The Daily Stoic Podcast

Episode: Discipline is Doing It Anyway | The Power of Mantra
Host: Ryan Holiday (with contributions from Stephen Hanselman)
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman explore the core Stoic virtue of discipline, emphasizing that true discipline is acting in accordance with your principles—even, and especially, when it's inconvenient or difficult. The episode transitions into a meditation on the power of mantras, both as spiritual tools and practical Stoic reminders, drawing from Marcus Aurelius and other Stoic thinkers to illustrate how repetition, self-talk, and personal mantras can help fortify daily practice. The hosts invite listeners to reflect on and choose their own mantras for the coming year and for everyday perseverance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discipline: Doing It Anyway

• Discipline Beyond Convenience

  • Ryan introduces the concept that discipline isn't about doing things when they're easy, but about doing them regardless of circumstances:

    “Discipline is doing it anyway. You're tired, you're busy. Looks like it’s going to rain. ... It’d be easier to stay home. ... Unless, of course, you’re disciplined—because that's what discipline is. It's doing it anyway. Just that you do the right thing.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 00:14-00:28)

  • Stephen reinforces with a Marcus Aurelius quote:

    “The rest doesn’t matter. Cold or warm, tired or well rested, despised or honored, that’s what makes the virtue, indeed any virtue, but especially discipline, so impressive. When the person does it anyway...”
    (Stephen Hanselman, quoting Marcus Aurelius, 00:35-00:46)

• Self-Discipline is a Choice

  • Ryan underscores that anyone is capable of self-discipline:

    “You just have to choose to do it right. You have to decide that right now things are going to be different and that this is the time you’re going to stop waiting for life to change and take control.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 01:08–01:12)

2. Real Life Disruptions and Stoic Response

• New Year Challenges
  • Ryan shares personal struggles from the start of his year—illness, disrupted plans—and frames these disruptions as opportunities for recommitment:

    “Maybe you came back late from a trip. Maybe this was actually the crazy busiest time of the year for you and only now are things just slowing down. ... Life got in the way, right? And that’s why we’re going to run it again. It’s not too late for you to join us in the New Year, New You Challenge. You’re not behind. ... I’m going to be doing it again myself.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 01:19–02:23)

  • The message: it’s never too late to recommit to self-improvement or a disciplined path.

3. The Power of Mantra in Stoic Practice

• Daily Reading from The Daily Stoic

  • Stephen reads the January 26th entry from their book, featuring Marcus Aurelius:

    “Erase the false impressions from your mind by constantly saying to yourself, I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire, any kind of disturbance. Instead, seeing the true nature of things, I will give them only their due. Always remember this power that nature gave you.”
    (Stephen Hanselman, 04:35–05:21, quoting Marcus Aurelius)

• Mantra as Inner Guidance

  • Ryan connects the Eastern concept of mantras to Stoic mental training:

    “A mantra can be especially helpful in the meditative process because it allows us to block out everything else while we focus. ... Marcus Aurelius would suggest this Stoic mantra, a reminder ... when we feel false impressions, distractions, or the crush of everyday life upon us.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 05:23–05:55)

• Meditations as Mantra Practice

  • Ryan reframes Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations:

    “He’s using mantras. What Meditations is, is Marcus Aurelius talking to himself. ... And he is reminding himself over and over again of the same ideas.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 06:11–06:21)

  • Emphasizes the value in repetition for self-mastery:

    “If they were easy and natural, well then I’m probably not pushing myself enough. So I’m trying to say these things over and over and over again. And you’re hoping that it kind of becomes part of who you are, becomes part of your muscle memory.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 08:00–08:20)

4. Choosing and Using Your Mantra

• Examples of Stoic Mantras

  • Ryan lists several personal and famous Stoic mantras:
    • “Stillness is the key.”
    • “Ego is the enemy.”
    • “The obstacle is the way.”
    • “Amor fati.”
    • Marcus Aurelius: “Fight to be the person philosophy tried to make you.”
    • Epictetus: “Persist and resist.”
    • The serenity prayer: “Is this in my control? Is it outside my control?” (Ryan Holiday, 07:13–08:49)

• Encouragement for Listeners

  • Ryan encourages listeners to:
    • Identify a big, yearly mantra and smaller daily ones.
    • Write them down.
    • Repeat them regularly, aloud, or in writing.
    • Let them become part of their thinking and daily response to challenges.
  • On repetition and self-reminders:

    “Maybe it's cliche, maybe it's lame, but I like to write these things down. I mean, as I said, I literally have them tattooed. Marcus Aurelius is writing them in his journal ... If you were to read my journals, you’d think it's cheesy or even weird how often I'm having to say the same things over and over again.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 07:35–07:56)

5. Big Picture: The Role of Mantra in Stoic Training

• Philosophy as Repetition & Practice
  • Ryan closes by relating mantra to Stoic training, emphasizing that it's about embedding ideas until they become reflexive, ready to guide behavior in critical moments:

    “So that in the big moments, it's there, right? That you just go there, right? That the training kicks in. That's what Marcus is doing. That's what I'm trying to do. That's what I hope you do.”
    (Ryan Holiday, 08:20–08:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Discipline is doing it anyway.”
  — Ryan Holiday (00:14)
• “You just have to choose to do it right.”
  — Stephen Hanselman (01:03)
• “Erase the false impressions from your mind by constantly saying to yourself, I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire, any kind of disturbance.”
  — Marcus Aurelius via Stephen Hanselman (04:35)
• “What is your mantra? What are you repeating to yourself? What are you reminding yourself when you feel like the lower self taking over?”
  — Ryan Holiday (07:03)
• “Epictetus said all of Stoic philosophy could be reduced down to this mantra of persist and resist.”
  — Ryan Holiday (08:41)
• “Let them become part of you and part of the training. That's what we're doing.”
  — Ryan Holiday (09:39)

Important Timestamps

• 00:14 – Introduction of the idea: “Discipline is doing it anyway.”
• 00:35 – Marcus Aurelius on virtue and discipline despite hardship.
• 01:19–02:23 – Personal anecdotes about disruption, and recommitting to discipline with the New Year’s challenge.
• 04:35 – Daily reading from The Daily Stoic (Marcus Aurelius on inner power).
• 05:21–07:56 – Discussion: mantra as inner guidance, the role of repetition, examples of mantras.
• 08:00–08:49 – Purpose of repetition: building “muscle memory” for Stoic responses.
• 09:39 – Closing encouragement: integrating mantras into life and practice.

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Daily Stoic Podcast delivers a motivating reflection on two interconnected Stoic principles: discipline and the power of personal mantras. With practical wisdom and honest self-disclosure, Ryan Holiday urges listeners to reconsider discipline as a matter of doing what must be done—regardless of emotion or circumstance—and to reinforce that discipline through the intentional cultivation of simple, repeatable mantras. Whether facing the ongoing challenge of New Year’s goals or day-to-day stressors, the episode is an invitation to practice inner dialogue and self-leadership in the Stoic tradition.

For more information or to join the challenges referenced in the episode, visit DailyStoic.com.