You Can Choose Right Now | The Portable Retreat

Summary

The Daily Stoic Podcast

Episode: You Can Choose Right Now | The Portable Retreat

Date: March 20, 2026
Host: Ryan Holiday
Guest contributor: Stephen Hanselman

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Episode Overview

In this reflective episode, Ryan Holiday explores key tenets of Stoic philosophy—particularly the idea of taking action without delay and discovering tranquility within ourselves rather than constantly seeking it elsewhere. Drawing upon the writings of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, Holiday encourages listeners to stop procrastinating and embrace the present as the optimal moment for self-renewal. The idea of the "portable retreat" is discussed, inviting listeners to cultivate an inner sanctuary instead of relying on external escapes like vacations or breaks.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Stop Waiting. Take Action Now.

• Ryan directly addresses procrastination and the habit of waiting for “the right moment” to reset, improve, or make necessary changes.
• He references Stoic wisdom, reminding us that the present is always the best time to act:

  "Otherwise, we are, as Seneca said, the fool who is always getting ready."
  (Ryan Holiday, 00:54)

• The episode encourages listeners to stop making excuses, let go of compromises, and use the change in season (spring) as a symbolic clean slate.

2. The Stoic Concept of Renewal

• Spring is framed as a time of renewal—but, as Holiday stresses, this renewal is always available to us, not just linked to the seasons.
• He invokes a sense of agency:

  "Someone has to take control. And that someone is you."
  (Ryan Holiday, 01:44)

• Forget past missteps and focus on what you can do now for future growth.

3. The Daily Stoic Spring Forward Challenge

• Holiday introduces the 2026 Spring Forward Challenge:
  • 10 days of Stoic-inspired exercises to help participants recommit to their values and goals.
  • An opportunity for communal growth and self-improvement.
• He invites listeners to stop delaying and join:

  "Stop putting it off. Let's do it. 10 stoic challenges to help you get serious, to help you own the rest of 2026."
  (Ryan Holiday, 03:15)

4. Portable Retreat: Inner Peace Without Escaping

• Drawing from the Daily Stoic Journal, Holiday and Hanselman discuss the perennial human tendency to anticipate peace only from vacations or changes of scenery.
• They read and reflect on quotes from Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, emphasizing that the true retreat is inward.
  • Quote from Marcus Aurelius:

    “People seek retreats for themselves in the country, by the sea, or in the mountains... But this is entirely the trait of a base person, when you can at any moment find such a retreat in yourself.”
    (Ryan Holiday quoting Marcus Aurelius, 07:19)

  • Quote from Epictetus:

    “It is not only the desire for wealth and position that debases us... also the desire for peace and leisure and travel and learning.”
    (Ryan Holiday quoting Epictetus, 08:20)

• Holiday recounts how he feels more present and productive on vacation but challenges himself (and the audience) to ask:

  "What is stopping me from being able to do that at home? ... The thing that's working here is you. Like, you're finding the retreat in yourself, that moment of stillness or whatever, and that's available to you anywhere."
  (Ryan Holiday, 09:17)

5. Making Everyday Life More Like a Retreat

• Hanselman and Holiday explore how small choices in daily routines—like putting the phone away, reading more, or taking a moment to enjoy the night sky—can bring elements of the vacation mindset into regular life.
• Memorable reflection:

  "We drove eight hours to look at stars. And how many nights do I walk to take out the trash... and I don't take a minute to just step up and look. Right. That's kind of what I'm thinking about here is so much of what we give ourselves on those retreats or those vacations or those time away we could have inside ourself anytime we choose. And indeed we deserve to do that."
  (Stephen Hanselman, 10:21)

6. The Stoic Legacy: Retreat Is a Practice, Not an Escape

• Ryan concludes by clarifying that even Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus valued travel and change of scenery, but these should not be forms of escapism.
• The essence:

  "They're just saying, don't do it as an escape. Don't do it. Fooling yourself that it's not something you could have now inside yourself at any moment, and in fact you must do it just takes a bit more discipline."
  (Ryan Holiday, 11:18)

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On agency and renewal:

  "Forget how the first three months of the year have gone. Forget the excuses you have made, forget the compromises you have made. That's the lovely thing about the idea of spring's renewal. It wipes clean the past."
  (Ryan Holiday, 01:35)

• On the accessibility of a mental retreat:

  "Nowhere can you find a more peaceful and less busy treat than inside your own soul... Treat yourself often to this retreat and be renewed."
  (Ryan Holiday quoting Marcus Aurelius, 07:36)

• On the value of presence:

  "What I love while we're [at Big Bend National Park] is looking up at this incredible sky. So little light pollution there. The stars just... They feel like they pop right out of the black sky… and I sort of looked up for a second and I was like, this sky's almost as good as it is there."
  (Ryan Holiday, 09:53 & 10:19)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 02:07:
  Taking action now vs. procrastination; introducing Stoic perspectives from Seneca and Epictetus.

