• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
mindfulness

Why Tim Ferriss Believes Meditation Is the Key to Success

Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 19, 2016, 11:28 AM ET

What connects world-class performers across industries?

According to Tim Ferriss, many regularly take the time to focus on the present moment. When Ferriss sat down with more than 200 executives, leaders, and other people at the heights of their fields for his new book, Tools of Titans, he found that 80% had “some form of guided mindfulness practice.”

If straight-up, silent meditation makes you nervous, don’t be. Mindfulness techniques varied drastically, from traditional, in-person meditation sessions, to mindfulness apps, to listening to the same music track every day on repeat.

Applied more generally, these folks are mindful about how they spend their time. “Everyone else has an agenda for your time,” Ferriss says. “So if you’re in a reactive mode, if you’re playing defense instead of offense, you’re going to get at best, average results.”

To hear more of Ferriss’ insights on what connects high achievers, watch the above video.

 

About the Author
Fortune Editors
By Fortune Editors
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

PoliticsDonald Trump
House votes 219-212 to halt Trump’s attacks on Iran. “Donald Trump is not a king,” says top Dem on Foreign Affairs Committee
By The Associated Press, Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro and Stephen GrovesMarch 5, 2026
4 hours ago
Politicsnet worth
Meet Markwayne Mullin, the new multimillionaire head of DHS, who owns a cattle ranch in Oklahoma
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 5, 2026
4 hours ago
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s investors could be the key to ending its Pentagon standoff—but some investors have opposite views
By Jessica MathewsMarch 5, 2026
4 hours ago
AIGoogle
Google’s AI chatbot convinced a man they were in love. It then allegedly told him to stage a ‘mass casualty attack’ in newly released lawsuit
By Jake AngeloMarch 5, 2026
4 hours ago
Middle EastDonald Trump
Trump will take ‘any assistance from any country’ including asking Zelenskyy and Ukraine for help on countering Iran’s Shahed drones
By The Associated PressMarch 5, 2026
5 hours ago
HealthDietary Supplements
Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services 2026: Dietitian Approved
By Christina SnyderMarch 5, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Health
Palantir and other tech companies are stocking offices with nicotine products to increase worker productivity
By Catherina GioinoMarch 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Uber CEO says his ‘really demanding’ work culture includes expecting employees to answer his emails over the weekend: ‘Don’t come here if you want to coast’
By Emma BurleighMarch 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Newsletters
The Iran war is giving rise to a centuries-old economic theory—and laying waste to the WTO-based world order
By Diane BradyMarch 5, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump's loss of $1.7 trillion in tariff revenue will send the national debt to $58 trillion by 2036, think tank projects
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 5, 2026
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Tech investor Bill Gurley says workers who went through the ‘college conveyor belt’ and chased safe jobs are at high risk of AI automation
By Emma BurleighMarch 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Meet a burned out 28-year-old who pays $168 a month in China's faux Venice to retire early from her Shanghai finance gig
By Albee Zhang and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.