Dreams: Start by clearly defining what your dreams and goals are. What experiences, achievements, and adventures do you want to have in your life? Be specific and make a list of these dreams.

→ Set Timeline Targets: Assign a timeline to each of your dreams. Determine when you want to achieve them—whether they are short-term (within 6-12 months), mid-term (1-3 years), or long-term (3+ years) goals. This helps create a sense of urgency and accountability.

→ Estimate Costs: Calculate the financial cost associated with each dream. Knowing the cost will help you plan and budget accordingly. Be realistic in your estimates.

→ Eliminate Excuses: Identify and eliminate the common excuses or obstacles that may prevent you from pursuing your dreams. This might involve addressing fears, self-limiting beliefs, or financial constraints.

→ Take Action Steps: Break down each dream into smaller, actionable steps. What specific actions can you take to move closer to your goals? Create a roadmap for each dream.

→ Automate and Delegate: Tim Ferriss often emphasizes the importance of automation and delegation. Identify tasks or responsibilities that can be automated or delegated to free up your time and resources for pursuing your dreams.

→ Experiment and Validate: Rather than waiting for the perfect moment, start experimenting with your dreams on a small scale. Test your assumptions, gather feedback, and validate your ideas. This reduces the risk and uncertainty associated with pursuing your dreams.

→ Track Progress: Keep track of your progress toward achieving your dreams. Use tools like journals, spreadsheets, or goal-tracking apps to monitor your milestones and stay motivated.

→ Adjust and Reassess: Periodically reassess your dreams and goals. As your priorities and circumstances change, you may need to adjust your dreamlining plan accordingly.

→ Celebrate Achievements: Celebrate your successes along the way. Recognize and appreciate the progress you make toward realizing your dreams.

→ Share and Connect: Share your dreams and progress with friends, family, or a supportive community. Building a network of like-minded individuals can provide encouragement and accountability.

→ Iterate and Dream Big: Dreamlining is not a one-time process. It's a continuous cycle of setting, pursuing, and achieving dreams. As you accomplish your goals, dream bigger and aim for new experiences and achievements.

Dreaming is something we do in hopes that we can achieve it at a much distant point in the future.

But what can you do to get this done sooner and make your life full of accomplishing your dreams?

Now it’s your turn.

You have a solid overview of “Dreamlining” and how to think through potential new adventures and experiences.

Now, it’s time to act on it.

Start with the first step → Define Your Dreams

We often don’t even take the time to write this stuff out. Huddle away for 5 minutes and write down your list.

Then, make a commitment. Which one of them can become a reality this year?

As the saying goes, “If you can believe it you can achieve it.”

Let’s get after it!

What’s Coming Next…

Next week, we’re going to address something we all go through…getting stuck. We’ll discuss how we can remove some barriers to get out of it sooner.

🙏 Thanks again for your support with this newsletter.

❓What did you think? I’d love feedback on this newsletter in order to continue to make this a superb resource for everyone. Nothing is off-limits. Simply reply and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.

✅ When you complete the challenge, I’d love to hear which journal prompt was chosen and how writing about it helped you allow further reflection on the topics. Reply directly to this email and please share.

How Can I Support Your Journey?

One of the coolest things about building the Just Get Started community over the last several years is the amount of interactions with new and interesting people that are on the cusp of getting started or early in their journey.

If I can support you in any way, please let me know. You can reply to this email and let me know what’s going on in your world. I’ll try to help where I can!