Book Summary (Tools of Titans)

For many, breaking free from weaknesses seems like an impossible task. However, some people have shown grit to overcome challenges and establish lifestyles that have earned them the top performer tag. While the media sometimes showcases these nothing-to- something stories as self-made transformations, Timothy Ferris argues that it is impossible to ascend to the heroics without leaning on the wisdom of others. These top performers have learned innovative ways to optimize their body and mind, and you can do the same. Hence, this impressive body of work from Timothy Ferris will open your eyes to practical steps on living an improved lifestyle. This summary is segmented into 3 crucial aspects of life-health, wealth, and wisdom. These 3 concepts encapsulate the core areas of your life that will determine your level of fulfillment. In each segment, you will access different tools that have worked for renowned personalities who have shown a level of consistency at the top. The tools mentioned in this tidbit are unique to each individual, and it is you that will choose the ones that will work for you. You should note that it is imperative to run some of the advice in this summary through your nutritionist or doctor, especially the health and wellness part.

People that indiscriminately engage in workout sessions often discover that their training has buffed up a section of their body while ignoring the others. The outcome is a disproportionate body structure that is not appealing to the eye. This is why Christopher Sommer, a former gymnastics coach for the US National Team and founder of GymnasticBodies, tells his clients to engage in a dynamic mix of Gymnastics Strength Training (GST) and AcroYoga. This combination will help you increase flexibility and mobility instead of the muscle-building effects of many workout routines out there. According to Timothy Ferris, AcroYoga is a blend of 3 contemporary disciplines-yoga, acrobatics, and therapeutics. Some of the exercises that fit into this description are J-Curl and shoulder extension. To practice the shoulder extension: • Lift a dowel, and hold it behind your back while in a standing position • Stand on an elevated platform • Lift a dead-weight to your mid-section while in the standing position • Bend down until your head almost touches your knees You could start with a 15-pound weight, as stretching is the most important factor in this exercise. You should do as many reps as you are comfortable with — there is no need to grind out reps that might end up injuring you. For the likes of Joe De Sena, the co-founder of Death Race, subjecting the body to extreme stress is the key. As such, he decided to engage in activities that are the exact opposite of his life as a Wall Street professional. He fell in love with nerve-wracking marathons where he could only focus on the primary necessities of life - food, water, and shelter. According to Joe, it is important to sweat every day to build the resilience to take on any challenge.

On the upside, ketosis reduces weight, and it could lower the risk of developing heart diseases. In light of this, it is common for people to adopt one form of a ketogenic diet or the other. The aim here is to reduce the intake of carbohydrates to force the body to break down fat and maintain muscle. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet in its basic form, which tries to lower the intake of carbohydrates to 50 grams or below in three days. So, how do you know when you reach ketosis? Timothy Ferris recommends that you use a machine called Precision Xtra by Abbott to check your "glucose and blood levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB)." Once you reach a concentration of o.5 millimolar, you are already at an early stage of ketosis. For Dominic D'Agostino, an associate professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, a mild to moderate ketosis state with concentrations ranging from 1 mmol to 3 mmol is the ideal keto state. Dominic D'Agostino has experimented with many ketogenic diets, and he has discovered that the only way to maintain ketosis is to eat food that contains a lot of fat and moderate protein. Did you know? Dominic D'Agostino, an associate professor at the University of South Florida demonstrated that even advanced weight lifters could maintain or increase strength, performance, and hypertrophy after 2 weeks of keto-adaptation, consuming 75-80% calories from fat and restricting carbohydrates to 22-25g per day.

There is no way Timothy Ferris could have interviewed the long list of top performers he mentioned in this summary without encountering individuals with unconventional practices to sustain performance. Some do not shy away from using drugs, particularly psychedelics that cause hallucinations or that could help them sustain focus, depending on the dosage. If popping drugs is not your thing, you could utilize the floating tank technique to experience psychedelics. Here, all you need to do is "float in a 98F hot tub with a lid over it." You add 800 to 1,200 of Epsom salt to help induce buoyancy. Others have discovered the power of cold, as they have subjected their bodies to harsh conditions to release the right chemicals to suppress stress hormones. One of the individuals that have championed this practice is Wim Hof. He introduced the Wim Hof method, a breathing exercise that improves immunity and increases fat loss. This exercise entails 40 reps of inhaling air until your lungs are full and a sharp exhale to empty it. If done correctly, you will start feeling lightheaded and tingling in your hands. However, Timothy warns that this exercise should not be done near or inside water, as it can cause a shallow water blackout. Also, one of Wim Hofs secrets is the cold bath routine, which entails that you immerse your body in a bathtub containing water and 40 pounds of ice. On sleeping hygiene, Kelly Starret, a world-renowned performance coach, advised that you get rid of appliances that could emit light, be it a TV or phones. He also advised that you should go for a soft mattress, which will help you switch from extension — due to excessive sitting or exercising - to relaxation. Furthermore, Timothy Ferris highlights the importance of starting the morning strong, as it allows you to cultivate the right energy to tackle the challenges the day might throw at you. He believes that it is imperative to lower your morning winning bar because a cluster of wins is way better than chasing the impossible.

