A friend of mine, Ros, recently gave me a copy of Ryan Holiday’s book ‘Discipline is Destiny’, which discusses the power of willpower, moderation and self-control to improve our lives through the lens of Stoic philosophy.
Although I’m very disciplined in my professional life, I’ve always found it challenging to consistently maintain healthy habits, like avoiding working late at night, eating well, and keeping up with exercise.
This book has been a great help, along with a tip Ros shared with me, which I will share with you here.
She told me to imagine a young version of myself sitting beside me. She asked me: “How would you care for ‘Little Luciana?’”
Of course, I replied that I’d care for her like I did my children when they were young, cooking them nutritious meals and ensuring they got enough sleep.
“Ok,” said Ros, “So what you need to do is care for Big Luciana, as well as you’d care for Little Luciana!”.
It seems so simple, but this mindset shift has really helped me stick to healthier self-care habits.
I’m drinking lots more water during the day, doing pilates and boxing with a personal trainer and I’ve been trying to step away from my desk for a twenty-minute walk outside after every meal.
If you’d like a taster of Ryan Holiday’s work, he shares 25 habits that will guarantee success in this blog post adapted from his book.