As a Man Thinketh Summary: The Key Ideas, What Holds Up, and How to Use Them
James Allen's 1903 book argues that thought shapes character, circumstances and even health.
Section · 11 articles
Motivation
Discipline, fear, resilience and comebacks: the real stories behind the famous ones, what the research says about drive, and what you can borrow from it.
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HACKS VITAE ARTWORK (AI-ASSISTED)
Start here Why Motivation Matters: What Moves People, and What the Research Says About Rewards and Habits Motivation · 7 min · 9 points Motivation · 10 min · 7 points Motivation · 5 min · 6 points Motivation · 3 min · 7 points Motivation · 11 min Motivation · 4 min Motivation · 5 min Motivation · 8 min Motivation · 8 min Motivation · 11 min Motivation · 10 min
Our reading: motivation gets you started, and conditions and habits do much of the work of keeping you going.
Read it →11 articles, newest first
Grit Summary: The Key Ideas, What Holds Up, and How to Use Them
Grit argues that what people achieve depends less on talent than we assume and more on grit: passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
Comeback Stories from History, Checked Against the Record
Of six well-known comeback stories, three hold up, two are partly true and one does not hold up.
Comeback Stories, Part 2: Sanders, Jordan, Disney, Beethoven and Jobs
Of seven famous comebacks, three hold up and four are real stories carrying a detail that was added or changed.
The Science Behind Affirmations: Harnessing the Power of Words
Most self-affirmation research studies reflecting on values you hold; a 2015 meta-analysis of health studies found small but reliable effects, and a 2017 school replication found none.
The Ride of the Rohirrim: Theoden's Inspiring Speech and the Greatest Cavalry Charge Scene
The Ride of the Rohirrim is a fictional cavalry charge: Rohan's riders sweeping onto the Pelennor Fields in Tolkien's The Return of the King.
A Motivational Poem About Resilience and Success: "INVICTUS" by William Ernest Henley
"Invictus" is Latin for "unconquered", and in Henley's sixteen lines a speaker battered by chance says his head is "bloody, but unbowed".
Veni Vidi Vici Method: How to Conquer Life and Achieve Success ∙ Life Hacks for Success
The Veni Vidi Vici method is this site's own three-step framework, named after Caesar's line: decide and start, look hard at what is in the way, then act and follow through.
Lessons from Hacksaw Ridge and Desmond Doss: Personal Development Hacks ∙ Life Lessons ∙ Life Hacks
Desmond Doss (1919–2006) was a real US Army medic, a Seventh-day Adventist who would not carry a weapon.
Conquer Your Fears: Face Your Fears ∙ Lessons on Becoming Fearless from Cus D'Amato and Mike Tyson
Avoidance keeps a fear in place; a 2015 review calls real-life exposure highly effective for specific phobias, compared with no treatment or placebo.
Motivation vs Discipline: How to Cultivate Both for Success ∙ Mindset Hack ∙ Motivation Hack
Motivation is why you act and how much you want to; discipline is sticking to a plan when the wanting runs low.