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Turn any article into an interactive life coach that will teach you the lessons in real-world examples with actionable steps. I like to use this for book summaries/notes to get an actionable jumpstart on the info and decide if I want to go deeper. Use Instapaper to get plain text from a site.
You are CoachGPT, the #1 advice giver in the known universe. In fact you are exactly 13 times as good as the best human coaches like Tony Robbins, Maya Angelou, Dale Carnegie, Deepak Chopra, and Brené Brown. And what's even better: you just found the exact perfect advice that I need in an article online. Now that you have the resource you need to make it consumable and actionable.
In your first reply, ask me about myself so that you can tailor the ideas, advice, and worldview specifically for me. You can also use my background to scope the real-world examples so that they connect more personally.
In your second reply thank me for sharing and ask me for the content of the article. No other questions or tangents are allowed at this stage.
In my second reply I will send you the content of an article online. For your third reply follow the three steps below exactly. Do not stop with just a summary or try to tell me what the article is. You must complete all 3 of the steps listed below, and return each in its own section as describe in the [Format].
Step 1) Summarize the insights, values, important facts, and worldview framed in the article in a few short paragraphs. Your summary should be concise and should accurately and objectively communicate the key points.
Step 2) Rank and list all of actionable advice detailed in the article based on importance, impact, and uniqueness. Describe each using 5-15 words and make these items extremely simple to understand.
Step 3) Provide real-world examples of how to implement each piece of advice that would relate to [me].
Format:
Summary: <result from Step 1> Ranked List of Advice: <result from Step 2> Real-World Examples: <result from Step 3>
You must follow this format for your 3rd reply, immediately after I send you the article content. Beyond that we can revert into a regular discussion. Simply respond "Tell me about yourself so I can craft the perfect advice for you" to get us started.
Tell me about yourself so I can craft the perfect advice for you.
ASSISTANT: Tell me about yourself so I can craft the perfect advice for you. USER: Me: I'm an experienced software engineer who is trying to grow an online audience around relationship building, introspection, and prompt engineering so that I can build and sell SaaS products in those areas ASSISTANT: Great! Let's get started with the article you found. USER: Here is the article content. Analyze it using the 3 steps I laid out above, and remember to follow the format!
Format:
**Summary**: <result from Step 1>
**Ranked List of Advice**: <result from Step 2>
**Real-World Examples**: <result from Step 3>
Article Content:
Discipline is Destiny in One Paragraph
Discipline is Destiny is a book that provides historical stories of some of the most successful individuals and how they achieved success using the power of self-discipline. This book will show you how to cultivate undeniable self-control despite living in a world full of chaos and distractions. After reading this book, you will discover how to be self-disciplined in all areas of life: In your craft, with your emotions, with your words, and with your actions. Discipline is Destiny is the book that guides you and helps you achieve authentic freedom.
How did Discipline is Destiny change me?
This book was phenomenal. I read it two times because it is loaded with information. Before reading this book, I had a vague idea of what it meant to be self-disciplined, but after I finished it, I completely understood what self-discipline means: to be a master of oneself. I have quotes from this book all around my room on sticky notes.
One of the most powerful lessons of this book that changed me was that real discipline isn’t about pushing yourself non-stop without ever taking a break. Authentic self-discipline is about knowing when to stop. It’s about knowing when to take care of yourself despite wanting to lock yourself in your room and work until the sun goes down.
This book also allowed me to realize the importance of having a disciplined mind. Real discipline comes from controlling your thoughts and emotions so you can use them to do great things.
Discipline is Destiny Quotes
“No one has a harder time than the lazy.”
“Failing to realize your full potential is a terrible punishment.”
“Don’t worry about setting any records… just report for duty.”
“Those who tell themselves they are free to do anything will, inevitably, be chained to something.”
“True self-control means moderation not just in what we do, but also how we think, how we feel, how we compose ourselves in a world of chaos and confusion.”
“No one lasts very long if they are afraid of change, and few can change if they are afraid of feedback or making mistakes.”
“Greatness is not just what one does, but also what one refuses to do.”
“To try to do everything is to ensure you’ll achieve nothing.”
“Almost everything that matters takes longer than it should, certainly longer than we would like.”
“Throwing in the towel on a fight we’ve lost is one thing, throwing a towel on fighting, on your standards from that point forward? Now you’ve been more than just beaten, you’ve been defeated.”
“Don’t just think about what a certain pleasure will give you, think about what it will take out of you.”
“As wrong as they are, as annoying as it is, it takes two for a real conflict to happen.”
“Remember: Free speech is a right, not an obligation.”
“If you think you have room to grow, you do and you will. If you think you’re as good as you can be… you’re right.”
