Punctuality is a matter of self-discipline, but also respect. We must be aware of and in command of our schedule and the time we’ve allocated to different people and activities. We must also care about how our decisions affect those people.

Which is why it’s not hard to imagine Marcus Aurelius or Cato being quite diligent about when they arrived and when things started, even though they were powerful enough to insist that others wait for them.

But what about when they screwed up or lost track of time? Did they whip themselves? Berate themselves for being lazy? No, hopefully not! Gary Vaynerchuk recently asked about the Stoic take on punctuality on his podcast, as well as what the proper response is to falling short of a goal to be more punctual.

One thing we have to remember is the Stoics did not regard guilt as a productive emotion. It does nothing for you but send you plummeting down a spiral of self-loathing. None of that! Be a better friend to yourself, as the Stoics would say. If you’ve fallen short, acknowledge that you slipped up and then, with discipline and rigor, put an end to that discussion and commit yourself to getting back closer to that place you want to be.