Newsletter › #3
Is Self-Discipline an Illusion? The ONE Thing | The Writing Framework I Built from 30,892 Words | Episode 46 Interview
Hi, Reader,
Today is Retrocession Day — are you enjoying the day off?
Do you look forward to days off?
I can't remember when it started, but I no longer look forward to them.
My alarm is the same Monday to Sunday; I don't distinguish weekdays from weekends.
Every day I can't wait to get up and start creating and learning.
So days off don't mean much to me —
there's no difference between weekdays and holidays, haha.
Is that good or bad? I honestly don't know.
But I do know I really enjoy living this way.
What about you? Are you enjoying your life right now?
Feel free to write and tell me :)
【Book share】
- Authors: Gary Keller, Jay Papasan
- Title: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
- URL: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/Mj3_F1O3YzKQrR7SsKmaug
I heard about this book from Ryan Wu's podcast.
If you're planning to run a one-person company,
I highly recommend his podcast too: One-Person Company Field Manual (in Mandarin).
I didn't expect much at first, because the book is quite old.
It came out in 2014, with a revised edition in 2017 — several years ago now.
Before reading it I thought: "focus" — isn't that just doing one thing at a time?
Do I really need a book for that?
Only after reading it did I realize how foolish I'd been,
looking at "focus" so superficially.
This is easily one of the top three books I've read this year.
One idea from the book:
"Discipline" and "habit" eventually meet.
Everyone assumes successful people are highly self-disciplined. That's actually a myth.
Self-discipline uses up willpower, and willpower is limited.
So if you rely on self-discipline to run your life, you're bound to fail.
You don't need to be "disciplined all the time" to succeed.
Instead, "use discipline to sprint" for a while, then "let habit take over."
Once a habit becomes part of your life, from the outside you look very disciplined.
But the truth is: you're just used to it.
This passage really hit home.
People often describe me as "disciplined," but that's not really the case.
I can get up early every day to meditate, do yoga and write, weekday or weekend,
not because I'm disciplined, but because it's become a habit.
I wake up before my alarm even goes off — discipline, my foot, haha.
So you need to be disciplined long enough for your body to get used to it.
How long is that?
Everyone's willpower is different, but the book cites one figure: 66 days.
On average, 66 days is enough to turn discipline into a habit.
So there's no need to envy people who "seem" so disciplined — you can do it too.
Just be disciplined for a while, then let habit take over.
It's a wonderful book, and I recommend it to everyone.
【Bonus】
This issue's special feature: the INSPIRE writing framework.
In 30 days I typed 30,892 words and completed my 30-day daily writing challenge.
Along the way, I put together this writing framework: INSPIRE.
The INSPIRE writing framework
0. Intention — begin with the end in mind. Before writing, be clear about the article's purpose and the effect you want. Think it through: what do you want readers to feel or learn when they finish? Note that this part doesn't appear in the article.
1. Notice — lead with the conclusion. Grab attention from the first line and state your position. Let readers know what you're going to say and why it matters.
2. Story — set the scene. Build connection with a true story, a scene from a book or an everyday situation. Stories are the most powerful form of persuasion.
3. Proof — back it up. Support your point with data, research or real cases to build trust and credibility.
4. Insight — share your view. Offer your insight and position. Be sure to pick a side; don't stay neutral.
5. Recommend — give an action plan. Give concrete, actionable advice to help readers turn ideas into action.
6. Echo — come full circle. Return to the opening theme or conclusion to reinforce it, so the article forms a complete loop.
How to use it
- Think through step 0 (Intention) first; it doesn't go in the article.
- Then fill in steps 1 → 6 in order. You can also jump around.
- Finally, link them together, and you'll naturally have a piece that's both logical and heartfelt.
I've found this structure works well for medium-to-long articles, roughly 1,200 Chinese characters and up.
So it suits blog writing, not social media.
I copy the framework into my writing app first —
it can be Word or a notes app (I use Obsidian) — and then fill in the blanks.
When I get stuck, I skip ahead; I write whatever I have ideas for first. There's no need to go in order.
But remember: always do step 0 first. Begin with the end in mind — at the very least, settle the purpose!
I hope this framework helps you. If you find it useful, I'd love to hear back :)
This week's episode
#46 | Interview | From multinational executive to freelancer: reinventing yourself in midlife and building a second life | ft. Bu Jie (Part 2)
If you haven't heard part one, I suggest listening to it first.
Did you enjoy part one?
I loved it — I even listened twice,
because Bu Jie is so pleasant to listen to,
and so wise.
In this episode we talk about
how Bu Jie found her niche
after becoming a freelancer.
If you're also going through a midlife transition, wondering whether to change careers,
and want to build a second life of your own,
don't miss this one.
Let's hear Bu Jie's story.
Here are the links to the episode, plus the summary and mind map (in Chinese):
🧠 Mind map
Read the English show notes › (the episode is in Mandarin Chinese)
If you enjoy the show,
remember to subscribe, leave a comment and give it five stars!
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Gear I recommend
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That's it for this issue of the FIRE Life Weekly.
If you have any questions about the show,
or suggestions for the newsletter,
just write to me at doug@firetw.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Have a lovely weekend,
and see you next week.
Doug