Stoicism: 6 Things You’re Doing That Successful People Avoid
Life is too short to repeat the same mistakes.
Reality of the 21st Century:
- we work 5 days to enjoy 2
- we work 8 hours to eat in 15 minutes
- we work the whole year to enjoy a month of vacation
According to Jules Le Cornu, we all have Stockholm syndrome. We have accepted our poor financial stability and inability to grow and achieve financial freedom.
However, successful people think out-of-the-box. They keep questioning the 9–5 slavery and look for growth opportunities.
Don’t be afraid to ask yourself, “Why.”? Stoics did that too. While some Stoic philosophers, such as Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, were also rulers, many others were not. Stoic philosophers were notable for their mentality, mindset, and decision-making skills.
Below are six things you’re doing that successful people avoid, according to Stoics.
1. Perfectionism
From: Marcus Aurelius
Perfectionism blurs our imagination. Whether you’re a perfectionist or not, you want the work done perfectly. This leaves no room for improvement. Marcus Aurelius believed:
“Don’t expect Plato’s Republic; be satisfied with even the least progress.”
We’re no one to identify if an effort is small or big. Just put 100% effort into your task and watch it flourish. Marcus Aurelius ruled adamantly: the Antoine plague took most of his ruling time. As Marcus’s intentions were pure, he wasn’t afraid.
You cannot control perfectionism. You can control your efforts. Hence, embrace the philosophy of pragmatism: keep going and think of the present situation.
If something is imperfect, leave it. Focus on the critical issues that you can solve right now. If you must choose between perfecting a task or starting something new, go with what’s momentous.
2. Waiting on the opportunity
From: Seneca
We’re our enemies.
We create our problems and boundaries through lousy attitudes. We wait for the door to open when we have the keys. This is also known as the “sluggish attitude.”
As Seneca says:
“We are more often frightened than hurt, and we suffer more in imagination than in reality.”
Don’t wait for the right time. Create it.
I agree with the “go with the flow method,” but nothing works unless you do. If you think a person, a job, or a home is right for you, do something. Stand up.
Despite being in 2023, no devices can read our minds and translate our thoughts into actions. We have to stand up for ourselves.
To quote 17th-century philosopher Francis Bacon, “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” Successful people don’t let the opportunities tank run dry. They constantly strive to overflow their cup to pick the best one among all of them.
3. Multitasking
From: Marcus Aurelius
Multitasking is a fallacy, not something to be proud of.
You cannot achieve one thing when running in two different directions. As Marcus Aurelius believed:
“Concentrate every minute like a Roman — like a man — on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, and with justice.”
Distraction is not the right means to work. This way, you’re giving half the effort and dividing it amongst lots of work.
This causes errors, time-wasting and emotional burnout. James White highlights Marcus Aurelius' daily routine:
- Good night sleep
- Journaling/to-do notes to make sure you do the necessary work first
- Complete the hardest task first
- Finding pleasure in small things
- Meditation
Remember that multitasking doesn’t help you complete more tasks quickly. Instead, it delays each task’s stretch as you bounce from one thing to another. Create a schedule or use an app to block out time and work mindfully, such as Pomofocus.io.
4. Change
From: Aristotle
Maybe it’s an old job. A relationship. A routine. A pattern.
Everything requires change. In other words, staying the same is stagnant, meaning you love living in your comfort zone.
As Aristotle said:
“Change in all things is sweet.”
Metamorphosis is not your enemy, but it helps you transform your life. We, humans, are not made to repeat the same things again and again. Accept and embrace change.
Aristotle believed that everything in the world had these four causes that explain its existence and properties.
Aristotle believed in self-alteration. He believed in these types of changes in the natural world:
- Material cause
- Formal cause
- Efficient cause
- Final cause
However, adapting to change over time is the best option. This way, you can help yourself tread and adjust to the environment.
5. The know-it-all attitude
Think about it:
- we need an educator to learn
- we needed a mother to care for ourselves
- we needed a doctor to take care of our well-being
We cannot know everything. We always need help.
Even a wealthy person requires assistance. No person in this world can know everything.
As Socrates believed:
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Learning is the foundation of growth. By claiming to know everything, you prevent yourself from discovering.
Knowledge is a never-ending cycle. You can learn lessons almost up to your deathbed. Even maturity defines a person who knows most of it and not everything.
Therefore, never be too egoistic to stop learning or asking for help.
6. Taker than the giver
From: Epicurus
Don’t be materialistic. Instead, be a helping hand.
As Epicurus believed:
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Be thankful for what you have. People don’t even get to wake up today.
When you become thankful, you attract the positive things that did happen otherwise. Positive attracts positivity. Hence when you become thankful, you attract good things.
Look and analyze your growth over time. You are living the dream life you hoped for.
How can you do all of that?
- By reflecting
Spend some time calculating your growth. What have you done so far? Are you near the person you wanted to become five years ago?
And if you’re, you should now spend more time guiding people than keeping everything to yourself.
Spread, not hide.
Final thoughts:
All the Stoics had a touch of madness:
- M. Aurelius: avoiding luxuries
- Seneca: writing letters as a form of therapy
- Aristotle: walking while talking — peripatetic
But those habits never stopped them or made them ashamed.
Embrace your lacks and strive towards positivity. Routines alone are not responsible for your growth, but repetition.
Now that you have a bulletproof plan to become successful, you have no reason to quit.
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