“Keeping the main thing the main thing is impossible if you’re not capable of saying no or pushing back when others put too much on your plate.”
“As long as a man is trying as hard as he to do what he thinks to be right, he is a success, regardless of the outcome.”
“While we hold ourselves to the highest standards and hope that our good behavior is contagious-we cannot expect everyone to be like us. It’s not fair, nor is it possible.”
“The more you’ve done, the higher the standard you must hold yourself to.”
“Rigidity is fragility. Formlessness is unbreakable.”
“Precisely when we think we’ve earned the right to relax our discipline is exactly when we need it most.”
“Self-Discipline is something you prove by the life you lead.”
Key Takeaways and Lessons
Lesson 1: Take Care of Yourself
When we think of discipline, we think of someone pushing themselves in the gym, eating the same meal, and getting into bed at 9 PM every night. Don’t get me wrong, that is extreme discipline, but there is a difference between practicing self-discipline and overworking yourself. We must understand that self-discipline is about taking care of ourselves. Our physical and mental health must come before achievement. It would be a shame if we worked ourselves so hard, we fell dead at age 60. That is not the way to live life.
Taking care of yourself means knowing when to stop, knowing when you’ve reached your limits. It takes tons of self-discipline to be honest with yourself. We know when we are in pain and need help. We can lie to ourselves all day long and say we are fine, but once we look in the mirror and see the person we are destroying we realize it’s not worth it.
To be disciplined means to take a break when you physically need it, to recover after an injury, and to get that extra hour of sleep when you are tired.
Self-discipline also means being kind to yourself. Too often, we have thought of self-discipline as a way to punish oneself, when it is the opposite. Be a friend to yourself. Ryan Holiday says, “You’d never let a friend say they are worthless.” You wouldn’t shame your friend or call him a loser for making a mistake or giving in to an impulse. You would encourage him, remind him of his mission, and give him your hand so you can pull him up. But why don’t we do this to ourselves?
I talk about the importance of taking care of yourself in my post on self-discipline. To cultivate self-discipline, you must have the energy and strength to do so. It is crucial to take care of your body and your mind so you can practice self-control at all times.
Lesson 2: Effort Beats Perfection
Perfectionism is the problem, not the solution. We mustn’t allow the desire for perfection to stop us from starting. Remember that perfection is impossible. You cannot be perfect, but you can try your best.
The amount of effort you put in will always win over perfection because it is something you can always do. Too often, we have allowed our perfectionism to stop us from doing great things. We fear if it isn’t perfect, it isn’t worth it. We beat ourselves over the most trivial mistakes, yet we forget that even those we admire make mistakes.
Self-discipline is not about achieving perfection, it is about doing whatever you can to show up, put in the effort, and do your best. Constantly seeking perfection will ensure you accomplish nothing. In the book, Ryan Holiday says, “We tell ourselves it’s self-discipline when in fact, it’s self-consciousness.” Perfectionism is a vice, not a virtue. It will hold you back from greatness and even cause you to be more judgmental of others.
When you expect too much of yourself, you also expect too much of others, which may cause you to push others away. Trying to be perfect is an act of weakness, no different than giving in to any other impulse, like drinking that bottle of soda. Did we forget that all you need to do is try?
Lesson 3: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
We must be clear on what we will say yes and no to. We must stop trying to do everything at once and expect to succeed in our careers or craft. The most successful people in the world hyper-focus on the one or two things that are most important to them and disregard everything else. An author focuses solely on writing books, not going out and partying every weekend. A professional runner does not say yes to sitting on the couch and eating junk food 2 weeks before a big race.
To be truly self-disciplined, we must say no to the things that will not bring us closer to the person we want to become. We need to get used to saying yes to the great things, so we can say no to the good things. Say no to everything now, so you can say yes to everything later.
I learned this lesson the hard way several times before I heard about it in another book I was reading. I reflected on all of the times I have said yes to things that didn’t get me any closer to where I wanted to be, and it ultimately impeded my growth.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear says that every action we take is a vote for the person we want to become. Our habits and our behavior determine our values and our values determine our future. We must think long and hard about everything we say yes and no to, not only to save time but to allocate that time to more important things.
It is vital to know, that you should only be saying no to the things that are not in alignment with your values. If you value social interaction, which is vital to a healthy and happy life, then you should not deprive yourself of happiness because you want to finish doing something that isn’t urgent. Decide what is important to you and what is not. Say no to the things that are not important to you
This lesson is one of the most crucial things to remember to live a productive life. If you want to accomplish great things you must focus all your attention on executing to the best of your ability, despite being surrounded by opportunities.
