Introducing the Stoic 2022 Challenge

join me on the path to self-mastery

The ancient philosophy of stoicism offers many profound and useful lessons that are sorely needed today. It focuses on four key virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation. Its practical approach to life is powerful and effective.

I’ve studied it off and on for a few years, but for 2022 I am committing to studying it seriously, consistently, and daily. I will do this even if nobody joins me, but I’m hoping some of you might also be interested.

I will run this out of the Twitter account I just created for it: @Stoic2022.

What Sources Will This Use?

I’ve designed a yearlong program using seven short books. If you have a notebook you can use for a journal, then you don’t need to actually buy anything, as all of these should be available from your local library (digitally if your library offers that).

If you prefer to own your own copy, Kindle versions are available much cheaper than hard copies—and you don’t need to own a Kindle! Free apps are available for your phone or computer, as well as a cloud reader you can access through Amazon’s website. We will start with Meditations and Ego is the Enemy (links below) so there’s no need to get all of them at once.

The Program

Weekly Twitter Thread:

A Handbook for New Stoics, by Massimo Pigliucci, offers a yearlong program where each week has a few pages of reading that outlines a simple exercise to work on during the week, a few lines for each day to record progress, and then an end of the week question about how the exercise helped (or didn’t help). There will be a thread on the Twitter account each week on the 2022 Stoic Challenge Twitter account to discuss the week’s exercise. Hard copy. Kindle version.

Daily Twitter Threads:

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living, by Ryan Holiday, has a short meditation for each day of the year. I will tweet a picture of each day’s meditation in the morning, around 5am Eastern time, to start off the daily discussion thread on the 2022 Stoic challenge Twitter account. Hard copy. Kindle version. This book has an accompanying journal with a few lines for morning and evening reflection, but any notebook will do.

Reading and Discord Discussion:

Based on availability, ease of reading, and having short chapters, I’ve chosen two books by the Stoics and three books that examine aspects of Stoicism using contemporary and historical stories. All five books are easily accessible and have very short chapters, so reading one chapter each morning is manageable as part of a morning Stoic study time.

I will tweet, on the 2022 Stoic Challenge Twitter account, on Saturday night of each week what the reading planned for the week ahead is. (Example of a week’s reading: book 1 of the Meditations, 8 pages; the first three stories from Ego is the Enemy, 20 pages.)

Then in a private Discord, I will host a discussion of the reading with any participants who care to discuss it—or just discuss Stoicism and their efforts at self-mastery in general.

(Note: Discord is free, a kind of chat room where people can communicate both in real time and by saying something that others read and reply to later. There is a voice chat option, and if participants are interested in that, I will make it an option. Any participants will be invited to join the private Discord.)

The longest chapter/section of any of them is fewer than 20 pages, and most are fewer than 10. Allowing three days for the longer chapters and one day for the shorter ones, these books cover 224 days of reading. That’s reading on 2/3 of the days of 2022, leaving plenty of space for catching up, reading in binges, or adding new books or other material if the project evolves in that direction, which would be great!

Book Links

Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius. Hard copy. Kindle version.

Discourses, by Epictetus. Hard copy. Kindle version.

The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday. Hard copy. Kindle version.

Ego is the Enemy, by Ryan Holiday. Hard copy. Kindle version.

Stillness is the Key, by Ryan Holiday. Hard copy. Kindle version.

How Much Will This Cost?

The only cost to you is time and whatever of the books, if any, you would like to buy. I am doing this for the very selfish reason that taking on responsibility for a project involving daily tasks is the most effective method I know to help myself follow through on something, and I want 2022 to be a year of deep personal growth for me. I hope some of you will join me.

How Do I Sign Up?

Follow the 2022 Stoic Challenge Twitter account and get Discord for your device. Email me at hollymathnerd at gmail dot com to get an Invite to the Stoic 2022 Challenge Discord. That’s it!