The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) 181 Comments
The menu in the Slovak Republic: full-contact video below.
Long time no see! I just landed back in CA from a long overdue mini-retirement through London, Scotland, Sardinia, Slovak Republic, Austria, Amsterdam, and Japan.
Some unpleasant surprises awaited me when I checked in on the evil e-mail inbox. Why? I let them happen.
I always do.
Here are just a few of the goodies that awaited me this time:
-One of our fulfillment companies has been shut-down due to the president’s death, causing a 20%+ loss in monthly orders and requiring an emergency shift of all web design and order processing.
-Missed radio and magazine appearances and upset would-be interviewers.
-More than a dozen lost joint-venture partnership opportunities.
It’s not that I go out of my way to irritate people — not at all — but I recognize one critical fact: oftentimes, in order to do the big things, you have to let the small bad things happen. This is a skill we want to cultivate.
What did I get in exchange for temporarily putting on blinders and taking a few glancing blows?
-I followed the Rugby World Cup in Europe and was able to watch the New Zealand All Blacks live, a dream I’ve had for the last 5 years.
-I was able to shoot every gun I’ve ever dreamed of firing since brainwashing myself with Commando. Bless the Slovak Republic and their paramilitaries (video at the end of this post).
-I was able to film a television series pilot in Japan, a lifelong dream and the most fun I’ve had in months, if not years.
-I met with my Japanese publisher, Seishisha (Tel: 03-5574-8511) and had media interviews in Tokyo, where the 4HWW is now #1 in several of the largest chains.
-I took a complete 10-day media fast and felt like I’d had a two-year vacation from computers.
-I attended the Tokyo International Film Festival and hung out with one of my heroes, the producer of the Planet Earth television series.
Once you realize that you can turn off the noise without the world ending, you’re liberated in a way that few people ever know.
Just remember: if you don’t have attention, you don’t have time. Did I have time to check e-mail and voicemail? Sure. It might take 10 minutes. Did I have the attention to risk fishing for crises in those 10 minutes? Not at all.
As tempting as it is to “just check e-mail for one minute,” I didn’t do it. I know from experience that any problem found in the inbox will linger on the brain for hours or days after you shut-down the computer, rendering “free time” useless with preoccupation. It’s the worst of states, where you experience neither relaxation nor productivity. Be focused on work or focused on something else, never in-between.
Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time.
Here are a few questions that can help you put on the productivity blinders and put things in perspective. Even when you’re not traveling the world, develop the habit of letting small bad things happen. If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things, whether important tasks or true peak experiences. If you do force the time but puncture it with distractions, you won’t have the attention to appreciate it.
-What is the one goal, if completed, that could change everything?
-What is the most urgent thing right now that you feel you “must” or “should” do?
-Can you let the urgent “fail” — even for a day — to get to the next milestone with your potential lifechanging tasks?
-What’s been on your “to-do” list the longest? Start it first thing in the morning and don’t allow interruptions or lunch until you finish.
Will “bad” things happen? Small problems will crop up, yes. A few people will complain and quickly get over it. BUT, the bigger picture items you complete will let you see these for what they are–minutiae and repairable hiccups.
Make this trade a habit. Let the small bad things happen and make the big good things happen.
[This post kicked up some strong comments! If you'd like to see my responses, just search for "###" in the comments.]
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###
Odds and Ends:
-Here is another signed original 4HWW manuscript with the bonus stories that didn’t make it into the published version! Perhaps you saw recently that a 1st-printing Harry Potter fetches more than $40K. 4HWW is no Harry Potter yet, but unedited manuscripts are a rarer item. The Ebay auction is here, and you have 72 hours. The last one sold for $1,525 and there were 8 copies available. Now there are only 6 left. The total winning bid will be donated to this school in Nepal, where your name will appear on a plaque on the door. If you would like to skip the auction, just PayPal $2,000 for however many copies you want (max of 5) to timothy-at-brainquicken.com. The total will also be donated to education. If someone beats you to the punch, I’ll refund you.
-For those interested, I’m featured on pg. 67 of this month’s Men’s Fitness. Nothing fitness-related, just 4HWW stuff.
-I did a fun interview on .SAP INFO, where I talk about all things quantifiable.
Weapons of Mass Distraction: boys love guns. I’m sorry, but that’s how we are wired, especially at $80 for a full Soviet arsenal, complete with anti-tank machine gun. Don’t worry, I’m just a target shooter. No strapping guns to my bed just yet.
Posted on October 25th, 2007
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181 Comments
Bad Things Happen « mattthomas.wordpress.com — October 25th, 2007, 9:03 am
[...] Bad Things Happen “It’s not that I go out of my way to irritate people – not at all – but I recognize one critical fact: oftentimes, in order to do the big things, you have to let the small bad things happen. This is a skill we want to cultivate.� —Tim Ferriss [...]
Erik Cox — October 25th, 2007, 9:04 am
Tim,
Welcome back! Congratulations on the book in Japan, that is awesome.
One of my muse stalled this week, due to the manufacturer of my product falling off the face of the earth… depressing, but this post reminded me to let it go and get on with trying something else. Great post, as always.
Erik
Tyler — October 25th, 2007, 9:24 am
I’m so jealous that you got to attend an All Blacks match…I was limited to one match every Sunday on Digital Cable.
David Ledoux — October 25th, 2007, 9:30 am
Tim, awesome post!
Congrats on your new TV pilot…my brother signed a deal with Much Music in Toronto to shoot the pilot for “Glam Rock Cage Fighter” in November. We’re taping him at a submission grappling tournament next week, plus sparring with some ex-IFL fighters and a guy from Chute Box. He’s a monster at 135 lbs…if the pilot gets picked up in 2008 we’ll fly you in, plug the book and roll a few rounds!
###
Awesome! Congrats and count me in
Tim
Bob Walsh — October 25th, 2007, 9:34 am
Your insights continue to be a MBA – Manage the Business of Attention – degree course!
Frederic Patenaude — October 25th, 2007, 9:35 am
Tim, this is your best post by far! It shows that your mini-retirement worked. It’s awesome to see that you’re actually living what you teach. After reading your book I went on an e-mail fast but after a while I reverted to old habits of checking emails every so often… I noticed the immediate drop in productivity. Like you said… it lingers in the brain for hours and days. Your concept of bad things/big things reminds me of Stephen Covey’s principles in the 7 Habits book… of the quadrant of ‘Not Urgent-Important” things we never seem to pay enough attention to!
practica — October 25th, 2007, 9:44 am
Hi, Tim!
Any plans to make the book available in Hebrew or Russian?
thanks
Jonnie — October 25th, 2007, 10:16 am
Tim – looks like the gun video got pulled …any clue as to why? (for those of us who enjoy shoot, we can probably guess).
###
Hi J,
Thanks for the comment! The video should be up and working. Anyone else having problems?
All the best,
Tim
John Hewitt — October 25th, 2007, 10:20 am
Excellent advice that I have been following with my website. I’ve been focusing on the projects I wanted to get done and allowing the bigger distractions to just happen. Great book Tim. Thanks.
Tara — October 25th, 2007, 10:21 am
Right on, Tim!
This one was such a good reminder for me at the perfect time. I so get it after an experience I had last week. I checked my email before my dinner and planning to have a relaxing email and I got an email in which someone was kinda pissed off at me (rightly so). Having read it, I obsesssed all evening and all night (losing about 3 hours of sleep the night before facilitating a big/exec meeting). I didn’t have to read my email…I was done for the day. I should have just shut if off and enjoyed my evening. Instead I ruined my evening, my night’s sleep and put my performance the next day in jeopardy (saved by caffiene only).
Richard Lee — October 25th, 2007, 10:40 am
He Heee. Not bad for a city boy!
-R
Ron McDaniel — October 25th, 2007, 11:09 am
With videos like this, I am sure your stalkers are keeping a safe distance and spending a lot on air travel.
John — October 25th, 2007, 11:13 am
Tim,
I’ve read your book and scrolled through most of your blog, but this blog entry finally frosted my butt!
What! You couldn’t have solved some of those “challenges” and saved some customer relations in 10-15 minutes? Sorry, the stuff you described as being “urgent” and “life changing” are just plain selfish. I guess I’m still too “old-school.”
Valuing people (other than yourself) over attention and time must win out sometime in your life – no?
John
gabriel ryan — October 25th, 2007, 11:24 am
“time without attention…” wow! i have lived this struggle without having been able to put a title to it. with core values of “freedom” & “value” the glue that binds these together seems like it would be “attention.” if i can’t be focused on the present, with angst and worry thwarting my plans, i am not truly free, because my freedom has no value.
Phil — October 25th, 2007, 11:24 am
Friend of mine’s dad always said, “If it’s a hurry up answer, the answer is no.”
If someone can’t wait 10 days on a JV, then they want a hurry up answer.
Rich — October 25th, 2007, 1:31 pm
Hey Tim,
What’s the name of the gun range? Also, do they have a website? Thanks!
Joseph — October 25th, 2007, 2:24 pm
I thought the Rugby World Cup was in France but you didn’t say you went to France. Where did you see the All Blacks play?
###
I saw them play in Edinburgh — Scots vs. New Zealand. The World Cup happened all over, but France was the host country. Fun stuff. Those boys hit hard.
Tim
Scott Meade — October 25th, 2007, 4:59 pm
Tim,
Thanks for sharing. What do you say to people that remind you that as a company owner/CEO/leader you have employees who’s livelihood depends on the success and growth of the company? Could it get to the point where an owner/CEO/leader says “sorry Bob that we lost the big account that would have let you send Sally to college, but I just didn’t want to check email.”?
Mark — May 9th, 2012, 9:00 am
The difference between the two philosophies is that in one, you own the work, tasks and the outcomes. In yours, however, the work owns you. In the latter case, a sense of being hostage eventually sets in and the resentment that comes with it. I have said that in our workplace we now regrettably have all become a 24/7 business model. That may be your reality, but that also works against the notion many have that they really are in control or even could be. And it sure ain’t healthy. And the day your company shows you to the door for because of what they say they need, despite all that obsession, the lesson will come home about what your investment really produced.
Well Drat. Really Great Advice. — October 25th, 2007, 6:26 pm
[...] Anyway, the entire post is quite good even if I don’t agree with all of it. Check it out at Mozart’s Tim Ferriss’s blog. [...]
Andre Kibbe — October 25th, 2007, 6:49 pm
So when are we going to get “How to Live Like a Rock Star in Tokyo?”
$80 for that entire arsenal — wow. Geoarbitrage to the extreme.
TimG — October 25th, 2007, 7:14 pm
Tim,
Glad to have you back! Excellent post!
