The Stoics believed that we were rational animals. Through exercising our reason well, we can live better more fulfilling lives.

This involves regularly reflecting, meditating, and examining your life.

To help you do this, I've included questions to ask yourself from time to time.

You can join Stoa's beta email journal and get questions like these emailed to you every day.

  • What values are you living by today?
  • When did you act with virtue recently? How can you continue? And when did you act with vice? How will you fix it?
  • Consider someone who may have annoyed or treating you unfairly. Pause and ask if you are justified in seeing them the way you do.
  • What can you be grateful for today?
  • If tragedy strikes are you prepared?
  • How can you ensure that today is great?
  • What decisions have you made recently that you are proud of? List at least one.
  • Are you able to rule over yourself? What's holding you back?
  • Consider a role model. If they were in your place, how would they live today?
  • Bring someone you love to mind. What can you learn from them?
  • The Stoics emphasized thinking well and clearly. Are you stuck on something? Is your thinking about something confused? Take a minute and see if you can find clarity.
  • What are you looking forward to today? What will bring you joy?
  • What would you like to do today? How will you make it happen?
  • Life is short.
  • What character will you have today?
  • Has something been causing you anxiety recently? Is the anxiety in you or in the world?
  • If you could only do one thing today, what would it be?
  • What if yesterday was the last day of your life?
  • Life is too short for nonsense. What can you remove in your life to make it better? What's wasting your time?
  • Step back, if you can, and see your life as a part of the whole. Consider how you are one life among billions.
  • You are but one animal among trillions. Let the trivial fall away. Focus on the important.
  • Imagine yourself giving advice to yourself, as you might to a good friend. What would you say?
  • What assumptions are you leaving unexamined?
  • What hard truths, if any, are you denying? Embrace reality.