📖 Current Read; 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living — Ryan Holiday
No Time For Theories, Just Results
The Daily Stoic Meditation for August 11 outlines that we are dealing with the real world — you need to stick to objectivity, the facts and the truth.
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
“When the problem arose for us whether habit or theory was better for getting virtue — if by theory is meant what teaches us correct conduct, and by habit we mean being accustomed to act according to this theory — Musonius thought habit to be more effective.”
— MUSONIUS RUFUS, LECTURES, 5.17.31–32, 5.19.1–2
No Time For Theories
Stick With Just The Facts
Stick with just the facts.
Do not jump to conclusions.
Do not add emotional attachments.
See things just as they are and stick to it.
Be Objective
Being objective is seeing things just as they are — you are not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
You do not add your own stories or emotions, you are rational and see things exactly as they are.
Objectivity is key in all aspects of life.
Objectivity enables you to;
- Make the correct conclusions
- Forgo jumping to conclusions
- See things as they are
- Make efficient decisions
- Make good progress
Although seeing things as they are can sometimes be painful, it is always in your best interest.
It allows you to make the correct decisions and move forward!
Cultivate objectivity and stick with the facts.
What Matters Is Now
What matters is how you deal with the current situation.
What matters is how you work through the situation — do you shy away or do you tackle it?
What matters is how you emotionally respond to the current situation — are you calm or angry?
Focus on what is in front of you, the current situation.
Deal with that and work past it the best you can.
Do not worry in anticipation.
Idea of the Week. 💭
Start With Where The World Is
A short piece outlining that it is never too late to take action.
If it is in your power, take action now.
Forgo the need for outward approval, forget other people and just act.
The smallest step forward is better than nothing — it will compound and lead to greatness.
Take Action Now
Take action now.
No matter what you are doing, what resources you have or what experience you have, take action now.
Take Action
Prioritise Action
Prioritise action.
Maintain a bias toward action. — James Clear
Without action, you will not achieve.
It’s a harsh truth, yet it is one worth accepting and acknowledging.
You need action if you ever want to move forward.
You will have to take action, you will have to take the first step, you will have to get the ball rolling. It is your responsibility.
If you fail to do this, you’ll stay exactly where you are; stagnant.
If you achieve this, you’ll take great leaps in the direction of your dreams.
Take Action Now
Why Now?
The better question here is probably, why not?
When you have clarity on the absolute essential, why not get things into motion?
Now
There is no better time to act than now.
You have everything you need, the best thing you can do is simply go for it, right now.
Habits & Small Steps
What?
Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.
This definition is quite wordy and a little complex; habits are just daily activities that you perform almost effortlessly.
They are small activities that are natural to you, they do not involve much friction, and you perform them without strenuous thought. Of course, they do not start out frictionless, you usually have to spend a lot of time grappling with a habit, trying to make it stick.
Habits can be both good and bad, and it is important that you make a clear distinction, so that you can work on curbing your bad habits and strengthening your good habits.
It’s important to note that, when you have developed a strong habit, it can be very hard to unlearn. Many habits stick with us for a long time!
Make A Habit Of It
There’s two key things in regards to action and habit formation.
- If you want to do something, make it into a habit.
- If you don’t want to do something, do not make it into a habit.
Do
Habits are extremely pivotal when it comes to productivity, action and success.
If you make something into a strong habit, performing that action will get easier and easier until it becomes second nature. There’s great power in habits.
You can harness this power when it comes to something you want to implement more of.
If you want to do more of something, make it into a habit.
Form a habit (by doing the action consistently and efficiently over a long period of time) out of whatever action you want, and you’ll be set.
Don’t
On the other hand, if you want to avoid something at all cost, don’t make a habit of it.
If you make the practice into a habit, you run the risk of it compounding, and that bad thing could get stronger and stronger.
Each time you perform a habit, it becomes easier, and this is fatal when it comes to the things you don’t want to do.
Take checking your phone in the morning as an example.
If you’ve checked your phone every morning all your life, it’ll be a pretty strong habit.
The only way to curb this habit, or not form it at all, is to stop checking your phone in the morning. Over time, the chains will loosen, and the habit will not be so strong.
The more you do something, the more it sticks.
If you don’t want to do something, don’t make a habit of it.
Habits Compound
Habits, routines, rituals, and daily practices accumulate over time.
A commitment to a daily action may be a small step, but it counts in a month or year. The effects of repeating the same good routines and habits are huge over the long term.
Most people underestimate tiny daily steps, but those actions lead to massive results.
“Your little choices become habits that affect the bigger decisions you make in life,” — Elizabeth George
Don’t underestimate the power of compounding — your daily rituals are compounding for or against you.
Habits build upon each-other the more they are performed, leading to stronger and more efficient action.
If you want to make great progress, start building habits.
Quote of the Week. 🗣
Ludwig Wittgenstein on taking full control.
“I am my world.”
To end, here’s a question from me! ⚡️
How can you exercise your creative mind?
Perhaps you could;
- Paint
- Dance
- Sing
- Draw
- Crochet
Whatever it is, how can you try something new and get the creative juices flowing?
Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Sam. 😆
