Time
Four years ago, I bought my first book on Stoicism. The beginner's guide to Stoicism: how self-discipline and the mastery of emotions and desires can allow you to be successful in life, by Alex Seneca. It was an excellent read that aligned well with some skills I could work on in my master's program. There were quite a few concepts and theories that aligned with my personal values and beliefs. Furthermore, it was insightful, and the philosophy intrigued me. So I went to Amazon and ordered a few books from the recommended reading list.
Mediations by Marcus Aurelius was another favorite of mine. I tend to juggle reading new books between semesters. In the last two years, I have completed 51 of 57 credit hours in my doctoral program. Between coursework and keeping up with students, most days were packed full with little time to do anything else. Yes, it was wildly overwhelming, but I did accomplish the goals I had set for myself.
My subsequent stoic read came from an acquaintance who shared it at the start of 2025. I hurried up and ordered it on Amazon. It was Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic and The Daily Stoic Journal. You work through the set each day with a reading from different Stoics, a morning journal, and an evening journal entry.
It has been an enlightening process, and I highly encourage everyone to start it at the top of the year, but you can start anytime. I am wrapping up the year, and the focus is time and the inevitable end we all face. So for my age, I have been here 18,980 days and 455,520 hours-ish. You can reverse engineer that if you want to know my age, 😊
I highly recommend journaling; it has been a part of my routine for many years now. Adding something that helps you reflect and grow is a whole other layer of self-reflection and growth—also a fabulous way to detox and reduce stress.
What do you do with your time or spare time? What can you add to your routine to help you grow in time?
