Incorporating Stoicism into your daily work routine can transform not only how you perform but also how you experience work itself. Whether your work is a traditional job, a passion project, or even something like honing your martial arts skills, Stoic principles can guide you to approach it with greater purpose and resilience. Below, we'll delve into practical rituals and mindset shifts that will help you create the ultimate Stoic work routine—one that provides direction, helps you stay focused, and ultimately, brings deeper fulfillment to your efforts.
What Counts as Work?
Before diving in, it’s important to broaden our understanding of what “work” means. Work doesn’t have to be tied to a formal career. It could be sketching in your notebook, dedicating time to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or writing a personal blog. Whatever you consider meaningful and want to take seriously is your work. Once you redefine work this way, the Stoic approach becomes universally applicable, whether you're a traditional professional, an artist, or a lifelong learner.
Pre-Work Ritual: Six Points to Set Your Mind
Drawing inspiration from John Yates' "The Mind Illuminated," you can create a pre-work ritual that sets you up for a productive and rewarding session. Yates presents six preparation points for meditation that can be easily adapted to your work routine:
Overall Motivation: Reflect on your overarching motivation for working. What drives you to put in the effort today? Are you working toward long-term financial independence, personal growth, or something else entirely? Understanding your bigger “why” will help you stay centered and resilient when challenges arise.
Specific Goal for This Session: Set a clear, specific goal for your current work session. Whether it’s writing 500 words, improving a particular technique, or simply dedicating one focused hour to a task, having a well-defined goal helps sharpen your focus.
Expectations: Acknowledge any expectations you have about the upcoming work. Are they high or low? Accept them for what they are, then practice dropping them. Expectations can weigh you down; instead, let your focus be on the process itself.
Diligence Commitment: Ask yourself, “Am I ready to practice diligently today?” Be honest—whether you commit fully or partially, be clear with yourself. There’s no self-deception here. If your answer is yes, then commit fully; if no, recognize it without guilt.
Distraction Awareness: Identify potential distractions—be they emotional, physical, or environmental. Then, make a plan for how you will handle them if they arise. Awareness alone can reduce the impact distractions have on your focus.
Environment and Posture: Finally, set up your work environment. Is it conducive to productivity? Adjust your posture, clear your space, and take a moment to make sure your surroundings and tools support your intention to work effectively.
The Power of Enjoyment and Meditation as a Precursor to Work
One of the biggest productivity hacks is to find ways to actively enjoy your work. When you can do this, work no longer becomes a chore but something rewarding in itself. This is akin to meditation, which isn’t just something to tick off your to-do list—it’s something to embrace and enjoy. The same applies to your work sessions.
Developing consistency is essential. Just as meditation practitioners find that daily practice transforms them, approaching your work with similar diligence can change your life. When you can treat every work session as a practice in discipline, focus, and personal growth, you unlock new levels of satisfaction and productivity.
Performance Statement: Your Personal Affirmation
A powerful tool in Stoic work rituals is developing a performance statement. This acts as your guiding affirmation during work. For instance, you could use something like: “Every time I get distracted, I will make a note of the distraction and then return to my task.” This helps create mindful awareness of distractions and an immediate redirection back to the present task.
Having a set performance statement keeps you grounded in the values of diligence and mindfulness. Instead of spiraling when distractions arise, it serves as a mental trigger to get back on track smoothly.
Work as Meditation
The ultimate Stoic work routine goes beyond simply doing the work; it integrates a meditative mindset into every action. Just like in meditation, every time you lose focus on your breath and return, you train your mind. In work, when you notice you’re losing focus, acknowledge it and gently redirect your attention back. The ability to work mindfully—with your full attention and presence—turns each session into a meditative practice, reducing stress and increasing your overall satisfaction.
Marcus Aurelius once said, “If you seek tranquility, do less.” More accurately, do what is essential, and do it with full attention. By paring down what we do and giving our full effort to what matters, we not only enhance productivity but also our peace of mind.
Reflect After Work
A post-work reflection is as important as preparation. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, focus on what went well. This positive reinforcement encourages you to keep going and improves your resilience. As Alan Watts said, “When you get the message, hang up the phone.” Identify what you did well, congratulate yourself, and let go of any minor setbacks. This way, you build not just productivity but also joy and growth in your work practice.
Working with Others: The Stoic Way
Sometimes, work involves others. In these cases, adopting Stoic principles of communication can lead to smoother interactions.
Remember the acronym EAR: Empathy, Assertiveness, and Respect.
These principles ensure that you are engaging constructively and responsibly, no matter the dynamic. This kind of approach minimizes unnecessary friction, focusing instead on the aspects of interaction you can control—your own responses and behavior.
Premeditation of Adversity
A key Stoic practice that Marcus Aurelius wrote about is the premeditation of adversity.
In a work context, this means anticipating potential obstacles and preparing mentally for how to respond to them. Far from being pessimistic, this approach helps us stay calm and composed in the face of challenges. Imagine a pilot who has rehearsed every possible emergency—this level of preparedness brings confidence. The same goes for our work; being prepared for adversity allows us to be proactive rather than reactive.
Conclusion: Building a Routine That Lasts
To sum up, a Stoic work routine isn’t just about productivity. It’s about deepening your connection to your work and transforming it into something more meaningful. By setting a clear motivation, defining session goals, practicing mindfulness, and reflecting on your actions, you create an ongoing practice that not only improves your work but also your character.
Integrate these Stoic principles into your workday and watch how it transforms not just the way you work, but your entire experience of it. If you’d like a more detailed discussion on Stoic work rituals, including insights and personal anecdotes, be sure to listen to the full episode.
Take your work from something you have to do to something that is a practice of growth and enjoyment.
Creating the Ultimate Stoic Routine: Work Rituals (2)