You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book II, 11
Life is short. We are often reminded this, and at the same time, we can get so easily caught up in our own world and forget this lesson. We need to make a conscious effort to reflect and challenge ourselves on how we are spending our time and day.
If you would prefer to listen to this article, you can listen on YouTube or through the player below.
As such, we want to cultivate the right daily habits. But what are they? The simplest explanation is that each day we want to engage in activities that enable us to live out our philosophy of life. We want to ground ourselves in the present and enjoy the great ordinary of the day. Those the little things, because they do matter. Engage in activities that are aligned with the person we want to be and what we want to accomplish.
For me, part of a traditional stoic philosophy is being present in the moment with what you are doing and being in accord with Nature. Of being with family, or improving yourself. Of cultivating the daily habits that enable contemplation, reflecting, learning, and living a life of virtue. To make the most of each day is to engage in activities we enjoy, that are aligned, and that enable us to be present.
Here’s a few ideas on how to make the most of each day:
- Kiss your wife when you come home and when you wake up
- Text cute gifs of ‘I love you’ to your partner
- Slowly drink your coffee and savour each sip. Have the flavour and style that you want. As my sister commented once (24 September 2022), life is too short for bad coffee
- Watch the sunrise or the sunset
- Make a joke; be silly; laugh
- Dance whilst making dinner with some country music playing
- Read
- Go for a walk
- Lift things and get some exercise
- Spend some time doing meaningful work
- Revisit our day each night and be critical on how you spent our time and if it is aligned with what we wanted
It’s these daily actions that keep us healthy and fulfilled. If we do these each day, we will really accomplish some great things. Focus on the daily habits that we want to cultivate.