Stirner — October 25th, 2007, 7:25 pm
You lucky bastard…
Victory Darwin — October 25th, 2007, 7:28 pm
I love the comment by John above because it shows you really are “dividing the camps” Tim. For anyone who read Tim’s advice and took it for granted, you should realize the majority of the world not only doesn’t think this way, they would think that TEACHING YOUR KIDS TIM’S CONCEPTS IS WRONG!
TIM, THIS IS WHERE YOU REALLY CROSS THE LINE!
“Make this trade a habit. Let the small bad things happen and make the big good things happen.”
This isn’t about finding more time, IT’S ABOUT STEALING time from one thing to give it to another. And you are allowing something bad to happen in the process. Stating it this way there is no longer any gray area. I can keep doing the unimportant list of to-do’s and sacrifice any future potential I have at getting my big project done (click my name if you want to see my plan to REVOLUTIONIZE HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC EDUCATION!)
I can tell you from my own experience that trying to get it ALL right, all the tasks done, all the customer’s happy, means you will never grow nearly as big as you could, and that means less people enjoy your quality product or service.
All the 4HWW wisdom I’ve applied so far has paid off, so I guess I’ll jump right in on this one! thanks Tim!
Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Weekend Links: Don't Sweat the Bad Stuff, Take Notes Like Edison, and Applaud David Seah's Certainty... — October 25th, 2007, 7:40 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen | Tim Ferriss An interesting post by 4-Hour Work Week author, Tim Ferriss. As he tends to do, he dropped everything for a few weeks to travel the world doing random cool things. When he returned, he discovered the absence had caused some problems with his business and book publicity. His conclusion: who cares? Thought-provoking… [...]
Randy Jones — October 25th, 2007, 9:01 pm
Jesus Christ, can I get a priest to unbuckle my pants….
That is the best advice i have heard all year 2007. Just today, I had someone try to cut me loose and I was worried about the income loss, but then I saw your post and thought f*** her, I’m doing the right thing, living my life in a thoughtful, honest way. I’m not sacrificing my core beliefs just to make her commission. Really, it was great advice. Let the small bad s*** happen. And the email thing. No longer will i wake up early thinking about email. F*** it. If its in an email it ain’t that important anyway. I’m 58 yrs old and you are my guru/stand in stunt man. I’m working on being like you….Your are a f***ing genius. And when you come to San Antonio, I will get you in a kung fu wrist grab that you will NOT be able to get out of, and you will go home and have to tell your daddy! cause they all come to me to try. Wing Tsun can kick your ass! Maybe not me, because I’m 58 and (who did you say your daddy used to be)? Uh,.. sorry the alsheimers is kicking in and the piano is calling me.
Another Tim — October 25th, 2007, 10:01 pm
Tim tim tim tim tim …. wow.
I just realized that you identified ME…
Happy to just take one crack of the whip across my back after the other? I imagine I am not alone !!
Let me paste it here … wow … gave me one of those ‘wow’ moments … ( pasted from your post above )
:
It’s the worst of states, where you experience neither relaxation nor productivity.
Be focused on work or focused on something else, never in-between.
Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time.
AND … TIM’S SOLUTION:
…., develop the habit of letting small bad things happen.
If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things, whether important tasks or true peak experiences.
If you do force the time but puncture it with distractions, you won’t have the attention to appreciate it.
I am sending this to all my friends and making this a requirement to check out your post.
Amazing stuff here… I think you just woke me up.
- Cheers
Charles — October 25th, 2007, 10:03 pm
>”One of our fulfillment companies has been shut-down due to the president’s death, causing a 20% loss in monthly orders and requiring an emergency shift of all web design and order processing.”
Was this a breakdown in automation, or a contingency that you had not factored in?
Another Tim — October 25th, 2007, 10:19 pm
Tim tim tim tim tim …. wow.
I just realized that you identified ME…
Happy to just take one crack of the whip across my back after the other? I imagine I am not alone !!
Let me paste it here … wow … gave me one of those ‘wow’ moments … ( pasted from your post above )
It’s the worst of states, where you experience neither relaxation nor productivity.
Be focused on work or focused on something else, never in-between.
Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time.
AND … TIM’S SOLUTION:
…., develop the habit of letting small bad things happen.
If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things, whether important tasks or true peak experiences.
If you do force the time but puncture it with distractions, you won’t have the attention to appreciate it.
I am sending this to all my friends and making this a requirement to check out your post.
Amazing stuff here… I think you just woke me up.
- Cheers
Adam Kayce : Monk At Work — October 26th, 2007, 6:48 am
This rocks.
At first, I cringed, as I bet a lot of people did. But then when I read the list of what you did get done, I relaxed, and thought, “good on ya, mate!”
Seeing the All Blacks must’ve been awesome (same w/ the work in Japan, getting your book to #1 in Nippon, etc.).
Your work has inspired me to do much of the same; I’ve reduced my blogging frequency, put on hold (or killed) a few projects, and I’m close to launching my first muse, with three more lined up behind it.
Thanks for being the inspiration (and the kick in the a##) we all need.
Paul — October 26th, 2007, 8:07 am
Hey Tim, glad you got to see the All Blacks in actions. As a New Zealander, I try and catch them whenever I can (currently living in the US so it’s tough sometimes). I hope you didn’t see the French game though, that wasn’t the greatest example of All Black Rugby.
I think they might even benefit from some of your ideas! I have a feeling they concentrate on a lot of things that aren’t really adding value to their game these days.
Paul
Drew Kerr — October 26th, 2007, 8:33 am
Awesome post! Thanks Tim you are a great inspiration.
I read a great quote the other day it goes:
*The poor work for wages, and work for survial
*The middle class work for a salary, and work to be comfortable
*The rich work for financial freedom, and have their money & ideas work for them while they are away.
Drew Rozell — October 26th, 2007, 9:27 am
Loved Commando too. So much I made my Dad go to the theater and watch it with me. He was… less impressed.
For old times sake… see the Gov in his prime.
“Zis is my weak arm…”
Erik — October 26th, 2007, 10:08 am
Tim,
That’s unfortunate news about your fulfillment partner shutting down. In case you’re shopping for a new fulfillment company to work with, I know that my mother’s company could take care of any web design and order processing you may need. I just thought I’d throw that out there.
###
Thank you, E! It’s all set, but I appreciate the offer.
Tim
grrgle — October 26th, 2007, 10:38 am
Wow I had forgotten all about Commando! That one is defs going onto the Netflix queue. “Come ahn Sully. Let’s pahty.” Wonderful.
Also BRILLIANT POST. Let small bad things happen. That is one of the smartest things not in the Bible that I have ever heard.
KNau — October 26th, 2007, 11:21 am
Couldn’t the joint venture / interview scenarios have been avoided by stating in your autoresponder that you are away until at least x date and won’t be available before then?
Andrew — October 26th, 2007, 11:42 am
Tim,
Wow – what a fantastic time you had. I’ve been pretending I don’t love guns for years…maybe I should come out of the armour-plated closet…
You’ve identified a key skill – being able to let small bad things happen without getting uptight, upset or distracted. I’ve not heard anyone talk about that before but you’re right.
Do you have any tricks for avoiding checking email? I’ve heard you talk before about putting yourself in an environment where it is easier to achieve your goals. Do you do this with email (i.e. make sure you have no way of checking)?
Andrew
Casey — October 26th, 2007, 11:47 am
Your post was incredibly relevant and timely for me. Completely worth the wait and caused an important and overdue shift in my mindset both in and outside of work. Seriously, thank you very much.
Tim Ferriss — October 26th, 2007, 11:59 am
###
Hi All!
Thanks for all the great comments and questions. Let me answer a few things:
1. The book will be coming out in Russian and Hebrew, though I don’t have the dates.
2. Contractors and performance-based outsourcers handle almost 100% of my business, so: 1) I wasn’t ignoring customer service issues easily solved in 10 minutes, as I haven’t handled them for more than 4 years, and 2) No one is depending on me for 100% of their income, nor their childrens’ college tuition.
3. The gun range name… good question! Attila, can you help here? I no speak the Slovak.
4. The death of the fulfillment president wasn’t a breakdown in automation. I did have a contingency plan for this type of crisis, and everything was rolled over and running smoothly within 48 hours. The transition of communication is what cost orders, as — to avoid people being charged but not receiving product — we simply refunded nearly everyone who’d ordered in the last 2 weeks. I had no desire to deal with complaints or chargebacks, even if just a few, so I took the financial hit as a quality-of-life tax.
5. Knau, as you suggested, I did have an autoresponder set that explained I was overseas and checking e-mail infrequently. I also had an assistant checking e-mail, who was on the alert to get in touch via secret means if absolutely necessary. Most — but certainly not all — people who want something NOW either 1) don’t need it now, and/or 2) are people you don’t want to do business with. They’ll drive you nuts with 30 e-mail a day.
Hope that helps!
Tim
Erik Cox — October 26th, 2007, 12:26 pm
I love it, “get in touch via secret means if absolutely necessary.” What sort of expectation setting excercises or training did you give your assistant (other than the chapter in your book regarding Interrupting Interruption)?
I carry two copies of your book in my laptop backpack: one copy that I have written all over in with notes and underlines, and the copy that is on my ipod. Thanks again for the inspiration Tim.
Marshall — October 26th, 2007, 1:45 pm
This post was spot on! I (we – the company) just went thru an “urgency issue” (started via email) with someone who in the end was not going to spend a dime with us, got us all worked up and then thru us under the bus with some long time customers and associates. It ate at me for days and I actually spent 3 hours on a plane flight writing a “scorched earth” email response to the guy…that I never sent!! All because I let “his” sense of urgency dictate our behavior…never again. Anyone who continues to “demand response” is not someone you want to do business with…let alone lose sleep over. The fact that I’m still writing about this shows the incredible amount of wasted time and energy that can go into the mindset of always “having to be on and available”…..
Yesterday I was unavailable (cell or email) most of the day due to customer/vendor mtgs and travel…most productive day I’ve had in weeks!
Victory Darwin — October 26th, 2007, 3:59 pm
Hi Tim, just an additional thought if you wanted to sample your blog commenter demographic as you have in the past.
what % read only this blog
or 2-4 blogs / week
what % only comment on this blog
or comment on other blogs read.
personally this is the ONLY blog I regularly read, and I just about never do blog commenting, and here I do it on about 75% of the topics.
this to me says you’ve got some seriously interesting stuff that gets people thinking and wanting to express their own opinions.
cool!
~V
Amanda — October 26th, 2007, 7:55 pm
Fantastic book for college student such as myself!
My personal favorite chapter of your book was the section on Mini Retirements. I was so amazed that you were able to find such affordable accomadation in Berlin and Buenos Aires. To think that I was about to spend the same amount (around $500) on five nights at a luxury hotel or even a hostel….. not anymore.
I perused the web sites you listed at the end of the chapter,but I did not find site that offered such listings. Would you able to specify the method or Internet resources in which you used find such cheap accomadation in foreign countries including the posh apartments mentioned in the book?
