These Two Acronyms Underlie Tim Ferriss’s Insane Success

Tim teaching the DiSSS system
Tim teaching the DiSSS system

Everyone has something they’re passionate about –– from cooking to writing to web design –– the trick is taking that passion and becoming successful at it. Want to learn the guitar? Fine, but you might find yourself buying an expensive instrument, getting enthused about playing, and then shoving it under your bed and forgetting all about it after a few weeks.

So, how do you persevere? Tim Ferriss has two frameworks for quick success at any skill: DiSSS (deconstruction, selection, sequencing and stakes) and CaFE (compression, frequency and encoding). Sounds complicated, but it’s pretty simple.

Using the DiSSS approach, you want to deconstruct your goal into its smaller components, then select which of these components to focus on, sequence what order you should learn them in, and finally determine what the stakes are for completing your task. For example, if you don’t have an incentive to learn the guitar, you’ll have less impetus to devote time to it.

In the CaFE approach, Tim uses “compression” to reduce the fundamentals of his goal to a few bare-bones notes. If you feel overwhelmed by the task at hand, you can return to those notes for a quick refresh. “Frequency” is the process of mapping out the task (figuring out when you should practice and how often), while “encoding” uses memory tricks and mnemonics to acquire new information –– or in our guitar example, help you learn those chords!

Both DiSS and CaFE will add structure to the process of learning any new skill, and will help pave your road to success.

Source: Fast Company

 

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Mehera Bonner is a freelance lifestyle and entertainment writer. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.