Seinfeld's "Art of War"
Seinfeld's "Art of War"
“If you break the human struggle down to one word it is “Confront”. – Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld was a guest on The Tim Ferris Show.
I tuned in to laugh.
What I heard sounded more like Sun Tzu discussing “The Art of War”.
Seinfeld spoke with the intensity and directness of someone who served on special force’s missions not the comedy stage.
Tim Ferris, who has an amazing ability of getting guests to reveal their daily habits and routines, got Seinfeld to open up about how he produces such legendary material.
The following strategies are what Seinfeld used to stay relevant in Hollywood for 30+ years and create his nearly $1 billion dollar net worth.
Here are 3.5 strategies from Seinfeld’s “Art of War”:
1) Daily Reps
Seinfeld’s career is based on ONE THING.
Writing.
His TV show and stand-up routines were created from his daily writing sessions.
Just one problem.
Seinfeld does not like to write.
How does he handle this?
His secret is putting in DAILY REPS.
Seinfeld picks a SET TIME and a DURATION each day.
Sometimes his writing session lasts sixty minutes.
If the day is busy, maybe it’s only thirty.
But the key is that he shows up each day for a set amount of time.
Seinfeld said, “You have to learn to show up every day and do the work or you will die in the ecosystem you were trying to live in. If you do not show up every day, you will not survive.”
Figure that out.
Then put in your DAILY REPS.
2) Hit the Weights
Seinfeld believes WEIGHT TRAINING & MEDITATION can solve almost any problem.
Our bodies need a daily physical stressor.
Our minds need a daily cleansing.
Seinfeld told Ferris, “You have to bend the aging process and slow down the natural decay with physical exercise…If you look at anyone who succeeds at a high-level in any field, one of the constants in all of their stories is weight training and physical activity.”
Seinfeld told Ferris that he believes most people’s bodies get a free ride to about age 43, “Then God moves on and gives all the gifts to the 18 to 40 crowd.”
Seinfeld said, “No one is going to ask you to leave, but no one is giving you anything else, you have to create it yourself.”
How do you feel physically?
If you're not already doing so, it may be time to find a weight training program that works for you.
Time to bend the curve back in our favor.
3) Know When to Pivot
A professional knows when it’s time to pivot.
Seinfeld said, “Each project is like a cyclone. The storm forms, gathers energy, rages full throttle, then slowly dies out.”
Seinfeld’s revealed his main influence to end his TV show at the nine-year mark was The Beatles.
The Beatles were together for nine years.
Seinfeld says he could have kept his show going but believed the “cyclone was fading”.
Sometimes our best move is to move on.
3.5) Ethics and Boldness
Ferris asked Seinfeld what he hopes to pass on to his three kids?
Seinfeld answered, “ETHICS and BOLDNESS”.
Boom.
A parenting course in two words.
Teach your kids to do the right thing.
Teach them to have the BOLDNESS to take on scary projects where they might fail.
That’s where the magic is hiding.
When we look back over the past year, it’s easy to feel that life is designed to make us quit.
Some days feel like a street fight.
Others like a beautiful masterpiece.
We need a plan that works for each.
#TheArtOfWar
Joe Ciccarone