First, A Hard Winter Training

First, A Hard Winter Training

Focusing on the Daily Stoic Meditation for September 3 — First, A Hard Winter Training, as outlined by Ryan Holiday in the bestseller 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance and the Art Of Living.

“We must undergo a hard winter training and not rush into things for which we haven’t prepared.”

— EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.2.32

Photo by Mikhail Volkov on Unsplash

A Hard Winter Training

A hard winter training; the act of training yourself with the most difficult, agonising and cruel circumstances.

You train as if, metaphorically, it was winter — hard snows, bad gear, blizzards etc. You train as if everything was again you, and it’s the toughest circumstances you’ve ever faced.

This training could be physical; frequent gym workouts, high intensity classes and long runs, for example. Or, this training could be academic; frequent extended periods of studying, writing in depth articles and working with no distractions.

Why is giving yourself deep training important?

• It prepares you for the worst; when you’ve been exposed to the worst, you improve in handling difficult situations. Moreover, if the worst actually happens, you know how to handle it.