#746: Jerry Seinfeld and Maria Popova

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #485 "Jerry Seinfeld — A Comedy Legend’s Systems, Routines, and Methods for Success" and episode #39 "Maria Popova on Writing, Workflow, and Workarounds." Please enjoy! Sponsors: 1Password easy-to-use and secure password manager for individuals, families, and businesses: https://1password.com/tim (14-day free trial) LMNT electrolyte supplement: https://drinklmnt.com/Tim (free LMNT sample pack with any drink mix purchase) Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off) Timestamps: [00:00] Start [05:16] Notes about this supercombo format. [06:19] Enter Jerry Seinfeld. [06:46] Jerry’s writing process for survival in the comedy ecosystem. [15:43] Lessons Jerry would teach in a writing class and how they relate to his fitness methods. [15:43] Soliciting creative feedback while preserving pride over doing the work. [20:33] Routines essential to Jerry’s well-being and their frequency and duration. [24:50] How nurturing creativity is like parenting, and Jerry’s belief about pain and knowledge. [26:17] Additional ways Jerry mitigates depressive episodes. [27:27] A resilience-building failure. [32:05] The importance of playing the game well. [33:42] “Survival is the new success.” [36:12] Jerry’s billboard. [39:06] Enter Maria Popova. [39:30] Are you correctly pronouncing names you’ve only read but never heard? [41:13] What does Maria do? [41:50] What is Brain Pickings (now The Marginalian)? [42:31] What percentage of New York Times best sellers are a result of Maria’s coverage? [47:55] The common denominator that guides Maria’s reading list. [49:16] The importance of writing for an au