I’d greatly appreciate it because I will be partaking in much extensive travel within the next few months including Amsterdam, which hopefully I can find a furnished apartment for around the montly cost that you were able to in other countries.
Amanda G.
Joe — October 26th, 2007, 8:25 pm
Tim,
Big Fan. You are my hero. Just finished your book. It Rocks! I read it the first time to acquire the theory and I will read it again to practice it.
Loved the video. It must have been a rush to use all those weapons. I never shot a gun before. But after this video, I might go to the local gun gallery and try it.
Michael Stone — October 26th, 2007, 9:55 pm
Tim:
You are my hero. I find all of the negative feedback amusing. I suppose you either get it or you don’t. This is such a timely entry for me. I am preparing a 2-hour seminar with a message about goal setting. I mention Tom Peters theories on “selective rudeness” (which I love), .
but this really gets the point accross. Being able to “cultivate this skill” is critical to accomplishing great things. I will pass along your thoughts to my audience.
I do have a problem, however… (granted, it is truly a me problem). In an effort to follow your advice I removed the distraction of my ISP “home page” and replaced it with your 4HWW as a source of inspiration and reminders, yet I spent over 2 hours on your site in the last two days after forwarding the slow carb diet to my wife’s cousin. My wife and I both had great success with it and have since gotten many requests for the details.
I guess I’ll just have to learn to let small bad things happen while I set aside time to catch up on your Big Things. A little like “sharpening the saw.”
Thanks – If you’re ever in New England, or NY I’d love to hear about it.
Lufe is Good » Blog Archive » Good things happen when you do what you want. — October 26th, 2007, 10:31 pm
[...] TIM FERRIS knows as good as anyone what it means to live a full life. He’s traveled endless corners of the globe, authored a #1 best selling book, become a champion kickboxer, a television actor, a competitive dancer…and I’ll tell you for damn sure he didn’t achieve those DREAMS because he focused on what was wrong in his life. [...]
Michael — October 27th, 2007, 2:14 am
Haha Tim,
We were doing that here in Baton Rouge when we were 15yrs old!
Still not bad, but come on man, when your gun jams you have to know what to do! Nice, keep it up. Oh and bye the way unless it is a trade secret, who the hell manufactures Brain Quicken anyway?
###
Hi Michael!
You guys in the south make us Yanks look like girly men, for sure. As for the manufacturer of BrainQUICKEN, that will have to remain under the covers for now. If you thrash me in gun skills and get my manufacturer, what would I do?
Tim
Koorosh Vahabi — October 27th, 2007, 12:15 pm
Hi Tim,
I love your blog posts man.
Every one makes gives me a “brain-tickle”.
Thats the phrase I have coined which means it wakes me up, makes me think and expands my horizons.
Thanks man.
dmiessler.com | A Time Management Nugget from Tim Ferriss — October 27th, 2007, 4:49 pm
[...] Ferriss just returned from another mini-retirement, this time in the Slovak Republic. He blogged about the whole trip and even put up a video of some gun [...]
Raina Gustafson — October 27th, 2007, 6:15 pm
Hi Tim,
I read the SAP interview listed in the odds and ends. Your comments about monitoring business metrics really caught my attention. I’d like to begin measuring such things myself, but I’m not entirely sure where to start. Are there any resources you can recommend for further information on this topic?
On a different note, I want to remind the critics of this post how much effort you’ve been putting into inspiring philanthropy recently. In my opinion, the selfish label just doesn’t stick. In fact, I appreciate your honesty in sharing these “unpleasant surprises” with us. I think it speaks to your courage and character, which ought to earn your readers’ respect, even if they don’t agree. The criticisms seem a bit petty in comparison.
Beyond that, I see your uncommon choices as being more grounded in our individual and collective humanness, not less. Instead of limiting your focus to your role as a CEO/Employer, you’re expanding your focus to your entire identity, which naturally includes many roles, goals, hopes and dreams. I think we’d all benefit from adopting perspectives of a similar scope.
And speaking of scopes, the back up gun rack is nuts! I can just see some shortsighted parent putting it within reach of their child…
Craig — October 28th, 2007, 2:35 pm
Tim,
At first, the idea of losing 20% of your monthly orders seemed like a Big Problem(even after reading your book). Funny…the result, “everything was rolled over and running smoothly within 48 hours” helped me realize that “small bad things” can also be disguised as -Big Bad Things-. Limiting the foreboding thoughts associated with most problems (big or small) is very helpful. I certainly enjoy more and worry less lately. Thanks for all you do.
Attila — October 28th, 2007, 4:12 pm
What a party here in the comments, I’m glad this one got so many responses! Thanks for the shotout, Tim, it was a lot of fun indeed – always welcome.
The name of the shooting range is Strelnica Casta (Shooting Range in Casta). The list of weapons is on their site as well, not in English but you can probably figure it out. If not, ask!
There’s much to do here in Bratislava, including sports/exploration/underground clubbing (to list some of my favorites), so anyone who wants to shoot big toys or hang out is welcome! Just drop me a line at attila@emailias.com and I’ll try get back to you in a couple days.
To try to inspire some of you, I’ve recently kicked in a completely 4hww advocated lifestyle. It allows me to focus on crafting heavy beats full time, be able to travel, have fun like this and do all my work online forever. I’ve realised that with more than 9 years of experience in quality journalism, knowledge of four languages and a natural talent for writing (wrote a 100 page fantasy book when I was 6) it would be stupid not to use this to my advantage and help others in the process as well. A few days later I’ve quit working in the office for an internet marketing company and started my own ghostwriting and website promotion service for smaller businesses who want to gain more leads online. You can check it out on http://www.seoghostwriting.com – it’s ideal for increasing your success with muses and takes away the burden of having to worry about regular fresh quality content. It was all a matter of one no-brainer decision and maybe five hours in total working on the webpage and setting things up. Worthwile by all means if you ask me!
Jose Castro — October 29th, 2007, 1:16 am
I could not have said better. Constantly checking email and voicemails is waste of time and an excuse to do the urgent and not important. By constantly working on the important you can avoid many of the pitfalls labeled as “urgent.” There will always be days when it rains on your parade not matter how well prepared you are, but being prepared can increase your chances of not having so many “urgent” things to do. Besides what would you rather do be doing urgent things all day or taking outstanding mini retirements?
Furthermore,
I recently had an incident where i called a client and he told me in an annoyed and distasteful manner…”im on vacation, can i just call you when i get back.” Rather than answering his phone he would have been better off having an automated voicemail or simply not answering the call. It is better to have a conversation when you are focused rather than annoyed. The world will constantly interrupt you, its your job to stop that from happening by choosing what you react to .
Great Blogs
Jose C.
Brett Levine — October 29th, 2007, 2:59 am
I’m on a mini-retirement in Hong Kong after two weeks in Paris. Doing some deep learning in French, and exploring more of Asia. The funny thing is I started reading your book after a friend at Burning Man recommended it, and several weeks after this trip was planned (I just didn’t know the correct “mini-retirement” term. I haven’t quite put my computer down, but I have just launched my first dry-test adwords/overture campaigns for a new product I’m planning (read: hoping) to develop. I guess I’ll see if the marketing results merit going forward with the project.
I’m also coming to see you in San Francisco next week. My dad’s a psychologist and sent me an invitation. Now my question is, if you don’t really check your email, can people really expect you to reply to your blog comments?
brett
Raina Gustafson — October 29th, 2007, 1:28 pm
What’s in San Francisco next week, and what’s it have to do with psychology? I’ve been meaning to visit my best friend there for a while now.
DIGITALISTIC » Blog Archive » links for 2007-10-29 — October 29th, 2007, 3:23 pm
[...] » The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time. (tags: TimFerriss productivity motivation 4hourworkweek time attention) [...]
Educational Technology and Life » Blog Archive » Link: The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) — October 29th, 2007, 10:36 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) (Via The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.) This was the first – and last – post I read in my aggregator this evening. Tim Ferriss brought us the Four Hour Work Week (which has already impacted my work flow, and which could revolutionize my work flow if I let it). Now he brings us these words of wisdom. Oftentimes, in order to do the big things, you have to let the small bad things happen. This is a skill we want to cultivate. [...]
Paul Horne — October 30th, 2007, 12:37 am
Great to see a new blog entry, Tim.
Since you’re partly to blame–err, thank–that I’m typing this from month two at a kickboxing camp in Thailand, I thought you might want to see the blog I started about it – check out http://www.thehorneblower.com/
Amazing the things that have opened up after a month here — I got a new job offer back in LA, I got an invitation to a free 5-day stay at a luxury spa in Thailand, and I just got an email inviting me to freakin Bora Bora in March for a week to interview Kathy Griffin for a travel magazine. Life is GOOD.
OK back to getting kicked in the stomach. Whoo hoo!
Overheard in the Blogosphere 7 | Remarkablogger — October 30th, 2007, 8:12 am
[...] turn off the noise without the world ending, you’re liberated in a way that few people ever know. Tim Ferriss The most important word on the internet is not “Search”. The most important word on the [...]
Ryan Graves — October 30th, 2007, 9:18 pm
This is a very strong point. Not getting caught up in the every small issue will save a person a great deal of drama and stress. However, Tim has a different lifestyle than most of us. There are very valid arguments here but sometimes I find the points in Tim’s book are a bit unrealistic.
Jennifer — November 1st, 2007, 2:19 pm
It’s not only boys that like guns, sweetheart – I love shooting, and I am extremely intelligent, classy, educated, sensual, successful, wise, spiritual, adventurous, fun, and witty. Not a white-trash trailer anywhere near me
LOVE your stuff – way to prove ANYTHING is possible… see you around the planet!
How To Be in Charge of Your Own Work and Lifestyle | — November 1st, 2007, 2:22 pm
[...] one of his recent posts which also happens to be a great business [...]
Jay — November 5th, 2007, 5:35 pm
Tim that’s badass!
Jeroen Percival Jesus › Commitment — November 7th, 2007, 3:34 pm
[...] consciously analyze myself and my motivations for my decisions. I like this system better than the 4 Hour Work Week system of just neglecting anything that isn’t important. For me, there’s the right amount of attention to be paid to all things, the Quality of [...]
Squeedle — November 8th, 2007, 3:01 am
I must agree with you Tim, and I’ve found this out through observation and direct experience. No matter what anyone says, there is no real reason a company can’t do without a person for a couple of weeks – even a month. People manage to get by and make decisions without you. I’m not financially independent but learned it’s a fiction to tell people they can’t be spared for vacation in and around “crunch time.” They’ll manage and life will go on.
With this in mind I’ve also learned to plan for people bailing out on me. I make Plan Bs and Plan Cs all the time so my time is not wasted if Plan A goes South. Not only does it save time but frustration/stress and your relationship with that person, be it business or personal! Learning to be flexible in this way is one of the most valuable skills I’ve picked up.
