Inventory Your Thoughts: Journal

The Daily Stoic Journal is how I start and finish every day, along with the information covered in the High Performance Planner that I’ve been using for 2+ years. I always recommend writing down your thoughts. While in hiding, Anne Frank wrote in her diary:

Paper is more patient than people.

The paper will not argue with you or try to change your mind. This process is about writing down what’s on your mind and how you can grow as an individual. Plus, it is a safe place to inventory the day and reflect on what you’ve learned. While writing to his friend Lucilius about the importance of reflecting on the day, Seneca wrote:

We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.

Journaling is a topic I cover in my upcoming book: Get it Scheduled. It will be out in a few months, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on how military operations and ancient philosophy can help transform you into an organized person.

Stoicism is the equivalent of what we now call resiliency. It is about understanding your emotions and knowing how to control them productively. Contrary to popular beliefs, it does not mean you are unflappable and never show your emotions in a public setting. To categorize it this way illustrates that you don’t understand it.

Here are some of my favorite books from Stoic philosophers:

1. Meditations
2. Seneca Stoicism Collection
3. Epictetus: The Art of Living. The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness
4. Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings