Part of what I like about this quote is just the demonstration of how long humanity has known about the power of reflection (which appears to be uniquely human). Seneca lived when we swapped over the calendars from BCE to CE. Modern science concurs, though there’s a little more focus on gratitude today. The other big thing that I like about the quote is the way that it fits in with the rest of the things that have resonated with me here. Just looking back to last week and the Maxwell quote. The best way to know if you’re spending your time on the ways that advance your purpose in life is to take a periodic pulse and do that reflection.
This is kind of a continuation of last week! Habits/routines are a way to help achieve the consistency we talked about last week. I still haven’t read either of the books “Atomic Habits” by James Clear or “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, but AFAIK, they both drive home this message. Most people don’t think brushing their teeth is fun. They wouldn’t go out of their way to brush their teeth, but it’s a part of their daily/nightly routine. They don’t have to decide to brush their teeth today, it’s just a thing that happens. So, building a routine that meets your goals means you don’t have to decide each time whether you are willing to do the work required of your goal. It just happens because it’s built in to your day, your habits, your identity. And so, you can be consistent with your progress toward your goals.