Jeremy Rudy — November 9th, 2007, 1:24 pm
Tim, you continue to be my hero. Thanks for the continued inspiration to live a low-info diet.
Brian — November 13th, 2007, 2:38 am
Wow. This blog strengthens my resolve to take a mini-retirement!
Presenting?Tim Ferriss's latest mini-retirement - A 4 Hour Work Week Forum — November 13th, 2007, 7:21 am
[...] Presenting?Tim Ferriss’s latest mini-retirement Tim Ferriss details what all he has done on his latest mini-retirement and how he let a few bad things happen to himself at ? The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) [...]
Patricia Jenkins — November 13th, 2007, 12:37 pm
I would love a mini vacation. I spent all of Sunday not looking at email. That was the sum total of my vacation. A day off work. I missed three really important missives.but, to really kick back, it was worth it. four hour work week is still but a dream.
Anne — November 13th, 2007, 11:49 pm
Silly Tim, I always do business over the phone. Or in person, because it’s the only possible way to be accurate. I’d rather look at the worksite so we can discuss how to approach any problems. We look at the blueprints. We evaluate materials. And no one fusses over a co worker on a day off– that’s what we’re working for.
Let bad things happen — November 14th, 2007, 11:37 am
[...] Go read Tim Ferriss on killings distractions. [...]
Elena Haskins — November 14th, 2007, 8:22 pm
“What is the most urgent thing right now that you feel you “mustâ€? or “shouldâ€? do?
-Can you let the urgent “failâ€? — even for a day — to get to the next milestone with your potential lifechanging tasks?”
Having a Mac with Safari provides interesting variations on the test for must, should and fail (ouch!).
Thank you for your blog entries. While taking care of hoohah, I enjoy some vicarious fun here.
Blessed Be Those Who Outwit the Abusers/Controllers/Liars/Poisoners,
Elena Haskins
Elena Haskins — November 14th, 2007, 8:24 pm
Oops. “test” was intended to read “text”. Must be that glass of red wine
BB,
Elena Haskins
Brian Piepgrass — November 15th, 2007, 3:10 am
I think it is often this fear of “looking bad” in front of a client or a customer or partner that cuases the problem, when you find good people that can handle the big issues for you within a few days, most things become not that important, and as long as you are ok, with not “looking good” all the time, focus can lead to amazing results.
Recently I allowed several small scale bug on the http://www.roxfitness.com website “stay live” for a few days despite the rick to “professionalism” and because I was un-distracted by the typos and polish I was able to get new landing pages for google campaigns designed and running in just a few days. frankly the most important people have my number, if the barn is really on fire, they will call, they always do.
Media Districts Entertainment Blog » The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) — November 15th, 2007, 9:39 pm
[...] Tim Ferriss placed an observative post today on The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction)Here’s a quick excerpt [...]
Max — November 17th, 2007, 11:20 am
I think it’s funny that the guys shirt in the video says Wisconsin on it. that’s where I went to college…what’s the connection?
Cynthia — November 17th, 2007, 1:17 pm
Absolutely — life is full of trade offs. I have not managed quite the extremes you have, but I have enjoyed a lot of big adventures because I took a pass on little things like security and a conventional career. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you can handle it, it’s certainly enriching.
And cool guns. The biggest thing I’ve fired is a 30 caliber carbine — impressive, but not as splashy as some of the weapons you got to fire.
AshokanKid — November 21st, 2007, 1:23 am
Hey Tim (and everyone else);
My buddy and I own similar businesses and travel together occasionally because we both have the flexibility to do so. One trip took us to the Island of Curacao for two weeks (he wanted one week, I insisted that if he wanted a travel partner to split expenses with, that it HAD to be TWO weeks, & with a car!).
Soo., like clockwork every day, twice a day, my friend calls home to check his answering machine and then return calls to potential clients from Curacao while on his “vacation”., then, once back home he complains to me that when I am off traveling that he cannot reach me for work that he might have for me because I do not seem to share his same fervor for business (his take on the issue).
I explain to him that a vacation is not a vacation if one carries ones work along with them. He says, Well, why do you have a cell phone then? And I explain (to him AND to my clients) that the cell phone is for MY convenience and NOT for theirs. The last thing that I want is to be enjoying a wonderful long solitary hike in the mountains (with my Chocolate Lab named Buddha) and have my cell phone ring (my friends get the cell #, not my clients).
You are one of the first “business consultants” who I have heard advocate this premise and one that I believe in and practice wholeheartedly. Life is more important than business., even if your business is something that you love (like mine) and a part of your Life. All is a balance and one can easily maintain both while keeping everyone happy.
Peace~ &
Be Well~!
AK
Joe — November 22nd, 2007, 9:14 am
Tim,
You are a true pioneer. Did the higher education thing and corporate thing (with the best) but it’s no where near..blah, blah, blah..you know the rest.
Simplicity is the key.
Indeed, Einstien’s most profound equations were only an inch long. Your tools are already helping me complete my first start-up in the most time/cost-effective way.
I’m planning a motorcycle-diaries like trip through S.A. and will be on the lookout for you.
ciao irmão
Cameron B — November 28th, 2007, 10:31 pm
Hey Tim,
After reading your book and wandering aimlessly through your website, I can’t help but feel you’re a kindred spirit. It was really driven home in your experience at firing the various guns (I used to manage a firing range and now am a bartender). At any rate, thank you for getting this information out there and throwing a path my direction. Modern slavery sucks.
Best Wishes
Cameron
ZenAffiliate — December 3rd, 2007, 10:58 am
Your ability to have this sort of mini-retirement is inspiring! I am also looking for a way to construct this type of life, and it seems as if it has to do with creating an income stream so you can leave without worries regarding making money. Your book solidified alot of the ideas I had and gave it direction. Seeing these sorts of adventures inspires me even further. Thank you!
Wang
Christan (Crissie) — December 3rd, 2007, 5:24 pm
Well, well….Wow!! You are truly amazing but I knew that when we met in Panama. I am in awe and proud of you. Everything makes sense now….besos
David Gonzalez — December 12th, 2007, 1:01 am
After selling our business (after 8 1/2 years), my wife and our 6 year old daughter traveled Ireland (from our home in Austin, Texas) for almost 3 weeks without checking email voice mail even ONCE! (In fact, we never once turned on our cell phones or called home)…
It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before… total and complete freedom. It makes me feel all tingly inside to remember it now.
Thanks for a killer post, mang!
The force is strong in this one…
David Gonzalez
###
Congratulations, David! Incredible achievement in this digital world. Keep up the good fight — the pay-off is well worth it, no?
Tim
Mindanao Experiment for Mini-Retirement | Asteeeg! — December 12th, 2007, 1:23 pm
[...] my entrepreneur friend I took a three-week vacation to relieve some stress and to test 4HWW’s mini-retirement. Without much planning, I packed lightly, took a quick snapshot of my finances, and left word to a [...]
Links to Success: Week of 16th December 2007 - Life Coaches — December 16th, 2007, 6:34 pm
[...] What is the one goal, if completed, that could change everything? Tim Ferriss asks us to let the small bad things happen and make the big good things happen. Check out his lifestyle experiment in the art of letting bad things happen (and weapons of mass distraction). [...]
Four Hour Trial — December 23rd, 2007, 11:42 pm
Okay, so this is pretty crazy. Post number 85 already started something that I just started today. I wasn’t aware of anyone else doing this but goes to show that many of us share in the same ideas! I wish you the best success “Rex Reed.”
Tim, it must feel pretty great to have this kind of impact on other people, huh? Enjoy the moment and keep producing great works so the moments will last forever.
12 Filtering Tips for Better Information in Half the Time | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — December 28th, 2007, 1:14 am
[...] they’re in the right category. When I looked over Tim’s pages, one of his best posts “The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen” was categorized under travel. It’s not about travel; it’s about living life on your own [...]
Scott W — December 30th, 2007, 1:26 pm
Dude… You Rock.!!!
My name is Scott and I just hit 27 years earlier this month
This past week I received your book for xmas and I could not put it down…repeatedly it elucidated primitive ideas that have been bouncing around my head this past year.
..since finishing school in spring of ’06 and working 40 hours per week I became really discouraged at the prospects of saving and living low…disenchanted with the “deferred-life plan” you speak of..
..though I had switched jobs twice to increase my income and reduced my bills to 20% of income i was still not happy with the length of time I needed to save until I could use my 40 hours weekly in another manner…
I decided I would try to leverage my earning power and open a business in another country …
…I interviewed potential partners via videochat and my business partner and I formed a corporation and opened an Internet cafe in Manila…..
..guess how crazy that sounds to alot of people..
..needless to say we are now breaking even and though I did not achieve my goal of an autonomous stream of income just yet….
.. I have made a lifelong friend and enabled someone to change their life permanently…
…also i have made a valuable contact in the corporate lawyer whos firm also handles patent law (the Phils. patent system is based on the US and the law fees are a fraction of the price)…though thanks to the 4HWW I will now pursue the Stephen Key method instead of saving to pay for full-blown patents..
..I really just wanted to say congratulations on your success…you are a real inspiration to the dreamers out there…if you ever need a place to stay or want to chill in downtown Toronto just drop a line….(lots of bike riding opportunities and pastries…)
take care man and best wishes…Scott
###
Scott, congratulations! I love the bold idea and how you followed through. “Crazy” ideas are usually the ones that create big change, whether personal or global. Keep on acting on those dreams
Tim
Change Everything in 2008 - Life Coaches — December 31st, 2007, 11:26 pm
[...] 2008 with a bang – ask yourself this question this new year’s day (a question I’m paraphrasing from Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour [...]
grace chan — January 3rd, 2008, 11:03 pm
hi tim, i am yr new reader from hong kong. i just had a short break in taiwan and i found yr book.
yea, the topic is so brillant that no one can resist.
i feel excited with yr book…
cos i really feel dull in the current job.
i still haven’t finish yr book yet. but i am using my turbo.. i want to finish it assp and start a new life!!
oh, i have a question.. which tv show had u featured in hk?!
###
Hi Grace,
I was on a TV series called “Human Cargo” in English. If you search for my “blogosphere self-defense” on this blog, you can see a screen shot. Good luck with all and thanks for joining us
Tim
Cookie Droppingsworth — January 4th, 2008, 1:18 pm
Hey Tim,
halfway through the book….amazing….
My mind is drifting sideways at an unimagined pace.
LIFESTYLE DESIGN IDEA
Systematically put Walmart out of business and train the fired employees how to list on ebay. I have the ebay know how, but realize the massive amount of outsourcing that could be done to put power back in the people’s hands and ethically erase walmart.