• 02:09 – 04:23:
  Invitation to join the Spring Forward Challenge—a practical application of the Stoic reset.

• 06:05 – 09:15:
  The concept of the "portable retreat" and Stoic quotes guiding inward peace.

• 09:17 – 11:55:
  Personal stories, the everyday opportunity for retreat, and the challenge of integrating the vacation mindset into daily living.

• 11:55 – End:
  Final reflection: Cultivating a life where retreat is part of your discipline, not just an external escape.

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Tone and Style

The episode is introspective, motivational, and candid—mirroring Ryan Holiday’s signature pragmatic philosophical approach. He is warm, relatable, and gently challenging, weaving together ancient quotes and modern self-reflection.

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Summary Takeaway

The wisdom of Stoicism insists that you can choose right now to begin anew—waiting is the enemy of growth. The most profound retreat is always available within you, and the true discipline is in making space for that inner peace every day rather than waiting for an external escape. As the season shifts to spring, seize the opportunity for renewal and start practicing your own ‘portable retreat’—wherever you are.

Transcript

[Ryan Holiday]

Welcome to the daily Stoic Podcast, designed to help bring those four key Stoic virtues, courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom, into the real world. You can choose right now. You could do it when things get warmer. You could do it when winter is officially over. You could do it when things calm down at work. You could do it after things get so settled, you could wait for permission for an excuse for help. Or you could do it now. You could stop putting off what you've been procrastinating. You could tackle what you know needs to be tackled. You could clean up what is screaming to be cleaned up. As the seasons change, as the clocks move forward, as new growth appears on the trees, there is room for other forms of renewal. This is the time. The Stoics would say, right now is the time. Otherwise, we are, as Seneca said, the fool who is always getting ready. Epictetus, for his part, laid down a similar how much longer are you going to wait to demand the best for yourself? Everyone knows there are things that we need to reset, to improve, to be better at, to live better, to think better. Many of us even know what to do. But maybe life has gotten in the way and we haven't followed through. So that's the question. If we're not going to do it now, when are we going to do it? And I want to say that it's not too late. You can stop putting it off, can stop waiting for things to happen. Someone has to take control. And that someone is you. Forget how the first three months of the year have gone. Forget the excuses you have made, forget the compromises you have made. That's the lovely thing about the idea of spring's renewal. It wipes clean the past.

[Stephen Hanselman]

We have a chance to start fresh,

[Ryan Holiday]

and that's what we're doing. Me and thousands of other Stoics all over the world are doing the 2026 Daily Stoic Spring Forward Challenge. It's 10 days of stoic inspired challenges. Design to help you get serious about the things you have been putting off, to refocus, to reconnect, to renew after a crazy winter. I was crazy at my house. I'm sure it was crazy for you. I think we could all use an opportunity to get back on track. And maybe you even procrastinated a little bit on signing up for the challenge. Well, this is your last chance. Sign up for it. I'll see you in there. I'm doing the challenge right now. As you are listening to this alongside a bunch of other Stokes who got a jump on you. Stop putting it off. Let's do it. 10 stoic challenges to help you get serious, to help you own the rest of 2026. And it's going to be awesome. We're going to be doing some live calls. You get access to the community, you get the progress tracker and a bunch of other awesome stuff. And just think about where you could be 10 months from now if you got serious right now. Spring forward with me and thousands of other stoics all over the world doing the daily stoic spring forward challenge, you can sign up right [e-mail] spring but this is your final, final, final chance. I'll see you in there. I know it's not good for me to just run. I need it for my mental health. But it takes a toll on me physically and I need to mix it up. So one of the things I'm trying to work on this year is doing more diverse kinds of workouts and specifically doing more strength training. And that's where today's sponsor comes in. Tonal provides the convenience of a full gym and the guidance of a personal trainer anytime at home with their one sleek system designed to reduce your mental load, Tonal is the ultimate strength training system, helping you focus less on workout planning and more on getting results. Plus, there's no more second guessing on your form. Tonal gives you real time coaching cues to dial in your form, which I need a lot of help on. And it helps you lift safely and effectively. Plus, Tonal sets the optimal weight for every move and then adjusts it makes it a tiny bit harder each time in one pound increments as you go and as you get stronger.

