How To Actually Build Discipline - Gen. Stanley McChrystal - #942
Modern Wisdom
05/17/25
•60m
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Gen. Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star U.S. Army general, former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and and an author.
From the battlefield to daily life, it’s the small consistent choices that win both. So how can traits like discipline, integrity, and character shape everyday success and even prepare you to lead at the highest level?
Expect to learn how the General thinks about discipline and what makes discipline such a powerful predictor of personal and professional success, how to balance high standards for yourself with gratitude for what you’ve achieved, why character is so important and how Stanley defines it, how leaders balance personal ambition with the greater good, and much more...
Timestamps:
(00:00) Nearly Getting Expelled From West Point (04:19) Learning From Any Experience (12:55) Why Is Discipline So Highly Valued? (23:51) Having Both Gratitude & High Standards (34:47) Balancing Service With Personal Ambition (47:16) The Role of Conviction (51:38) The Price You Pay For Success (57:14) Where to Find Stanley
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Previous Episode
How to Break Free From Chronic Anxiety - Martha Beck - #941
May 15, 2025
•66m
Martha Beck is a sociologist, life coach, and an author.
Why is anxiety so widespread today? It feels like nearly everyone is struggling with it in some form, but where does it come from, and what are the most effective ways to manage it or overcome it completely?
Expect to learn why anxiety always lies, what most people misunderstand about how anxiety works, the true tension between anxiety and creativity and the role creativity plays in anxiety expression, how to overcome your negative inner voice, why most people get stuck when undergoing a personal transformation, how to become your trust and most authentic self, how to overcome trauma and resentment and much more... Timestamps:
(00:00) Anxiety Always Lies (05:33) Are We Designed to Be Anxious? (15:22) Overcoming the Anxiety Spiral (27:30) How Anxiety Impacts Creativity (30:26) Activating the Right Side of Your Brain (34:00) The Role of Courage in Pursuing Creativity (39:35) Effective Interventions For Anxious People (43:20) Martha’s Autoimmune Issues (47:47) Advice For People With Chronic Illness (51:33) The Most Common Limiting Beliefs (57:01) Pay Attention to Your Fleeting Thoughts (01:02:51) Where to Find Martha
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Extra Stuff:
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Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Get In Touch:
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Next Episode
The Downfall Of CrossFit & The Future Of Fitness - Will Ahmed - #943
May 19, 2025
•114m
Will Ahmed is an entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of WHOOP.
Wearable fitness tech has taken over in 2025, from sleep scores to stress tracking and everything in between. So how did WHOOP grow into a $3.6 billion giant? And how do you use the data to improve your life without letting it control you?
Expect to learn why CrossFit is so unpopular now and what happened to its falloff, what the broad trends of fitness are across the globe, how to get past your self-doubt and stop being so hard on yourself, how to deal with rejection better, what it is like hanging with the world’s best athletes, how to avoid being a prisoner of your wearable fitness data, and much more...
Timestamps:
(00:00) The Downfall of CrossFit (04:34) Recent Global Trends in the Fitness Industry (13:11) How Being an Only Child Influences You (17:31) Overcoming Self-Doubt (25:01) Balancing Ambition & Gratitude (34:44) Running a Company While Experiencing Grief (39:18) Finding Out What You Truly Want (43:18) The Journey of Pursuing What You Want (56:27) The Romanticisation of Failure (01:10:41) Learning From the World’s Best Athletes (01:19:31) Getting Trapped in Over-Optimisation (01:32:14) The Real Costs of the Outcomes You Desire (01:37:57) Will’s Perfect Morning Routine (01:43:54) Biggest Hacks for Overseas Travel (01:51:22) What’s Next for Will
Sponsors:
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Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom
Get the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom
Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom
Extra Stuff:
Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books
Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Get In Touch:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast
Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact
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