W.I.N. Wednesday: Seneca's List
I am a fan of Ryan Holiday’s books and his Daily Stoic newsletter. One of the things he posted in the last few weeks included the below list of things Seneca tried to do daily.
Things Seneca tried to do daily:
· Wake up early
· Stick to his routine
· Treat everyone he met as an opportunity for kindness
· Look for one nugget of wisdom
· Prepare for adversity
· Write to a friend
· Meditate on his mortality
· Put his day up for review
This list provides a good framework for all of us. I know there is some controversy around the “wake up early” concept and everyone has different ideas of what “early” means. I would suggest you could modify that to “Go to bed and wake up at a consistent time every day”. The research shows that being consistent with the time you go to bed and the time you wake up is one helpful aspect to getting quality sleep.
I realize that many of you are still dealing with the challenges of working from home and working out at home, while looking after your kids who are at home. Hopefully you have been able to develop some routines around healthy eating, working, working out, family time, time for reading and other elements of self care and self growth. Those routines and rituals are important.
Preparing for adversity is not about being paranoid; it is about being prepared mentally and physically. Are you prepared in the event of adversity such as the need to self isolate or quarantine your family for two weeks as a result of one of you testing positive for COVID-19, or being a close contact of someone who tested positive. We are also still seeing the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and jobs, and will for some time.
Writing to a friend may mean reaching out through e-mail or a phone call to someone to check in and see how he or she is doing. If you get the sense they are struggling then find what you can do to be of service to them. Sometimes just knowing that someone is thinking of them may be enough to lift their spirits.
My understanding of the concept of meditating on our mortality is accepting that for all of us our time on earth is limited. Once we accept that it can help guide our thoughts and actions to ensure we use our time well in order to learn, grow, share and be of greatest service to others.
Putting our day up for review is not just about seeing if you ticked off all the boxes on your “To Do” list; it is a chance to reflect on how you did regarding your “To Be” list. To be a better son / daughter, sister / brother, husband / wife / partner, mother / father, leader, learner, coach, mentor, role model and any other roles you fill each day.
What’s Important Now? What can you take from Seneca’s list to enhance your life?
Take care.
Brian Willis
www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com
Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?
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