By the way, I am currently riding two bikes; 2002 bmw 1150rt and a 2003 1150 gs adventure. I’m in utah and want to revolutionize riding. I ride everyday and have for over a year, love it. Do you ever ride out in utah? MY NEXT BIKE NEEDS TO BE A SPORTS BIKE. I AM CURRENTLY USING YOUR BOOK EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIFESTYLE DESIGN IN ACCOMPLISHING MY GOALS. HAVE MISSION STATEMENT and MOTIVATION but could use direct input. I wanted my walmart idea to be a part of your content, but I saw it was over. We don’t need no stinking contest.
Thanks
Cookie
Cookie Droppingsworth — January 5th, 2008, 1:04 pm
Hey Tim
I started trying to do what I’ve now come to know as lifestyle design about two months ago when I fully committed to providing products and solutions that promotes environmentaly conscious consumption.
I have only had your book for 1 week. I am one page 100 and I have to say 1 week with just a few principles have negated the past two months of me pulling my hair out trying to set up an automated business. My computers are sick and tired of me swearing at them.
BY THE WAY, I’VE RIDDEN MOTORCYCLES AS MY PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR OVER A YEAR. MY BIKES: BMW 1150RT, AND 1150 GS ADVENTURE. I RODE IN A UTAH SNOWSTORM TO AND FROM MY YOGA CLASS THIS MORNING. I LOVE IT. DO YOU EVER RIDE OUT IN UTAH?
The reason I am contacting you is as follows. I am redoing my life utilizing lifestyle design.
Your book in combination with many of my own personal planets lining up in the most life changing event to DATE have led to the following conclusion.
I want to sell your book on my website and market in a way that are condusive to the principles in your book.
A few random ideas on my to do list:
Create a program focusing on disabled veterans that utilizes practical training that will improve their quality of life
Systematically put Walmart out of business and retrain employees how to market the right way. I want to drive past a store and instead of wanting to hurl, to smile smuggly.
Cookie Droppingsworth
###
Hi Cookie,
Thanks so much for the kind words! The only simple method for selling my book on your site would be an affiliate program through Amazon or Barnes and Noble (there are probably others). Good luck on all of your LD projects and keep us posted on progress
All the best,
Tim
Nigel Roberts — January 6th, 2008, 7:14 pm
Tim:
What age were you when you discovered Travis McGee?
grace chan — January 6th, 2008, 9:52 pm
hi tim, finially i finished yr book. i feel excited but i also have many questions in my mind. cos yr book is based on US situation, which is quite far from hk. but i think it’s similar to taiwan.
as u know that hk is so small and condensed. online shopping may not be that popular. therefore, we may not have such comprehensive services as u mentioned in the book. for instance, our local courier provides basic services only – point to point delivery.
i really want to follow yr book and to be yr first successful fellow in hk. hopefully to draw more attentions about yr book and yr ideas.
if u don’t mind, i want to intro myself abit. i am 36yrs now. i graduated from US in 1994. then i return to hk and to be a journalist until 20001. then i stayed a yr in sdyney (mini retirement?!) to study aromatherapy. i return hk in 2002. i opened an aromatherapy clinic, however it closed 1 yr later. then i found a job in taiwan and stayed for another yr. i back to hk again in 2004. i guess i lost tract since then..
i want to quit job and fly to overseas again.. which is my usual practice. but i also want to start my own business again.. so that to save some money for mini retirement.
what is yr suggestion?
i must admit that i am not a stable person and i shifted job often. i only have “3-min passion” that is our chinese saying – i don’t have strong determination. does it a fatal drawback to have a successful business or life?!
btw, i have difficulty in reading yr chinese version. there are many terms which are different from hk. the translation seems more like a formal textbook. i am considering to buy yr original version, which i think maybe easier for understanding.
i am looking forward to hear u soon… and hope that i am not too greedy for yr answers!!
Cookie Droppingsworth — January 7th, 2008, 12:05 pm
I am creating my website today and have decided that pure lifestyle design is the way I want to go. Check my current progress at
[Cookie, I'm sorry to delete the link, but please do not use the comment field here to promote your own links/products. Feel free, of course, to put it in the "URL" field]
If anyone is interested in incorporating lifestyle design and ebay please email me at jmuleboy@gmail.com I am frantically looking for information on environmentally conscious consumption
Your book is the only one that I want to use. I want to have the resources you have at my disposal. I also want to use lifestyle design and realize it’s totally your brainchild. I don’t want to step on your toes in the creation of my business. Any advice or direction you could point me in would be great.
I want to get paid for click, but more importanty, i want my business fully automated. Thanks for the advice on the affiliate program, I will look into it.
When someone asks me what I am going to do today, I will quote the the great Napolean Dynamite, “Whatever I feel like…GOSH!
cookie — January 10th, 2008, 5:05 pm
I’ve never posted to a blog or created a website before, please bear with me. I’m 35 and consider myself fairly tech savy, but I’m going nuts setting up my lifestyle so everything is automated. If anyone out there has any advice, i’d appreciate it.
I plan on figuring it out and then teaching other people how to do it. Working on getting a video camera mount for my bike. I went Snowboarding today, got home at about noon, worked for two hours and i’m done for the day.
Here’s my website, it need work, I’m trying to figure out the best way to do it. Hey Tim are you affiliated with lifestyledesign.com? I am also thinking about writing music for my business ideas. I am a guitar player with a bunch of vintage guitars and amps, but I’m pretty mellow. I would love to internet jam with anyone out there who knows how. Pretty amazing stuff especially in light of Radioheads accomplishments. I am big time into Built to Spill and Modest Mouse. I want to eventually hang out with my favorite players. Big dream, but now more achievable than ever thanks to THE FOUR HOUR WORK WEEK.
I want to post some pictures and video and will do so once I figure out how. I’m a new mac user for less than a month. It’s making me nuts because I’ve essentially got monster possibilities and need to integrate the mac.
###
Hi Cookie,
I’m not affiliate with the LD website. Good luck with all
Tim
Mike — January 11th, 2008, 7:46 am
Tim -
First time on the site – great stuff.
Completely got your blog on letting small bad things happen. After all, the only reason for choosing some some goals over others is to set priority – to make sure that we concentrate our precious time and attention on the important stuff.
How do we know we’ve set priority properly? When we don’t do some things, because other stuff is more important.
As a an ex-colleague of mine sagely noted, if everything is a top priority – then nothing is…
Keep up the good work.
Mike
Mike — January 11th, 2008, 7:48 am
Whoops.
Misstyped webiste name in my last post – corrected above. Seems I was concentrating on the important stuff (my post) rather than my URL…
Jennifer Grammer — January 15th, 2008, 10:08 am
Your are living a dream man! I will definitely be a regular reader of your blogs. Amazing and your writing is assuredly creativity at its best! I think you have taken the word impossible out of the dictionary of living life at its fullest.
10 Steps to Become an Email Ninja | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — January 16th, 2008, 7:25 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (Plus: Weapons of Mass Distraction) [...]
5 Boundary-Setting Tips for the Work Obsessed | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — January 16th, 2008, 8:44 pm
[...] links: The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (Plus: Weapons of Mass Distraction) E-mail-Free Fridays and How to Save Your [...]
AAndrews — January 17th, 2008, 4:47 am
Tim everything you do and write is fascinating – you’ve ‘externalized’ and so easily subsidized your dream life! And so can now afford to to do whatever you want. Gotta love those 5USD$ an hour assistants. They are on another planet aren’t they? Sheesh. Lucky we have them. No, lucky they have us. A job is a job, food is food.
Your lifestyle is like taking an airplane, if everyone did it the world would collapse. For how could it sustain so much consumption of ‘fun’!
Einstein said, to paraphrase, ‘every morning he would remember that everything he had was made possible on the backs of others’ – from the desk he sat at, to the tea he consumed, and the shirt literally on his back.
To be aware of the cost to humanity of general in the support of the privileged – not to mention the cost of deliberate externalization (as in the case of using laborers in India or the Philippine’s to make the cost of your dream activities less, and so affordable!) You have purchased time – you are much better off than those less ‘creative’ people who spend their entire days and partial nights working to make technology and cheap pens, affordable desk lamps etc. Wow, you’ve made a morally questionable externalization, have you not? Congratulations. You’ve made it to the top of the ‘excessive’ pile.
For the rest of the world who are forced to accept disillusionment on a daily basis, there are still options to truly living more creatively and less excessively (and happily?):
http://www.diegluecklichenarbeitslosen.de/dieseite/seite/english.htm
Tim, while you are enjoying the life you are surfing on, I hope you are giving back to the people who are affording you so much luxury …
Good luck with the rest of it.
AAndrews — January 17th, 2008, 4:52 am
BTW I liked your language article, it is useful to compare your set of sentences in other languages.
Cookie Droppingsworth — January 17th, 2008, 4:01 pm
Hey Tim, thought I would post an update. I was facing a fairly monstrous credit card bill for the end of the month. I decided to let the small bad things happen and within 24 hours I had the money to pay the bill and did it with MINIMAL EFFORT because of some of the systems I have put in Place. I’ve met some amazing likeminded people lately, it’s great. Thanks again.
Cookie
###
Congratulations!
Tim
The Holy Grail: How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — January 21st, 2008, 9:35 pm
[...] level of small problems and focus on the big things. I highly recommend reading my short article on “The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen” before outsourcing your [...]
Larry Crowson — January 23rd, 2008, 7:19 pm
I’m at a crossroads trying to pull the plug and semi-retire to Mexico. I bought property in Todas Santos at the southern end of Baja. It’s a small artist/organic farming area with Killer surfing. I need to drop out and slow way down. Looking for my muse to facilitate my travels and comfort level to stay south permanantly.
i have a great idea that relates to all boomers who ride bikes and need help reading those maps while ridding thier criusers. Need a little help finding the manufacturing or product to solve this. I hav ealready done several surveys at rallys and all have said they would buy it form me if it were availible!
My brain is spining with possiblities and i like it.
cookie — January 24th, 2008, 8:17 am
Hey Larry, I really need to talk to you. We have two interests in common. I am already working on the motorcycle end of things. I have the power to market products the right way. Please email your contact info to
jmuleboy@gmail.com I would love to discuss some ideas
Thanks
cookie
Mark — January 25th, 2008, 7:36 pm
Tim,
A deeply shallow post. Nice!
What’s important? Such a useful question.
I enjoyed this, Thanks!
Mark
The Habit of Letting Small Bad Things Happen — January 28th, 2008, 5:37 pm
[...] The habit of letting small bad things happen. Entrepreneur Filed under Entrepreneur, Blog by Kaizen [...]
John Sharpe — February 3rd, 2008, 10:19 pm
“I had no desire to deal with complaints or chargebacks, even if just a few, so I took the financial hit as a quality-of-life tax.”
Quality of life tax eh? Awesome idea!
australiavacation2008.com » Blog Archive » Successfully pulling away from work e-mail while on vacation — February 4th, 2008, 5:13 pm
[...] of an extremist, and went on a ten day “media fast.” In his post, he talks about “the art of letting bad things happen.” Tim writes: “It’s the worst of states, where you experience neither relaxation nor [...]
