Self-Improvement Archives

Ryan Holiday: The Art of Stoic Resilience

How does one develop resilience? What can you do to become better at handling the curve balls that life throws at you? One of the cornerstones of Stoic philosophy is to be invulnerable to hardship and any external stress. Most modern people don’t have this kind of Stoic resilience because our powerful technology lulls us into thinking we can control everything that happens around us—we forget that life is unpredictable. Here’s how to build Stoic resilience, according to Ryan Holiday.

The Power of Habit: Review and Critical Reception

What is The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg about? How was the book received when it was released? In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explores the components of habit formation. He helps readers understand why they have certain habits, just how much these habits influence their daily lives, and how they can stop or change bad habits. Continue below for our The Power of Habit review including intellectual context and critical reception.

How to Embrace Suffering and Be Happier

Can you free yourself from suffering? How can embracing suffering help you free yourself from it? According to Buddhism, suffering is inherent to human existence. That’s why the first step toward eliminating suffering is, paradoxically enough, to accept it. There are four strategies to embrace suffering: 1) don’t take things personally, 2) stop feeling guilty, 3) contemplate your mortality, and 4) stop resisting change. Let’s explore each in more detail.

How to Maximize Happiness: Put Faith in the Unknown

What Is the Secret to Living a Happy Life?

Do you know what makes you happy in life? How do you know whether a certain choice or decision will make you happy in the end? You never know for sure whether a certain path is going to make you happy in the end. According to Brian Christian and Thomas Griffiths, the authors of Algorithms to Live By, computer science has the answer to this dilemma: to maximize happiness in your life, pursue whatever opportunity has a chance to be the greatest. Here is why to maximize happiness, you need to put your faith in the unknown.

Living a Virtuous Life in an Unvirtuous World

What is virtuous life? What exactly does it mean to live virtuously? According to Ryan Holiday, the author of The Obstacle Is the Way, we have a moral obligation to live a virtuous life. A virtuous person, by Holiday’s definition, is someone who honestly works to improve their lives and the lives of others as much as possible. Here’s what it means to live virtuously, according to Holiday.

ACT: Translating Values Into Goals

How do you set goals for ACT? How do goals relate to values? Goals are the actionable components of values in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Knowing your values isn’t sufficient for you to live a fulfilled life—you also have to take effective action, or action aligned with your values. In order to take effective action, you have to translate your values into achievable goals. In this article, you’ll learn how to translate your values into action via goal-setting and action plans.

How to Schedule Your Time in the Most Optimal Way

How should you optimally spend your working hours every day? What tasks should you complete first? Your optimal scheduling depends on your goals and priorities. In their book Algorithms to Live By, Christian and Griffiths make a case of using computer algorithms to schedule your day in the most optimal way. Here is how to schedule your time using Christian and Griffiths’s scheduling algorithms.

Committed Action: Putting ACT Into Practice

What is committed action in ACT? What does it mean to act with commitment? Committed action is the final principle in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Committed action happens when we consistently take actions that align with our values—even when we fail. This final principle will give you all the tools you need to achieve psychological flexibility, enabling you to adapt to difficult situations and take effective action to build a rich and meaningful life. Keep reading to learn about the two components of committed action: fortitude and commitment.

The Virtue of Humility: Why Disciples Don’t Take Credit

How is the virtue of humility part of the Christian life? What does it mean to keep your good deeds secret from yourself? Dietrich Bonhoeffer believes that humility is an indispensable part of being a disciple. That means that you do good for God’s sake, not yours. You realize that the credit for anything good belongs to God alone. Keep reading to learn about Bonhoeffer’s view on the virtue of humility.

The Virtue of Helping Others in Need

Why is it important to help others in need? How can helping others solve their problems ease your own suffering? According to Ryan Holiday, the author of The Obstacle Is the Way, working to solve the problems of others is one of the most effective ways to solve your own problems. However, many people narrowly focus on themselves and their problems, which clouds their perspective and makes it difficult to see things as they are. Here is what Holiday has to say about the virtue of helping others in need.