Solve Your Problems Early
Time to read: 2 minutes
"There is no vice without justification, none that was not quite small and modest at the beginning, where one could have intervened quickly, but afterward, the trouble spreads everywhere. If you allow things to take their course, you can no longer control them. Every emotion is initially weak. Then it grows and becomes stronger and stronger as it develops - it is easier to slow it down than to suppress it." SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 106.2b-3a
An epithet by Publilius Syrus reminds us that "Rivers are easiest to cross at their source." This is also what Seneca means. Bad habits, lack of discipline, chaos, and malfunction are like raging, deadly whirlpools that were once insignificantly small. Somewhere they are a calm lake or pond, a spring bubbling up from the underground. What do you prefer - to almost drown during a dangerous crossing in a few weeks or to cross the river now, while it is still easy? It's up to you.
This page is from the book “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday, which I borrowed from my school. It is a huge recommendation, so check it out. It has a page for every day of the year and it takes you one minute to read and gain new wisdom every day. I read the page dedicated to the day in the morning and try to implement the things I have read. Ryan Holiday mentions the importance of acting early, instead of waiting until it’s too late to do so. If you wait and ignore things for too long, it creates a mess. Your room is a real representation of your discipline. Show me your room and I know your character. Due to exams and so on, my room started to become a mess, but I ignored it for so long until I couldn’t ignore it anymore. If I had acted early, I would have had to do less now.
The 2-Minute Rule
The famous German YouTuber Niklas Steenfatt mentioned a nice little trick that we can implement to prevent chaos from overtaking us. It’s pretty simple. If a task takes you only two minutes or less, do it immediately. No motivation to make your bed or take out the trash? It takes only two minutes, so do it ASAP.
I recommend you try the method for yourself and see how it might change your life.
You are responsible for your own destiny.
