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Start Each Day with This Habit

Daily Stoic Emails

Marcus Aurelius said we should get up early. But what should we do then? Seneca agreed, saying that it was important to start the day at a good hour, but what mattered was what you did next. 

A good start, according to the Stoics, was something that would “shake the laziness out of [your] system.” Seneca believed that reading was an indispensable part of the daily routine—particularly early in the day—because “reading nourishes the mind and refreshes it.” He’s right. Who doesn’t feel better after they’ve read? Who ever regrets picking up a book? And how much better are our days when we frontload them with good inputs (and how miserable are they when we kick things off with bad choices?) 

Another recent student of Stoicism agrees: Hugh Jackman reads right after he wakes up (early) in the morning. As he explained: 

I read a book with my wife. So we get up and we read to each other for half an hour. It’s the best. I recommend it to anyone…It’s the greatest way to start the day. Right now I’m reading Stillness Is the Key, by Ryan Holiday…I’m really into philosophy. So we read, and we talk, because stuff’s on your mind. You don’t realize how much has been on your mind overnight, and it comes out in the morning. That way, no matter what happens through our day, we know that we’ve had quality time together. You always think, tonight; after work; after this; when we put the kids to bed, but that doesn’t always happen. 

The day so easily gets away from us. Well-intentioned plans fall apart. Our willpower evaporates. So it’s key that we prioritize the important things and it’s key that we habitualize doing them early. 

This way, we’ll, you know, actually do them. This way we can make sure we have a successful day.

P.S. This was originally sent on August 14, 2020. Sign up today for the Daily Stoic’s email and get our popular free 7-day course on Stoicism.