Procrastinating "is the biggest waste of life," the Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote. "It snatches away each day...and denies us the present by promising the future."
Want to stop wasting your life?
Here are 8 Stoic tactics to beat procrastination:
1/ Take it action by action
"Don’t let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole," Marcus Aurelius wrote. Remember, he adds, everything is built action by action. Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, said, “Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing.”
2/ Create a routine
“Life without a design is erratic,” Seneca wrote, and full of uncertainty. Procrastination feeds on uncertainty. Routine eliminates that uncertainty. We know what we do & when we do it. Procrastination is boxed out—by the order & clarity you built.
1/ Focus on what you can control. 2/ Meditate on your mortality every day. 3/ Own the morning. 4/ Think progress, not perfection. 5/ When you read, ask: what do I plan to do with this information?
6/ Value time more than money/possessions. 7/ Try to find the good in people. 8/ Never be overheard complaining…even to yourself. 9/ Listen more than you speak. 10/ Be strict with yourself and tolerant with others.
Procrastinating "is the biggest waste of life," the Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote. "It snatches away each day...and denies us the present by promising the future."
Want to stop wasting your life?
Here are 8 Stoic tactics to beat procrastination:
1. Take it action by action
"Don’t let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole," Marcus Aurelius wrote. Remember, he adds, everything is built action by action. Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, said, “Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing.”
2. Create a routine
“Life without a design is erratic,” Seneca wrote, and full of uncertainty. Procrastination feeds on uncertainty. Routine eliminates that uncertainty. We know what we do and when we do it. Procrastination is boxed out—by the order and clarity you built.