Written by: January 14, 2024
7 evening habits of a Stoic. The Marcus Aurelius Routine:
Principle-First
Marcus Aurelius reigned as Roman emperor from 161 to 180 CE.
Despite being the most powerful man of his time, he’s remembered as a humble leader.
How did Marcus become powerful? How did he stay virtuous?
His journal, Meditations, holds the secret…
Marcus was a Stoic who believed in practical daily habits.
From Meditations, we get a fair idea of what his nighttime routine would have been.
Today I’ll reveal the 7-part breakdown.
SUPERHUMAN SCORING
In every edition of System Sunday, I assess the featured system across three superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, and maintenance.
Unlike your typical review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.
Impact (9.5/10)
Best-selling author Tim Ferriss describes Stoic philosophy as: “An ideal operating system for thriving in high-stress environments.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Stoicism has played a key role in my own personal growth—helping me persevere through tough times: graduate school, a relationship breakup, and dealing with the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur (among others).
I trust you’ll find this practical philosophy useful, too.
Onwards to the 7 Stoic habits.
Setup (7.5/10)
Step 1: Eliminate external stimuli.
“It is in your power to retire into yourself whenever you choose.”
Use the nighttime to take a “vacation” from your busy day:
- Unplug from TV + social media
- Take a walk, meditate, or practice ‘non-doing'
- Seek inner-stillness
Step 2: Get some physical exercise.
“A healthy mind cannot exist without a healthy body.”
Marcus did not believe in exercise for vanity.
Instead, he believed exercise trained the mind for:
- Consistency
- Self-discipline
- Clear thinking
Take a mind-cleansing walk today.
Step 3: Review your day.
“Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life.”
It's been said that we do not learn from experience; we learn from *reflecting* on experience.
When reviewing your day, here are some helpful questions to journal:
- What did I plan to happen?
- What actually happened?
- What went well? What didn't go well?
- How can I improve for tomorrow?
An HBR study found a 25% increase in performance for those who journal at night.
Step 4: Contemplate your sage.
“Mastery of reading and writing requires a master. Still more so life.”
In this step, reflect on your role model.
My advice: Compare yourself to your ideal self…
Ask, “What would my ideal self do?”
Take a few minutes daily to reflect on the character traits + values you aspire towards.
By keeping your ideal self top of mind, you'll:
- Close performance gaps
- Become the type of person you deeply admire.
Step 5: Take a view from above.
“Think of substance in its entirety, of which you have the smallest of shares, and of time in its entirety, of which a brief and momentary span has been assigned to you.”
Here, you'll zoom out on your life…
From this higher vantage, you'll see that everybody has problems.
Problems that are, perhaps, worse than yours:
Wars, natural disasters, hunger, etc.
This often leads to gratitude for what you DO have.
Step 6: Prepare for the next day.
“In your actions, don't procrastinate.”
Lower barriers to set your future self up for success:
- Lay out clothes
- Pack a lunch
- Plan your ONE thing (most important activity)
The best morning routine starts the night before.
Step 7: Spend time with your family.
Marcus would quietly repeat this to himself while tucking his kids into bed:
“Don't rush this. This might be the last time you do this. It's not guaranteed that either of you will make it through the night.”
Contemplating mortality reminded Marcus of what truly matters: Family. To cherish and love now.
We must, too.
Maintenance (7.0/10)
Want to dive deeper into Stoicism?
My recommended reading:
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
BRINGING IT HOME
People often make the mistake of pursuing advanced tactics before doing the basics.
This is like trying to put skylights in sandcastles.
Instead, start with the fundamentals of personal development and construct from a strong foundation.
Marcus Aurelius’ habits are sturdy ground to build a life on:
- Eliminate external stimuli
- Get some physical exercise
- Review your day/journal
- Contemplate your sage
- Take a view from above
- Prepare for the next day
- Spend time with family
Advice that has stood the test of time (~1,850 years) is worth listening to.
All systems go,
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