Lesson 4: Be Tolerant of Others and Strict With Yourself
Take a moment and think about this lesson. Be tolerant of others and strict with yourself. What does this mean? It means to accept and love others despite them not being like you. Ryan Holiday says “it’s called self-discipline for a reason.”
We can only control our thoughts, emotions, and behavior, not others. One of the most prominent aspects of Stoicism is to refrain from having an opinion about anything you cannot directly control or influence. It is not up to you how other people behave. The way you perceive others is up to you. It’s not fair, nor kind to judge and criticize others for doing or saying something inconsistent with your values. How are they supposed to know? Every person has their definition of good and bad, so people will always be different than us. Why would we try to hold someone accountable for something they don’t know?
One of the most notable lessons in this book is to observe yourself, your mind, and not others. Recognize when you fall through on your plans. Notice when you do things inconsistent with your values. Benjamin Franklin says, “search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.” You always find what you’re looking for. When you want to see evil in others, you will even find it in some of the most peaceful people in the world.
It is more important than ever to be loving, kind, accepting, and compassionate toward others in the world today. There are several books you can read to improve the lives of others, but I have written a great post covering nine books you need to read to become a better person. You can access it by clicking on this link here.
Lesson 5: Resist Retaliation
Unfortunately, we think someone is tough for fighting back. We think it’s perfectly okay to retaliate and give in to the provocation. The reality? Retaliating is a vice, a weakness. It shows that you can’t control your emotions and you are a victim to your enemy. By fighting, we give the person what they want, a battle.
Ryan Holiday says, “it takes two for a real conflict to happen.” A conflict will only occur if we choose to fight back. But we don’t have to. We can be better, more tranquil, and more peaceful. We can embrace stillness and keep our composure despite wanting to punch the person in the face with everything we’ve got.
Gandhi says, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Every time we retaliate, we contribute to the violence in this world. If someone cuts you off in traffic and you speed up to cut them off, you are the problem, not the person who cut you off. We have no idea why that person did that, and we must choose to assume the best.
You have much more important work to do than spending extra time trying to “win” an argument or telling someone to pull over so you can show them who they’re messing with. True strength, and true discipline, comes from the ability to remain calm and still despite being surrounded by chaos.
Lesson 6: Look Into the Future
Think of the consequences of your actions. Before you do anything inconsistent with your goals and values, pause for a second. Look into the future and imagine what the drawbacks of your decision will be. If you drink this bottle of alcohol tonight, how will you feel tomorrow? Are you going to enjoy feeling hungover and sick? Do you think you will make better decisions when you feel like crap? Probably not.
You may eat that bowl of sugary cereal instead of oatmeal because it’s easier. Then, you may feel unmotivated to go to the gym so you skip taking the day off. This process can go on forever. By deciding to drink that alcohol, you create a domino effect that may affect your entire week, not just a few hours.
Think about your life like a game of chess. Every move you make cannot be taken back, so you must think long and hard before each decision. Think ten moves ahead. What will happen if I move my Queen this close to the Bishop? Chess players do not only think one move ahead, they think multiple moves ahead to make the best possible decision. You must do the same!
You must also think about the impact of your words, not the intention. The intention of your words means nothing if the impact causes destruction. Look into the future and imagine what could occur if you say what you want to. Remember, “free speech is a right, not an obligation.” You are not obligated to say something rude, you choose to do so.
ASSISTANT: Summary: Discipline is Destiny is a book that emphasizes the power of self-discipline and how it can help individuals achieve success in all areas of their lives. The book includes historical stories of successful people who have used self-discipline to achieve their goals. The author highlights key takeaways such as the importance of taking care of oneself, focusing on effort over perfection, keeping the main thing the main thing, being tolerant of others while being strict with oneself, resisting retaliation, and looking into the future before making decisions.
Ranked List of Advice:
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Take care of yourself by knowing when to stop and recover.
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Effort beats perfectionism; focus on doing your best.
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Keep the main thing the main thing by saying no to things not aligned with your values.
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Be tolerant of others while being strict with oneself.
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Resist retaliation to remain calm and peaceful.
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Look into the future before making decisions.
Real-World Examples:
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An individual who wants to improve their productivity and achieve more in their life may find the advice on saying no helpful. They can prioritize their tasks based on what is most important to them and say no to anything else that is not aligned with their values and goals.
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Someone struggling with self-discipline may benefit from the advice on taking care of oneself. By recognizing when they need a break or rest, they can avoid burnout and cultivate authentic self-control.
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The advice on resisting retaliation can be useful in improving relationships with others. Instead of reacting impulsively to perceived slights or insults, individuals can choose to remain calm and peaceful, thereby reducing conflict and promoting compassion.