It could fail. It could go badly. But how will you know until you start?
It could fail. It could go badly. It could be harder than you expect. It could. But how will you know? How will you know until you start?
That's the one thing all fools do, Seneca said. They delay starting. They put it off. They let their fear or their laziness win.
This is where two essential Stoic virtues come in: courage and discipline. We have to be brave enough to push past our fears, and strong enough to make ourselves do what needs to be done.
Perhaps a third virtue comes in too: justice. What you're doing might be important. It could make a real difference. It could fail, but it could also help people. And here you are putting it off, taking the counsel of your fears and letting the resistance win. That isn't without cost, to yourself and to others.
Don't be afraid to start. Don't put it off any longer.
TRY THIS TODAY
Write down the thing you're most afraid to start. Then write the smallest possible first step, and take it before the week is out.
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.
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