Philosophy
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Study Stoicism to practice spotting and releasing things you cannot control.
It is incredibly freeing.
3 people, independently
- If you are interested in the foundation of controlling what you can, study Stoicism.1
- Practice controlling your emotions during cold showers as a way to apply stoic principles to situations out of your power.1
- Look into Stoicism to deal with uncertainty by doing what is in your control and remaining indifferent to everything else.1
Tidy your bed right after waking, no matter the hour.
This creates a small feeling of pride and completes the day's first task.
6 people, independently
Plan to be on your way home by 11:30 PM and arrive by midnight at the latest when going out.
One person reported never regretting living by this rule.
- The saying 'nothing good happens after midnight' may only apply to being outside your home, not staying up late doing things at home.
one person who lived it
Take yourself less seriously by remembering that you will die soon.
3 people, independently
Read works about Stoicism to improve your perspective.
It can completely change your perspective and make life immeasurably better.
one person who lived it
Appreciate what you have while you still have it.
Loss often brings clarity about value.
one person who lived it
Avoid rushing through tasks to prevent mistakes that require redoing work.
Haste makes waste.
one person who lived it
Unlearn internal rules derived from past mistakes if they do not help you survive better.
Adding new rules on top of flawed ones leads only to more mistakes; morals are just internal rules.
one person who lived it
Adopt Stoic principles to stop caring about things that do not matter and live simply.
Stoic principles helped one person stop carrying weight for trivial matters and achieve a simple, enjoyable life.
one person who lived it
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Avoid lying because you may forget the details and accidentally tell the truth.
It is difficult to keep a lie and leads to accidental truth-telling.
one person who lived it
Focus on your right to action rather than your right to the results.
one person who lived it
Pursue activities that induce a state of flow.
The feeling is priceless and amazing.
one person who lived it
Accept that change is constant and sameness is an illusion.
Seeing that everything is constantly changing can be liberating.
one person who lived it
Apply the concept of quality from 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' to change small aspects of your life.
Understanding this concept motivated one person to change many little things.
one person who lived it
Listen to The Daily Stoic for stoic philosophy.
It absolutely changed one person's perspective.
one person who lived it
View being alive as the meaning itself, drawing from Eastern philosophy or Zen Buddhism.
one person who lived it
Avoid excessive worry about the future or stress over the past to preserve your enjoyment of the present moment.
Such stress rarely adds value and diminishes current enjoyment.
one person who lived it
Establish routines and order in your life to prevent rushing, spilling, misplacing items, and becoming disorganized.
Rushing leads to getting behind and becoming more disorganized.
one person who lived it