The Choice-Minimal Lifestyle: 6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 6th, 2008, 6:17 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen explores this using case studies, but here’s one example to illustrate: is your weekend really “free” if you find a crisis in the inbox Saturday morning that you can’t address until Monday morning? [...]
TimW — February 9th, 2008, 11:15 pm
Tim
Nice post. I’ve often done the slightly more expensive thing in order to get stuff done NOW, and have more time later, than hunt/seek/search for the best deal, etc. I’ve found I am much happier for it.
As for the weapon shoot, the “artillery” (which is isn’t, by the way), looks to be a PKM, a 7.62x54R belt-fed light/medium machinegun. Very nice and reliable weapons. As for the rest, one thing I noticed is that you aren’t leaning into the weapon, which was most noticeable when you were firing the Spagin-series gun. Even an AK is controllable if you can do that.
Finally, come to Arizona and you can shoot much more than that…
TimW
Phoenix
Jeremy — February 13th, 2008, 12:17 am
Tim,
What advice do you have for someone who is already a slave? I am the CEO of a gov’t contractor company consisting only of my partner and myself. We have been trying to grow for years, but the gov’t is a hard nut to crack. I don’t even enjoy it, but am stuck working 40 hours on contract, and at least 10 more every week just to keep the company going. I can’t jump ship because we are far in debt (both business and personal). Any advice?
7 Tips for Fighting Information Overload on Valentine’s Day and Beyond (Plus: Competition Winners) | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 13th, 2008, 7:55 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) The Not-To-Do List: 9 Habits to Stop Now How Scoble Reads 622 RSS Feeds Each Morning How to Do The Impossible: Create a Paperless Life, Never Check Voicemail Again, Never Return Another Phone Call… [...]
Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Fixed-Schedule Productivity: How I Accomplish a Large Amount of Work in a Small Number of Work Hours — February 15th, 2008, 9:58 am
[...] mildly annoying or upsetting some people in exchange for large gains in time [...]
Rabbagast » Blog Archive » Ti inspirerende blogger du burde besøke — February 21st, 2008, 4:01 am
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (And Weapons of Mass Destruction) [...]
How to Stop Checking E-mail on the Evenings and Weekends | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 21st, 2008, 6:28 pm
[...] 3. Don’t scan email if you can’t immediately fix problems encountered.?? One simple example: don’t scan the inbox on Friday evening or over the weekend if you might encounter work problems that can’t be addressed until Monday. This is the perfect way to ruin a weekend with preoccupation. Remember that just as income has no value without time, time has no value without attention. [...]
The Best (and Worst?) Autoresponders of 2007 | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — February 21st, 2008, 7:13 pm
[...] Not-To-Do List: 9 Habits to Stop Now The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) Chapter 6 – The Low-Information Diet: Cultivating Selective Ignorance How to Outsource the Inbox [...]
Mind Like Water Myth: A Dialog Between Bruce Lee, A Productivity Guru, and Others | The Growing Life — February 22nd, 2008, 12:30 am
[...] The myth is that a water-tight task-handling methodology, an elaborate folder system, a clockwork method for handling your inbox, a label-maker, and a set of routines come first. . . You shouldn’t be trying to do more in each day, trying to fill every second with a work fidget of some type. … [T]he person who…develops an elaborate system of folder rules … is efficient on some perverse level. … Doing something well does not make it important … What you do is infinitely more important than how you do it. -Timothy Ferriss [...]
crane morehouse — February 29th, 2008, 9:00 pm
Hello Tim,
Loved your book and principles, thoughts and how to’s etc. But something is foreshadowing it all. Is all of this “conversation” for mainly young singles with no families. As a single parent of three kids my brain, my soul begins to twist with all of the concerns that family bring with it when reading about a “no location” concept of lifestyle design. You are not a parent at the moment so that reality hasn’t arrived for you yet so perhaps we all just speak from where we come from and perhaps you will write a book that will be Part Two called the 4 hour night of sleep. Hard to feel included in it all…..
###
Hi Crane,
Please take heart. There are plenty of families using 4HWW, including Jen Errico and others in the book. The parents just don’t tend to be as vocal as the singles, but they’re here, as evidenced by the videos of children in the latest post, the Ning.com groups for 4HWW and families, and so on. http://www.thenewlyrich.com is also a 4HWW-themed site focused specifically on families.
Don’t worry — you have plenty of company
All the best,
Tim
Life Extension: Is It Worth It? | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — March 3rd, 2008, 5:57 pm
[...] Related and Most Popular Posts: Real Life Extension: Caloric Restriction or Intermittent Fasting? (Part 1) How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks The Science of Fat-Loss: Why a Calorie Isn’t Always a Calorie Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses) The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) [...]
Productivity Guru SMACKDOWN: Tim Ferriss v. Dave Allen | The Growing Life — March 5th, 2008, 8:36 am
[...] your job, taking mini-retirements, spending less time at the office, killing your commute, being selectively ignorant, and asking "for forgiveness, not permission." Your boss, however, probably does [...]
Anony — March 5th, 2008, 11:20 am
I think you mean this site…
http://thenewlyrich.com/
Texas Twin Mom — March 5th, 2008, 12:16 pm
A 4HWW book that focuses on how to build this life while raising children could certainly be your next bestseller. You have so many great ideas but most of the work is created in the framework of a single/childless existance. I know you have a few parents included but your ideas would be greatly valued by those who find parenting has become the ultimate call for better life re-design. Alas, most of what is written is still for the moblile single, and I know many parents would love to see this modeled by others sharing similar challenges.
John w — March 5th, 2008, 7:53 pm
Hi Tim,
Excellent blog about LETTING bad things happen.
Just finished reading your book for the 1st time. I will read it several more times. Very timely in my life.
I have an idea/muse that requires an electromechanical product to be reverse engineered and manufactured. The product is one that cannot be sold on ebay and i have done some web searching to find other sources that would sell it. So far nada.
I re-read the chapter that had to do with product development. You mentioned getting manufacturing done in india and china at 1/20th the cost but went on to share how information is a better idea. Could you refer me to a reputable india or china manufacturer that could do what i mentioned with a electromechanical device? Sure would help. Or steer me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance.
Praveen — March 11th, 2008, 3:03 am
nice post Tim. I have just started reading your book. I am looking for a place where I can exit/sell my new website. Do let us know if you know any.
4HWW Tips and Resources | The Growing Life — March 12th, 2008, 7:01 pm
[...] This article is, far and away, my favorite on Tim’s blog. It was written after Tim’s mini-retirement through London, Scotland, Sardinia, Slovak Republic, Austria, Amsterdam, and Japan. Like a good disciple of his own philosophy, he didn’t check his email while on vacation. Here’s what happened: [...]
I WANT YOU to Become the Editor of a NY Times Bestseller and Travel the World for Free | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — March 26th, 2008, 12:38 pm
[...] Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses) The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again digg_url = [...]
Benign neglect « Organizing For Your Life — April 7th, 2008, 9:39 am
[...] thing that will happen if you ignore a request, an email, a phone call? Tim Ferriss talks about the art of letting bad things happen in his popular blog. One of the main points: Will “bad” things happen? Small problems will crop [...]
Dinner with Timothy Ferriss — April 9th, 2008, 5:39 pm
[...] to how he packs when he travels. Some of the best conversation was on changing your lifestyle and regaining your attention for your goals rather than letting other things and people distract you, even if that means bad things happen [...]
How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss — April 10th, 2008, 2:48 am
[...] Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses) The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language [...]
Tim Ferriss, Digital Minimalism, & Email Behavior Change | If We Ran It. — April 24th, 2008, 10:10 pm
[...] One simple example: don’t scan the inbox on Friday evening or over the weekend if you might encounter work problems that can’t be addressed until Monday. This is the perfect way to ruin a weekend with preoccupation. Remember that just as income has no value without time, time has no value without attention. [...]
Kristyn — May 18th, 2008, 5:10 am
I’m working on a muse while being mum of 3 under 4 and farmer’s wife, and I wonder sometimes how to do the 20%. and avoid the 80% in housework, childcare and farm life. I guess it takes a leap of faith, and I have employed a nanny for 3 days a week (that we currently can’t afford) to find some time to create a new information product. This is a niche market, a policy/systems manual template for dairy farmers and I’m really excited about it’s potential. My business model keeps changing – how do I determine the best course – or how do I find the right mentor?
Also, when outsourcing work,I am finding set up of system a real bottleneck, ie learning what I can achieve, and how best to ask for it??
john — May 30th, 2008, 11:57 am
“It’s impossible to overestimate the unimportance of most things.” – Dave Schmit, the first creative director for whom I worked. (Whether it was an original or he was quoting someone else, I don’t recall.)
This one has always stuck with me when very few quotes do. Oddly, while I remember it, I can’t say that I’ve fully applied its lesson. Yet.
Much thanks for the good reads, wisdom and inspiration.
Amy — August 2nd, 2008, 7:19 pm
Tim,
I am reading your book for the second time in as many weeks. When I’m finished with the library loan period, I’ll buy my own copy. Love all of it.
I’d like to respond to the parent above who expressed doubts about lifestyle design for parents. I am still encumbered by a job, and it’s one that has no option for remote work (public school teaching, alas). However, in my mind, I can envision the time when I am liberated. It took me a while to get there, because I couldn’t wrap my brain around traveling the world with a man and child, either.
But I don’t really want to travel the world constantly. I want to buy an acreage in Maine and raise chickens for eggs and fun. And I want to be available to my daughter for homework, and games, and reading at night without falling asleep during a picture book. I want the time to live life on my own terms. That’s all.
Lifestyle design is exactly that. It’s your lifestyle. Tim, I see your book as a catalyst for such design. Your talk of world adventure is fabulous, as it helps the reader to think outside the big box building.
Parents, let your imagination go. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to say to your child’s teacher, “I’m available for a conference anytime. What fits your schedule?”
Amy
Denver, CO
Gestão do tempo - o que tem me ajudado « Miguel da Rocha Cavalcanti — November 30th, 2008, 7:08 pm
[...] Barbosa, David Allen, Tim Ferris e Seth [...]
Things I’ve Learned and Loved in 2008 — December 31st, 2008, 8:09 pm
[...] two blog posts whose principles I’ve practiced the most in 2008: The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (from 2007) ; The Choice-Minimal Lifestyle: 6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm (from [...]
Jesse — January 6th, 2009, 1:44 pm
I have to say, it seems like a lot of the bad things that happened affected other people negatively, while the good things that offset them only affected you positively. I don’t mean to criticize, and generally agree with your sentiments, but don’t these examples seem selfish? I’m curious how you view this issue. You do have me intrigued though, and I’m going to read your book now.
