The Daily Stoic - BONUS: 7 Simple Stoic Habits That Will Transform You In 2026

Host: Ryan Holiday
Date: December 30, 2025

Main Theme

In this special year-end episode, Ryan Holiday explores seven foundational Stoic habits that—if adopted—can help you make 2026 (or any year) your best yet. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Stoics and examples from both history and his personal life, Holiday lays out practical, transformative routines centered around discipline, self-improvement, and perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflecting on the Past Year & Setting Intentions (00:56)

• Ryan prompts listeners to reflect honestly: Did they live up to their 2025 potential? Most fall short due to "life happening," motivation fades, and old habits reasserting themselves.
• He frames 2026 as a turning point: “This can be the moment that you make changes. This can be the time that you finally answer Epictetus' famous question: How much longer am I going to wait to demand the best of myself?” (01:48)
• Sets the overarching goal: adopt sustainable Stoic habits for continual improvement.

2. The Power of Journaling (02:15)

• Holiday highlights Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations as the ultimate example—Aurelius journaled for himself regardless of circumstance.
• He shares how other leaders, like JFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis, relied on writing to process difficult situations.
  • “As Anne Frank would say, it’s because paper is more patient than people.” (03:10)
• Encourages daily journaling as the single most powerful habit to start.
  • “If you’re going to pick up only one habit in 2026, journaling would be a pretty good one.” (04:20)

3. Waking Up Early with Purpose (04:36)

• Marcus Aurelius’ famous admonition: At dawn, face resistance to getting up by remembering life’s purpose is to act, not “huddle under the blankets and stay warm.”
  • Quote from Marcus: “‘You were born to feel nice instead of doing things and experiencing them?’” (05:10)
• Mornings are sacred: quiet, intentional, set the tone for the day.
• Toni Morrison wrote every morning before her children woke—a model for making time for what matters.
  • “I don’t love getting up early, but I love having gotten up early.” (05:53)
• Connects back to journaling: mornings are ideal for clarity.

4. Doing Hard Things on Purpose (08:36)

• References Seneca: “We treat the body rigorously so that it’s not disobedient to the mind.”
• Discusses “the misogi principle” (from Jesse Itzler): every year, take on at least one big, genuinely challenging goal.
• Shares personal example: running the original marathon from Marathon to Athens in 2025.
• Advocates physical and mental challenges to discover your own capabilities, toughen resolve, and cultivate confidence.
  • “That’s what Seneca is talking about… all these things are training… get up early, go in a cold plunge, go for a run.” (09:21)
• Promotes the Daily Stoic “New Year New You Challenge” as a structured way to do this.

5. The Magic of Walking (12:31)

• Recounts how routine walks with his kids and puppy became indispensable for health and creativity.
• Seneca: “The mind must be given over to wandering walks, and so must you.”
• Walking is “a kind of magic” for calming, idea generation, and staying grounded.
• Nietzsche: “Only ideas had while walking have any worth.” (13:35)
• Suggestion: take calls on walks, use movement for both exercise and mental clarity.
• Slow, steady, daily effort is transformative—well-being “realized by small steps” (Zeno).

6. The Power of Consistency & Small Daily Gains (14:18)

• Ryan shares his prolific output—17 books over 15 years—resulting from “a couple crappy pages a day.”
  • “The discipline of writing is the same as the discipline of doing just about anything difficult. You show up, you don’t make excuses, you don’t procrastinate.” (15:20)
• Highlights Seneca’s advice: learn/acquire one thing every day.
• Small daily actions and improvements compound into significant long-term change.

7. Serving the Common Good, Not Just Yourself (16:50)

• Challenges the misconception of Stoicism as an individualistic, emotionless philosophy.
• Marcus Aurelius references the “common good” dozens of times in Meditations.
• True success comes from acts for the common good: “You can’t have your best year yet if that year is all about you.” (17:38)
• Simple acts of generosity—help a friend, pick up trash, donate, volunteer—are transformative.
• Emphasizes impact beyond self-growth: “One way we can always be sure we have something to feel good about is to do good.” (18:12)

8. Embracing Memento Mori—Remembering Death (19:30)

• References Seneca: time isn’t short, but we “waste a lot of it.”
• Tells a personal story about a friend who died unexpectedly, underscoring life’s fragility.
• Memento mori (“Remember you are mortal”) isn’t morbid, but clarifying; it encourages prioritization and focus on what matters.
  • “Let it give you a sense of time and urgency. Stop wasting your life. Get after the things you need to do, make the changes you need to make, and have a great 2026.” (20:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Journaling:
  “He [Marcus Aurelius] was taking time out of his day, out of his busy life, to work it out on the page.” (02:32)

• On Discipline in the Morning:
  “You were born to feel nice instead of doing things and experiencing them?” (05:10, quoting Marcus Aurelius)

• On Doing Hard Things:
  “All these things are training, like little hard things to do... But I would also urge you this year to set a big goal, something hard.” (09:21)

• On Small Steps:
  “Well-being is realized by small steps. But it’s no small thing.” (13:51, referring to Zeno)

• On Consistency:
  “The discipline of writing is the same as the discipline of doing just about anything difficult. You show up, you don’t make excuses, you don’t procrastinate.” (15:20)

• On Service:
  “You can’t have your best year yet if that year is all about you.” (17:38)

• On Memento Mori:
  “Let it give you a sense of time and urgency. Stop wasting your life.” (20:51)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:56 – Reflecting on the past year, honest self-assessment, setting intentions
• 02:15 – The transformative power of journaling, historical and personal examples
• 04:36 – Waking up early, Marcus Aurelius’ wisdom on morning discipline
• 08:36 – Doing difficult things: the value of challenge and physical rigor
• 12:31 – Walking as a daily practice for body and mind
• 14:18 – The compounding effect of small, consistent daily effort
• 16:50 – Acts for the common good: moving beyond self-interest
• 19:30 – Memento mori: reflecting on mortality to prioritize what matters

Tone & Style

Ryan Holiday’s tone is candid, practical, and motivational, with regular references to both ancient texts and relatable, modern examples. He balances philosophical depth with actionable advice and personal anecdotes, urging listeners to pursue incremental improvement grounded in Stoic wisdom.

Summary Table: 7 Stoic Habits for 2026

| Habit | Core Message | Stoic Inspiration | |-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------| | Reflect & Set Intentions | Honestly assess & re-align for new year | Epictetus | | Journal Daily | Work things out on paper, gain clarity | Marcus Aurelius | | Wake Up Early with Purpose | Embrace the discipline of mornings | Marcus Aurelius | | Do Hard Things | Embrace challenging goals for growth | Seneca | | Walk Regularly | Use walking for mental & physical health | Seneca, Nietzsche | | Take Small Daily Steps | Let consistency and compounding work | Zeno, Seneca | | Serve the Common Good | Make a positive impact beyond yourself | Marcus Aurelius | | Practice Memento Mori | Remember death to clarify priorities | Seneca, Marcus Aurelius |

For more: DailyStoic.com

This summary captures the key teachings of the episode, offering both inspiration and a practical road map for adopting Stoic principles in 2026.