Just as Timothy Ferris has handpicked some of the fascinating health tools that top performers utilize, he also discloses the winning formula of some of the most successful people he had met. While perusing through this long list of goal-getters, one cannot help but notice that they have a knack for asking vital questions. When the world shut the door in these people's faces by proclaiming them unworthy of success, they did not give up. Instead, they kept knocking on the door by asking all of the right questions. We see this notion play out in Arnold Schwarzenegger's narration of how he defied the norm to become a movie star. Even when producers and directors downplayed his chances, he did not give in and do what others were doing. Rather, he kept believing, and eventually, his apparent weakness distinguished him in an industry that thrived on trends — recycling. Tony Robbins, world-renowned performance coach, reiterated this thought when he asserted that attaining a quality life depends on your propensity for asking quality questions. If people are telling you that your talent or product will not sell, you should focus on searching for new ways to beat the system. This approach will yield more results than focusing on the negatives. To put this basic advice to practice, Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, has taught his mind to search for answers to problems while he is asleep. All he has to do is delegate problems to his mind, go to bed, and tackle the problem first thing in the morning, when there are no distractions. In the same way, you, too, can work your mind to find patterns in chaos and opportunities in failures. The author went on to share some basic insight into how great businesses thrived, even when they faced stiff competition. You can thrive in a competitive terrain by pondering on the little things that can give you an edge. This might require a simple alteration to your brand or customer relationship culture.

The abundance of views from entrepreneurs or serial investors in this summary is a real boost for individuals that are on the verge of starting their businesses or those that have already got one or two running. The first strategy that might work for you is starting small. Revel in the micro and experiment all you can before emerging into the spotlight. A micro business can cater to a certain niche and nurture its first wave of customers effectively. This strategy is what Timothy Ferris calls the 1000 fans to approach. At this stage, the company is familiar with the preferences of its customer base, and its services will have more impact. Ironically, effectively capitalizing on the benefits of starting small will naturally lead to growth. On managing the pressure that comes with growth, Derek Sivers, founder of CD baby, suggests that you learn how to say no to the less important stuff. This principle will help you create ample time for the essentials. Likewise, Tony Robbins believes that successful individuals are those people who try as much as possible not to lose money. They take risks quite alright, but they do not jump at opportunities blindly. In most cases, these individuals will diversify their investment to spread risks. While lending his voice to the topic, Reid Hoffman stated that successful companies and people solve the simplest and easiest tasks first. In contrast, organizations that focus on big problems might find it difficult to sustain success. Timothy Ferris corroborated this assertion by explaining that great companies realize that it is futile to compete for a market that a bigger corporation dominates. Instead, these companies create new categories that will help them nurture a new market. And rather than market their products directly, they promote their categories.

One thing that stuck out as interesting while perusing through the wisdom that had elevated people from normal to the extraordinary is that they were not scared to do things differently. As simple as this is, many find it difficult to walk a new path, as they are aware of the repercussions of saying no to the norms. People that had dared to say no to consensus beliefs have had their intelligence questioned, or they had felt like an outcast. However, being accepted should never serve as your goal. Instead, you should adopt goals that guarantee happiness. Today, busyness is a trend, and people believe that the busier you are, the more respect you command. In its true sense, busy connotes a misguided attempt to cloak unproductivity with engagement. Not all work is profitable. Moreover, putting yourself in a situation where work becomes chaotic suggests that you do not have a time management system in place. As such, it is imperative to work smart. Stop accommodating all the distractions that burn your time, so you can focus on core issues. Knowing that adopting the life of an outlier would put you in the bad books of many hence, the author suggested tactics that can help you maneuver attacks on your ideologies. First, you must shift your attention from the people that do not agree with you to those that get you. Exerting your energy on things or people that do not matter is a waste of your time. Also, you should realize that there are a handful of individuals that would take your opinions personally. When you expect this, it will no longer surprise you when people attack you for thinking differently. If you believe that you ought to respond to criticism, it is vital not to over-apologize for being unconventional. Discovering that trying to please everyone is a mistake will make it easy to come to terms with the fact that people will always ridicule your innovative mind.

When Timothy Ferris asked Jamie Foxx, an award-winning actor, musician and comedian, what he thought was on the other side of fear. Jamie Foxx replied, "Nothing." If you carefully ponder on Jamie's answer, you will discover that there is nothing to fear. Fear stops people from chasing their goals. They hide behind excuses like "I am not qualified," or "My talent will waste in this sort of endeavor," or "The system or market is a mess right now." You must see through all these excuses, find where your fear lies, and face it head-on. Having said that, the first thing you can do to fight fear is to avoid being the victim. Stop complaining about the things that you don't have or the hand that life has dealt you. A better approach to life is to avoid letting anyone feel sorry for you. Own your failures and seek out ways to turn them into success stories. It is not that the people in this book are immune to fear. They have faced their fair share of fear. But what separates them is their ability to break free from their anxieties. One other distinguishing factor is that they have learned to plan for the long term. When you can visualize all the opportunities lying beyond your fears, you will start seeing things differently. You will no longer prioritize your current failures or pains over long-lasting results. Likewise, successful people have a knack for downsizing their problems, which makes it easier to proffer solutions.

When you put creativity in everything, everything becomes available to you. How you present things, How you journal things, how you inspire people around you and how you inspire yourself — it's all creative. If you say you are not creative, look at how much you're missing out on just because you've told yourself that. Creativity is 1 of the most important gifts that we're born with that some people don't cultivate. People don't realize that it could be applied to literally everything in their lives. Top performers referenced in this tidbit have a lot of things in common. Many of the elite performers in this summary practice one form of meditation or the other. A large fraction of these people do not eat breakfast, and the rest eat light meals in the morning. Also, these people are certain that failure will expire and have transformed their weaknesses into strengths. Do not think for once that successful people are special because they have luck on their side, or they have this special gene that gives them the tenacity to do the impossible. These people might have found a way around obstacles, but they started just like you. Once you realize this fact, it will push you to adopt some of the winning strategies in this summary and to make your mark. Your life doesn't have to be exactly like another successful person's, but you can learn what worked for them and see how it can work for you as well. Once you start your quest for knowledge, you are one step closer to success.