The Daily Stoic Podcast

Episode Title: BONUS | Another Year Gone By. What Have You Done?
Host: Ryan Holiday
Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this reflective year-end episode, Ryan Holiday urges listeners to contemplate the passage of another year and consider the core questions at the heart of Stoic philosophy: How have you spent your time? What have you accomplished—and left undone? Drawing on wisdom from Marcus Aurelius and the spirit of self-examination, Holiday encourages us to look honestly at the year past and find resolve for the year ahead.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Swift Passage of Time

• Acknowledgment of Time’s Speed
  Ryan opens the discussion by marking how quickly 12 months can pass:

  “It went by fast, didn’t it?”
  [01:56]

• Reminder of Annual Reflection
  He highlights that listeners were likely in this same position a year ago, postulating changes for the coming year, considering what to start or stop:

  “Just 12 months ago, you were right here, thinking about how 2025 would go, thinking about changes you were trying to make, things you were going to start, things you were going to stop.”
  [01:59]

Reflection and Self-Assessment

• Echoing a Memorable Lyric
  Ryan references the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Christmas song to underline the importance of self-examination:

  “So this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun.”
  [02:17]

• Honest Appraisal of the Year’s Efforts
  He acknowledges feelings of bittersweet regret:

  “There was more that we could have done. There were things we fell short with. There was life left unlived. And it’s a little bittersweet and sad, isn’t it? A little disappointing, even shameful.”
  [02:36]

The Stoic Challenge: Marcus Aurelius’ Thought Experiment

• Marcus Aurelius’ Perspective Holiday shares a classic Stoic exercise for self-improvement, encouraging listeners to imagine their life as if it had already ended:

  “Marcus Aurelius had a powerful thought exercise that is worth trying. Here at the close of the year, think of yourself as dead, he says. Imagine that your life has come to its end. Think about what you left undid. Think about the perspective this puts on things. Think about what you'll regret, what you'll wish you could do differently, what you wish you'd started and stopped.”
  [03:07]

• Redemption and Renewal: The Second Chance The host emphasizes that a new year is an opportunity, an imperative, to act differently:

  “Now, he says, you’ve been given a second chance, so take what's left and live it properly.”
  [03:46]

Imperative for the New Year

• Transition from Reflection to Action
  With 2025 ending and 2026 beginning, Ryan urges listeners:

  “2025 is over, but now 2026 is just beginning. Live it. You hear that?”
  [03:59]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There was life left unlived. And it’s a little bittersweet and sad, isn’t it? A little disappointing, even shameful.”
  — Ryan Holiday, [02:36]

• “Think of yourself as dead... Now, he [Marcus Aurelius] says, you’ve been given a second chance, so take what's left and live it properly.”
  — Ryan Holiday, [03:07-03:46]

Key Timestamps

• [01:56] – Year-end reflection: How quickly another year has passed.
• [02:17] – Reference to John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s “So this is Christmas”
• [02:36] – Reflections on shortcomings and regrets.
• [03:07] – Marcus Aurelius’ thought experiment: “Think of yourself as dead.”
• [03:46] – The Stoic imperative: Live what’s left properly.
• [03:59] – Transition: “2025 is over, but now 2026 is just beginning. Live it.”

Tone & Closing Thoughts

Ryan Holiday’s tone is both candid and compassionate, blending the sting of self-honesty with hope and encouragement for renewal. He invokes Stoicism’s call to presence and purpose—reminding listeners that while regret is natural, a new year brings the obligation and privilege to act differently.

For more Stoic reflections, visit dailystoic.com.