#577: Hugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More (Repost)

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Mar 4, 2022

Hugh Jackman, acclaimed actor and performer, offers a deep dive into his creative journey and daily practices. He shares his insights on embracing intuition in career decisions, the power of morning routines like reading and meditation, and the significance of consistency—highlighted by his 85% Rule. Jackman discusses navigating insecurities, family values, and the transformative role of theater in his life. Plus, he reflects on the joy of puzzles as a way to engage creatively and relax amidst a busy career.

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ADVICE

Morning Reading

Read with your partner every morning for at least 30 minutes.
This ensures quality time together amidst busy schedules.

ANECDOTE

Gifting Books

Hugh Jackman often gifts two short books: Here Is New York and This Is Water.
He learned this practice from Billy Shaw, who emphasized giving shorter books to avoid burdening recipients.

ANECDOTE

The Overstory

The Overstory, gifted to Jackman by Gary Hart, profoundly changed his perspective on nature.
The book uses interwoven human stories to highlight the importance of trees.

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Here is New York

E. B. White

The 4-Hour Body

An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Body,' Tim Ferriss shares the results of over a decade of self-experimentation and research, involving hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of personal testing. The book covers more than 50 topics, including how to lose weight quickly, gain muscle without steroids, sleep less and perform better, and improve sexual health. Ferriss emphasizes the importance of finding the smallest changes that produce the biggest results, making it accessible for readers to achieve significant improvements in their physical health and performance.

The Overstory

Richard Powers

The Overstory is a sweeping and impassioned work of environmental fiction that follows the lives of nine individuals whose paths are intertwined by their connections to trees. The novel is structured in four parts – 'Roots', 'Trunk', 'Crown', and 'Seeds' – mirroring the parts of a tree. It delves into themes of ecology, climate change, and the interconnectedness of trees and humans, using a blend of science, history, and magical realism. The book advocates for the protection of trees and the natural world, posing critical questions about humanity's relationship with the environment and the long-term consequences of human actions[2][4][5].

The Second Mountain

The Quest for a Moral Life

David Brooks

In 'The Second Mountain', David Brooks explores the concept of two mountains in life: the first mountain, which represents individual success and ego-driven achievements, and the second mountain, which symbolizes a life of deeper meaning, commitment, and contribution to a greater good. Brooks argues that our society's extreme individualism has torn the social fabric, and the path to repair is through making deeper commitments to a spouse and family, a vocation, a philosophy or faith, and a community. The book is both a personal reflection on Brooks' own life journey and a broader social commentary, offering practical advice and stories of people who have lived joyous, committed lives[2][4][5].

This is water

Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

David Foster Wallace

This book is a transcript of the only public speech David Foster Wallace gave on his views on life, delivered as a commencement address at Kenyon College in 2005. The speech delves into the difficulties of empathy, the unimportance of being well-adjusted, and the apparent loneliness of adult life. Wallace argues that true freedom comes from the ability to be fully conscious and sympathetic, and he emphasizes the importance of learning how to think and exercise control over one's thoughts. The speech is known for its blend of casual humor, exacting intellect, and practical philosophy, offering advice that renews readers with every reading. After his death, the speech became a treasured piece of writing, reprinted in various publications and widely discussed online[1][2][4].

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Hugh Jackman (@TheHughJackman) is an Academy Award®-nominated, Golden Globe- and Tony Award-winning performer, who has made an impression on audiences of all ages with his multi-hyphenate career persona, as successful onstage in front of live crowds as he is on film.

I’ve wanted to have Hugh on the show for nearly a decade, and—even with my sky-high hopes—he absolutely over-delivered. In our conversation, we dig into lessons learned, routines, favorite books, exercises, intuition, meditation, and much, much more. Hugh was very gracious with his time, and this is one of the longest interviews he has ever done.

Trust me—Hugh delivers the goods, and we had a blast. Enjoy!

This episode originally aired in 2020. You can find the show notes here: https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/

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Hugh and his wife have a tradition of reading books — sometimes to each other — every morning. From whom did this idea originate? [07:25]

What books has Hugh gifted most? [11:44]

What does Hugh’s regular meditation practice look like, and what benefits does he enjoy from it? [15:22]

How does Hugh summon and maintain the emotional and physical energy necessary for performing — particularly when he has to give his all multiple times per week on stage in front of a live audience? [19:42]

As someone who’s performed across countless stage and screen productions, why was Hugh nervous about coming on this podcast? [27:34]

What lessons did Hugh’s father teach him about being an example to others by way of action, making decisions, and always keeping his word? [29:41]

To what does Hugh owe his eloquent (or, as his wife might say, “too verbose”) communication skills? [39:16]

Hugh’s relationship with journalism, journalists, and a newfound love for the work of Ken Burns. [44:13]

Hugh talks about the contract he made with himself at the end of drama school about pursuing acting — and being wary of the word “career” in relation to that pursuit. [46:28]

Some of the best decisions Hugh made in the first years of being an aspiring/working actor. [51:26]

Why does Hugh think he was extended the kindness of auditioning for Sir Trevor Nunn — one of his idols — even though he had no intention of accepting a part in the musical he was directing? [57:02]

How has Hugh learned to trust his intuition — even when it leads him in unexpected directions? [58:52]

Can Hugh recall any times when the purpose of a nudge from intuition wasn’t easily fathomed — when the dots didn’t connect in an obvious way, but paid off in a big way when it was heeded? [1:06:29]

Am I talking to Hugh Jackman, or Perfect Tommy? [1:10:57]

Hugh elaborates on one of his daily morning practices — the design of the day — pondering the efficacy of manifestation and how it played into a major career decision. [1:12:16]

Hugh puts discipline in perspective, talks about the importance of incorporating relaxation into physical activity (or possibly any activity) for best results, the types of exercises he’s found to be most effective, and a Viktor Frankl quotation that he finds especially inspiring. [1:18:33]

Hugh is a connoisseur of puzzles and games. So what does he recommend for someone who needs to unwind from taking themselves and their work too seriously? Furthermore, what is it about puzzles that keeps him occupied all night if he doesn’t remember to set an alarm for himself? [1:27:46]

Parting thoughts. [1:33:51]

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.

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