Life without a design is erratic. Build routines that box out the chaos.
Without a disciplined schedule, procrastination inevitably moves in, feeding on chaos, complacency and confusion. The Stoics believed this too. It's why they were big on habits and routines. In a world where so much is out of our control, committing to a routine we do control was, they said, a way of establishing and reminding ourselves of our own power.
Think about the alternative. What am I going to do? What should I wear? What should I eat? Where do I start? Should I tackle this problem or that one? That's torture. Seneca would call it a design problem.
“
Life without a design is erratic.
SENECA
We must create order. We must design routines and systems. When we do, chaos, uncertainty, disorder, complacency and confusion are boxed out by the order and clarity we've built.
TRY THIS TODAY
Design tomorrow morning tonight: what time you'll get up, what you'll do first and what you'll wear. Then follow the plan.
Much of what I've learned about Stoicism comes from Ryan Holiday. Find more of his writing at dailystoic.com and ryanholiday.net.
While I have edited much of this content, there are some cases where I have taken Ryan Holiday's words directly. I've included them because I think they are powerful and will be helpful for you. They are also helpful for me, and I've put them here so I can learn and understand more myself.
Visit Daily Stoic