Episode

#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
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1:58:34
Published: Thu Apr 22 2021
Description

Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More | Brought to you by UCAN endurance products powered by SuperStarch®, FreshBooks cloud-based small business accounting software, and Headspace easy-to-use app with guided meditations. More on all three below.Greg McKeown (@GregoryMcKeown) is the author of the new book Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most and a previous book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, which hit The New York Times bestseller list and has sold more than a million copies. He is also a speaker and the host of the popular podcast What’s Essential.Greg has been covered by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Fast Company, Fortune, Politico, and Inc., has been interviewed by NPR, NBC, Fox, and The Steve Harvey Show, and is among the most popular bloggers for LinkedIn. He is also a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum. Originally from London, England, he now resides in California with his wife, Anna, and their four children.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by UCAN. I was introduced to UCAN and its unique carbohydrate SuperStarch by my good friend—and listener favorite—Dr. Peter Attia, who said there is no carb in the world like it. I have since included it in my routine, using UCAN’s powders to power my workouts, and the bars make great snacks. Extensive scientific research and clinical trials have shown that SuperStarch provides a sustained release of energy to the body without spiking blood sugar. UCAN is the ideal way to source energy from a carbohydrate without the negatives associated with fast carbs, especially sugar.  You avoid fatigue, hunger cravings, and loss of focus. Whether you’re an athlete working on managing your fitness or you need healthy, efficient calories to get you through your day, UCAN is an elegant energy solution. My listeners can save 30% on their first UCAN order by going to UCAN.co/Tim and using promo code TIM. *This episode is also brought to you by FreshBooks. I’ve been talking about FreshBooks—an all-in-one invoicing + payments + accounting solution—for years now. Many entrepreneurs, as well as the contractors and freelancers that I work with, use it all the time.FreshBooks makes it super easy to track things like expenses, project time, and client info and then merge it all into great-looking invoices. FreshBooks can save users up to 200 hours a year on accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Right now FreshBooks is offering my listeners a free 30-day trial, and no credit card is required. Go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!*This episode is also brought to you by Headspace! Headspace is your daily dose of mindfulness in the form of guided meditations in an easy-to-use app. Whatever the situation, Headspace can help you feel better. Overwhelmed? Headspace has a 3-minute SOS meditation for you. Need some help falling asleep? Headspace has wind-down sessions their members swear by. And for parents, Headspace even has morning meditations you can do with your kids. Headspace’s approach to mindfulness can reduce stress, improve sleep, boost focus, and increase your overall sense of well-being.Go to Headspace.com/Tim for a FREE one-month trial with access to Headspace’s full library of meditations for every situation.*If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Headspace is an app that offers guided meditations to help reduce stress, improve sleep, increase focus, and promote overall wellbeing through clinically validated research.
00:00 - 02:00 (02:00)
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Headspace
Summary

Headspace is an app that offers guided meditations to help reduce stress, improve sleep, increase focus, and promote overall wellbeing through clinically validated research.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss interviews Greg McKeown, author of the books Effortless and Essentialism, about how to make it easier to do what matters most and the discipline of pursuing less.
02:00 - 07:23 (05:23)
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Greg McKeown
Summary

Tim Ferriss interviews Greg McKeown, author of the books Effortless and Essentialism, about how to make it easier to do what matters most and the discipline of pursuing less. The transcript contains an ad for Headspace's meditation app.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This episode explores the significance of Gandhi's Salt March as a symbol of civil disobedience and its impact on Indian independence, and how it serves as a reminder to listen to the "sacred voice" amidst the chaos of everyday life.
07:23 - 14:31 (07:07)
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Gandhi, civil disobedience
Summary

This episode explores the significance of Gandhi's Salt March as a symbol of civil disobedience and its impact on Indian independence, and how it serves as a reminder to listen to the "sacred voice" amidst the chaos of everyday life.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
After observing unusual symptoms in a loved one, the speaker and his family embark on a quest for answers through various medical tests and consultations with healthcare professionals.
14:31 - 22:08 (07:37)
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Medical Tests
Summary

After observing unusual symptoms in a loved one, the speaker and his family embark on a quest for answers through various medical tests and consultations with healthcare professionals.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about the importance of choosing the path of hope, trust and positivity in uncertain times, instead of focusing on worst case scenarios.
22:08 - 26:40 (04:32)
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Positivity
Summary

The speaker talks about the importance of choosing the path of hope, trust and positivity in uncertain times, instead of focusing on worst case scenarios. She believes that while people may try to be helpful, it's important to not let their suggestions and opinions make the situation worse.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Greg McKeown talks about essentialism and how we can use it to determine the most important things to focus on in our lives by applying the 80-20 analysis principle.
26:40 - 31:39 (04:58)
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essentialism
Summary

