Greetings friends,

Hope you enjoy this weeks newsletter. If you get the chance to read, please let me know what you did and didn't like from this week. Massive thank you to Elijah and Daniel for giving me feedback on last week's email.

Let's dive in.

Killing it with Kagan - Week Two

Once again, there is a more in-depth breakdown on my blog but I tried an additional five things this week.

Plan and Review Week: On Sunday, I broke down my entire week and fit it into a google calendar using Noah's system.

Notebook: This is a habit that I kept through High School but eventually stopped doing. However, I'm glad that I started it back up again. Carrying around a pocket notebook just makes it easier for me to jot down ideas, reminders, to-dos, etc. For some reason, anytime I try to use my phone to do this I am nowhere near as effective as a physical notebook.

Daily Mantras: Technically these are also part of his Maker Morning routine but they've been recommended a few times across his other videos so I took them more seriously. I wasn't creative enough to come up with my own, so borrowed some from Stoicism. Glad to add them in the day to day.

Cold Showers: Another habit that I resumed as part of this project was the simple one of cold showers. The health benefits are well-documented but the most immediate benefit is the test of willpower that it gives you. Start small, switch the water to cold for the last 10 seconds of your shower, and see how long it takes for you to build the tolerance for a whole shower.

Working with no charger: One of the most effective methods I have found for keeping on task and prioritising. Such a simple idea but one that has proven so successful that I have extended to both my laptop and phone. Charge overnight and then don't go near a charger for the rest of the day.

Epictetus: Slave turned Philosopher.

Epictetus (pronounced Epic-tee-tuss) was the last of the Stoic "Big Three" that I had yet to read.

He was a crippled former slave who found solace in the teachings of the Stoic Musonius Rufus, and in turn, became one of the most famous and influential teachers of Philosophy in the Ancient World. His teachings inspired a young Marcus Aurelius, who went on to become one of the greatest rulers that Rome ever saw.

His book The Enchiridion is one of the best starting points for anyone interested in Stoicism. The copy that I read was only 39 pages long (including a 17 page introduction) but left me with plenty of notes. Below are a few of the most interesting things I took from this short guide to Stoicism:

Two Handles

Epictetus wrote that everything has two handles by which we could grab it. The negative - which just makes the situation worst - or the positive - which makes any situation easier to bear.

Good or Bad - There is no Grey

"You must be one man - either good or bad" In an era where even movie villains are painted as grey - seeking good in misguided ways - there is something freeing about the idea that you have to choose to be either good or bad.

It makes decisions far easier to make. There's no way you can negotiate or justify with yourself. The choice is either good or bad. You know deep down which one it is.

Death before your eyes.

Epictetus provides the wise advice that we should keep reminders of "terrible" things, such as Death, in our daily lives. In doing so, "you will never entertain an abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything."

In other words, by keeping Death and similar tragic things in our mind, we will focus on what truly matters. It makes it very easy to keep your priorities straight - its part of the reason I absolutely love my memento mori coin. M

This can be achieved as easily as setting a reminder on your phone hourly titled: You could leave life right now.