Welcome to The Stoic Ledger, a daily money meditation from one of the Stoic sages.

123/365: Zeno on well-being

When we get frustrated with a component of ourselves or our lives, we like to make a big drastic change.

We want to quit entirely a lifestyle we’ve worn for decades. We want to overnight acclimate our bodies to a rigorous training routine that we aren’t structurally ready for.

We want the instantaneous transition. And in this approach we block any transition from sticking at all. We miss the greatness of the thing we are seeking because our strategies are wrong.

Instead of starting with the whole program, implement one new element, and make it sustainable. Instead of quitting cold-turkey, first reduce by a seemingly negligible amount.

As Zeno pointed out thousands of years ago, well-being—change—is realized by small steps. Start small today, then there is no excuse against immediate action.