[Stephen Hanselman]

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[Ryan Holiday]

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[Stephen Hanselman]

Hey, it's Ryan. Welcome to another episode of the Daily Stoic podcast. We're doing some riffing from the Daily Stoke Journal this morning. I've got mine in my leather case. It says make time. I gotta make time to do that journaling. And when I don't, my psyche, my brain, my philosophy practice suffers. You can grab [e-mail] Today's entry is about the portable retreat it is in the future, on vacation, on our day off, when we plan to get out into nature that we think will find peace and release from the crush of the everyday demands of life. But this never really seems to happen as often as we think, does it? And when we do get that peace, it's difficult to keep it once we're back in the fray. Well, for the Stoic, all this is madness. The true retreat is in the freedom of our own mind and soul to consider. The gifts we already have can be our refuge for all time if we take the time daily to do so. So good for you. Taking a little quiet time this morning or evening to listen to a podcast. It's not cramming you full of info, but it's a bit more philosophical. And then hopefully you've got the Daily Stoic Journal out. Or the Daily Stoic. But we've got three quotes in this week's entry. One from Marcus, one from Epictetus, and another from Marcus. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4 3. He says people seek retreats for themselves in the country, by the sea, or in the mountains. You are very much in the habit of yearning for those same things. But this is Entirely the trait of a base person, when you can at any moment find such a retreat in yourself. For nowhere can you find a more peaceful and less busy treat than inside your own soul, especially if on close inspection it is filled with ease, which I say is nothing more than being well ordered. Treat yourself often to this retreat and be renewed. Then Epictetus says, remember, it is not only the desire for wealth and position that debases and subjugates us, also the desire for peace and leisure and travel and learning. It doesn't matter what the external thing is, the value we place on it subjugates us to another. Where our heart is set, there are impediment lies. And then Marcus Rhelius says, remember that your ruling reason becomes unconquerable when it rallies and relies on itself so that it won't do anything contrary to its own will, even if its position is irrational. How much more unconquerable if its judgments are careful and made rationally. Therefore, the mind, freed from passions, is an impenetrable fortress, and a person has no more secure place of refuge for all time. That's Meditations 848. I'm thinking about this because I'm just doing a little recording here before I go out of town. It's my kids spring break. We're going to spend a week down at the beach. And I look forward to this and I enjoy it. And I sometimes weirdly get more done there, more present there. You are a different person on vacation. But the Stoics would say, why does it have to be that way? What does it say? That your life is something that you feel the need to escape from. So one of the things that I try to do, I mean, I like going down there. That's one of the perks of working for myself. I don't have to be in one location and sometimes it changes scenery. It's good for things.

[Ryan Holiday]

But I ask myself, what is it

[Stephen Hanselman]

about my routine there that allows me to not feel so rushed in the morning, spend more time with the kids, sort of write at leisure. Why do I seem to have more time in the day? Why am I always available to catch the sunset? And what is stopping me from being able to do that at home? That's what Markus is saying. He's like, look, the thing that's working here is you. Like, you're finding the retreat in yourself, that moment of stillness or whatever, and that's available to you anywhere. He says that inside your own soul there is peace and not so much busyness. I love Taking my family, we go to Big Bend a couple times a year. One of my favorite national parks. And what I love while we're there is looking up at this incredible sky. So little light pollution there. The stars just. They feel like they pop right out of the black sky. I remember we went, and then I was back a couple weeks later and I had to go take the trash out or something. And I live out in the country, there's not a lot of light pollution where I live. And I sort of looked up for a second and I was like, this

[Ryan Holiday]

sky's almost as good as it is there.

[Stephen Hanselman]

We drove eight hours to look at stars. And how many nights do I walk to take out the trash or get something my kids forgot in the car and I don't take a minute to just step up and look. Right. That's kind of what I'm thinking about here is so much of what we give ourselves on those retreats or those vacations or those time away we could have inside ourself anytime we choose. And indeed we deserve to do that. And I think about, you know, I read more, but I could read more here. I just. I throw my phone in the other room and I forget about it for a while. And I need to do that here. You need to do that here. Give yourself a staycation, give yourself a life that's a little bit closer to that vibe where you're a bit more philosophical. You're taking the time, you're retreating into your own self. You're finding the refuge that is there inside yourself. That's what it's all about. To me, that's what I think the Stoics are reminding themselves. And look, Marcus Aurelius had a country estate. Epictetus had a country estate. They all traveled, they all saw the world. They weren't saying you never do it. They're just saying, don't do it as an escape. Don't do it. Fooling yourself that it's not something you could have now inside yourself at any moment, and in fact you must do it just takes a bit more discipline. It's not as easy as buying a plane ticket and planning a trip. So I hope whether it's close to your spring break here or not, or what plans you have, you take this lesson from the Stoics seriously. Because it's an important one and it's one I'm struggling with and thinking about myself. And I hope today's perspective was helpful. You can grab this cool cover we have for the Daily Stoic [e-mail] if you don't have the Daily Stoic Journal, you can grab them as a package and I'll sign it and it's cool. It says make time on the front and it's a reminder from Epictetus. Every day and night, keep thoughts like this at hand. Write them. Read them aloud. Talk to yourself and others about them. That's what I'm doing on this podcast. That's what you're doing by listening. I really appreciate the opportunity to do that. I'll talk to you all soon.

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