Morning Meditations

2000 years ago, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote notes to himself that have survived to this day in the book Meditations.

It’s thought that Marcus did most of this journaling in the morning as a Stoic exercise to brace himself for the day ahead.

This allowed him to make more rational decisions, be intentional with his actions, and prepare himself to deal with the responsibilities of his power.

Spending a few minutes to think about the day ahead will help you create plans, process problems on your plate, and contemplate the deeper meaning of life.

Too often, we default to reactive states, responding to emails, texts, social media, and the news first thing in the morning.

A morning meditation has saved me from mindlessly wasting my day many times.

To start, you can simply write about what’s on your mind that morning, but if you want a little more structure, ask yourself a few questions:

• What’s my priority for the day?
• What might get in the way?
• How can I set myself up for success?

Memento Mori

While reading Meditations, you get a sense that Marcus Aurelius was melancholic and morbid.

Most of his entries are what the Stoics called Memento Mori, contemplations on death.

But this wasn’t meant to be a depressing exercise, rather a way to appreciate the moment, right now.

“You can leave this life today,” Marcus writes as a reminder to himself that all that petty nonsense we typically think about is a distraction from what truly matters.

Death isn’t something we typically want to think about, but it can be a powerful reminder to be intentional with your life.

Memento mori journaling sessions help me appreciate all that life has to offer. It helps me be present with my family and friends when we’re together.

It keeps me from distracting myself with mindless entertainment all day because I am reminded that time is finite and scrolling my phone isn’t the way I want to spend it.

Evening Reflections

Another Stoic, Seneca the Younger, did most of his journaling in the evening as a means of reflecting on the day.

An evening reflection is similar to keeping a diary, but different in that it’s less about recording events and more about reflecting on them.

Seneca would replay the events of the day in his mind and think about how he could have acted differently, so he could learn from his mistakes, which is important for those trying to improve themselves.

This practice also trains your counterfactual thinking or your ability to explore “what if” scenarios, which is a key skill in creative thinking.

Thinking past what happened into the landscape of what “could have” had you responded differently is a critical life skill to develop.

Before going to bed, spend a few minutes writing about the day.

• What went well and what didn’t?
• Could you have taken a different approach?
• Are you happy with the way you conducted yourself, or will you try something different tomorrow?