Very good book, as discipline keeps me in my place and sane. And nobody is perfect, the key is to get back up when failing.
This book is a very good reminder of Jocko Willink: Discipline = Freedom.
Persist and Resist
1) The Exterior (The body)
- Ruling over the body: Gives the example of Lou Gehrig, I have no clue about baseball but it is very interesting how he kept at the top, no noise, and died so young.
- Attack the dawn: wake up early (and go early to bed)
- The strenuous life is the best life: Train your body, take care of your body
- Quit being a slave: of craving, addiction, vices
- Avoid the superfluous: – desire -> + rich
- Clean up your desk
- Just show up
- Sweat the small stuff
- Hustle, Hustle, Hustle: I dont really understand this part.
- Slow down… to go faster
- Practice… then practice more.
- Just work
- Dress for success: Interesting facts about Angela Merkel.
- Seek discomfort
- Manage the load
- Sleep is an act of character
- What can you endure?
- Beyond the body
2) The inner domain (The temperament)
- Ruling over yourself
- Look at everything like this
- Keep the main thing the main thing: Learn to say no.
- Focus, focus, focus
- Wait for this sweet fruit
- Perfectionism is a vice
- Do the hard things first
- Can you get back up?
- The battle against pain
- The battle against pleasure
- Fight the provocation
- Beware this madness
- Silence is strength: Example from Sparta.
- Hold, hold your fire
- Temper your ambition: Example from a young Napoleon noticing the evil of ambition and then later in life he ignored his own advice.
- Money is a (dangerous) tool
- Get better every day
- Share the load
- Respect time
- Put up boundaries: Examples of the Queen Elizabeth II
- Do your best: Example from a young Jimmy Carter, when he recognized not doing his best when he had an interview with a general.
- Beyond the temperament
3) The Magisterial (The soul)
- Elevating yourself: Antoninus Pius was the mentor and stepfather of Marcus Aurelius
- Tolerant with others, strict with yourself
- Make others better
- Grace under pressure
- Carry the load for others
- Be kind to yourself
- The power of giving power away
- Turn the other cheek
- How to make an exit
- Endure the unendurable
- Be best
- Flexibility is strength
- Unchanged by success
- Self-discipline is virtue. Virtue is Self-discipline