Review of Tools of Titans

Today I started a five minute journal as per the recommendations in Tim Ferriss's book "Tools of Titans".  The Tim Ferriss podcast became a highlight of my week during 2016. Many enjoyable hours listening to Tim interviewing his guests and learning from some high performers across a diverse range of occupations and careers.  "Tools of Titans" was gifted to my sons for Christmas 2016 and hopefully they will have read the book and picked up some useful tools from the book. There is much wisdom in the book and more can be found by listening to the podcasts. The hope is that they choose to read the book and/or listen to the podcasts so that they can have a better path through life with the wisdom they consume. However, as with leading horses to water, there is no way to ensure they inhale the wisdom. I am well aware that in a certain age bracket, often offspring will reflexively ignore any information that they perceive as having come via their parents. All I can do is what I have done. Which is gift the book and hope.

During a moment of non-frugality I chose to purchase the kindle edition for myself and have been reading Tools of Titans this week. This morning I went over the 5 minute Journal section and decided to give it a whirl. The fact that about six months ago I had set up a google calendar daily reminder to do five minutes journaling per morning probably helped nudge me over the line. I'm pretty sure the calendar reminder was set up after having listened to a podcast where Tim mentioned that he uses a 5 minute journal each day.  Having set up a daily reminder, then failing to act on it possibly could be a point of public discomfort. However, as I'm sure no one reads this blog other than me, what harm can there be in publishing my inability to follow through on my reminders.

Son #2 will be receiving the book "The Artist's Way" this month. Another recommendation from one of Tim's podcast guests.  Son #2 had quite some painting ability in his younger days. Which unfortunately he did not follow through on once we stopped sending him to art classes. He also has a passion for drama and I have seen him working on manuscripts (none of which I have seen at anything but a distance).  And while we effectively have pretty much zero bi-directional communication since my move to Melbourne, I continue to believe he has high potential somewhere in the artistic world.  Sending "The Artist's Way" is an attempt to continue to encourage him to look at working towards improving his creativity via persistent effort.

To quote from the section on Brian Koppelman in Tools of Titans:

  “[ Every morning,] what I do is based on the Morning Pages by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way. It’s three longhand pages where you just keep the pen moving for three pages, no matter what. No censoring, no rereading. It’s the closest thing to magic I’ve come across. If you really do it every day in a real disciplined practice, something happens to your subconscious that allows you to get to your most creative place. I’d say— and I know you’ve had this experience with other things you’ve given people— I’ve given that book to 100 people and said, ‘I’m telling you, you need to do this….’ Of the 100 people I’ve given it to, maybe ten of them have actually opened the book and done the exercises. Of those ten, seven have had books, movies, TV shows, and made out successful. It’s very spiritual and I’m an atheist.”

Ferriss, Timothy (2016-12-06). Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers (p. 614-615). Ebury Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

In some ways, the Morning Pages idea reminds me of the "Sharpen the saw" concept I first say in Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of highly effective people".   Writing each day is likely to strength the creative muscles in  your brain.