#864: How to Simplify Your Life in 2026 — New Tips from Anne Lamott, Claire Hughes Johnson, David Yarrow, and Diana Chapman

Many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1-3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life in 2026? To explore that, I invited four long-time listener favorites—Anne Lamott, Claire Hughes Johnson, David Yarrow, and Diana Chapman.
This episode is brought to you by:
Incogni, (incogni.com/tim)which automatically removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: incogni.com/tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan)
Helix Sleep (helixsleep.com/tim) premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim (helixsleep.com/tim): helixsleep.com/tim for 27% off sitewide
***
Connect with David Yarrow: Website (davidyarrow.photography) | Instagram (instagram.com/davidyarrow) | Twitter (twitter.com/David_Yarrow) | Facebook (facebook.com/DavidYarrowPhotography)
David's previous appearance on this show:David Yarrow on Art, Markets, Business, and Combining It All (tim.blog/2020/06/25/david-yarrow) | The Tim Ferriss Show #443
Connect with Claire Hughes Johnson: LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/claire-hughes-johnson-7058) | Twitter (twitter.com/chughesjohnson)
Claire's book: Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building (amazon.com/dp/1953953212?tag=offsitoftimfe-20)
Claire's previous appearance on this show:Claire Hughes Johnson — How to Take Responsibility for Your Life, Create Rules That Work, Stop Being a Victim, Set Strong Boundaries, and More (tim.blog/2024/02/27/claire-hughes-johnson) | The Tim Ferriss Show #724
Connect with Diana Chapman: Website (dianachapman.com) | LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/diana-chapman) | Instagram (instagram.com/dianacarsonchapman)
Diana's book: The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success (amazon.com/dp/0990976904?tag=offsitoftimfe-20), co-authored with Jim Dethmer and Kaley Klemp
Diana's previous appearance on this show:Diana Chapman — How to Get Unstuck, Do "The Work," Take Radical Responsibility, and Reduce Drama in Your Life (tim.blog/2021/10/06/diana-chapman) | The Tim Ferriss Show #536
Connect with Anne Lamott: Substack (annelamott.substack.com) |Twitter (twitter.com/AnneLamott) | Facebook (facebook.com/AnneLamott) | Instagram (instagram.com/AnneLamott)
Anne's new book: Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences (amazon.com/dp/B0FDK8M9J5?tag=offsitoftimfe-20), co-authored with Neal Allen
Anne's previous appearance on this show:Anne Lamott on Taming Your Inner Critic, Finding Grace, and Prayer (tim.blog/2021/07/09/anne-lamott) | The Tim Ferriss Show #522
*
Timestamps:
• [00:00:00] Start.
• [00:02:20] David Yarrow (tim.blog/2020/06/25/david-yarrow): British photographer in America and an unconventional divorcé.
• [00:02:32] The anti-remarriage thesis: why staying single was the boldest simplification of all.
• [00:03:19] The unlikely happy ending: ex-spouses who became best friends.
• [00:04:58] The friend audit.
• [00:06:07] Energy as a luxury brand.
• [00:06:34] No agent, no problem: the art of the direct “no.”
• [00:07:39] Claire Hughes Johnson (tim.blog/2024/02/27/claire-hughes-johnson): COO, author, and self-described bad simplifier.
• [00:07:59] The switch from default yes to default no.
• [00:08:39] Root cause analysis on the “yes” problem: earning love through usefulness.
• [00:09:21] Arthur Brooks’ flip: think people, not tasks.
• [00:10:35] Mission clarity: knowing exactly why you said yes before you walk in the door.
• [00:11:16] The “retention exercise”: how Claire negotiated sleep and workouts into her job description.
• [00:16:45] Diana Chapman (tim.blog/2021/10/06/diana-chapman): Conscious Leadership disruptor, professional fear-finder.
• [00:17:07] The “whole body yes”: simplicity lives where your inner and outer worlds agree.
• [00:17:41] Decision #1: Evicting “should” from the vocabulary entirely.
• [00:19:15] Decision #2: The relationship contract — same rules, dramatically less drama.
• [00:20:37] The No-Blame Zone: signs on the wall, accountability in the air.
• [00:24:02] Curiosity over righteousness, feelings over suppression, play over seriousness.
• [00:26:29] How play unlocked a hard conversation.
• [00:27:56] Decision #3: Holding two truths — your work matters and the world will survive without you.
• [00:30:32] Anne Lamott (tim.blog/2021/07/09/anne-lamott): 21 books, one husband, and a very heavy 60th birthday.
• [00:31:00] Ditching the six-plate act: reclaiming the inner goofball.
• [00:32:18] “The point is not to try harder, but to resist less.”
• [00:33:18] The belly breath: watching your hand rise as an act of radical simplicity.
• [00:33:41] Ram Dass’ heart-nostrils: expanding the spiritual core.
• [00:33:59] The third third: borrowed time, intentional days, and tossing boxes out of the plane.

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show (tim.blog/podcast), please visit tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_m….
For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show (tim.blog/podcast), please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors
Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday (go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1).
For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.
Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.
Follow Tim:
Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss
Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss
YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss
Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss (facebook.com/TimFerriss)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss
See Privacy Policy at art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.