Greg McKeown talks about essentialism and how we can use it to determine the most important things to focus on in our lives by applying the 80-20 analysis principle. He shares how he balances success and pressure in his work as an author.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Greg McKeown shares the story behind his new book, "Effortless," and emphasizes the importance of finding an easier path to reduce stress and exhaustion from high performance.
31:39 - 36:52 (05:12)
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Stress Management
Summary

Greg McKeown shares the story behind his new book, "Effortless," and emphasizes the importance of finding an easier path to reduce stress and exhaustion from high performance. He believes that in today's world where many are facing burnout, the idea of "effortless" is more necessary than ever.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about how being out of the effortless state can be exhausting and discusses using You Can’s energy powders and bars to maintain focus and avoid fatigue.
36:52 - 49:30 (12:38)
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Health and Wellness
Summary

The speaker talks about how being out of the effortless state can be exhausting and discusses using You Can’s energy powders and bars to maintain focus and avoid fatigue. He offers a discount code for the products at UCAN.co/Tim with code Tim.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses their journey in identifying unsaids and uncompleteds that represent withholds including grudges, and shares their own experiences with anger and grudges.
49:30 - 58:25 (08:54)
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Closure
Summary

The speaker discusses their journey in identifying unsaids and uncompleteds that represent withholds including grudges, and shares their own experiences with anger and grudges. They also share insights from Jim Detmer's work on addressing withholds and engineering closure.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker emphasizes the importance of having uncomfortable conversations with people to close open loops and move forward in a productive manner.
58:25 - 1:06:39 (08:14)
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Productivity
Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of having uncomfortable conversations with people to close open loops and move forward in a productive manner. He suggests using simple templates similar to nonviolent communication and clearing conversations to bring up unsaid things and avoid creating loops.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses the dangers of creating victim stories and how it can affect our relationships with others.
1:06:39 - 1:12:15 (05:36)
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Personal Growth
Summary

This episode discusses the dangers of creating victim stories and how it can affect our relationships with others. The hosts also talk about the amount of energy spent holding grudges and creating false narratives and how it can slow us down and hinder our personal growth.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how he is still in the conscious incompetence realm when it comes to skill development and talks about how he has been pursuing a movie-quality stormtrooper costume for the past 30 years.
1:12:15 - 1:16:34 (04:18)
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Skill development
Summary

The speaker discusses how he is still in the conscious incompetence realm when it comes to skill development and talks about how he has been pursuing a movie-quality stormtrooper costume for the past 30 years.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the speaker talks about the broaden and build theory coined by Barbara Fredrickson and how getting into a positive emotional state can lead to upward momentum towards habit formation and behavioral change.
1:16:34 - 1:23:43 (07:08)
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Positive emotion, habit formation, tiny habits
Summary

In this episode, the speaker talks about the broaden and build theory coined by Barbara Fredrickson and how getting into a positive emotional state can lead to upward momentum towards habit formation and behavioral change. They also touch on the concept of tiny habits.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The key to achieving a goal is to start with zero and determine the minimum number of steps required to reach completion.
1:23:42 - 1:31:51 (08:08)
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Goal achievement
Summary

The key to achieving a goal is to start with zero and determine the minimum number of steps required to reach completion. Effortless action is about making it easier to achieve a goal, whether it be a personal experiment or a community project, by simplifying the process.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Sweden's most expensive naval project got buried underwater due to the King's constant changing demands, including 700 ornate sculptures and additional weapons, which made the project almost impossible to safely complete.
1:31:51 - 1:36:00 (04:08)
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Sweden, naval project
Summary

Sweden's most expensive naval project got buried underwater due to the King's constant changing demands, including 700 ornate sculptures and additional weapons, which made the project almost impossible to safely complete.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the speaker shares the idea of achieving effortless results, which means putting in the effort required for long-term residual results, rather than just one-time linear results.
1:36:00 - 1:49:59 (13:58)
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Effortless Results
Summary

In this episode, the speaker shares the idea of achieving effortless results, which means putting in the effort required for long-term residual results, rather than just one-time linear results.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Fresh Books is an online invoicing and accounting software that saves more than 11 hours a week by automating invoices, expense tracking, online payments, and more.
1:49:59 - 1:55:35 (05:35)
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Fresh Books
Summary

Fresh Books is an online invoicing and accounting software that saves more than 11 hours a week by automating invoices, expense tracking, online payments, and more. Use freshbooks.com/tim and enter Tim Ferris in the "how did you hear about us?" section to benefit from their services.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Headspace is a daily dose of mindfulness through clinically validated research that advances the field of mindfulness and meditation.
1:55:35 - 1:57:01 (01:25)
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Mindfulness
Summary

Headspace is a daily dose of mindfulness through clinically validated research that advances the field of mindfulness and meditation. The app features guided meditations and various programs to help with mental and emotional health.

Episode
#510: Greg McKeown — The Art of Effortless Results, How to Take the Lighter Path, the Joys of Simplicity, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show