Actively cultivate the four cardinal Stoic virtues—courage (putting yourself on the line), temperance (self-discipline and moderation), justice (treating others fairly), and wisdom (applying the other virtues appropriately)—as a framework for ethical living and personal excellence.
Regularly distinguish between what is within your control (thoughts, opinions, actions, beliefs) and what is not, directing your energy only towards the former to avoid wasted effort.
Focus on controlling your response to events, rather than the events themselves, as this is where your agency truly lies.
Before instinctively responding, especially when overcome by passion, implement a brief pause to allow for rational thought and prevent irreversible actions or words.
Engage in daily journaling as a conversation with yourself to reflect on your aspirations, evaluate your current progress, and identify areas for improvement in becoming the person you want to be.
After experiences, actively reflect on them by asking what variables mattered, and how to digest, process, and distill the information, as this reflection is key to true learning and creating actionable abstractions.
Consciously say ’no’ to most requests and opportunities, understanding that every ‘yes’ to one thing is a ’no’ to another, often more important, activity like your core creative work.
When evaluating new commitments, actively consider the opportunity costs—what you are giving up by saying ‘yes’—to make more informed decisions about your time and energy.
Reserve mornings for high-concentration tasks like book writing, as this period offers the freshest energy and focus required for demanding creative work.
Treat creative work (writing, reading, thinking) as the default activity when your calendar is empty, recognizing that scheduled appointments disrupt this flow and demand a pivot.
Show up and work on your craft every single day, as consistent daily effort naturally produces output over time.
Maintain a habit of continuous reading, as it generates new material and ideas that can fuel future creative projects, keeping your system in motion.
Reframe every challenge or event as an opportunity to practice virtue and excellence, transforming obstacles into pathways for personal growth.
To effectively change the world, you must first accept and understand it as it truly is, rather than being preoccupied with how you wish it were.
Avoid ‘channel surfing’ for opportunistic angles; instead, commit fully and unwaveringly to core principles, character, or a long-term vision, as this commitment is a hallmark of admired individuals.
Honestly evaluate the true costs and benefits of anger in your life, recognizing that it is often a corrosive force that leads to regret and mistakes, rather than a positive driver.
Be vigilant against the ‘passions’ (envy, lust, anger, fear, pain, worry), as these emotional states often lead to mistakes by overriding rational thought.
Cultivate self-control and thoughtful responses in minor, everyday situations, so that when major challenges arise, you have already developed the habit and can respond instinctively with composure.
Strive to view all situations ‘in the calm light of mild philosophy,’ cultivating a rational, empathetic, and unhurried temperament, especially in positions of leadership.
For important decisions, write them down at night and revisit them in the morning to engage your rational mind (System 2) and ensure clarity and soundness before acting.
When feeling emotional or upset, draft emails or letters but delay sending them, allowing time for reflection and revision to ensure your communication is problem-solving, not just venting.
Regularly review your past actions and experiences from a distance, like watching game film, to objectively break them down, identify triggers, and understand what could be done differently next time.
Use journaling as a safe outlet to write down frustrations, strong emotions, or negative thoughts, allowing the ‘ferocity of that feeling’ to dissipate before engaging with others.
When you make a mistake, acknowledge it and commit to not repeating it, but avoid throwing away all progress; instead, get back on track and learn from the error.
Before finishing a current project, already have the next idea or project lined up to avoid existential angst and maintain continuous momentum.
Establish contractual obligations or deadlines for projects to maintain honesty and ensure consistent output.
Integrate reading into various parts of your day, such as during lunch, in the afternoon, before bed, and on weekends, to ensure consistent engagement with material.
Place a visible reminder, like a sign with ‘NO’ in capital letters, in your workspace to reinforce the importance of declining non-essential requests.
Be highly selective about the opportunities you pursue, much like a baseball player is defined by the pitches they don’t swing at, to conserve energy and focus on what truly matters.
Recognize that saying ‘yes’ to too many things can lead to a decrease in quality across all your work, which is an unseen but significant opportunity cost that erodes long-term success.
Measure success against your own potential and continuous improvement rather than comparing yourself to others, as external comparisons can lead to misery and are often based on different games or timelines.
Evaluate your work based on whether you are proud of it and if you achieved your intended goals, rather than external metrics like sales or critical reception, which are often unrelated to quality.
Be open to learning from anyone, regardless of their perceived character or reputation, as valuable insights can come from unexpected sources.
To strengthen your own arguments and understanding, actively try to articulate and argue opposing viewpoints better than their proponents, rather than creating straw-man caricatures.
Align yourself with how the world works and let it teach you, rather than fighting against its realities, to avoid unnecessary headwinds and learn valuable lessons.
When provoked or angry, recite the letters of the alphabet before acting or speaking to create a mental pause and prevent impulsive reactions.