John — January 29th, 2009, 12:45 pm
Tim,
Thanks for the opening the world to so many people.
John
Claudia — February 10th, 2009, 10:43 pm
I am a writer in the Philippines employed by a BPO company which caters to clients in the US needing virtual assistants, and I speak on the latter’s behalf as I get to observe them everyday.
I am sorry to disappoint AAndrews, but as “laborers” in the Philippines “making the cost of Americans’ dream activities less and so affordable”, a VA’s life is not all that bad so there really is no need to guilt Tim Ferriss and others like him who rely on virtual assistants. The VAs in our company may get just a pittance of what personal assistants get paid in the US, but it is still a win-win situation because the cost of living here is after all not as high as the US’s. This case with the VAs and others like them is not the vile, repulsive thing that child labor is.
Those of us in BPO companies are professionals happy to be able to stay in our country doing work we like. We are aware of the gulf between our pay and yours, but you see, with our salaries, we get to live like your average young professionals. We make rent, send our kids to school, enjoy time with friends, indulge in hobbies, dress decently.
Here as in anywhere else, your lifestyle is a choice you make.
Napoleon on News and Information Management (Plus: Video on Outsourcing E-mail and More) — February 12th, 2009, 6:48 pm
[...] let this comment, from another post on the blog (The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen, which I reference in the video), speak for itself. From a virtual assistant (business process [...]
Greg — March 7th, 2009, 6:43 am
Hi Tim,
A great post I come back to every now & again, one of several on your blog I have bookmarked, I find it useful to remind myself as it’s easy to slip back into trying to please everyone, and be the ‘yes’ man!
I got your book when I first started on my path into self-employment (I’m a freelance web designer in the UK) at first I was very confused on how I could ever find any form of automated/passive income.
Now a year on I’m incredibly happy to say…it’s happened! I’ve naturally progressed into affiliate sites, started earning enough of an income to fulfill my life long dream of traveling to New Zealand & Australia and am leaving in just under 3 weeks!! I’ve got myself a macbook, going to get hooked up with wireless broadband and will be traveling for 3 months working around an hour a day (not quite reached the magic 4! but on my way!!)
Thanks Tim, I hope you see this comment as wanted to say what a great inspiration you & 4HWW has been! Greg
Tim Ferriss — March 8th, 2009, 9:52 am
To Greg,
Congratulations! That is a huge accomplishment. Be sure to visit Queenstown in NZ! It’s one of my favorite places on earth.
Pura vida
Tim
Greg — March 8th, 2009, 11:35 am
Thanks Tim! and Queenstown is on our route
(it’s me and my girlfriend going – can’t wait!!)
Even thinking of doing a skydive in Queenstown, although watching videos of it (including yours) not sure I’ll be able to go through with it…I’ll let you know!
Pura vida mae!
Greg
attention & value. - surya says too much. — March 10th, 2009, 11:46 am
[...] it. The eventual impact on me was about the 15 minute increments in my life though. Tim’s written well on this topic and, really, this is what his book is all about. 43 folders has always been about [...]
How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses) — March 15th, 2009, 4:06 pm
[...] to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks Relax Like A Pro: 5 Steps to Hacking Your Sleep The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (and Weapons of Mass Distraction) How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language [...]
Jen — July 19th, 2009, 8:08 am
I let little bad things happen when I have a greater agenda that would be easily distracted or outsourced by handling daily red tape. Being a single mom to a teenager with high functioning autism, this strategy has been essential to our survival, but it comes with guilt.
I juggle, pay late, on bills. I turn off the ringer on the phone. At times, I don’t return phone calls to my ex or girlfriends that need attention/favors. I’ve taken the overdraft fee, when I need to pay a bill and my paycheck hasn’t cleared yet. I ignore stupid emails. It takes too much energy to respond to people’s attempts at bullying via the internet.
It is passive aggressive, but if I didn’t do it, I would be exhausted trying to please, do things right etc. My kid requires a different kind of parenting and energy that average people don’t get. It isn’t my job to educate while we are still trying to make it through middle school.
This past year, I’ve stopped feeling bad about it. I’m glad to see in tis blog that I’m not the only one.
A Fellow Neurosci Student — July 26th, 2009, 2:32 pm
Tim,
I agree with what Jesse said. The good things that happened only benefited your personal whims. The bad things that happened negatively impacted numerous people other than yourself. How would you feel if one of your co-workers just up and left, leaving tons of work for you? Also, what if your one of your loved ones were dying in the hospital, but you didn’t say goodbye because you didn’t check your email and didn’t know? Some of your other posts are very interesting, but this post is unsettling.
Tim Ferriss — July 29th, 2009, 4:31 pm
Hi Fellow Student and Jesse,
Thanks for the comments and joining the conversation. I’d like to point out a few things:
1) I wouldn’t miss a close friend or family member in the hospital, as they would have my contact info for emergencies.
2) It is not always (actually, it is seldom) possible to make all people happy.
3) My decisions helped many other than myself — the Japanese publisher, dozens of people involved with the TV project, and dozens of others.
4) If you choose to be available 24/7 and answer to all others, what type of life will you have? If, on the other hand, you choose anything less than that, you will upset some people sometimes, which is a trade I’m willing to make.
Hope that helps,
Tim
Paul P — August 10th, 2009, 2:07 am
Hey Tim
Did you manage to catch the World Champions in action at all at the RWC?
The two recent hidings of the AB by South Africa confirm their status as World Champions.
Come on Bokke!
hannah — August 25th, 2009, 2:56 pm
gosh
Joseph Ratliff — September 6th, 2009, 10:27 am
Sound advice Tim.
We only live on this planet for one go-around…so focusing on the TRUE core things that make us what we want to be…wow…that’s all I can say.
Another bit of 4HWW wisdom.
Claire Jarrett — October 8th, 2009, 5:58 am
Great advice, just hired a VA and am reading so I know what to be aware of, or anticipate
Christian — October 14th, 2009, 2:11 am
@ Jesse & Fellow Student..
“More than a dozen lost joint-venture partnership opportunities” – this negatively affected Tim, depending on how you look at it.
He points out that the world won’t end if you disappear. We’re not as singly important as we’d like to think, but everything we do should be important to us in some way or another.
Moreover, close friends and family would either have already blessed your new way of life or forsaken you, in which case, they wouldn’t be trying to reach you.
Oleg Mokhov — October 23rd, 2009, 10:05 am
Hey Tim,
We can’t do everything, so we have to prioritize doing what’s important and ignore the rest.
We have limited resources during a day. The more things we do, the less time and energy we can put into each. If we analyze what’s important to us, and focus only on doing those things while ruthlessly ignoring the rest, we can maximize our enjoyment of them.
Getting comfortable with letting bad things happen lets us detach ourselves from situations.
Problems and the like become external objects, and we become okay with letting the occasional weed grow in our garden so that we can focus on playing in it and eating the delicious fruits and vegetables.
Thanks for sharing your story of how important 80-20′ing your life is. Seems like it was an incredible time, and I enjoyed watching the Japan episode of your show Trial By Fire (is that not getting picked up for a season I’m assuming?).
Pura vida,
Oleg
Dr. Green — November 29th, 2009, 2:29 am
This is an amazing tip. It’s so true, most things can wait till the next day and are not truly urgent. As a pediatrician, when I was on call, this was not always true, as there are some actual true emergencies, and yet even in this situation, many things which are considered urgent can actually wait till the next morning.
Now, as I have moved away from taking call and now own a business with a few employees, I find myself still falling in the same mode of always being “on call,” and attending to “emergencies.” However, this last month, I was forced to go out of town, and what I found was… although there were many urgent issues, many of them were dealt with by my employees, which helped them become more prepared and independent for future crises, and this allowed me to trust and give them more responsibilities. And with the issues that still needed my help, being out of town forced me to set up systems (automated steps or policies) to deal with similar issues in the future. I guess it’s a start on the road to the 4-hour workweek.
If anyone is having a hard time letting the bad things happen or finding time for the big things, I would recommend a forced vacation for a few weeks where you have very little contact with your work.
Three people who inspire me — December 10th, 2009, 8:13 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen [...]
Melissa B — February 7th, 2010, 12:46 am
I love the alternative points of views presented by Mr. Ferriss. And though I think it would be difficult for me to transition over to this way of thinking and doing, I find it intriguing, and closer to “right” than most of the “lessons” I’ve learned in life (that make so little sense).
I did, however, have a problem with one of the “little problems” – specifically the mention of –
missed radio and magazine appearances and upset would-be interviewers –
Did I misinterpret? – did you have these meetings set up and then fail to show up as you went after your once in a lifetime dreams? Or did you only miss POTENTIAL PR opportunities?
I interpreted it as meetings already set, then missed, in which case it doesn’t seem appropriate to take their time and then waste it for them. In that case, there would be responsibility to not have made the appointments, cancel beforehand, or, if needbe (previously forgotten) on your mini retirement.
Hopefully I misinterpreted, and you were expressing you had opportunities you COULD have accepted, that they wanted you to accept, had you been home.
So much of what you say is inspiring. Thank you for your open posts, thoughts, and adventures that you share.
Tim Ferriss — February 14th, 2010, 8:06 pm
Hi Melissa,
Not to worry. I didn’t have anything scheduled. I don’t miss appointments. Just opportunities.
Best,
Tim
Ken Edwards — March 4th, 2010, 11:46 pm
I never imagined that I would leave a message here, but I am gratified to see that you are still answering posts to these older topics.
This a great post about not letting others run your life with their “issues”.
I personally have always been a people pleaser… a hard habit to break. I let others push their priorities on me, and I do not want to disappoint, as I have always gotten my self worth satisfying others. I have strived to be true to “Know thyself”, and this is one of the things I have learned about myself over the years. Like being stuck in mud. There is a “suction” effect. Hard to get out.
Realizing large dreams means letting some be disappointed. I can’t be there for everyone for everything. They have developed a comfort level in knowing I will be there, to save them from their problems, boredom, excesses, etc. I need to let them grow by letting them step out of their comfort zones, too.
Don’t worry. I will still serve people, as that is part of making the world a better place. But I will not let them push their priorities on me.
I am working on that automation to free me for World Travel.
BTW, if you get to Phoenix, I will take you to a great mexican eatery.
Ken
Mark Carter — June 2nd, 2010, 9:51 pm
I was really interested in reading Greg’s comment above – the freelance web designer – who’s now off to Australia and New Zealand courtesy of his affiliate work. I’m also in that line, but have struggled with the idea of only doing the work which I really want to do – that’s why I went freelance – which has effectively cut myself off from doing things that will actually secure my time back again. This is a very interesting conundrum. There’s so much good advice here which really shakes up my ideas about how I should or want to go about things. Many thanks indeed for that – it doesn’t happen often.
