Work is not a good. So what is? Not minding the work.
—Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, 31.4.
Just how much will power is it reasonable to expect of myself?
Since discovering Stoicism at the beginning of this year, I am finding something extremely powerful in Stoic mindfulness.
At its most basic level, philosophy calls me to think about very good ways to spend my life. This is what it means to live as if you could die tomorrow. “Pretty much every decision I make has a moral dimension,” says Massimo Pigliucci in his New York Times piece on his modern Stoic practice, “and needs to be approached with proper care and thoughtfulness.”
For me, this has meant that I have consciously identified several areas of my life where I would like to function more reliably:
- Call my parents and grandparents more regularly.
- Send birthday cards to my friends and family (on time!).
- Do nice things for my fiancée spontaneously.
- Work diligently every day.
- Respond to emails quickly.
- Be reliable for others: Be punctual, and get tasks done early—especially those little ones that are easy to put off!
