Discipline Archives - Page 2 of 3

What it Takes to Have Grit

March 1, 2020 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

Grit, as defined by Angela Duckworth, in her bestselling book by the same name, is passion and perseverance.

Grit is forged by the combination of the two — a passion for something and the willingness to follow through on the process it takes to become good at that thing.

Here’s how Duckworth describes highly-successful people, based on her research:

1. They were resilient and hardworking.

2. They knew in a very, very deep way what it was they wanted.

If grit is the key to success, then determination and direction is the key to having grit. [Read more…]

Master of Work: Jerry Rice

November 15, 2019 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

Jerry Rice is widely considered one of the greatest to have ever played the game of football.

His legacy as as the NFL’s all-time best wide receiver will forever be cemented by a 20-year career with over 1,500 receptions, close 23,000 reception yards and 200 touchdowns — all NFL all-time records. He has also, at some point, held every single season record for a receiver.

His stats prove the point, but what makes Rice a great study goes beyond the numbers:

1. He was undersized and considered slow by conventional standards.

2. He came from a small college in Itta Bena, Mississippi (Population: 1,946)

3. He came from an even smaller high school in Crawford, Mississippi (Population: 636)

[Read more…]

What is Character?

December 25, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

The word character has lost its true meaning. Today, it is thought of as a novel trait we know we should have but can’t define in a meaningful way. We say things like “men of good character” but we mistakenly define it as a man of good qualities or of good values. The term we use today is more closely linked to a person’s personality.

Character is something different. Warren Susman researched the rise and fall of the concept of character during the 1800s and wrote that it was a keyword in the vocabulary, but it was described as something men would have to strive to attain.

Good character was something that came from within and a person of good character was a person of noble virtue.

Their actions yielded their character: what they did was who they were.

[Read more…]

Quiet Professional by Rob Shaul

July 2, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

I heard Rob Shaul talking about the Quiet Professional on an Art of Manliness podcast and I have since been consumed with this approach to life.

The term comes from the Special Forces community but Rob builds the idea into a holistic message that coveys several big ideas.

It is a craftsman mentality — go to work and chase perfection. [Read more…]

Become a Five Percenter

February 13, 2016 by Tony Francisco 3 Comments

The following philosophies are mostly taken from The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness.

The Slight Edge was also the first book discussed in The Outwork Book Club. It’s that important. The information from the book forms the basis of a philosophy for success. [Read more…]