Do You Make This Progress-Killing Mistake When Pursuing a Goal? « Mokhov — July 23rd, 2010, 10:58 pm
[...] The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen – Tim Ferriss on letting smaller bad things happen in order to focus on and achieve your big wins. [...]
kcg — August 26th, 2010, 2:25 pm
So, I just tried the “auto-response”. Within 24 hours, people in the office started to complain…to my bosses…who ordered me to turn it off. Funny thing is, it’s FINE if i don’t RESPOND to email until noon and 4pm, I just can’t TELL people that’s what i’m doing. Dumb, if you ask me. Rrrrrgh.
kevin — October 3rd, 2010, 9:21 pm
Watch a movie called Fight Club. Tyler Durden is a master at letting that which does not matter truly slide.
Cathy Johnson Campbell — November 18th, 2010, 9:25 pm
Interesting choice of headline and photo… certainly offers a lesson in not jumping to conclusions. Yet, it remains a bit unsettling as there is such a fine balance many of us feel about ‘letting things happen’ vs doing something about them when it involves guns or injustice. But I guess that was your aim.
The best message in all of this for me was your point on focus and productivity, and the high priority role that “valuing attention over time”, plays in this. Now that’s something I really will benefit from practicing! Thanks.
John Marlow — November 26th, 2010, 1:52 am
Coolness; more great advice. Heads-up on the strapping-guns-to-the-bed link, which is dead as of 11-26. Found your sap interview direct link here: http://en.sap.info/%E2%80%9Cthe-most-common-way-is-seldom-the-best%E2%80%9D/3851
Cara — November 28th, 2010, 2:52 pm
Love the video! I’ve been trying to convince my husband to listen to the 4HWW audio book for weeks now, but this video sealed the deal – he now decided that you have credibility and put the CD set in his truck
dpac — December 7th, 2010, 6:19 am
Ok first thing,
Hats off to you for donating to a school in Nepal. I am actually a Nepalese and i know how much help our education system needs. It’s always great to see people like you doing something great for people who are born in a country where opportunities are severely limited. So as a Nepalese born and raised in Nepal, I’d like to thank you Tim.
Secondly,
I am so darn JEALOUS. I’ve always wanted to know how it feels to shoot a gun. Not that i’m a violent person or anything but like you said, boys and guns lol they’re just hard wired in our brains. I’d love to do something like that someday.
Thirdly,
Your point about letting small bad things happen is something that I’ve experienced myself. and I feel sorry for those who try to make everyone happy and end up living all their lives for others. Everyone likes them but they live such depressing lives and YET it’s a very hard concept to implement for people.
Specially once you get into the habit of being an opportunist. You sorta depend on your ability to seize opportunities so that you can get to what your goals are. But after you attain a certain level of success, its more about committing to the right opportunities and not just diving towards every opportunity you find. i think it’s more a matter of choice. It becomes a much bigger factor once you get to a stage where you are flooded with opportunities on a daily basis. Just a two cents.
Anyways, once again, i think its great that you’ve decided to help out a Nepalese school.
Thank you
Engineering a “Muse” – Volume 2: Case Studies of Successful Cash-Flow Businesses — December 11th, 2010, 10:50 am
[...] reading the book, particularly the lesson about “The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen,” I decided to outsource support. The obvious benefit was that I no longer had to answer [...]
Matthew Jeschke — December 16th, 2010, 3:44 pm
Great article. This has been on the fore front of my mind for sometime. Dealing with crisis and stresses. I have a small start-up managing securities and growing money reserves.
It has proven to be an emotional roller coaster. Some months my partners and I are in the green and other months we’re down. I have to deal with emotions of entire team while remaining calm and indifferent.
Most recently I experienced a nearly 100% loss in the business. Emotions are running high. It’s a demanding challenge to face. I feel if I can face challenges like this. Remain calm and clear headed whilst indifferent I can face just about anything.
zach even - esh — February 1st, 2011, 11:23 am
TF – this was short yet VERY powerful.
My g mail was blocked out for 24 hrs and now my blackberry needs 2 re-activate e mails
I kinda like the disconnect
this article definitely pushes me more towards letting e mails slide and kickin ass on the bigger stuff
good shiz bro, MUCH thnx!
–z–
Rochelle Kopp — February 1st, 2011, 5:18 pm
Was so interested to see that 4HWW is out in Japanese and is doing so well there — congrats.
Curious about the reaction over there, and since I read Japanese, I checked out the amazon.co.jp page for the book, and according to the comments evidently the Japanese translation is riddled with errors, to the point of being very annoying. This is a common problem with books translated into Japanese, as native Japanese translators may miss the nuances, or the entire meaning, of something that is written in colloquial English (like much of 4HWW is).
In order to ensure true quality of a translation, what you need is to have a native speaker of the orignal language who is fluent in the target language check the translation. Since I qualify (native speaker of English, fluent in Japanese, and have written a bunch of books in Japanese), perhaps I could help you out? (As a Room to Read volunteer, I helped check the Japanese translation of John Wood’s book when it came out a few years ago, so I’m experienced in this kind of thing.)
It seems like the Japanese readers are disappointed, and the impact of your book is being blunted. Since the book is selling well, there’s bound to be a reprinting, which should be an opportunity to improve the translation a bit.
Scott Burton — March 23rd, 2011, 3:29 pm
Wow, Tim this is great stuff!
Since I read your book, I’ve changed so much about my life. I now work 1/2 the hours as before – done instantly before I even finished reading the book. This is just the start as both my wife and I work from home and take months off each year. Your words continue to be an inspiration.
Thanks!
Scott
Nikki Layton — March 31st, 2011, 6:35 am
Tim,
Congrats on your holiday! Sounds like you really had a holiday not just working from the beach type break! Which can be good as well.
A change of pace is critical to be ready to take your life to the next level.
Thanks for the pointers on attention! I will be thinking about that as we try to grow our 2 businesses.
Take care.
reza — October 26th, 2011, 11:21 am
Tim, i’m a 20 year old college student ‘diagnosed’ with adhd. My intelligence has gotten me this far… but school work is AGANIZING. I took aderal for the first time yesterday…. (30mg), i’m about 170, 5’9, scored 19/100 (100 being averagr) for attention deficiet disorder…. and It was a TRIP. at first i felt super focused… but it had all these side effects that were RIDICULOUS… I don’t really want to be on it… and the only reason i took it was to get my mind to stop wandering from school work…. but I HATE school. I want to be an entrepreneur, and start my company in the real world. I’m not sure i’ll get past school without the meds… as it’s gotten to be unbearable. Quite franky, i’m not sure if school is even worth it… I only really want the ‘college’ experience… i feel like i’ll ‘miss’ out if i don’t go (to a university away from home living on campus)… but then i also am worried that it’s just a waiste of time… not sure what to do. My mom thinks i would be idiotic to not get my degree. I kinda feel like I should finish what i started… but it feels unbarable, and i’m not sure wether I’m going to ever take an aderal pill again…. maybe lower dosage, but either way, drugs, besides alchohol and tobacco, make me feel ‘out of control’ and i HATE it. So i’m facing a dilemma… follow my passion or finish what i started/ enjoy the college experience… I’m sort of confused. I have a good mentor, my friend arie, persian guy, 24, entrepreneur, he mentioned you guys are friends, which is pretty cool…. but i’m just afraid on what to do and afraid of ‘missing out’ on something like the ‘wild college experience and friends, and owning the school, etc’ and i’m not sure if i really want that or i’ve been programmed that that is the ‘cool’ thing to do… just like people are programmed that college is the ‘right’ thing to do…. words of wisdom would be awesome.. And do you have adhd or anything like that, and how do you use it to your advantage and deal with it? I read that we are very able to focus on things that motivate us very intently and not on things that bore us, like school
Paul — November 16th, 2011, 2:55 pm
Your solution is to be selfish and self minded. Never mind others, who cares about wasting time answering to mails (which are ways for people to communicate) ! Doing what you want is the only thing that’s important. Just care about yourself !
Great advice ! It will make the world a horrid place, but we will be better off that the others, and that’s the main and first goal of them all !
Jared — February 15th, 2013, 2:49 am
Hi Tim,
I doubt this will reach you but I figured I’d give it a shot. I recently purchased a 100lb chrome plated dumbbell set off ebay for a little over $100, upon receiving it (with free shipping no less) I noticed a powerful smell coming off the chrome plates. I tried washing and scrubbing them – no substantial improvement. What concerns me is that in just a day I’ve developed respiratory issues, sore nasal passages, red inflamed skin on my hands, and a sore throat. This doesn’t feel like a cold or flu bug, more like an allergic response.
They say caveat emptor, but I’m concerned, is it at all possible that these weights came directly from an unregulated factory in China? Could these in fact contain a powerful carcinogen like Hexavalent Chromium known to cause cancer and other issues? I noticed on the invoice it said it came from an unrelated company “SY Supllies” Misspelled and all.
I’ve been burned by Ebay for counterfeit earbuds and other merch, this is the last time I buy from them, I’m seriously concerned however that this person might be selling cancer causing weights to unsuspecting customers. Is there any way to find out? I don’t have the funds to test the materials myself but here is the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321042041233?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I don’t want to seem like a hypochondriac, but it is a genuine concern.
Cheers Tim I hope this reaches you.
Jared — February 15th, 2013, 11:52 pm
Just as an update I requested a refund, looks like they are all for it here’s the message I received:
Thank you for contacting with us and sorry for the inconvenience, the painting no risk for the health but no excuse, we will send return label to your email,please send it back ,we will fully refund you upon receiving them
Thank you
Annnie
Peculiar to say the least, but at least I’ll be getting a refund. I’ve sealed off the weights and effectively sanitized the environment I tried cleaning them in. Feeling markedly better today – albeit the lingering chemical smell.
Let’s hope exposure to that pseudo chrome won’t bite me in the ass years from now lol.
Hope you’ve been well in this off-holiday season!
Jared — February 16th, 2013, 3:23 am
Markedly better may not be a proper term now, mild nose bleeding today with accompanied soreness, seeing about scheduling an ENT visit. Hoping this is just a coincidence !
David — May 9th, 2013, 1:55 am
Hey Tim,
Great post….
Have you thought about how similar this is to the concepts in Nicholas Nassim Taleb’s new book Antifragile…?
Letting small bad things happen… protecting yourself against negative black swans…. whilst opening up to the positive ones.
Really cool how your philosophy and life is essentially an Antifragile system – getting stronger and more effective with volatility (in this case: your ‘bad things’)….
rather than the bulk of workers who set up fragile systems, where if (or more likely: when) a black swan happens, like a missed month of work due to illness, then their life might fall apart because they spent it setting up the wrong status quo (e.g. “I am always here to be interrupted and am at your beck and call, whoever you are and regardless of how important it is”)
Just some thoughts for you….thanks for changing my life!
David