Tim Ferris's method for those who want to overcome their fears and make their dreams come true

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What you fear often prevents you from taking a step towards your dream. This simple exercise will help you analyze your fears and the possible consequences of your actions.

Tim Ferris became widely known in 2007 with the publication of his book How to Work 4 Hours a Week. According to the writer, he published the book for a reason. In 2004, his life turned upside down. Tim was abandoned by his bride, and his friend died of pancreatic cancer. Ferris devoted most of his time to business: he was engaged in food additives. At that time, he could not stay awake and sleep without pills. “It was a complete nightmare. I felt cornered,”Tim recalls.

The words of the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca forced him to reconsider his views:

We suffer from imagination more often than from reality.

In one of Seneca's books, Ferris read about the exercise premeditatio malorum, which can be translated as "thinking through misfortune." Tim changed the exercise slightly and renamed it fear setting, similar to goal setting. Ferris does this exercise every few months and is confident that it helped him achieve success.

To formulate fears, you only need three sheets of paper and a pen.

1. State your fears

What have you been wanting for a long time, but do not dare to accomplish? Describe your desire, beginning with: "What if I …" When Ferris first did this exercise, his question was, "What if I take my first vacation in four years and spend a month in London with my friend?"

Take the first sheet of paper and divide it into three columns: Detect, Prevent, Fix.

In the “Define” column, write down 10–20 fears about your desire. Tim, for example, feared that the rainy climate in London would worsen his state of mind and drive him into even greater depression.

In the Prevent column, answer the question, "What can I do to prevent all the things I fear?" Ferris wrote that he could take a portable phototherapy machine with him and use it every morning for 15 minutes.

In the "Fix" column, answer the question: "If the worst happens, how can I fix the situation or who can I turn to for help?" Tim reassured himself that at any moment he could buy a plane ticket and spend the rest of his vacation somewhere in sunny Spain.

2. Think about the benefits

If you decide to take the risk, what good can happen? Write the answer to this question on the second sheet of paper. Try to answer not at length, but carefully considering the possible outcomes of events. But don't waste a lot of time on it: 10-15 minutes will be enough.

3. Imagine the consequences of your inaction

On the third sheet of paper, answer the question: "If I still do not dare to fulfill my plans, what will my life look like in 6, 12 and 36 months?" How will inaction affect your physical, emotional and financial well-being? Tim thinks this is the most important point, so take your time to answer.

After completing this exercise for the first time, Tim Ferris realized that he simply had to break free from the tenacious clutches of his business. He went on a round-the-world trip that lasted 1, 5 years. It was this trip that inspired him to create the book How to Work 4 Hours a Week.