Journaling is a Stoic practice of reflection that should be done regularly. It can help organize your thoughts and coherently document them so that you can make sense of them. Journaling is really an update mechanism which is used to evaluate where you want to go, where you are right now, and how best to get there to help you achieve your goals.

What we need for progress

To improve on anything, you need three pieces of information. First, you need to know where you want to go. That’s the “goal”. Second, you need an approximation of where you are right now. Third, you need a plan for how to get from where you are to where you wish to be.

Stoic goals

If you practice Stoicism, the goal is defined for you: to become a virtuous person. The development of your character must take precedence over what I will call “worldly goals”.

Worldly goals 

A “worldly goal” is something in the external world you wish to achieve. For example, perhaps you want to be able to squat 500 lbs. This goal is tangible and welldefined. It’s “lift that amount of weight”.

Worldly goals can be converted into Stoic goals by slightly modifying the wording.

A worldly goal may be: I want to be able to squat 500 lbs.

A Stoic goal would be: I want to be able to squat as much as I can.

Because there are many externals that determine whether you can achieve a particular squat weight, how much you squat isn’t entirely up to you. What is up to you is the dedication you put into the process of attaining that goal. Doing so will result in you not necessarily setting world records, but certainly in squatting as much as you can. However, note that a worldly goal can only be converted into a Stoic goal if it is aligned with virtue as being the only good. Becoming the best thief that you can be is not a Stoic goal.

Do we need worldly goals?

Do we even need worldly goals, then? The simple answer is, ultimately, no. I do think that we all need to pursue excellence, but, as explained above, all worldly goals can be converted to Stoic goals so long as they are aimed toward virtue.

However, I personally believe that there is some benefit, psychologically, to having well-defined goals.

It can be useful, for example, to have a 500 lbs squat in your head as a goal. Though potentially useful, it is not needed. One can make just as much progress by having the goal of being the best squatter they can possibly be. Where are we right now? If your goal is to be the best squatter you can be, you first need to know how much you can squat right now. You also need to know your strengths and weaknesses. Are my hamstrings weak? What about my quads? Do I have mobility issues? All of this is included in the cardinal virtue of wisdom. It’s “know thyself ”.

To apply this to Stoicism, you may ask yourself: where am I on the road to virtue? What have I accomplished already? Which habits have I developed, and which am I still working on? Have I conquered anger? Am I grateful for life in the morning? Do I meditate on death to the appropriate frequency and duration?

Defining the plan

Finally, we need a plan for how to get from Point A to Point B. To do so, we need the two inputs detailed above: where we are, and where we want to go. We use these two pieces of information to develop the appropriate plan, as well as to define what progress looks like. This also takes wisdom.

If you have no trouble getting out of bed in the morning, this shouldn’t be a goal. If, on the other hand, you struggle with the desire to buy new things on Amazon, this may be something that you wish to work on. You can do so with daily reminders and journaling.

Journaling

As you make progress, where you are (or your knowledge of where you are) changes. Even your goal may change. When these change, so, too, does your plan. Journaling is the mechanism by which we evaluate regularly where you are, where you want to go, and how to best get there. It’s an essential part of, not just Stoicism, but success of any kind.

Brandon is most well-known for his podcast, The Strong Stoic Podcast, where he discusses philosophical ideas both solo and with guests. He also coaches individuals to help them be their best selves, writes articles, plays music, manages projects, and several other things.

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