How to structure your day like a Stoic

Hello again, my fellow Stoic!

Last week, I talked about starting my 30-day accountability challenge. I promised to give you an update in a week.

So here it is.

In the past 7 days, I have:

• Ran 1 giveaway

• Went on daily walks

• Took 7 cold showers in 7 days

• Posted 3 tweets/day consistently

• Posted 3 threads (the goal was 2)

• Reached out to 1 new person each day

• Stated being consistent with my LinkedIn posts

• Created my telegram accountability group - 10 friends joined to grow with me!

I will talk about the results I got too, but first I wanted to tell you about what helped me stay consistent with my commitment:

Daily schedule.

I know it sounds cliche but hear me out…

I copied the daily schedule framework from one of the most well-known Stoic philosophers of the past — Benjamen Franklin.

(you might know him for something else).

Here’s what his schedule looked like:

Every morning, I plan out my tasks for the day and set reminders so that I can stay on track.

Having a physical/digital place to write down my commitments and review them every now and then was really helpful in keeping me motivated.

I use my iPhone to write down tasks for the day, here’s an example:

I also made sure to take regular breaks and reward myself for the small wins. That idea came from our old friend, Marcus:

| “Assemble your life… action by action. And be satisfied if each one achieves its goal… No one can keep that from happening…Action by action.” — Marcus Aurelius

So, now… How can you structure your day like a Stoic & stop wasting away your days?

Here’s my breakdown for you:

Early morning:

• Wake up early (try 1 hr earlier than you do now).

• Meditate for gratitude: I think about 3 things I’m grateful for each morning.

• Walking or Excercise: “We should take wandering outdoor walks so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.” — Seneca.

• Self-reflection and planning: This is a core practice of stoicism. Plan out your day & think about potential problems you may face.

The rest of your day:

• Remember your WHY: When you go to work or school, remember that your main purpose in life is to develop & be useful to your own tribe. It’s that simple.

• Stay focused: Always, always concentrate on 1 task at hand. Eliminate distractions to get more done in less time.

• Remember what you can control: Your thoughts, your actions, your judgments. You can’t control anything else. Don’t waste your time & energy trying to change it.

Evening:

• Read: I find evenings to be the best time to read. Reading will help you grow as a person — by reflecting on the discoveries made by others and contemplating the discoveries still to come.

• Put your day up for review: Answer these 3 questions:

1. What did I do badly?

2. What did I do well?

3. How can I be better tomorrow and what tasks were left undone?

Remember that you can be helpful to your own tribe today — with the right approach.

Focus on one task at a time and stay disciplined. Plan your days ahead & make sure your actions always match your WHY.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I wish you all the best of luck.

See ya next week!

Abdu Khol