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30 Stoic journal prompts

The Stoics wrote in order to think. Seneca describes reviewing his day each night, and Marcus Aurelius kept private notes to himself. These prompts follow that tradition.

Five minutes is enough. Write short, honest answers, and do not grade yourself.

Morning prompts

1. What is within my control today, and what is not?
2. What difficulty am I most likely to meet today, and how will I respond well?
3. Which virtue will I practise today: wisdom, courage, justice or temperance?
4. Who might I find difficult today, and what might they be going through?
5. What is the one task that matters most, and how will I start it first?
6. What am I tempted to complain about, and what could I do instead?
7. What would I do today if I were not afraid of what people think?
8. What small comfort am I grateful for today?

Evening prompts

1. What did I do well today, by my own standards?
2. Where did I react instead of respond, and what would I do differently?
3. What did I spend energy on that was not up to me?
4. What did I avoid that I should have faced?
5. Who did I treat fairly today, and who could I have treated better?
6. What did I learn about myself today?
7. What is one thing I will do differently tomorrow?
8. What am I grateful for tonight?

For a hard day

1. What exactly happened, in plain facts with no adjectives?
2. What judgment have I added to those facts?
3. Is that judgment certain, or is it a guess?
4. What is the worst realistic outcome, and could I survive it?
5. What part of this is mine to act on in the next hour?
6. What would I tell a friend in my position?
7. What would my wisest self do first?

Weekly review

1. Which three moments this week tested me most?
2. What pattern keeps returning, and what might it be telling me?
3. Which worries from the start of the week turned out not to matter?
4. Where did I act in line with my values?
5. Where did I fall short, and how will I make amends?
6. Which exercise helped most, and how will I keep it?
7. What is my one intention for next week?

Prefer to talk it through?

Writing alone can go round in circles. Describing the same thing to the Oracle gets you a reflection back in the voice of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca or Epictetus, with a small practice to try. Members also get a weekly note that points out patterns across what they bring.

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Keep reading

• A Stoic morning and evening routine
• Stoicism for anxiety
• Stoic exercises: seven practices