The Art of Keeping Main Thing the Main Thing

The three-step framework from “Discipline is Destiny” to keep the main thing the main thing and avoid distractions

Persist and Resist — Epictetus

These two words guarantee “a blameless and untroubled life” according to Epictetus. I discovered this ancient Greek wisdom in the book by Ryan Holiday, Discipline is Destiny. From controlling your spirit, body, and Temperament, this book contains unprecedented stories about people who persist and resist.

Being an admirer of ancient Greek philosophy, Ryan opened a new world through this book. If I had to select one chapter that stuck with me the most it would be the one called Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing. Focusing on the endurance of successful people, the chapter argues that the essential skill is being able to say the dreaded word No.

Now, more than ever, the ability of a person to say no to distractions has been lifted to another level. The competition in almost any field grew significantly over the years while the number of distractions followed it, making it almost impossible to focus.

Are Persist and Resist Relevant Today?

Among all distractions existing today, the persist and resist principle is essential in a twofold manner. First, through finding the main thing and then sticking to it passionately enough to gather the long-term…