Mastery of Time – A Stoic Guide

Time is the axis upon which productivity spins, analogous to how strategy underpins every decision. But, if every decision is a strategic choice, then productivity will always be a function of time. Yet, constrained to just 24 hours a day, time is an ever-shrinking resource… Sometimes, I wish Mother Earth would slow her rotation, giving us just a bit more of this precious commodity!

The etymology of “time” traces back to the Proto-Indo-European term “di-mon”, meaning “to divide”. Millennia ago, time was a concept rather than a measurement, an intuitive and natural rhythm dividing the daily activities of our ancestors: eating, sleeping, hunting, and socializing.

This perception of time as an intuitive guide persists in children today until about age eight. By then, the societal norms will ensure the kid sees time as a measurement – a quantifiable entity rather than an experience.

As civilizations evolved, the advent of mechanical clocks transformed time into a commodity – to be optimized and monetized – giving rise to familiar adages like “time is money”, “invest your time wisely”, “save time”. This commodification has escalated to the point where we willingly disrupt our natural circadian rhythms for economic gains, sacrificing millions of years of evolutionary biology for night shifts.

Between these extremes – time as intuition and time as commodity – lies the stoic view of time as a moral entity. For stoics, time is simply a part of the cosmic order, serving as a vessel for virtue when used wisely and lacking inherent meaning when disconnected from purposeful action.

This stoic perspective is profoundly relevant today, amidst our relentless pursuit and a struggle to master time.

From a stoic standpoint, time’s value is by its use in cultivating virtue. In moments of leisure or idleness, time is neither wasted nor misused – it simply is. Unlike today, time was not about filling every moment with activity but about ensuring each action is meaningful.

This raises an important question: Do you seek to master productivity, or to master time? The journeys are very different depending on what you choose.

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🍪 Fortune Cookie:

“By trying too hard to make the most of his life, he misses his life.” – Oliver Burkeman

I’ve developed a time-management practice named ProProPhro Circles borrowing from the wisdom of stoicism. This method is designed to align our daily actions with our ardent aspirations, embodying the stoic principle of using time in service of a virtuous life.

If you’re pondering any of the following in your life today, ProProPhro Circles might offer the clarity you seek:

How many hours should I allocate to [activity/opportunity]?
Is now the right time to embark on [activity/opportunity]?
Should I accept or decline [activity/opportunity]?
What are my goals for the coming year?
Am I devoting too much or too little time to [activity/opportunity]?
Is my daily routine enhancing my life or diminishing it?